Coconut Products.The Queen loves Coconut!

Coconut water, oil, and unsweetened coconut flakes..

The Coconut:
The Coconut is a large nut from the coconut palm. Of course, I love it, it's tropical and the tree it comes from is just the perfect picture of vacation! There are three parts to the coconut, the hard outer layer, the inside white coconut meat, and coconut water.
Coconut Meat:
 Unlike other saturated fats, which are long chain fatty acids, most of the fat in coconut is a medium chain fatty acid. Medium chain fatty acids are broken down much faster than long chain fatty acids, so they do not contribute to high cholesterol, as long chain fatty acids do. In fact, the fat in coconut may possibly help to lower bad cholesterol levels and increase good cholesterol levels. Coconut meat is high in fiber, manganese, copper, and potassium. These nutrients help to aid in digestion, stabilize blood sugar, increase your metabolism, and aid in heart and muscular functions. I like to sprinkle some on sweet potatoes, in yogurt, or ice cream, in smoothies..the possibilites are endless.  Make sure that you buy it unsweetened. You can also buy a coconut and scrape out the meat.  Find one that is young and still a little green on the outside. 
Coconut Water:

Coconut water is the clear fluid inside a young coconut.  The water is sterile.  It has the same concentration of electrolytes as our body's plasma..it's like God's Gatorade, so to speak.  It is low in carbs and sugar and high in potassium and chloride. It has antiviral and antifungal properties and helps fight diseases.  I like to drink pure coconut water after working out.  It gives me lots of energy.  Make sure you don't get ones with added sugars.  Look on the ingredient label..coconut water should be the only thing.  There are some that have other added fruit pulp like pineapple and mango, just make sure that sugar is not on the ingredients list.  Coconut has natural sugar, but none should be added to it.

Coconut oil
Coconut oil, also know as coconut butter is not to be confused with palm oil, which is bad.  It is also not the same thing as cocoa butter..which comes from the cocoa plant.  Coconut oil comes from removing the meat from a ripe coconut, it is shredded and cold pressed and filtered and out comes coconut oil.  Be sure to look for cold pressed on the label to insure it is not a processed oil.  Coconut oil helps decrease sugar cravings, increases the metabolism, decreases cholesterol levels, and helps aid in digestion and weight loss. WOW! That is why I add it to my cooking arsenal!  I use it in baked goods, on our steaks, greasing a pan, in dressings and more.  There are lots of recipe websites out there for using it just make sure the ingredients are all clean and the sugar is low and the right kind!!

BONUS USES!!  Dry hair? Use it for a condition treatment..love it...Dry skin..all over body moisturizer,...face mask, lip balm, cuts and scrapes, eczema, and more...