Coconut Oil, Natures Own Gatorade

Many people have a false fallacy around coconut oil. Yes it is the coconut yet that does not mean that is the nut of the tree. It is actually part of the palm family and there for does not have any food allergy risks.

Depending on what you are thinking there is coconut milk and coconut water. The coconut milk derives from a mature seed, where as coconut water is from a young green coconut.

Known as “natures Gatorade” coconut water has the perfect balance of electrolytes and sugar. It contains the equivalent to an eleven oz bottle of apple juice, no fat and no protein. The potassium is that of a banana, potassium aides the body in the absorption of water by cells in the body and thus is very hydrating.

Since the coconut water relies more on potassium than salt, unlike Gatorade. For those athletes that are highly active and have vigorous work outs, all that salt loss makes sense to go ahead and drink Gatorade. Otherwise for the rest of us coconut water is best way.

There is no arguing that coconut oil does contain saturated fats. Yet the majority of fatty acids in coconut oil are medium fatty acids which according to Ashley Koff a registered dietitian says “For a long time, when we were hearing about saturated fat, coconut oil was off limits, but interestingly, the type of fat in there is a medium chain fatty acid. And that is a type of fatty acid that goes right through our digestive system, so it’s actually beneficial for us there.”

According to Monique Ryan who is a nutritionist and author of Sport Nutrition for Endurance Athletes, medium chains are metabolized by the body more easily which is why it is also found in infant formula.
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