Showing posts with label coconut. Show all posts
Showing posts with label coconut. Show all posts

Friday, August 23, 2013

The Health Benefits of Coconut Water !!



Coconut water was used as a “universal donor”, making it identical to human blood plasma. It was used in the Pacific War to save thousands of lives through Coconut IV’s, and emergency plasma transfusions.

Surprisingly, Coconut water is more nutritious than whole milk. Its crammed with Natural Sugars, Salts, and Vitamins to block out fatigue.

Coconut water could potentially be the greatest energy drink in the world, to top it off, it’s all-natural. Coconut water contains more potassium than the majority of energy drinks. The chloride it holds is at 118g, and it’s natural sugars extent to about 5mg.

Most importantly, coconut water contains less sodium than any other energy drink.


(Seen on FB, Learning Petals)

Tuesday, June 4, 2013

80 Awesome Uses of Coconut Oil


Be sure to buy organic unrefined coconut oil. Most Walmarts carry it on the aisle with the other cooking oils, also health stores should have them as well. Do not buy the cheaper non-organic versions which are not healthy versions. 

Personal Hygiene/Body:

1. Moisturizer – simply scoop some out of the jar and apply all over your body, including neck and face.
2. Eye cream – apply under the eyes to reduce puffiness, bags, and wrinkles. Use on the lids in the evening.
3. Preshave – coconut oil will prep skin for the pending damage caused by shaving.
4. Aftershave – coconut oil will help heal your skin after shaving without clogging pores.
5. Deodorant – coconut oil alone can be used as a deodorant, but even more effective in combination with cornstarch/arrowroot powder and baking soda!
6. Hair Conditioner/Deep Treatment - use as a leave in hair conditioner by applying a teaspoon of coconut oil to your ends and then running your fingers through your hair to distribute the rest! For a deeper treatment, rub in a tablespoon of coconut oil onto your dry scalp and gently work through to the ends. Put a shower cap on to prevent transfer onto bed linens and leave on overnight.
7. Hair Gel/Defrizzer – rub a little between your palms and either scrunch into hair (for curly hair) or finger comb in through from scalp to ends (for wavy/straight hair).
8. Toothpaste – there are numerous recipes out there but I just mix coconut oil and baking soda and dab a little of the mix on my toothbrush.
9. Make up remover – use a cotton swab and a dab of coconut oil and you would be amazed at how well it works!
10. Chapstick – just rub a little into lips and it not only acts as a softening agent but it also has an SPF of about 4 so you get a little protection!
11. Massage Oil – pretty simple; grab some and rub!
12. Lubricant – it is an all natural, perfectly safe personal lubricant. Not compatible with latex!
13. Sunscreen
14. Stretch Mark Cream – coconut oil is great at nourishing damaged skin. It may not be the magic stretch mark cure but it will help.
15. Nipple Cream – works great to nourish cracked, sore, or dry nipples. Apply to a cotton ball and leave on your nipples between feedings.
16. Diaper salve – very comforting on a rashy bum with no harsh chemicals. Also safe for cloth diapers.
17. Cradle cap – having issues with dry skin on your baby’s scalp? Coconut oil will not only nourish your baby’s skin, it also helps eliminate cradle cap. Just rub a teaspoon onto scalp daily.
18. Body scrub – mix coconut oil and sugar together and rub all over! Rinse off and your skin will be super soft! You can add in essential oils if you would like a specific smell.
19. Healing - when applied on scrapes and cuts, coconut oil forms a thin, chemical layer which protects the wound from outside dust, bacteria and virus. Coconut oil speeds up the healing process of bruises by repairing damaged tissues. Plus, it smells a heck-of-a-lot better than anything from the pharmacy.
20. Bug Bites – when applied directly to a bug bite, coconut oil can stop the itching and burning sensation as well as hasten the healing process.
21. Skin problems – coconut oil relieves skin problems such as psoriasis, dermatitis, and eczema.
22. Swimmers Ear – mix garlic oil and coconut oil and put a few drops in affected ear for about 10 minutes. Do this 2-3 times a day and it usually works within one or two days.
General Health and Wellness
23. Stress Relief - relieve mental fatigue by applying coconut oil to the head in a circular, massaging motion. The natural aroma of coconuts is extremely soothing thus helping to lower your stress level.
24. Digestion - the saturated fats in coconut oil have anti-bacterial properties that help control, parasites, and fungi that cause indigestion and other digestion related problems such as irritable bowel syndrome. The fat in coconut oil also aids in the absorption of vitamins, minerals and amino acids, making you healthier all around.
