Just because its cold outside, doesn’t mean your body isn’t still crying out for hydration. I am sure, like me, you have noticed your skin a little dryer, your clothes a little more staticky and perhaps you have had to plug in your humidifier.
Canadian Winter is chilly and dry (despite the Torontonians who comment on the ‘damp cold’). Cold is cold and even if we are not sweating as we do in the summer, we are still drying out.
Here enters coconut water. It is the ultimate in rehydrating beverages. Some even refer to it as nature’s Gatorade (but without all the scary fluorescent colouring, sugar, vegetable oil, and high fructose corn syrup. Here is my super powered super hydrating solution that can be enjoyed in the Canadian North as well as in the deep Caribbean South.
In Sanskrit, the coconut palm is known as kalpa vriksha, meaning “tree which gives all that is necessary for living”. During the Pacific War of 1941-45, both sides in the conflict regularly used coconut water – siphoned directly from the nut to give emergency plasma transfusions to wounded soldiers. In tropical climates where coconuts grow native, children will often drink coconut water with their meals and a snack as children here drink juice boxes. Also a great beverage to treat dehydration children and adults alike following excessive sun exposure, or illness causing diarrhea or vomiting.
Coconut water can be purchase in the fridge section of any health food store or you can source out a supplier for whole coconuts. There are many grocers in China Town where you can get the merchant to lob off the top of your coconut, throw a straw in and away you go. Down here in on the islands, where I am currently chillin’s like a villain, I just get one of my new friends to scooch up the tree and drop a good one down for me. One day I will figure out how to get up a tree like that.
Health Benefits
This is an ideal beverage to replace electrolytes post work out. It is rich in vitamins and minerals, low in sugar and is easy to drink. Additionally, it works great as a thirst quencher on those hot summer days and is perfect to replenish fluids in the dryness of the winter and of course on those mornings following that big nights out.
- Coconut water is a natural isotonic beverage, with the same level of electrolytic balance as we have in our blood. It is full of natural sugars, salts, and vitamins to ward off post work out fatigue. Coconut water has 15x more potassium than most sport drink, no added sugars, no fat, no cholesterol and no preservatives.
- Lemons contain unique flavanoid compounds with anti-cancer properties. Also rich in antioxidants including Vitamin C, lemons helps protect the body from free radical damage and boost the immune system. Lemons have been found to help protect against inflammation associated with arthritis.
- Ginger is rich in potassium, magnesium and manganese, all important minerals in maintaining electrolyte balance. Ginger is also very effective at relieving gastrointestinal distress and possesses numerous therapeutic properties including antioxidant effects, and has direct anti-inflammatory effects.
- Sea salt is effective for the regulation of blood pressure, extracts excess acidity from the cells in the body, particularly the brain cells, helps balance blood sugar levels. Sea salt is also vital for the generation of hydroelectric energy in cells of the body, helps, clearance of the lungs of phlegm and is essential for prevention of muscle cramps.
- Honey has anti-oxidant and anti-microbial properties and also aids in wound healing. Honey helps sustain favorable blood sugar concentrations after endurance training, important for maintaining muscle glycogen stores, so that muscle recuperation is more efficient.Coconut Lemon Quench
1 lemon
1 1/2 cups coconut water (or 1 tetra pack)
1/2 cup water (or more depending on desired concentration)
1 tbsp honey
1/2 tsp grated ginger root
Sea salt to taste
-
- Squeeze the juice of the lemon into blender
- Add coconut water, water, honey, ginger and sea salt into blender
- Blend
- Drink up with a smile or keep refrigerated for up to two weeks.So many options!
- For the vegans: replace honey with agave nectar
- For the kiddies: freeze and make delicious, healthful popsicles
- For the pool-side loungers: replace 1/2 cup of water with ice and make a super rad slush
- For the drinkers: throw in a little tequila and ice and you’ve got yourself a margarita (though you may want to save the coconut water to take care of the hang over the next day).
I had a hard time reading this post because I was too busy BEING JEALOUS of your nice tan and the sunny-ness.
I want to have a coconut water with you so badly right now it’s frightening.
You know who should REALLY look into using your coconut-lemon quench recipe instead of Gatorade? The peeps in the Crohn’s/Colitis/IBS ward at St. Mike’s… when my friend had to have his entire colon removed there, they gave him Gatorade to drink afterward on account of the electrolytes and salt content or whatever. Something tells me his pores might have been OK with that, but his intestines? Not so much.
Oh, and another benefit of drinking from a coconut: No plastic involved in the manufacturing!
[...] the local food, coconut made up a great part of my diet. I have already mentioned the benefits of coconut water, here is a recipe for Coconut Ice Cream. Turn up the heat, put on your sunglasses, make like you [...]
This sounds delicious! I’ve been reading about coconut water lately and this little recipe just sealed the deal for me. Thank you!
[...] Optional Liquids • Ice (if you like it cold) • Vegetable Juice (100% veggie) • Coconut Water (not to be confused with coconut milk) • Nut or Seed Milk • Herbal tea (such as peppermint or [...]
Excuse my ignorance, but what’s the difference between coconut water and coconut milk? Are they the same?
coconut water is the liquid found inside young coconuts. coconut milk is made using the flesh of the coconut water. both are very healthy but for different reasons.
Where do you get unsweetened coconut water and frozen cocount meat?
I have only been able to find it with added sweetner.
thanks
I buy coco one or vita coco for coconut water. I have never seen frozen coconut meat- I just crack open a coconut, cut it into pieces and freeze it myself.
When you say that children (in countries where coconuts grow natively) often drink coconut water with their meals, that certainly didn’t seem the case when I was growing up in the Philippines and that country is one of the world’s major producers. You are more likely to see kids with carbonated drinks than with coconut water. Coke, Pepsi, and related soft drinks are more popular, the last time I looked, although coconut water is certainly welcome.
As for myself, I drink lots of coconut water-which I buy at a nearby supermarket for 99 cents for a 17 oz. can. The brand is La Cena. I don’t particularly like soda, but I notice that nowadays, I drink far more coconut water now than when I was living in the Philippines.
[...] I was doing a Caribbean themed food demo in my Professional Skills Class. Mixing up a little Coconut Lemon Quench. Yes- the Caribbean is a theme of my [...]
[...] to Meghan Telpner, Certified Nutritionist and Holistic Lifestyle Consultant, coconut water is “the ultimate in [...]
La Cena Foods coconut *milk* is the best I’ve had.
It’s from a company in Jersey.