Peggy Kotsopoulos on Coconut

Just out in September: Peggy Kotsopoulos’ Kitchen Cures: Revolutionize Your Health With Foods that Heal.

If you signed up for the Thrive Forward program I wrote about last week, you may have seen Peggy in some of the videos as a nutrition expert.

Her book has so much great information on how to eliminate food cravings, boost energy and get younger with the right foods.

I loved her section on coconut and have summarized it in this week’s post with some recipes to help you feel better faster.

1. COCONUT MEAT (the flesh of a coconut) is high in protein, fiber and fat.

Credit: yumuniverse.com

Unless you live in a tropical country (lucky you) coconut meat is expensive to buy from the stores, but it is delicious and keeps you fuller and energized for longer periods of time. Good for your waistline!

Vegan athlete Brendan Brazier raves about this raw coconut ice cream recipe:

2. COCONUT OIL converts to fuel faster than any other fat, making it a super energy booster.

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Coconut oil is a stable fat and has a high smoking point, making it great for cooking.

It is one of my favourite foods and I use it mostly for making my sweet treats.

For a recipe idea, how about this awesome yam dip?

3. COCONUT CREAM (aka coconut manna) is great for baking or as a spread for your toast.

It is a thick version of coconut oil usually made from coconut oil blended with coconut meat.

I’ve never tried this expensive treat, but I imagine coconut cream is more tasty than coconut oil and can just be eaten on its own for an energy boost.

Maybe use it to make a frosting for one of your cakes?

4. COCONUT WATER is the best natural sports energy drink and thirst quencher you can get.

It is loaded with electrolytes, which facilitates faster hydration and nutrient absorption.

5. COCONUT MILK is a great dairy alternative.

Choose the unsweetened variety as it is lower in calories and sugar.

Most of you probably already have a ton of coconut milk recipes on hand, but here’s another for sweet potato ginger soup.

6. COCONUT SUGAR is highly recommended by many top nutritionists.

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It is lower than cane sugar on the glycemic index and more effective in keeping blood sugar levels stable. It is rich in minerals and vitamins B and C.

If you make Peggy’s irresistible-looking cocoa mocha tart, please let me know how it turns out.

7. COCONUT FLOUR is gluten free/wheat free and super high in fiber.

This is one of the most digestible flours and adds stunning flavour to baked goods like this banana cardamom bread.

Now add more good things to your diet by trying just one new part of coconut. That’s how easy it is to feel better with your health.

Info source: Material drawn and paraphrased from Peggy Kotsopoulous’ book KitchenCures, pages 23-25

Feature image credit: Peggy Kotsopoulos