Nuts About Coconuts: Everything You Need to Know 

About This Supreme Health Food 

By Dr. Joseph Mercola with Rachael Droege

Coconuts are one of the most nutritious of all fruits, but unfortunately in the United States they are also one of the most overlooked. Coconuts are not a traditional part of the American diet, but have been a staple food to many populations, such as island and Asian cultures, for centuries.

Coconuts: Young versus Mature

There are several different ways to enjoy fresh coconuts, which can be young or mature. Young coconuts have either a green shell or a white

“husk” if the outer shell has been removed while mature coconuts are the more familiar-looking brown, hairy variety. The nutrients and physical  characteristics change as a coconut matures. Young coconuts have more ‘water’ and soft, gel-like meat, and mature coconuts have firm meat and  less ‘water.’ The nutrient values per 100-gram (edible) portion vary significantly 

Coconut Milk, Juice and Oil: What’s the Difference?

Most people think that coconut milk is the liquid inside the coconut, but this is not the case. The liquid inside the coconut is known as coconut water or juice, and coconut cream is made from pressing the coconut meat. Coconut milk is made from the expressed juice of grated coconut meat and water.

Coconut oil, on the other hand, is the fatty oil that comes from the coconut meat. It’s important to note that coconut oils on the market vary dramatically in terms of quality. Low-quality coconut oils, which should be avoided, are processed by chemical extraction, using solvent extracts, which produces higher yields and is quicker and less expensive. However, the oils contain chemical residues and many are also hydrogenated, bleached and deodorized.

High-quality coconut oil is a completely different product and is truly the healthiest oil you can consume. It is the only oil that should be used for cooking, as the fat is stable and less susceptible to heat-induced damage that can lead to trans fat.

Because of these drastic variations, my team and I here researched coconut oil extensively until we found the ideal source. I now highly recommend and offer you what is clearly the premier brand of virgin coconut oil in the United States, Tropical Traditions. This virgin coconut oil is not only certified organic, but it also met all our other requirements, including no GMO ingredients, bleaching, deodorizing, refining or hydrogenation. Tropical Traditions also uses fresh coconuts (not “copra” or dried coconuts like most oils) that come from a rural region of the Philippines untainted by urban pollution. If you do choose another brand of coconut oil, please be sure that it meets these requirements.

Which Type of Coconut is Best?

Coconut can be safely added to most everyone’s diet, but to determine which type of coconut is best for you you’ll need to determine your metabolic type. Young coconuts are good for most people, but are particularly good for carb and mixed types. Mature coconuts, on the other hand, are best for protein types. Similarly, protein types will likely enjoy the firm meat and coconut cream from the mature coconut, while carb and mixed types will tend to naturally prefer the juice. Health Benefits Coconuts can add flavor, variety and—best of all—healthy nutrients to your diet. Coconuts are rich in lauric acid, which is known for being antiviral, antibacterial and antifungal, and boosts the immune system. Fresh coconut juice is one of the highest sources of electrolytes known to man, and can be used to prevent dehydration, for instance in cases of diarrhea or strenuous exercise, instead of a sports drink. Some remote areas of the world even use coconut juice intravenously, short-term, to help hydrate critically ill patients and in emergency situations.  Other health benefits of coconuts and coconut oil include: Help you lose weight, or maintain your already good weight Reduce the risk of heart  disease Lower your cholesterol Improve conditions in those with diabetes and chronic fatigue Improve Crohn’s, IBS, and other digestive disorders  Prevent other disease and routine illness with its powerful antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal agents Increase metabolism and promotes healthy thyroid function Boost your daily energy Rejuvenate your skin and prevent wrinkles

Where can I Find Coconuts?

Some U.S. supermarkets do not carry fresh coconuts. However, they are widely available in ethnic grocery stores, such as Asian or Latino markets, farmers’ markets and health food stores. If you are unable to locate a source near you, try requesting them at your local health food store, as many will carry them upon request.

The first part of March I visited Jamaica for one week and was absolutely delighted to find that you can actually purchase young green coconut water in the store in bottles just like one purchases bottled water. I am actually in the process right now of determining if we can import this into the United States for sale here as it would be an absolutely stunning health food, especially if one ferments it into kefir water. I will be writing some articles about this amazing probiotic, fermented food in the near future.

