Why COCONUT WATER is so AMAZEBALLS! (slang for amazing)

There has been ALOT of buzz about Coconut water lately and for good reason!  I find myself drinking it almost daily and if you are as active as I am you should be drinking it daily as well!

Coconut water is the purest liquid second only to water itself.  It is chock full of electrolytes, calcium, potassium, magnesium; everything that is good for you.  Coconut water is the liquid that is taken from unripe coconuts. If coconuts get ripe the liquid that is inside will harden and become a part of the white flesh of the coconut, which is used to make coconut milk. So, picking the coconut while it is unripe will ensure that the body gets all the benefits of coconut water. 

Here is the description from Zico's website, one of the leading brands of Coconut water:

“For more than 4,000 years, coconut water has been revered as a natural source of nutrition, wellness, beauty and hydration. In times of famine and war, coconut water has been used as an intravenous fluid and saved many lives. It’s the only natural substance that can be safely injected into the human blood stream. Now modern science has validated its effectiveness.

ZICO contains the five essential electrolytes that gives your body everything it needs to stay hydrated and perform at your best. One ZICO has more potassium than a banana – 15 times more than most sports drinks – to prevent cramping. Drink ZICO before or during a workout for the natural energy you need for optimal performance. After a workout, ZICO replenishes and re-hydrates you to speed recovery."

Now don't go injecting yourself intravenously with coconut water but definitely do drink it!  One 14oz serving has 569mg of potassium which is more than a banana the equivalent of 15 sports drinks, 5 essential electrolytes (sodium, magnesium, calcium, potassium, phosphorus), zero fat/cholesterol/added sugar, is 5ph which is lower acidity then sports drinks, all natural and rehydrates you FASTER than water itself!

Here are the major benefits of using Coconut Water:

It’s said to help with:

• Muscle performance

• Energy

• Weight-loss

• Heart health

• Stress reduction

• Skin, hair & nail health

• Mental acuity

• Kidney cleansing

• Natural hang-over cure

Coconut Water Hyrdates the body faster than normal water:

Coconut water is an isotonic solution which replaces the fluids and minerals that the body loses during physical activities. For this reason, many athletes and people who work out regularly are encouraged to drink coconut water to replace all the minerals and fluid that they lose while working out. Even the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) attest to the benefits of drinking coconut water when it fought for a patent in 2000 to market coconut water as the next big sports drink.  Basically, coconut water is like natural gatorade.  Like Gatorade it contains water, simple carbohydrates (sugar), and electrolytes (minerals).  Compared to a sports drink made with refined sugars, artificial flavoring, and blue food coloring.  Coconut water is DEFINITELY a solid upgrade!  

Coconut Water is an antibacterial:

Coconut water contains monolaurin, an antiviral, antibacterial and antiprozoal monoglyceride that is used to kill lipid-coated viruses such as Herpes, cytomegalovirus, flu and various pathogenic bacteria. 

Coconut water promotes heart health:

Consuming foods or beverages rich in potassium, including coconut water, may help reduce the risk of hypertension and stroke.

Promotes kidney health:

Diets high in potassium, magnesium, and fluids are though to reduce the risk of kidney stones.  It's not surprising that coconut water is reported to help prevent or resolve kidney stones. 

Fights Aging:

Coconut water also contains compounds that seem to protect cells against aging and cancer—in test tubes anyway. It’s exciting to think that drinking coconut water could make us immune to aging and disease. But we really should know better by now. The world is chock-a-bloc with compounds that stop aging and disease in petri dishes. And yet, we don’t seem to have solved the problem of aging and disease. I think its naïve to think that coconut water is the elixir we’ve all been waiting for.

In conclusion Coconut water is a reasonably nutritious, natural beverage that appears to have health benefits similar to those available from fruits and vegetables. It doesn’t replace fruits and vegetables, but if you just like the way it tastes (or the amazing testimonials that have gotten to you), there’s nothing wrong with including it your diet as well. Just remember to account for the sugar and calories it provides. 

And, finally, if you exercise hard or long enough to benefit from an electrolyte replacement drink, coconut water is an EXCELLENT alternative to sports drinks.

My Favorite brands and types are:

Zico Pomberry and Vita Coco Pomegranite & Acai

Stay positive, eat healthy, and most importantly be happy!

M