After reading my post “Getting to Know Your Coconut. Understanding the Difference Between Coconut Oil, Milk, Cream, Water and Butter” I thought that it might be helpful to give you a recipe that included Coconut Butter. This is such a yummy smoothie and is a great intro to using coconut butter.
I hope you enjoy it!
Coconuts have incredible health benefits. They are rich in fiber and packed with essential vitamins and minerals.
It seemed like not too long ago coconuts were an exotic fruit that we only enjoyed during our winter getaways to the tropics. Not so any more! Coconuts have become so mainstream now that you can even buy some that come with a straw and are ready to pop open for a refreshing drink. Awesome!
But many of us still aren’t there with understanding all of the coconut’s working parts. Often there is confusion when it comes to differentiating between coconut oil, coconut milk, coconut cream, coconut water and coconut butter.
Well this post is going to clear all of that up for you!
Here we go…
Coconut Oil
Coconut Oil is the fat that is extracted from the flesh or meat of the coconut. Coconut oil is high in healthy saturated fats, the most abundant being lauric acid. Lauric acid is a medium-chain tryglyceride that when consumed goes straight to the liver and is used as a quick source of energy.
Coconut oil is great to cook with having a smoking point similar to butter at approximately 171 degrees celcius (350F). You can add it to smoothies or as a boost to your morning coffee.
Coconut Milk
Coconut milk is a non-dairy milk made by blending the meat (flesh) of the coconut, usually shredded coconut, with water. The resulting mixture is squeezed through a cheesecloth. You can use coconut milk in so many ways including adding it in to smoothies, your morning coffee and in baking recipes.
Coconut Cream
Coconut cream is similar to coconut milk but blended with less water. It is also the cream that rises to the top of a can of coconut milk. Coconut cream is an awesome whipped topping for desserts and is a main ingredient in the famous Coconut Cream pie recipe
Coconut Water
Coconut water is simply the lovely, refreshing liquid that you see and drink with a straw when you crack open the coconut. I have great memories of coconut water from one of our trips to the Caribbean. My husband and I ran before breakfast each day. A lovely employee took note of our morning ritual and decided to greet us each day after our run with a cold, opened coconut and a straw. Honestly is was the most delicious thing on our whole trip!
Coconut Butter
Coconut butter is simply pureed coconut meat. Yep you take coconut, drop it in to your food processor, blend it to a butter consistency and you have coconut butter. Full of good fat and fiber, coconut butter has endless uses from crafty recipes to amazing skin and hair applications.
So there you have it. Coconuts deconstructed in to its parts and put back together for you!
You may feel tired, cold or that you’ve gained weight. Maybe your digestion seems a bit more “sluggish”.
You may be convinced that your metabolism is slow.
Why does this happen? Why do metabolic rates slow down?
What can slow my metabolism?
Metabolism includes all of the biochemical reactions in your body that use nutrients and oxygen to create energy. And there are lots of factors that affect how quickly (or slowly) it works, i.e. your “metabolic rate” (which is measured in calories).
But don’t worry – we know that metabolic rate is much more complicated than the old adage “calories in calories out”! In fact it’s so complicated I’m only going to list a few of the common things that can slow it down.
Examples of common reasons why metabolic rates can slow down:
We’ll briefly touch on each one below and I promise to give you better advice than just to “eat less and exercise more”.
Low thyroid hormones
Your thyroid is the master controller of your metabolism. When it produces fewer hormones your metabolism slows down. The thyroid hormones (T3 & T4) tell the cells in your body when to use more energy and become more metabolically active. Ideally it should work to keep your metabolism just right. But there are several things that can affect it and throw it off course. Things like autoimmune diseases and mineral deficiencies (e.g. iodine or selenium) for example.
Tip: Talk with your doctor about having your thyroid hormones tested.
Your history of dieting
When people lose weight their metabolic rate often slows down. This is because the body senses that food may be scarce and adapts by trying to continue with all the necessary life functions and do it all with less food.
While dieting can lead to a reduction in amount of fat it unfortunately can also lead to a reduction in the amount of muscle you have and more muscle means faster resting metabolic rate.
Tip: Make sure you’re eating enough food to fuel your body without overdoing it.
Your size and body composition
In general, larger people have faster metabolic rates. This is because it takes more energy to fuel a larger body than a smaller one.
However, you already know that gaining weight is rarely the best strategy for increasing your metabolism.
Muscles that actively move and do work need energy. Even muscles at rest burn more calories than fat. This means that the amount of energy your body uses depends partly on the amount of lean muscle mass you have.
Tip: Do some weight training to help increase your muscle mass.
Which leads us to…
Your activity level
Aerobic exercise temporarily increases your metabolic rate. Your muscles are burning fuel to move and do “work” and you can tell because you’re also getting hotter.
Even little things can add up. Walking a bit farther than you usually do, using a standing desk instead of sitting all day, or taking the stairs instead of the elevator can all contribute to more activity in your day.
Tip: Incorporate movement into your day. Also, exercise regularly.
Lack of sleep
There is plenty of research that shows the influence that sleep has on your metabolic rate. The general consensus is to get 7-9 hours of sleep every night.
Tip: Try to create a routine that allows at least 7 hours of sleep every night.
Try to incorporate some, or all, of the tips I have include to try and kickstart your metabolism. I am also including a resource for you called “Top 10 Foods that Boost Metabolism” to get you started in the kitchen!
References:
http://www.precisionnutrition.com/metabolic-damage
http://www.precisionnutrition.com/thyroid-and-testing
http://www.precisionnutrition.com/all-about-energy-balance
https://authoritynutrition.com/6-mistakes-that-slow-metabolism/
https://authoritynutrition.com/10-ways-to-boost-metabolism/
http://summertomato.com/non-exercise-activity-thermogenesis-neat
Have you said “bye bye” to sleeping through the night?
Are you feeling exhausted or “running on stress hormones” all day?
Do not fear, I have some great tips (and an amazing recipe) for you!
The science of sleep is fascinating, complicated and growing
Sleep is this daily thing that we all do and yet we’re just beginning to understand all of the ways it helps us and all of the factors that can affect it.
Lack of sleep affects just about everything in your body and mind. People who get less sleep tend to be at higher risk for many health issues like diabetes, heart disease, and certain types of cancer; not to mention effects like slower metabolism, weight gain, hormone imbalance and inflammation. And don’t forget the impact lack of sleep can have on moods, memory and decision-making skills.
Do you know that lack of sleep may even negate the health benefits of your exercise program?
OMG – What aspect of health does sleep not affect???
Knowing this, it’s easy to see the three main purposes of sleep:
Do you know how much sleep adults need? It’s less than your growing kids need but you may be surprised that it’s recommended that all adults get 7 – 9 hours a night. For real!
Try not to skimp!
Tips for better sleep
So how many of these tips can you start implementing today?
Recipe (Caffeine-free latte for your afternoon “coffee break”): Caffeine-Free Chai Latte
Serves 1-2
1 bag of rooibos chai tea (rooibos is naturally caffeine-free)
2 cups of boiling water
1 tablespoon tahini
1 tablespoon almond butter (creamy is preferred)
2 dates (optional)
Cover the teabag and dates (if using) with 2 cups of boiling water and steep for a few minutes.
Discard the tea bag & place tea, soaked dates, tahini & almond butter into a blender.
Blend until creamy.
Serve and Enjoy!
Tip: You can try this with other nut or seed butters to see which flavour combination you like the best. Cashew butter anyone?
References:
