Nutrition counseling for those who want to feel healthier

December 2008 Newsletter: Nutrition Matters

Tip of the month

Are you worried about the risk of osteoporosis or its precursor osteopenia? Here are two websites, one with general information: www.nof.org and one with specific diagnostic information: www.shef.ac.uk/FRAX

Food Focus: Coconut

        Fans of Sally Fallon, Nourishing Traditions, and the Weston Price way of eating will already know the benefits of coconut consumption.  My own first introduction to coconut was far from healthy, being either an Almond Joy or a Mounds bar when I was a little girl.  These I do not recommend.  However, coconut oil, coconut water, coconut milk, and shredded unsweetened coconut meat all have much to offer.  Do be sure to choose organic whenever possible to avoid noxious processing methods.

          Food-grade, non-hydrogenated coconut oil is a saturated fat, which means that it is solid at room temperature.  Being saturated, it is stable, and therefore good for saute-ing. (For smoke points of various oils, visit: www.spectrumorganics.com/index.php?id=182&findall=smoke+point  and click at the end of the last paragraph.)  About 40% of coconut oil is a fat called lauric acid, which many say has antimicrobial properties -- i.e., good for the immune system.  Mary Enig claims that lauric acid requires more energy for oxidation (during digestion) than it provides, thus producing a net calorie loss, or good news for dieters.  She further reports that Japanese researchers have found that coconut oil increases a person's metabolic rate. (Eat Fat, Lose Fat, Enig & Fallon, Hudson St., 2005)

          Coconut water is an ideal sports drink, thirst quenching, low calorie, and full of electrolytes, especially potassium. Not to be confused is the coconut milk, which is made from the "meat" of the coconut, as is the oil.  The milk is a regular feature of the cooking in places where coconuts grow: India, Thailand, the Philippines, West Africa, Brazil, Trinidad, etc.  But you don't have to be tropical to enjoy coconut milk, a useful addition to soups and stews, as long as you don't mind the slight sweetness it brings with its creaminess.  Shredded, unsweetened coconut meat also has a lot to offer.  According to Wikipedia, it "contains less sugar and more protein than popular fruits such as bananas, apples and oranges, and it is relatively high in minerals such as iron, phosphorous, and zinc."

Recipe of the Month: Coconut Chutney

Ingredients:

1 cup of grated coconut

1/2 cup of plain yogurt

2 tablespoons of finely chopped cilantro leaves (optional)

2 small green or red chilies (or finely chopped ginger -- one teaspoon)

1/2 teaspoon of sea salt

2 tablespoons of hot water

4 tablespoons of coconut or sesame oil

1 teaspoon of black mustard seeds

Directions:

Mix everything except the mustard seeds and oil in the blender and, when well blended, decant the mixture into a small bowl.  Heat the oil over medium heat in a small pan and, when hot, add the mustard seeds.  When they stop spluttering and turn gray immediately add this mixture to the other and mix well.  (This chutney can be kept for a number of days in the fridge.)

Recipe adapted from Classic Indian Cooking, JulieSahni (Wm.Morrow, 1980) pp.438-9.