25. Fitness - coconut oil has been proven to stimulate your metabolism, improve thyroid function, and escalate energy levels, all of which help decrease your unwanted fat, while increasing muscle.
26. Nose bleeds - coconut oil can prevent nose bleeding that is caused by sensitivity to weather such as extreme hotness and extreme coldness. This condition happens when the nasal passages become dry because of cold or dry air resulting to burns and cracks in the mucus membranes so bleeding happens. To prevent this just put coconut oil in you nostrils. Coat your finger with coconut oil and then lie down and coat your finger inside your nose. Doing this will strengthen and protect the capillaries in the nasal passages. A Vitamin C supplement will also help prevent nose bleeding.
27. For breastfeeding moms, consuming 3 ½ tablespoons of coconut oil daily will enrich your milk supply.
28. Helps with weight loss & controlling cravings.
29. Helps keep blood sugar levels stable and/or helps with cravings in those with diabetes.
Health Problems (that coconut oil is known for aiding, relieving, or even curing when taken internally)
30. Eczema – in addition to taking it internally, many have success applying it externally, some don't
31. Skin problems
32. Toenail fungus
33. Hot flashes
34. Bleeding hemorrhoids (can also be applied externally twice a day)
35. HIV
36. Head lice
37. Improvements in menstruation regarding pain/cramps and heavy blood flow
38. Migraines (with regular use)
39. Mononucleosis
40. Parasites
41. Thrush
42. Relieve gallbladder pain
43. Has helped some people improve symptoms of an underactive thyroid gland, results have shown subsequent thyroid blood tests becoming normal
44. Energy boost
45. Flaky, dry skin
46. May relieve acid reflux and indigestion when taken with each meal
47. Adrenal fatigue
48. Alzheimers
49. H. pylori
50. Candida albicans
51. Asthma, even in children
52. Autism
53. Cholesterol - improves HDL ('good' cholesterol) to LDL ('bad' cholesterol) ratio in people with high cholesterol
54. Chronic fatigue
55. Circulation/feeling cold all the time
56. Stronger immune system
57. Mental Clarity
58. Depression
59. Helps with inflammation in Crohns
Health Problems (that coconut oil is known for aiding, relieving, or even curing when applied topically)
60. Athletes foot
61. Back pain/sore muscles
62. Canker sores
63. Acne
64. Cellulite
65. Herpes (applied topically and taken internally)
66. Genital warts (through topical application over 6 weeks, and coconut oil enemas twice a day depending on the location of the warts)
67. Circumcision healing – although I am personally against circumcision, I have read that coconut oil is a really great healer for this.
Cooking
68. Use 1 cup to 1 cup ratio when replacing other oils/butter in recipes with coconut oil.
69. Replacement for butter/lard/Crisco/PAM in it’s solid form – greasing pans, pie crusts, etc.
70. Replacement for various oils in liquid form – baking, cooking, sautéing, etc.
71. Nutritional supplement – melt and add to smoothies.
Other Uses
72. Insect repellent – mix coconut oil with peppermint oil extract and rub it all over exposed skin. Keeps insects off better than anything with Deet! Tons safer too.
73. Great for dogs and cats for general wellness. Just add a teaspoon to their water bowl daily.
74. Goo Gone - just mix equal parts coconut oil and baking soda into a paste. Apply to the “sticky” area and let it set for a minute. Then scrub off with an old toothbrush or the scrubby side of a sponge.
75. Chewing Gum in Hair Remover – just rub some coconut oil over the stuck chewing gum, leave in for about 30 minutes, then roll the gum between your fingertip. Voila! It’s out!
76. Polish Furniture - coconut oil with a little bit of lemon juice to polish wood furniture. However, I recommend you test it first on a very small, unobtrusive part of your furniture to make sure it works the way you’d like.
77. Polishing Bronze - all you have to do is rub a little oil into a cotton towel and then wipe down the statue. It cleans and helps deepen the color of your bronze.
78. Seasoning animal hide drums
79. Seasoning cookware
80. Moisturizing and cleaning leather products

(Seen on Facebook, Learning Petals)

Thursday, October 11, 2012

How to open a Coconut?

If you are unable to view, you can click on the below link to watch on youtube directly http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2vZS5cvI4M&feature=youtu.be

Now that we know that coconut water is beneficial to the body, I reckon the only little that is going to stop us from consuming it often is that it is not easy to open. And I know that many people struggle to to even open a small hole so that they can poke a straw into the coconut to drink the coconut water. 

Hence, I made a video with simple instructions on how to open a coconut in less than 5 minutes. You don't really need strength, just the correct technique should do the job fine.

So watch the video and enjoy your Natural Coconut drink! 

