The "coconut police"

I went out the other day and bought my very first whole coconut at the grocery store and felt very proud of myself.  Why would I be proud of myself for buying a humble coconut you may ask?  Since I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2012 I have been doing a LOT of reading and researching and health blog following about all things healthy and happy and a common theme that comes up again and again is the amazing benefits we can gain from introducing a humble coconut into your life.  Coconuts provide a nutritious source of meat, juice, milk and oil.  I had never really given coconuts a second thought before being diagnosed withe breast cancer, I used to think of only having them when I was on a tropical island somewhere as part of my holiday.  But who said we need to be on holiday in order to enjoy a nice fresh coconut...the 'coconut police'?? :-)  Well you will be glad to know that there is no such thing as the 'coconut police' and you are free to consume as much coconut as you like and the best parts about it is that you will be doing yourself the most massive favour AND you will feel like you have just gone on holiday!

The first 'problem' I had when I got the coconut home was 'how was I going to get into it?'.  After doing a bit of googling, watching a few youtube videos and asking the rest of my family I decided to first drain the coconut by knocking a few holes into the top by hammering a nail into it (make three holes in the top of the coconut).  Once the liquid has been drained you can then use something like a meat cleaver or if you really want to go back to basics you could always go outside and throw it on the pavement to get it cracked open (if you do that make sure you give it a rinse under a tap afterwards!).  I then used a knife that is relatively blunt (one that I use to eat my meals with) and used that to get between the flesh and the outside of the coconut and pull them apart.  I stored the flesh in an airtight container in the fridge to be used in my smoothies or snack on during the day and I drank the coconut water that I had drained earlier (or you could use it in your next smoothie).  Although this all sounds a bit long winded and hard to do, once you know what you are doing and have the right equipment (come on, everyone has a hammer and nails lurking in their garage somewhere) you are well on your way to being a coconut goddess.

So before I go on and on too much I should list the health benefits of this humble coconut shouldn't I?!

Coconut water:

• loaded with potassium (potassium is the synonym for health insurer!) which is great for hangovers and even more beneficial than sports drinks with electrolytes minus the added sugar!  Potassium is a mineral that is required for keeping the heart, brain, kidney, muscle tissues and other important organs of the human body in good condition.
• hydrating (just be careful because if you do decide to buy some packaged coconut water in the supermarket make sure you check the label to ensure there is no sugar added or that if there is sugar added that it is kept to less than 3g-6g per 100ml.
• aids weight loss because it increases the metabolism in the body.

Coconut oil:

• if you are doing any cooking make sure you do it with coconut oil instead of olive oil.  Olive oil is good for you when its not heated, but place it in a pot and heat it up and the heat changes the molecular structure of the oil and turns it rancid.
• immune boosting.
• digestive system support.
• great skin moisturiser minus all the nasty chemicals that you will find in your store bought beauty products (I keep a pot in my bathroom and use it over my entire body after a shower).
• can reduce cholesterol.
• great for babies and children.  Saturated fat is an essential ingredient in the growth and development of babies and children.  While humans can make some saturated fats, there is one particular fatty acid, lauric acid, which is only available to babies through mother's breast milk.  This is the primary fatty acid found in coconut oil.

Go on...go and buy a coconut, it may just be the closest thing to a 'holiday' you may get today.