And once you’ve brought your coconut home you can read my article on raw coconuts that was posted last year for more information—such as how to   get it open! DR MERCOLA

 

NOW there is one warning with coconuts. Never give anyone a KNIFE and tell them to scoop the meat out of a round shell. That will put gashes in one’s hands at best, lose you fingers or chunks of hand at worst. Break shells sufficiently that you can pry the meat out. Watch blades of knives don’t snap and go flying, too.

 

GREAT COCO RECIPES:

 

PROTEIN BREAKFAST  FAMILIA: Take any breakfast cereal that you like, cooked oatmeal or raw uncooked oatmeal that has been soaked overnight in some orange juice; or you can use your favorite dried breakfast cereals. To this, add a three tbspoon to quarter cup slog of real yogurt, (the kind that bleeds when cut,) a squeeze of honey, some maple flavoring. You need to pre-prepare almonds and coconut. Because breakfast is a quick meal. Almonds are soaked for an hour, peeled. Coconut needs to be shelled. If you put both in a blender or food processor, you could further make them easy to add to cereal, but you’d need to store them in a jar in fridge, ready to go.  Little extras: orange peel grated, dried cranberries, raisins, dates.

HEALTHFOOD CANDY - Sunflower-Sesame Treats

 

3/4 cup sunflower seed meal

1/4 cup tahini (ground sesame seed) Avail ethnic markets/healthfood store.

Or soaked, peeled, ground almonds

1/2 cup unsweetened coconut shreds

1/4 cup honey

1/3 cup toasted wheat germ     

1/3 cup finely-chopped dates or raisins

lemon peel, lemon juice

2tbsps toasted sesame seeds, grind tsp salt into it.

 

1. Mix ingredients in medium-sized bowl.   

 

2. Separate mixture into two portions. Place each portion

on a separate piece of wax paper. Form into rolls. Wrap

securely in wax paper and store in refrigerator.       

 

3. When sufficiently chilled, remove from refrigerator;

unwrap roll and cut into one-half inch pieces. Serve as a

snack or accompany with fruit after a hearty meal. Yield:

two 4-inch rolls.

 

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COCONUT PIES, UNFORGETTABLE DESSERT!

THIS DISH WILL WOW YOUR PARTY GUESTS! CREAM PIEs FIRST

http://www.southernliving.com/food/entertaining/old-fashioned-pies-cobblers-recipes/coconut-cream-pie-recipe

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/classic-toasted-coconut-cream-pie-358561


FRENCH COCO PIE, half the sugar tho and no margarine, use butter!
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/20467/french-coconut-pie/

 

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COCONUT LEMON ALMOND MARZIPAN CAKE- I can never decide which cake is my favorite, lemon, coconut, fruit cake or almond marzipan, so I have all  FOUR COMBINED. Is this greedy or schizophrenic? To make sure it’s a healthy dish, I use ghee not butter, whole grain or unbleached flour and succanet which isn’t as bad for us as sugar. And I get aluminum free baking powder. And I whip egg whites to a major froth, like meringue, as that lifts the batter also.

 

INGREDIENTS: 3 cups whole grain or unbleached flour, 2 cups  Succanet sugar or real sugar, 2 cubes room temp butter, or 1 cup cold clarified butter which is called ghee, 4 or 5 eggs depending on size, (separate yolks from whites carefully, fridge whites while you work.) A can of coconut milk, extracts, spices, nuts, dried fruit of high quality, from healthfood store, soak them in fresh lemon juice, like cranberries, dates, cherries and currents or yellow raisins, those are my favorites. THEY RECONSTITUTE with the lemon juice soak. Use the  unsulphured dried cranberries, cherries, dates, figs are avail at reg. Sulfites used to dry commercial fruit said not to be good for  us..

 

METHOD: Cream 2 cubes butter, four yolks, (reserve whites to make a meringue to help 'lift' the cake.) Sugar or Succanet to taste (actually, this IS real sugar but with all the vitamins), add your extracts: coconut, almond or vanilla flavoring, plus plenty of orange & lemon zest, beat until creamy.  To make a birthday type cake, I use canned or real coconut milk as liquid in the cake along w. liquid fruit is soaked in. To make a FRUITCAKE style, I use orange juice and milk as liquids. Lemon rind can go in with it. SIFT DRY INGREDIENTS. Then, we are going to slowly add them to the creamed butter/yolk/sugar ALTERNATING each addition of dry with liquid. Finishing with dry. You need 2-3 cups sifted whole grain flour. (Now, you must sift out and throw away the bran) As white flour is toxic, cloggy, use Kamut flour.  Healthfood stores can advise which flour is suitable for cakes. I say, sift bran, any flour is. At last sift, mix flour with 3 tsp aluminum free baking powder. WHEN YOU put flour in, add a  dose of flour followed by a dose of the liquids. You will now take the LIQUID THAT DRIED FRUIT WAS  Re-CONSTITUTED IN, and add orange juice or milk or coconut milk straight out of coconut or can. Add liquid, stir a little bit,  then another 1/2 cup dry ingred, then another dose of the juice/lemon/coconut milk liquids, stirring until batter feels right. For a  light cake, the minimum of flour is used. If you feel it's OK at 2 cups dry ingred, quit there. Now, ---the fluff factor!

