Coconut

At Healthy Habits we are big fans of coconut.  It is frustrating that main stream health information lumps all saturated fats together, declaring them unhealthy.  Coconut is full of short and medium-chain saturated fatty acids that are not harmful to health.  To the contrary, the fatty acids found in coconut are sent directly to the liver where they are converted into energy.  They do not linger in the blood stream or get stored as fat in the body.

Did you know that your heart healthy olive oil becomes rancid when heated at high temperatures?  Once an oil becomes rancid health benefits are lost and the oil becomes harmful to your body (free radical damage).  Coconut oil is one of the safest oils to cook with as it does not break down at high temperatures like many other oils.

You can also strengthen your immune and digestive systems with coconut oil because the fats in coconut oil are antimicrobial lipids with antifungal, antibacterial and antiviral properties.

Good news for those with a sweet tooth, coconut sugar produced from coconut palm blossoms is a healthier alternative to other sweeteners because it is raw and natural with a high mineral content.  It also sits low on the glycemic index, which will help keep blood sugars lower.

Coconut flour is an interesting alternative for baking as it is has more fibre than any other flour, it has the least amount of carbohydrates, and it is gluten-free.  Here’s a recipe from CocoVie Naturals for a low-carb pancake recipe.

2 eggs

2 tbsp coconut oil or butter

2 tbsp milk

1 tsp coconut sugar

¼ tsp salt

2 tbsp coconut flour

¼ tsp baking powder

 

Blend together eggs, oil, milk, sugar and salt.  Combine coconut flour with baking powder and thoroughly mix into batter.  Heat 1 tbsp of coconut oil in a skillet.  Spoon batter onto hot skillet making pancakes about 2 ½ to 3 inches in diameter.  Batter will be thick but will flatten out when cooking.  Makes 4 pancakes.

For more recipes and tips on how to use coconut oil, flour and sugar visit www.cocovienaturals.com.