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Celebrating the Coconut

celebrating coconuts

Coconut oil, cream, milk, hair products, sunblock, by-products like charcoal, all come from the coconut. Coconut sugar and coconut-based toothpaste, the coconut is everywhere these days. And thank goodness. It is World Coconut Day so let’s celebrate.

Where In The World Do Coconuts Grow?

Where I live, coconuts show up in grocery stores and health food stores. But I don’t see any palm trees around.

The coconut palm comfortably grows along the coast. Coconut growing regions are as far north as Hawaii and as far south as Madagascar. They don’t need any shade but they thrive in sunshine and humidity.

Coconut palms are grown in more than 90 countries and territories of the world. Most of the world production is in tropical Asia, with Indonesia, the Philippines, and India collectively accounting for over 72% of the world total crop.

Nobody knows exactly when the first coconut popped out from a palm tree, but specialists say that the oldest coconut fossils were found up to 55 million years ago in Australia and India.

The Coconut tree/palm is one of the oldest flowering tree in the world, the coconut flowers blossom only after 6 to 10 years depending on the species.

Where Did The Name Coconut Come From?

The Coconut is believed to have gotten its name in the 16th Century, in Portuguese ‘Coco’ means ‘Monkey face’. This is because the three holes found at the base of the coconut have a resemblance to monkey’s facial features.

Is Coconut A Fruit, Nut Or Seed?

Botanically speaking, a coconut is a fibrous one-seeded drupe, also known as a dry drupe. However, when using loose definitions, the coconut can be all three: a fruit, a nut, and a seed.

~ Everyday Mysteries

The brown coconut we buy in the store does not resemble the green coconut you find growing on a coconut palm. The outer green layer has been removed by the time it lands in the produce isle.

The coconut has three layers; the exocarp (outer layer), the mesocarp (fleshy middle layer), and the endocarp (hard, woody layer that surrounds the seed).

Coconut As A Dietary Staple

They serve as a dietary staple for nearly a third of the world’s population. THAT is HUGE.

Fresh coconuts provide the coconut “water” on the inside and the white flesh that can be eaten raw.

Don’t live around coconut palms? Neither do I. But I do purchase a tremendous amount of coconut products to include in my diet.

The options are almost endless when it comes to using the coconut as a healthy food.

What About Taste?

Coconut flavor is one of those foods that either you love or hate. Don’t give up if you don’t like the taste.

I truly cannot stand the taste of coconut, really. I have been brave and tried products like coconut milk and cream and realized they do not have the typical “coconut flavor” that is not in my particular wheelhouse of pleasant tastes.

Coconut flour and sugar, to me, do not have that coconutttdy smell or taste.

Coconut oil smells a bit coconutttdy but I cook with it all the time and do not notice any of the flavor, at all.

Health Benefits of Coconut

Not just a “good” fat, coconut oil is an exceptional healing agent as well, with loads of useful health applications.

~ GreenMedInfo; 14 Evidence-Based Medicinal Properties of Coconut Oil

Evidence-based science – Abstracts with Coconut Research ~ GreenMedInfo

Using Coconuts In The Bathroom

Chemical-laden bathroom products are endocrine disrupters; meaning they mess with our hormones.

Replacing chemical-laden bathroom products with the vast goodness that comes from the lovely coconut, what a good idea…

My lotion and hair spray is made from a coconut base!!! My charcoal capsules are from coconuts. My homemade toothpaste contains coconut oil, same as my homemade eye makeup remover. My lip-balm, body soap and shampoo are coconut-based. On and on the list can go.

My thinking is that the more we replace our chemical laden products with pure plant based products, the healthier our environment becomes and then our bodies have a greater likelihood of healing.

Happy World Coconut Day to you all,

AFFILIATE DISCLOSURE:  In order for me to support my blogging and social media activities, I may receive monetary compensation for links to products from this post. However, I only recommend products that I personally love and use myself. If it is not good enough for me, it certainly is not good enough for you!!

HEALTH COACH DISCLAIMER:  Health/Wellness coaching is not intended to diagnose, treat, prevent or cure any disease or condition. It is not intended to substitute for the advice, treatment and/or diagnosis of a qualified licensed professional. Trained and certified Health Coaches may not make any medical diagnoses, claims and/or substitute for your personal physician’s care. As your health/wellness coach I do not provide a second opinion or in any way attempt to alter the treatment plans or therapeutic goals/recommendations of your personal physician. It is my role to partner with you to provide ongoing support and accountability as you create an action plan to meet and maintain your health goals.

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