 

SEPARATELY, BEAT EGG WHITES TO peaks. Fold stiff whites into the cake batter, verrry delicately. FOLDING is an artform. The rubber spatula is best tool for that. Then put a lot of  pecans or walnuts in batter using a dusting of flour on them. THEN ADD DRIED FRUIT (Now, take that batter and add all  dried fruit that you soaked in lemon juice several hours before but to do this, pat fruit dry, flour lightly) and fold into the batter. We used the juice they were soaked in, in the LIQUID section of the cake. BAKE: Turn into buttered, floured or paper lined  pans, (cupcake best for gifts, or fruitcake tins) put in very hot oven for the initial 4 minutes. It solidifies from the heat. But this is  too fast an oven to cook the thing through to the middle, because it would burn outside black before inside was cooked, so  then the trick is, you open door slightly, turn oven down to 325, ( a slow oven) finish to a deep golden brown color. Remove  gently. COOL on rack.

 

SOUR LEMON FROSTING- with powdered sugar and real lemon, this frosting enchants the tongue. Use 1/2 cube butter beaten with a lot of lemon rind, then a whole box of powdered sugar added 1/3 at a time with real lemon juice and lemon rind added after each dry sugar addition. As we want several different but clear flavors, we will slice fruit cake in two, fill middle with real almond paste (homemade. )

 

ALMOND PASTE: grind a 1/2 lb to an lb. of blanched almonds (boiling water, only one minute then you peel them) with some boiled sugar

syrup and almond extract. European bakers mix it half with powdered sugar, knead it into dough and store it in waxed paper for a lot of time, like two weeks so it breaks down a little, then they knead it some more with the sugar when it's broken down. I  don't bother. I just make my marzipan and use it. BROKEN DOWN food doesn't appeal.

 

DECORATION- The third, clear flavor of our cake is coconut. And it’s so glam, we’ll use it in a visible area. Cover entire exterior frosted cake with shredded sweetened coconut. Soak more dried  pineapple in lemon juice, decorate outside of cake with these pieces.

 

HOLIDAY OPTION: At Xmas I fill the same cake batter with  unsulphured dried fruit, dates, raisins, dried pineapple, dried cranberries, dried natural cherries, pecans, walnuts. I bake in loaf  pan, no frosting. When cool, wrap cake  in cheesecloth soaked in brandy and then plastic. Mail them to pals. Thrift stores have baskets,  paint these w. spray paint, also METAL COOKIE CANS, CLAY cookie jars, all kinds of old stylish nostalgia things you can  use for fresh baked cookies which when cool are best air tight. GOURMET COOKING Stores are too costly. DISCOUNT houses have bon bon papers, fluted  baking cups. Save old Candy boxes all year long.

 

ALL YEAR ROUND SNACK. Cocos cost a buck each at ethnic markets. Throw a nail thru those two holes, or eyes. Drain liquid. Take it out on concrete, whack with hammer. Freeze in a bag ..stick the pieces in freezer so that meat loosens.  Or toast in the shell, 325 for enough minutes that flesh loosens. Store in plastic bag in fridge. When kids are hungry give them a piece with some dried fruit.


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Our 'POSTER-BLOGGER' is ANITA SANDS HERNANDEZ, Los Angeles Writer, Researcher, mother of 4 and career Astrologer. Catch up with her websites TRUTHS GOV WILL HIDE & NEVER TELL YOU, also The  FUTURE, WHAT'S COMIN' AT YA! FRUGAL LIFE STYLE TIPS,  HOW TO SURVIVE the COMING GREAT DEPRESSION, and Secrets of Nature, HOLISTIC, AFFORDABLE HEALING. Also ARTISANRY FOR EXPORT, EARN EUROS....* Anita is at astrology@earthlink.net ). Get a FREE natal horoscope "my money/future life" reading now + copy horoscope as a Gif file graphic! No smarter, more accurate DESTINY reading out there!


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