Beauty on the inside and the out: Coconut

Because of Em's type 2 diabetes we are constantly on the lookout for foods that can help to control blood sugar and aid overall health. Coconut is pretty high on that list, in fact when Em was first diagnosed we ate nothing but home-made curries and bread made from coconut flour. Aside from losing lots of weight and eating foods that we had previously thought were bad for us, it also improved our skin and hair quality and, most importantly, it went a long way to helping control Em's blood sugar levels.

image borrowed from http://www.organicfacts.net/

This was our first initiation into all things coconut, don't get us wrong; we'd dabbled before, making the odd curry or opting to use coconut milk as a dairy substitute (in case you're wondering; it does not work in tea! we've not tried it in coffee, at the moment the flavour combination is appealing to me, maybe with a bit of vanilla...but it's been a long day!)

After this we started investigating all things coconut and the many ways that coconut products can be used.

Good for the body

Coconut meat is high in healthy saturated fat, with decent amounts of protein and a low glycemic index. A cup of shredded, raw coconut meat contains 27 grams of fat, mostly saturated; 3 grams of protein; and 12 grams of carbohydrates, mostly fiber.

- Mark Sisson

Rich in fibre, coconut can help to destroy internal parasites and improve overall health, we're going to bullet point the rest to avoid anyone developing comma-blindness:

• Coconut water is beneficial for kidney & bladder problems.
• 2 tablespoons of coconut oil every day will give you your RDA of Vitamin E
• Coconut oil and coconut milk are great moisturisers, providing a mild SPF, and conditioners for the hair and skin
• Coconut is great for any tummy troubles, ranging from things like gas and bloating, to constipation, and stomach ulcers. According to some Ulcerative Colitis Forums, a lot of UC sufferers have found that ingesting coconut milk, fresh coconut and coconut oil has helped them go into remission.
• Coconut oil helps with blood sugar control, and can improve insulin secretion.
• Coconut is naturally antimicrobial, antioxidant, antifungal, and antibacterial.

Specifically speaking, Coconut oil can be used for stress relief and increased immunity, it can aid weight loss and metabolism, maintain cholesterol levels and blood pressure along with a list of other benefits we can't fit into one post! All of these benefits have been chalked up to the high levels of lauric acid, capric acid and caprylic acid in the coconut.

And please, don't get caught up in the saturated fat debate; the body needs saturated fats and as with everything there are good and bad types. Coconut oil falls under the good type of saturated fat; it's composed predominantly of  Medium Chain Tryglycerides which are absorbed directly by the liver, not stored by fat cells, which means that they boost the metabolism and provide energy quickly. Making coconut oil a perfect food for endurance based exercise.

Up next: our favourite coconut products and the ones that didn't quite cut it.
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