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Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Coconuts!


Two of my favorite new ingredients!







Not only do they taste good but the health benefits are remarkable. I've been adding the milk to my smoothies for a refreshing tropical taste. The oil can be used as a substitute for butter, margarine or oil. I like to smear a bit on a piece of dark chocolate. Tastes like an upgraded Almond Joy. It is also recommended to replace your body lotion. It is incredibly moisturizing and leaves my skin silky smooth. My mom and sister both use it as well.
Coconut products have gotten a bad wrap for being high in fat. The cool thing about the saturated fat in coconuts is that it is primarily comprised of medium chain fatty acids (also known as MCFAs) which are easier for the body to digest and burn off compared to longer fat molecules. Plus the lauric acid in coconut milk has been shown to have anti-microbial properties. Contrary to the popular opinion that coconut oil contributes to heart disease, unprocessed coconut oil has not been shown to increase serum cholesterol levels (studies which showed coconut oil to be harmful were done using hydrogenated forms of the fat). From here.

More info here.
The cans of milk can be purchased at any grocery store but the oil probably is only sold in health food stores. What do you think? Willing to try some?

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