Our bodies need hydration no matter what time of year it is. During the hot days of summer, it’s easy to feel the urge to grab a cool drink. During chilly and dry winters, even if we’re not sweating, it’s equally important to stay well hydrated. While plain water is always a good option (especially if we can get it from a local spring), the coconut water benefits are just so fantastic it’s hard to pass it up as a hydration option.
Coconut water is the ultimate in rehydrating beverages. Some even refer to it as nature’s Gatorade but way better, because it doesn’t have the scary fluorescent coloring, sugar, vegetable, oil and high fructose corn syrup. Whether you’re in the Canadian North, the deep Caribbean South or anywhere in between, coconut water is an awesome addition to any diet.
In Sanskrit, the coconut palm is known as kalpa vriksha, meaning “tree which gives all that is necessary for living.” In tropical climates where coconuts grow, children often drink coconut water with their meals and a snack as children here drink juice boxes. When I visit the Caribbean, I make friends with the locals and ask one of them to scooch up a coconut palm tree and toss a good coconut down to me. (one day, I’ll figure out how to climb up a tree like that!)
Coconut Water Benefits:
You’ve probably heard praise for coconut water as an amazing sports drink, which is definitely true. Coconut water can replace fluids after exercise and while some studies have shown it is equally effective as traditional electrolyte drinks and water, others have proved it is the option that is easier to tolerate. So, when all things are equal, why not choose the one that won’t give you a stomachache? And, aside from post-exercise, coconut water can also help replace fluids after having diarrhea.
Other healthy coconut water benefits include:
- Hearth health: In this study, participants who drank coconut water, as well as a mixture of coconut water and mauby (a tree-bark beverage), experienced a drop in blood pressure.
- Blood sugar - Diabetes: Animal studies indicate that coconut water can reduce blood glucose levels and prevent hyperglycemia.
- Anti-viral: Coconuts have anti-viral, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties, which makes them fantastic for disease prevention.
Where to find Coconut Water:
Coconut water can be purchased in the refrigerator section of any health food store, and many grocery stores have fresh coconuts available where you can just poke a straw in and away you go. Opt for raw, fresh coconut water – as many of the boxed version have been pasteurized, which eliminates the nutrient value (not to mention they contain added sugars, flavours and preservatives).
Other ways you can adapt this recipe are:
For the vegans: Replace honey with coconut 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 slushy.
For the Drinkers: throw in a little tequila and ice and you have got yourself a margarita (though you may want to save the coconut water to take care of the hangover the next day).
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