Let's Talk Coconut Part 2 & Electrolyte Delight Recipe

So, I have had some questions with regards to coconut water and mature coconut vs young coconut water. Firstly, the two are vastly different, not only in appearance but also in health benefits.

Young coconut water is the one you want if you are looking for electrolyte's and nutritional punch. Young coconuts have even been used as I.V drips when stuck in survival situations, yes, you read that correctly. They are that awesome!
Mature coconut water basically keeps the meat from drying out and CANNOT be used to replace young coconut water.

You can buy fresh young coconuts now in so many outdoor markets, Asian or West Indian specialty stores, health food stores, and even some grocers have begun carrying them. Just check dates, that they are as fresh as possible and not browning or looking like they should be put out to pasture. Some people (myself included) use packaged coconut water as an alternative to fresh young coconut. Does this have the exact same health benefits-I would say not but that does not mean it should be ruled out completely. I use it during the winter months, when my local shop runs out of fresh young coconuts, and when I am juicing and it's way too early in the morning to make a bunch of noise and try to battle a coconut.
Here is a write up on packaged vs fresh coconut water courtesy of bondiharvest.com

Fresh coconut water vs packaged coconut water

Now we don’t want to go and burst any ones coconut water bubble, but the packaged stuff is just not the same… and this is why:

It’s pasteurised

No matter the quality, sugar content or health benefits touted across the packaging, if the water has been packed into a carton or can it, by Australian law, has to be pasteurised. This is essentially for our safety. Once a coconut is cracked open it begins to oxidise and is open to bacteria. Pasteurisation removes this potential bacteria, but unfortunately also kills off the nutrients and electrolytes that can only be obtained from fresh, raw coconut water.

It’s higher in sugar

Most packaged coconut water has a high sugar content and it’s not necessarily because they’ve added sugar to it. Sometimes it’s just a very concentrated form of coconut water and it can contain up to 15g of sugar per 330ml carton. That’s almost 4 teaspoons of sugar. Crazy right? Keep your eye out for brands that have less than 2g of sugar per 100ml.

The flavoured varieties are junk

Once you start adding flavours into coconut water you can just forget the health benefits, you’re pretty much drinking a glorified fruit drink.
To receive the full benefits of coconut water the best thing you can do is crack upon a fresh coconut and consume immediately.
http://bondiharvest.com/coconut-water-fresh-vs-packaged/

I personally cannot stand the taste of coconut water on it's own, I always mix it with my complex juices when I am juicing and on really hot days, I mix it with mango or pineapple juice that I just made because I can't get it down but I appreciate and want to incorporate it's health benefits into my life . Thus having said that, I once gave it straight up to an individual who was in a seriously dangerous situation (I will not go into details or names but trust me, it was bad) and their exact words were,
"This tastes like ass" However, that stuff that tasted so bad saved their life and they were really grateful and it was not fresh because time was of the essence. Obviously, if someone you know is in a life threatening situation, contact a healthcare provider or ambulance.
This is the picture of the coconut water I usually use, the recipe follows after this picture for a really yummy juice.


I like this particular recipe I made when I was juicing a lot, enjoy and remember to comment below and subscribe.

Tropical Electrolyte Delight Juice:
Ingredients:
330ml Young coconut water, I used vita coco-chilled
2 leaves romaine lettuce
2 mangoes peeled and chopped
1 banana
1/2 Cup cold water
handful spinach
1/2 lime, peeled
Method:
-In a blender, blend banana and 1/2 cup water with romaine leaves, keep aside.
-Run all ingredients through juicer, including banana lettuce mix.
Serve over ice and drink straight away.