Get Fit With Larysa Blog

My Love Affair With Coconut Water

Posted on March 11, 2011 by admin

Here’s how we met. I was in agony with incredible acid reflux. No medication was helping me (not that I was thrilled to be taking it anyway) so I googled “natural cures for acid reflux”.  Zico Pure Coconut Water and aloe vera juice were listed. I’d noticed that Zico Pure Coconut water was getting so much attention in the press and knew it was readily available so thought, “what the heck” it couldn’t hurt. Was I surprised!!!! Not only did my acid reflux become markedly better with one serving, I noticed that my rings were spinning around. Hmmm coconut water, a diuretic?!
You see, water balance in your body is determined by the proper balance of sodium and potassium. If you consume too much sodium, you get bloated…if you consume too much potassium, you get dehydrated. Way, way long ago, our diets used to be very rich in potassium. Our caveman ancestors ate 11,000mg of potassium and 700mg of sodium daily. Today, in the US, daily potassium consumption has shrunk to 2,500mg and sodium has increased to 4,000mg! Scientists believe that you can’t flip flop this ratio in such a significant manner without huge consequences. We’ve felt those consequences in the form of cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure and stroke to name a few. In addition, it bloats you. And being bloated is just plain uncomfortable. Your clothes don’t fit right, your body doesn’t feel right. Your eyes get all puffy.
So what to do? Well, you can consume less salt and processed foods (which I recommend anyway), as well as eat foods rich in potassium. But why not help your body out the easy way by drinking one serving of coconut water daily? I do and recommend it to all of my clients, friends, family and any passersby willing to listen
Now, the thing about Zico Coconut water is, well, it’s somewhat of an acquired taste. My mother took a sip and exclaimed, “This doesn’t taste like a pina colada!” And I had to explain to her that, no, she couldn’t add rum to make it taste better. The key to yummy coconut water is to 1. pick a brand that you like (because they all taste differently) and 2. drink it chilled. There are so many different types of coconut water now available on the market: plain, with aloe vera, with pulp, without pulp, with other juices. I happen to love plain w pulp but experiment with different brands to see which is the tastiest to you!
And lastly, do yourself a favor and try this experiment. Weigh yourself in the beginning of the week (“before I started a serving a day of coconut water”) and at the end of the week (“after I started drinking coconut water”) and note the difference. My clients have lost an average of 5 total pounds drinking it.
Happy sipping!
xoxo
L