Does your family have a glass of coconut water everyday? Here are just some of the benefits of including coconut in your diet.
Coconut milk is often confused with coconut water. Coconut water is the liquid found inside a coconut, while coconut milk is obtained by extracting the juice of the 'malai', the white layer of 'meat' found along the inside walls of the coconut.
Before reading on, there are certain things to be born in mind regarding coconut consumption. Coconut water should not be had on an empty stomach. Also, wisdom through the years states that coconut water should not be drunk very early in the morning, late evenings or at night. The best time to consume coconut water is before sunset. The ideal time is between 11am to 4pm - or at the very latest 6pm in the summer.
Immunity
Coconut increases immunity immensely. It has been found that the same amount of lauric acid, present in mother's milk, is also present in the coconut, perhaps accounting for the increase in immunity.
AIDS
Chris D, an AIDS patient who was certain he was on his last legs, stopped all treatments and decided to take a final vacation to South America. Here, he would eat a dish comprising of cooked coconuts every day. Before long, he started feeling better, and when he returned, he had gained around 10 kg! Also, his viral overload, which was at 600,000 at the start of his vacation, was non-detectable. He shared this news with a few other AIDS patients, who also started eating a coconut rich diet and felt better. Coconuts don't cure AIDS, but do help in the fight against the disease by working against all odds to strengthen the immunity system and reduce viral overload. It also helps fight the Hepatitis C virus.
Nutrients
Coconut water has around 5 mg of natural sugar, while other artificial energy drinks have 10-25 mg of altered sugar. It has very little sodium, and just the right balance of potassium, magnesium and calcium. In fact, it has the same level of electrolyte balance as we have in our blood! It is also identical to human body plasma, and has even been directly administered to the human blood stream intravenously, to treat severe dehydration.
Coconut Oil
Coconut oil is just teeming with good properties. As we know, it is great for the hair. It is also great for the skin, and a massage with coconut oil helps keeps muscles supple and skin glowing.
Regular consumption of coconut oil has been linked to improved thyroid function and metabolism. Yes, coconut oil is a saturated fat, which is why it has been automatically subject to controversy, but it does not contain any cholesterol, and has far fewer calories than most other saturated fats.
Anti-wrinkle
Some people apply a little coconut oil on their face every night, in lieu of moisturizer, to help prevent pimples - and swear it works wonders. Body moisturiser, if applied to the face, will only block pores - it will not be absorbed. Coconut oil however can be absorbed easily through pores on the face or body!
