Coconut Waters

[kokopelli]

Update! I did find canned coconut water in my local Mexican mercado here in Calif. It was GOYA brand with some added sugar and some bits of coconut pulp. Quite good except could do without the added sugar. $1 USD/0.5 liters. And yes, it was a product of Thailand. Looking forward to the real thing on next visit to Thailand.

[MrBill]

The meat in a young coconut is softer and more gelatinous than a mature coconut, so much so, that it is sometimes known as coconut jelly. When the coconut has ripened and the outer husk has turned brown, a few months later, it will fall from the palm of its own accord. At that time the endosperm has thickened and hardened, while the coconut water has become somewhat bitter."

 

 

Is it just me, or does this explanation seem very "coming of age" erotic? Why is it so hot in here all of a sudden?

[kokopelli]

"after all, what we call the 'milk' should more accurately be described as 'juice' if we take into account the fact that it has to be squeezed from the flesh/meat."

 

The above description by Xiandarkthorne is also a bit graphic!

 

Now I can't wait to try one of these coconuts.

[Gaybutton]

Now I can't wait to try one of these coconuts.

There are actually two ways coconuts for drinking are most commonly sold in Thailand. One is the chilled large green coconuts that you get when you go to the beach.

 

The other is a roasted coconut. I don't particularly care for the roasted ones, but a lot of people love it. When you're here, try both.

 

This photo is of the roasted coconuts:

 

[Guest lvdkeyes]

Kokopelli, using your reasoning mother's milk should also be called juice. Right?

[Guest fountainhall]

No antibiotics should be used indiscriminately, however if you are having severe diarrhea the benefits of norfloxacin far outweigh the risks.

On a recent trip to Europe, I got a bad case of gastroenteritis. The doctor prescribed a short course of antibiotics, but also suggested that when the course was finished, I take a course of probiotics. I had never heard of these. Apparently, each pill puts back into the system 4 billion (that's not a mis-type!) good bacteria which the antibiotics kill!

[MrBill]

The doctor prescribed a short course of antibiotics, but also suggested that when the course was finished, I take a course of probiotics. I had never heard of these. Apparently, each pill puts back into the system 4 billion (that's not a mis-type!) good bacteria which the antibiotics kill!

 

Wow great advice! As someone who is alergic to Penicillian, I've been fored to take antibiotics all my life. Never had a doctor recommend tprobiotics and always had stomach problems after taking until a friend who was into nutrition recommended them. Now, whenever I have to pick up a prescription for an antibiotic I also pick up a bottle of probiotics that I start the day before the end of the course of abntibiotics.

[Guest lvdkeyes]

Whenever taking antibiotics it is a good idea to eat yogurt since it has good bacteria in it. It is especially recommended for women to prevent vaginal yeast infections.

[kokopelli]

Kokopelli, using your reasoning mother's milk should also be called juice. Right?

 

Actually that quote I posted was from Xiandarkthrone in his earlier response; I thought he was referring to something else when referring to juice squeezed from meat.

 

After reading Xiandarkthrone's description I quickly drove to Tijuana to seek some friendly coconuts to squeeze their meat and drink their water.

[kokopelli]

No antibiotics should be used indiscriminately, however if you are having severe diarrhea the benefits of norfloxacin far outweigh the risks.

I agree with you. Just surprised that it was so easily available in Thailand at low prices.

But I guess I should not be surprised. Will buy some for sure.

[Guest xiandarkthorne]

Actually that quote I posted was from Xiandarkthrone in his earlier response; I thought he was referring to something else when referring to juice squeezed from meat.

 

After reading Xiandarkthrone's description I quickly drove to Tijuana to seek some friendly coconuts to squeeze their meat and drink their water.

 

ha ha...After a lifetime spent squeezing coconuts every time the family wanted curry for dinner, I prefer to palpate boinuts nowdays. Squeezing seems a tad brutal to me.

 

PS

My log-in handle's xiandarkTHORNE. I clean my "throne" regularly so it stays white!

[Guest RichLB]

Getting back to the original question, oddly while playing on the internet and using Fox News (gag) as background noise, they had a snippet on the virtues of coconut water. It seems it is being used in many gyms and yoga clinics as a re-hydration method. The interviewees raved about its restorative powers. They also made a distinction between coconut milk and coconut water. It seems it's the water, not the milk, they were touting.

[Guest xiandarkthorne]

Getting back to the original question, oddly while playing on the internet and using Fox News (gag) as background noise, they had a snippet on the virtues of coconut water...It seems it's the water, not the milk, they were touting.