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Coconut Water and its benefits

(Image credits belongs to its owner)

HEALTH BENEFITS OF COCONUT WATER

Drinking coconut water has many benefits. Coconut water is naturally:
  • Low in Carbohydrates
  • 99% Fat Free
  • Low in Sugar
Coconut water contains organic compounds possessing healthy growth promoting properties that have been known to help: 
  1. Keep the body cool and at the property temperature.
  2. Orally re-hydrate your body, it is an all natural isotonic beverage. 
  3. Carry nutrients and oxygen to cells
  4. naturally replenish your body fluids after exercising
  5. Raise your metabolism
  6. Promote weight loss 
  7. Boost your immune system
  8. Detoxify and fight viruses
  9. Cleanse your digestive tracts
  10. Control diabetes
  11. Aid your body in fighting viruses that cause the flu, herpes and AIDS
  12. Balance your PH and reduce risk of cancer
  13. Treat kidney and urethral stones
  14. Boost poor circulation 

About the Coconut
Coconut water is incredibly healthy and one of the best drinks to hydrate the body. Besides helping to remove toxin from the body and aiding digestion, coconuts have amazing anti-viral, anti fungal and anti microbial properties that help to cure the disease.

The English name coconut first mentioned in English print in 1555 comes from Spanish and Portuguese word coco, which means "monkey face". Spanish and Portuguese explorers found a resemblance to a monkey's faces in the three round indented markings or "eyes" found at the base of the coconut. On the Nicobar Islands of the Indian Ocean, whole coconuts were used as currency for the purchase of goods until the early part of the twentieth century.

Coconut are the fruit of the coconut palm, botanically known as Cocos Nucifera, with nucifera meaning "nut bearing". he fruit bearing palms are native to Malaysia, Polynesia and southern Asia, and are now also prolific in South America, India, the Pacific Islands, Hawaii and Florida. The light, fibrous husk allowed it to easily drift on the oceans to other areas to propagate. In Sanskrit, the coconut palm is known as Kalpa Vriksha, which means "tree which gives all that necessary for living", since nearly all parts of the tree can be used in some manner or another. The coconut itself has many uses, including milk, meat, sugar and oil as well as functioning as its own dish and cup. the husk was also burned for fuel by natives, but today a seed fibre called coir is taken from the husk and used to make brushes, mats, fishnets and rope.  A very potent fermented toddy or drink is also made from the coconut palm's sap. Coconut oil, a saturated fat made from dried coconut meat, is used for commercial frying and in candies and margarines, as well as in non edible products such as soaps and cosmetics.

Although it takes up to a year for coconut to mature, the trees bloom up to thirteen times a year, so fruit is constantly forming, yielding a continuous harvest year-round. An average harvest from one tree runs about 60 coconuts, with some tree yielding three times that amount. The coconut's name is a bit of a misnomer, since it is botanically classified as a drupe and not a nut. It is the largest seed known.

If you've ever opened a fresh coconut, you'll have seen the thin, opaque, almost clear coconut juice or water which has a slight almond favor. Contrary to popular belief, this is not coconut milk. However, the water is consumed as a drink fresh from the coconut by many and it can also be used in recipes.

Health Benefit of Coconut Water
"It's a natural isotonic beverage, with the same level of electrolytic balance as we have in our blood. It's the fluid of life, so to speak." In fact, during the Pacific war of 1941-1945 (WWII), both sides in the conflict regularly used coconut water siphoned directly from the nut to give emergency plasma transfusions to wounded soldiers. 

Most coconut water is still consumed fresh in tropical coastal areas  -once exposed to air, the liquid rapidly loses most of its organoleptic and nutritional characteristics, and begin to ferment.
  • Coconut water is more nutritious than whole milk - less fat and no cholesterol.
  • Coconut water is more healthy than orange juice - much lower calories
  • Coconut water is better than processed baby milk - It contains lauric acid, which is present in human mother's milk
  • Coconut water is naturally sterile. Water permeates through the filtering husk.
  • Coconut water is a universal donor. It is identical to human blood plasma.
  • Coconut water is a natural isotonic beverage - the same level that we have in our blood.
  • Coconut water has saved lives in 3rd World countries through Coconut IV. 
"Coconut water is the very stuff  of Nature, biologically pure, full of natural sugars, salts and vitamins to ward off fatigue and is the next wave of energy drink BUT natural", according to Mortin Satin, Chief of the United Nation's Food & Agriculture Organisation.

  • Coconut water contains more potassium (about 294mg) than most sports drink (117mg) and most energy drinks.
  • Coconut water has less sodium (25mg) than sport drinks (41mg) and energy drink (200mg) 
  • Coconut water has 5mg of natural sugars while sports and energy drinks have 10-25mg of altered sugars.  
  • Coconut water is very high in Chloride (118mg) compared to sports drinks (39mg)
(Above data is based on 100ml of coconut water drink)

Source: http://www.knowledgebase-script.com/demo/article-320.html