Welcome Summer with Coconut! Part One

Photo courtesy SweetandNatural.wordpress.com

Hi everyone! It's so good to be back to the blog. I've missed writing so much. I have started a Biology course for the first summer session at my college, and I am swamped with studying. Because summer sessions go by so fast, each class is Monday-Thursday, 4 hours and 40 minutes long. However we usually go until about 5 hours. Just for one class; it's crazy. However I have met some really cool people and am very grateful for this fast-paced experience, believe it or not!

Summer is here, yet it's still as hot as spring where I am. For the first two full summer days it has been raining, giving us a little break from the heat. I will be writing about keeping yourself safe during these hot months, and keeping yourself hydrated with some very cool techniques.

These hot months are the time to enjoy fresh, water containing foods, such as fresh, raw veggies, and raw fruits, such as berries, apples, peaches and pears (watch out with the last few if you have weight or insulin issues). Tomatoes and avocados are also good health promoters this time of the season.

One really cool food you should be consuming right now (in fact, you probably should be consuming it all the time!) is coconut. Coconut is a wonderful health food, providing the body with many essential fatty acids and compounds to help you really recover, restore and/or maintain a high quality of health.

The main health promoting compounds come from the fat of the coconut, which is mainly saturated. Fat is NOT bad, and all fat is not created equal. In fact, the fat in coconut is completely digested in a totally different way than most fats. I would delve into lipid biochemistry, confusing you, my readers, and myself, in the process. So, let's not go there.

However, the fat in coconut is made out of medium chained triglycerides. These fatty acids are utilized by the body as energy almost immediately after ingestion. Many fats, particularly those found in most vegetable oils and processed foods, are composed of long chained fatty acids, or long chained triglycerides, which are stored by the body much more easily into fat and adipose tissue.

Photo courtesy fda.da.gov.ph

Many studies have shown the metabolic boosting effects of the natural saturated fat found in coconut due to its thyroid promoting compounds. Our thyroid is what regulates our metabolism, and coconut has actually shown to nourish and boost thyroid functions. Take a look at this study which showed that coconut oil supplementation helped a group of women lose weight much sooner than those fed soybean oil. To make matters more interesting, the group who consumed coconut oil had better LDL:HDL profiles, even though they had a higher intake of saturated fat (from the coconut oil). Isn't it curious as to why many people advocate a low saturated fat diet? Healthy saturated fats do not cause disease. In fact, it might be the lack of them that is what is contributing to America's health epidemics.

This study is interesting in the fact that it showed that a high fat diet, mainly coming from the saturated fat of coconut oil, helped decrease the harmful a lipoprotein found in our LDL levels. To go even further into saturated fat, and away from coconut (just for a moment), be sure to check out these articles:

• What if Bad Fat Isn't So Bad - No One Has Ever Proved Saturated Fat Causes Heart Disease
• What if Saturated Fat is Not the Problem

The oil in coconut has been shown to be antibacterial, anti fungal and antiviral. The compound lauric acid is said to be antimicrobial, and aids in the killing of bad bacteria and germs in the body. Lauric acid is a saturated fatty acid--human breast milk is another great source of this fat. More studies, articles and doctors are coming out about the benefits of lauric acid (which is then converted to monolaurin in the body) to a developing baby. We cannot produce monolaurin on our own, making it essential for keeping our bodies healthy and able to fight off infections easily.

I will be writing more about coconut in PART TWO, so please, stay tuned! Plus, I will be sharing a recipe that I made today with our featured guest star...coconut, of course. It is incredibly satisfying, beautifying, detoxifying, energizing, tasty, gluten free, grain free, sugar free, protein and fiber packed, full of lauric acids---whew! It is just too good! By the way, that list could probably go on forever; or, at least, until all the words in every language becomes useless beyond repetition.

See you soon.

This is The Healthy Advocate.

The Farmer's Market

Don't be fooled by the Eggland's Best egg carton. The local farmer reuses these cartons for their eggs. I actually had a bit more produce than this. All organic, local and all at only $5.

I have just discovered a local, organic farmer's market near me that I just had to write about it. It runs every Saturday morning, and carries a large, fresh tasty organic produce. Right now, summer vegetables now dominate the market--zucchini and yellow squash, blackberries, cucumber, okra, kale, green beans, tomatoes (huge!) and more.

Only ONE woman runs the market--she is the gardener, marketer, financier and cook. Yes, she actually cooks things and sells them at the market, as well. She even makes green drinks, full of kale, pineapple and other greens. One woman I met at the market swears by them, and says they are absolutely delicious. They sure do sound alkalizing!