 

True. Coconut milk is so high in saturated fats that many Asians with cholesterol problems are choosing to cook with low-fat milk as a substitute. It doesn't taste the same, I can tell you...YUKS!

[Guest lvdkeyes]

The Truth About Coconut Oil

 

by Michael Babcock

 

 

Coconut Oil Bad For You? Hardly

There is widespread misconception that coconut oil is bad for you because it is said to raise blood cholesterol and cause heart disease. The only "proof" is one four-decades old study. The study used hydrogenated coconut oil.

 

It is now known that the process of hydrogenation creates "trans fatty acids" (TFAs), which are toxic entities that enter cell membranes, block utilization of essential fatty acids (EFAs) and impede cell functionality. TFAs also cause a rise in blood cholesterol. These substances are not present in natural coconut oil.

 

In other words, a study based on hydrogenated coconut oil has no relevance to the non-hydrogenated coconut milk or coconut oil that you eat.

 

Widespread studies of coconut-consuming populations such as those found in Polynesia and Sri Lanka, show that "dietary coconut oil does not lead to high serum cholesterol nor to high coronary heart disease mortality or morbidity."(See endnote 1.) Other studies show no change in serum cholesterol level from coconut oil. (See endnote 2.) And if it is true that the herpes virus and cytomegalovirus have a causative role in the initial formation of atherosclerotic plaques (See endnote 3.), coconut oil may be beneficial in preventing heart disease. (See Benefits below.)

 

For further reading: Mary G. Enig, Coconut: In Support of Good Health in the 21st Century (offsite).

Coconut Oil as Saturated Fat

 

Another reason people believe coconut oil must be bad for you is misguided association: it is a saturated fat and "saturated fats are bad for you." Dietary guidelines inevitably fail to distinguish between different kinds of saturated fats and insist that saturated fats (meaning all saturated fats) are harmful.

 

This is not just misleading. It is bad science. Leading scientists now recognize that just as there is good cholesterol, there are also good saturated fats.

 

Fats are classified as short-, medium- or long-chain based on the number of carbon molecules they contain. Nearly two-thirds of the saturated fat in coconut oil consists of medium-chain fatty acids.

 

When we eat long-chain fatty acids, they must be emulsified by bile salts in the small intestine before they can be absorbed into our body. Short- and medium-chain fatty acids, such as those in coconut milk, are absorbed directly through the portal vein to the liver, where they are immediately available to the body.

 

In other words, most of the saturated fat in coconut oil is easily digestible and converted into quick energy. And these types of fatty acids are less likely to cause obesity because they are immediately used by the body and have no opportunity to be stored.

Benefits of Coconut Oil

 

Coconut - Sprouting Nearly 50% of the fatty acid in natural coconut oil is lauric acid, which converts to the fatty acid monolaurin in the body. Monolaurin has adverse effects on a variety of microorganisms including bacteria, yeast, fungi, and enveloped viruses. It [monolaurin] destroys the lipid membrane of such enveloped viruses as HIV, measles, Herpes simplex virus (HSV-1), influenza and cytomegalovirus (CMV). The usefulness lauric acid/monolaurin in treating AIDS is currently under investigation. Lauric acid is a main component of human breast milk and helps protect children from illness during infancy.

 

Capric acid, which comprises another 7% of coconut oil fat content, also stimulates anti-microbial activity.

 

In other words: not only does coconut oil not cause heart problems, it is good for you. To quote Dr. Mary Enig: "The research over four decades concerning coconut oil in the diet and heart disease is quite clear: coconut oil has been shown to be beneficial."(See endnote 4.)

 

Coconut oil is a "functional food," defined as a food that "provides a health benefit over and beyond the basic nutrients."(See endnote 5.) It is an immune-system enhancer.

 

For further reading: Mary G. Enig, Coconut: In Support of Good Health in the 21st Century (offsite). Also the Center for Research on Lauric Oils, Inc (offsite).

TFAs

[Gaybutton]

On a similar note, I recently read that eating red meat is also no longer considered unhealthy.

[Guest lvdkeyes]

The same with eggs. Julia Child always said you can eat anything you want in moderation. She was notorious for using lots of butter in her recipes. She lived to be 2 days shy of 92 years old.

[ChristianPFC]

roasted coconuts - sounds interesting, might try it when I come along.

 

What about "Heart of palm"? Heart of palm - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Did anyone try it? Where can I get it?

[Gaybutton]

What about "Heart of palm"?

Did anyone try it? Where can I get it?

It is commonly used in many Thai recipes. Many fresh vegetable markets and some grocery stores carry it. It is also sold canned.