Crazy for Coconuts

Red, yellow and blue. Primary colours, or chemically composed sports drinks? I understand the need for athletes and the athletically-inclined general public to drink these drinks, but do you really want to be putting “brilliant blue” or red “E122” into your body? Surely there is a more natural way!

Bring on the glorious coconut. Compare the 15 ingredients in a bottle of Powerade, to the 3 simple ingredients in a bottle of VitaCoco; coconut water, vitamin C and less than 1% natural fruit sugar. I know which one I’ll be choosing in my quest for all things green.

I started drinking coconut water about a year ago, around the same time I tried Bikram Yoga. After 90 minutes in a room as hot as a Thai beach resort and sweating like Romney awaiting the Ohio results, I needed some rehydration, and fast. Coconut water has 13% of your daily potassium requirement (according to the VitaCoco label), preventing cramps and the like with a few quick gulps; more potassium than two bananas, apparently. It doesn’t have added sugars, it’s fat free, and is, as far as I can tell, a natural product – no processing, added ingredients or weird food colourings here. And it has the hydrating benefits of water, but with those extra minerals to balance the electrolytes lost from profuse sweating (thanks Mitt).  

The first time I tried coconut water, I tried the pineapple flavour, expecting something sweet and creamy like the pineapple/coconut drinks I’d sipped in the Caribbean. Be warned - this is not a pina colada, nor is it even close; I almost spit out my VitaCoco in the street! This is not the drink mixed by a tall dark and handsome stranger who knows all the words to “I Shot the Sherriff”. This is cracking open a coconut and sucking out the insides (actually the best way to have it, although not readily available in the Western world); it’s watery, not overly sweet, and it sometimes can have a slight oily quality - which is not as horrible as it sounds (probably some leftover coconut oil which, incidentally, is also really good for you). It is also thoroughly refreshing and rejuvenating, and has the power to uplift and revive when nothing else can. It steeps the body in moisture without coating your inner organs in flavours and colours created in a lab. You can be sure that “red E122”, “mixed carotenes orange”, and “brilliant blue” can’t be found in nature, and one can only guess what kinds of dangerous chemicals are needed to create those colours and flavours. 

Like Powerade and other sports drinks, coconut water comes in lots of different flavours and there are many different producers. VitaCoco and Zico Pure Coconut Water are the main producers/distributers in the UK, and thanks to celebrity endorsements from health fanatics like Madonna and Rihanna, coconut water is becoming more readily available (even at Tesco); trips to specialty stores with exorbitant prices are no longer necessary. And if you’re in Asia, it is often possible to get a fresh coconut – complete with requisite coconut water - on the side of the street. Side note – make sure you’re thirsty; carrying around a giant, half-finished coconut can be slightly perturbing, albeit helpful for improving bicep and tricep strength.  

So the next time you’re running or working out, take a detour down to your local coconut dealer (or supermarket) and ask him to crack you open a fresh one. Just remember to stop at one ... along with their hydrating properties, coconuts are also known for being excellent laxatives.  

GG Rating - Good for Flaxseed Fanatics (but not Jimmy Buffett) - if you like pina coladas, you might get caught in the rain...