Let's talk about COCONUTS!

"The Tree of Life"

The scientific name for coconut is Cocos nucifera. Early Spanish explorers called it coco, which means "monkey face" because the three indentations (eyes) on the hairy nut resemble the head and face of a monkey. Nucifera means "nut-bearing."

The coconut provides a nutritious source of meat, juice, milk, and oil that has fed and nourished populations around the world for generations. On many islands coconut is a staple in the diet and provides the majority of the food eaten. Nearly one third of the world's population depends on coconut to some degree for their food and their economy. Among these cultures coconut has a long and respected history.

Coconut has an edible kernel or meat, water and oil; all three serve as a rich source of nutritious food and medicine. Coconut is easily digested, rich in nutrients and minerals, and antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, anti-parasitic, and antioxidant. Coconut lowers blood sugar, protects the liver and improves immune function. It is classified as a "functional food" because it provides many health benefits beyond its nutritional content. Coconut oil is of special interest because it possesses healing properties far beyond that of any other dietary oil and is extensively used in traditional medicine among Caribbean, Asian and Pacific populations. Pacific Islanders consider coconut oil to be the cure for all illness. The coconut palm is so highly valued by them as both a source of food and medicine that it is called "The Tree of Life." Only recently has modern medical science unlocked the secrets to coconut's amazing healing powers.

In the Philippines and Mexico, coconut is also fermented into a probiotic-rich wine called "tuba." The water is used traditionally in rural areas for re-hydration or when people are too ill to eat much solid food.Coconut water has also been used intravenously since it's compositions closely resembles that of human blood plasma. Coconut water is also sterile while in the coconut.

Coconut Oil

While coconut possesses many health benefits due to its fiber and nutritional content, it's the oil that makes it a truly remarkable food and medicine.

Once mistakenly believed to be unhealthy because of its high saturated fat content, it is now known that the fat in coconut oil is a unique and different from most all other fats and possesses many health giving properties. It is now gaining long overdue recognition as a nutritious health food.

Coconut oil has been described as "the healthiest oil on earth." What makes coconut oil so good? What makes it different from all other oils, especially other saturated fats?

The difference is in the fat molecule. All fats and oils are composed of molecules called fatty acids. There are two methods of classifying fatty acids. The first you are probably familiar with is based on saturation. You have saturated fats, monounsaturated fats, and polyunsaturated fats. Another system of classification is based on molecular size or length of the carbon chain within each fatty acid. Fatty acids consist of long chains of carbon atoms with hydrogen atoms attached. In this system you have short-chain fatty acids (SCFA), medium-chain fatty acids (MCFA), and long-chain fatty acids (LCFA). Coconut oil is composed predominately of medium-chain fatty acids (MCFA), also known as medium-chain triglycerides (MCT).

The vast majority of fats and oils in our diets, whether they are saturated or unsaturated or come from animals or plants, are composed of long-chain fatty acids (LCFA). Some 98 to 100% of all the fatty acids you consume are LCFA.

The size of the fatty acid is extremely important. Why? Our bodies respond to and metabolize each fatty acid differently depending on its size. So the physiological effects of MCFA in coconut oil are distinctly different from those of LCFA more commonly found in our foods. The saturated fatty acids in coconut oil are predominately medium-chain fatty acids. Both the saturated and unsaturated fat found in meat, milk, eggs, and plants (including most all vegetable oils) are composed of LCFA.

MCFA are very different from LCFA. They do not have a negative effect on cholesterol and help to protect against heart disease. MCFA help to lower the risk of both atherosclerosis and heart disease. It is primarily due to the MCFA in coconut oil that makes it so special and so beneficial. Coconut oil is very heat stable so it makes excellent cooking oil. It is slow to oxidize and thus resistant to rancidity. Coconut oil can be used in cooking and baking and also applied to the skin.

Raw Vegan Pumpkin Cheesecake 

Ingredients

2 cups almonds

1 cup dates

2 cups raw cashews

2 cups fresh grated pumpkin

1/2 cup coconut oil

3 tbsp. lemon juice

1/2 cup agave

1 tsp. vanilla

4 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. nutmeg

2 tsp. ginger

Directions

Soak cashews in water for at least 1 hour, then drain.

In a food processor, blend the almonds and dates until finely chopped.  Add a tablespoon of water if that helps to get things moving. Press the mixture into the bottom of a spring-form pan.

Wash-out the food processor and blend all other ingredients until combined and creamy.

Pour mixture into spring-form pan and smooth out the surface. Cover with aluminum foil, and let it set in the freezer for at least 4 hours. This will harden the coconut oil and set the cheesecake. After this time, transfer the cheesecake in the refrigerator for at least one hour before serving. When opening the spring-form pan, gently insert a knife along the edge of the cheesecake, so that it does not stick to the edge of the pan.

Apple & Plum Crumble

Ingredients

2 large cooking apples

6 large plums

2 tbsp. raw sugar (agave would work well too)

Pinch of Cinnamon

Zest of 1 lemon

1 ½ cups plus 1 tbsp. whole wheat flour

1/3 cup hardened coconut oil (place in fridge for a few hours if liquefied)

½  cup raw sugar

¾  cup oats

Directions

Mix the sugar, flour and coconut oil to make a crumbly mix. Add the oats and leave in the fridge.

Preheat oven to 390^oF.

Peel and chop the fruit (I left the skins on the plums to maintain a nice color and cooking them made them soft and barely noticeable).

Place fruit in a saucepan with the sugar, Cinnamon and lemon zest.

Simmer on low heat until the fruit is soft.

Place in a 9×9″ oven-safe dish and top with the crumble topping.

Bake for about 25 minutes, or until the top is brown.

Credit for these two wonderful recipes goes to vegangela  Enjoy!

I will continue our talk about COCONUTS tomorrow.

Reference: Coconut Research Center