The reason why I believe farmer's markets are important is because it gets people in touch back to our roots of food. Before we had supermarkets that shipped avocados all the way from Brazil, or lettuce from Mexico, we ate locally grown, "organic" food. This food contained more nutrients due to the less storage time and virtually no shipping, allowing one to eat "fresh from the farm".

We still have access to this type of food, but we have to look for it. The farmer's market I found is held in my local health food store. Isn't that cool? Find a local health food store and ask whether or not they know of any farmer's in the area that are selling their produce. You want to go preferably organic, but local is the name of the game.

The prices of local organic produce is often times much less than what you will find at your typical supermarket, as well. Lucy, the gardener who sells her produce at my health food store, sells large organic zucchini's for 4/$1. That is SO much less than any conventional store I have been in. A large bag of organic kale? $2. It's incredible at the deals you can find.

In fact, when I went, I took just a $5 bill, expecting to only buy some squash, and maybe anything else my Abe could get for me. Not only did I get some pretty good looking zucchini and yellow squash, but I received a large bag of Kale. I had $1 left over and I asked Lucy in a sort of joking way, "Is there anything I can get for $1?" She looked around, headed toward the tomatoes ($1.89 per pound), weight one, and put it into my bag. Then she grabbed two handfuls of cherry tomatoes and placed them in as well. So sweet of her!

This experience has really inspired me to start my own garden ASAP. I did a little gardening before, but didn't really invest too much into (and likewise didn't receive much out of it, either). I'm ordering seeds as I type, and am looking at ways to build a good organic soil. Does anyone know a method of doing this? I want to use the dirt in the backyard, but do I need to add compost, peat, moss, manure, etc? I live in zone 9, I believe, if that helps.

So, if you are looking for a farmers market near you, please go to Local Harvest. This website will let you type in your zip code and will pull up local market's near you. I haven't yet sought out local, free range meat yet, but you can find those listings over at Eat Wild.

Happy foraging everyone!

This is The Healthy Advocate.

What Healthy Recipes Do YOU Want to See?

Many people enjoy their sinful pleasures--chocolate cake, ice cream, hamburgers, pizza, etc., etc. But what if there was a way to make them entirely gluten (and even grain) free, sugar free, healthy and incredibly tasty?

I think there is. I'm from a notion (a "notion"--not an ocean) that says, "Everything has an answer, and everything will work out." I've seen some amazing healthy culinary pursuits in my time (in fact, I've experienced the majority of them!), so I am prepared for suggestions on your favorite food, and how to make it completely, or mostly, healthy.

"Health food" is a term that I really dislike; not because I dislike healthy food--quite the contrary! It's just that the healthy food that I make and prepare for myself doesn't really taste like health food--it takes like a sweet indulgence.

I was inspired by Lauren from Healthy Indulgences to delve into different culinary aspects that sounded quite strange to me while I was beginning on my gluten free, grain free, sugar free path. Cake made with beans, rice made with shredded cauliflower and rich, healthy, natural saturated fats used in the majority of recipes. Not only did I change the way I ate, I changed my health (both mind and body) incredibly, and I want to help you, too!

Send me your suggestions on what type of food you enjoy (and be honest!) and how I can make it healthy just for you. I WILL test as many recipes as I can before I give you the best one. One rule that I have for my cooking (or uncooking--RAW food), is that it must taste good. So I've got you there.

This is The Healthy Advocate.

Eggshells - A Bioavailable Source of Calcium

The Calcium "Myth"

Each and everyone of us have been told that we need calcium to build stronger bones, and this nutrient has been blasted on the airwaves, promoting the mass consumption of milk and dairy products. I do believe that raw dairy products are beneficial, but the conventional pasteurized dairy is what is being touted as the healthy source of our daily calcium, and this just isn't true.

If you are only focusing on calcium for building strong bones, you are going to increase your risks for developing fractures and osteoporosis later on in your life. This is because many minerals work together synergistically to combine a strong support system for bone health and growth. Calcium is an important nutrient; however, there are minerals that are essential that you may be missing out on while only focusing on drinking your milk.

Bone Building Nutrients and Their Sources

Let's look at the most important minerals and nutrients you need to grow stronger bones. Listen to that last part of the sentence--stronger bones, not just denser bones. Density and size of bone doesn't always equal strength.

Incorporating these nutrients are quite easy to do, and do not provide much effort or money to place into your healthy lifestyle.

Vitamin D. I've written about Vitamin D before (specifically Vitamin D3), and you are probably already aware of the importance that Vitamin D has in our body. This vitamin is usually added to milk to fortify it, as it helps increase the absorption of calcium into our bodies. However, sometimes this is in the form of Vitamin D2, not D3 which is what you need, or even worse, it isn't absorbable by the majority of your body.

I have a few plants growing outside, and they require sunlight at all times. Humans require sunlight as well; not as much as the plant kingdom, but it still provides this incredible vitamin for us when we expose our bare skin to it a few minutes a day. When sunlight hits our naked skin (meaning arms and legs and face uncovered--not necessarily your entire body, unless you have a private place to yourself...), it converts the cholesterol in our skin to Vitamin D and regulates over 3,000 genes in our body. It also helps facilitate and transport the calcium in our diet to the bones and muscles that need it.

Vitamin D can be found in food sources in small quantities, and also in supplement form. However, the best source is from the sunlight, and is completely free. Dr. Joseph Mercola, from Mercola.com, advises to go outside in the sun just until your skin turns a light shad of pink. This is when all the Vitamin D that your body can produce has been produced, and any more exposure to the sun can lead to free radical production and damage to your body. One food source of Vitamin D comes from egg yolk, which also provides a high quality protein.

Vitamin K. This vitamin is almost like Vitamin D, except it acts a "binder", in a way, to help 'insert' the calcium that you take in from food sources into your bones. It is essential that you receive this vitamin in the forms of K1 and K2. Vitamin K1 is found in most green, leafy vegetables, and K2 is found in fermented foods raw, fermented dairy products (natto, kefir, yogurt, aged cheese). K2 is probably the most significant, whereas K3 (synthetic version) can have adverse health effects due to the likelihood of toxicity.

Protein. Most people believe that those who consume more protein will actually secrete it in their urine, and lead to the leeching of calcium from your bones. This is true, but increasing your levels of calcium intake, along with your protein intake, will compensate for the loss and help you build stronger bones. In the Journal of Clinical Nutrition, it was reported that those who consumed the most protein had a 7.5-8% higher bone mineral density and strength than those who consumed less. Today's conventional animal protein (those that are NOT organic, do not have access to grass or free range) can challenge your body's pH levels, leading to an acidic reaction in your body. This will steal important minerals from your bones. Therefore, when choosing an animal protein, be sure to try and get local, free range and preferably organic (if dairy, perhaps raw).

Folic Acid and B Vitamins. In The Journal of New England Medicine, they showed that increased intake of B vitamins in the diet led to lower homocysteine levels in the body. This hormone raises the risks of bone fractures. Good dietary sources include green vegetables, carrots, avocados, cantaloupe, apricots and almonds.

Omega 3 Fats. This fat, found primarily in fish, flax and chia seeds, has been shown to provide stronger bone density in a study recorded in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Exercise. Believe it or not, but this is an essential nutrient. We must all try to aim for as much physical exercise during our day unless we want our bodies to slowly rust. Numerous studies have shown that weight bearing exercises and resistance training can help build strong bones and protect bones from becoming thin and weak. Squats and weight training are very powerful sources of this nutrient.

Egg Shells as a Bioavailable Calcium Source

Even though calcium isn't the only mineral we need for strong bones, it is an important nutrient to consume to ensure adequate protection of them. Eggshells are about 90-95% calcium carbonate, and is easily absorbable by our bodies, unlike most dairy products and fortified foods today. This is a completely safe and health source of calcium that anyone can incorporate into their diets.

Find a source of locally grown, free range and organic eggs. The likeliness that you contract salmonella from raw eggs and egg shells are actually quite low, and in fact decrease when choosing local, free range organic eggs. In fact, nutrient quality (such as omega-3 fatty acids) are much more available in these eggs, compared to ones you find at the store.

Use the eggs as you normally would, and instead of discarding the egg shells, run them under clean, cool water. Make sure to get all the egg white out of the egg shell. You can then boil the egg shell in hot water, if you feel as though you need to kill any bacteria, and then place it in a place to air dry. Then, using a blender or coffee grinder, pulverize the egg shell into a powder.

1/2 tsp. of dry, powered egg shell contains around 400 mg of calcium. The average person should consume around 1000 mg of calcium, which is easily done if you are eating a proper diet. A good source of calcium that is bioavailable, besides egg shells, include any green leafy vegetable, as well as sardines (which contain mercury, but not as much as other fish--consume with knowledge 1-2 times per week, unless you can find a source that tests mercury free).

Use 1/2 tsp. in drinks, smoothies, cereals, recipes, etc. Excessive intake of calcium can lead to muscle cramps, so be sure to eat a banana or a magnesium source food to negate these effects.

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Next post, I will discuss what you want to avoid at all costs if you are trying to protect or build your bones. Some fascinating bits of information you do not want to miss, so stay tuned for Thursday's post.

For now, this is The Healthy Advocate.