Coconut Water & Flesh / Meat - Need more insights.

[crashnburn]

I recently revived my love for (Fresh Young Green) Coconut Water. I used to get them all the time when I used to go running on the beach in India.

 

The most refreshing thing I've ever had.

 

Whole Foods has them for $1.50 a piece. I go and get one of their experts (he's from mexico) to do a head chop & transplant for me. He he.. well something he does well is slices it at a certain point to create a CAP and puts the top back on and wraps it with Cling Film. Boom.. I have a perfect coconut that I can take home to drink from without having a Machete and learning those skills. Also, the hole / cap is perfect size for me to take a spoon and eat that yummy meat - i hear its fatty.. Is it too bad?

 

I did hear about Coconut Water being amazing as such..

- Isotonic

- Better electrolytes than Gatorade

- Closest to human blood (heard that today at whole foods.. dont know if its true)

- Read online that its so sterile when inside that it could be used for intravenous purposes

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coconut_water

 

Questions:

1) Where can i get them cheaper.. if at all possible?

2) Can I get them 'top' chopped & resealed?

3)I am buying them daily but i want to be able to buy lesser times a week and store. What would be the length for me to keep it like that??

4) I have seen GOYA and other cans that offer more water than an average coconut. I am considering them for PORTABILITY reasons. Where can I get those in BULK for cheaper?

 

Any other ideas around coconuts welcome.

 

PS:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tender_coconut

Tender Coconuts that I used to have a lot in India.. loved them.

 

This was the yummiest water and the yummiest coconut flesh (kinda soft creamy but super soft jelly like consistency)

Edited June 13, 2007 by crashnburn

[Zack]

If you get anything canned, it will be pasterized and old, most of those benefits you stated won't be there anymore... I've heard the saturated fat in coconuts is actually beneficial, as it's a medium chain fatty acid, whereas animal-based saturated fats are long chain, and harmful to the heart.

[lotus]

As far as I know it is a good fat (especially for the brain)...That is interesting what you said about it being close to blood...is that refering to the PH?

You can often get them at Asian grocery stores/ markets. We usually slice them ourselves so I do not know about if they will cut it for you but you could ask.

[Michelle]

Questions:

1) Where can i get them cheaper.. if at all possible?

Sunfoods Supermarket (Bellaire @ Sam Houston Tollway) often has them for 98 cents, and I've found reasonable prices at some of the other asian groceries around town. I just prefer Sunfoods because there's a vegan restaurant next door, so I get lunch while I'm there. HEB grocery store has young coconuts some of the time, but usually about the same price as Whole Foods.

2) Can I get them 'top' chopped & resealed?

I didn't even know they'd do this!

 

The first dozen or so times I tried opening young coconuts, it was a struggle getting into them, but since someone showed me an easier way and now that I've had some practice it's really fast and easy. And I don't have to use a machete, either, just a kitchen knife.

3)I am buying them daily but i want to be able to buy lesser times a week and store. What would be the length for me to keep it like that??

I was eating these daily for a while. Sometimes they don't seem quite right anymore after two days, sometimes I've had them still fresh after a week. It all depends on how long they've been in the store, I guess. Once they've been opened, though, I think you've got about 24 refrigerated hours to work with.

4) I have seen GOYA and other cans that offer more water than an average coconut. I am considering them for PORTABILITY reasons. Where can I get those in BULK for cheaper?

Again, the asian food market seems to be the cheapest for canned coconut juice. It's definitely not as good as fresh, but better than other convenient beverages, I think.

[andgbr]

in the city that i was living in brazil ( Fortaleza ) few years ago, you could buy a whole coconut for less than 0.25$ ( 25 cents... ).... with less than a dollar you could buy 4 'young' coconuts..

if i was a vegan at that time i'd be drinking and eating coconut everyday... ( at that time i was goin' for the big macs... )

coconut is healthy, even though it's really fatty.. it's healthy fat... i heard so many good things about coconut... it's also really yummy.... but the best thing is the water ( it has electrolytes )... it's delicious!

Edited June 14, 2007 by andgbr

[crashnburn]

If you get anything canned, it will be pasterized and old, most of those benefits you stated won't be there anymore... I've heard the saturated fat in coconuts is actually beneficial, as it's a medium chain fatty acid, whereas animal-based saturated fats are long chain, and harmful to the heart.

 

Point duly noted. Eat that stuff.. Its good for you and YUMMY.

 

As far as I know it is a good fat (especially for the brain)...That is interesting what you said about it being close to blood...is that refering to the PH?

You can often get them at Asian grocery stores/ markets. We usually slice them ourselves so I do not know about if they will cut it for you but you could ask.

 

Whats the brain connection?

 

I think to the PH, the mineral composition as well as STERILITY for EMERGENCY TRANSFUSION. (Read that Coconut Water link.. It talks about Intravenous usage)

 

How do you slice it? Care to make a youtube video tutorial ?

[crashnburn]

Questions:

1) Where can i get them cheaper.. if at all possible?

Sunfoods Supermarket (Bellaire @ Sam Houston Tollway) often has them for 98 cents, and I've found reasonable prices at some of the other asian groceries around town. I just prefer Sunfoods because there's a vegan restaurant next door, so I get lunch while I'm there. HEB grocery store has young coconuts some of the time, but usually about the same price as Whole Foods.

 

// I guess you are in SW Houston / Sugarland. I heard that Fiesta might have them for a good price. I'll look around.

 

2) Can I get them 'top' chopped & resealed?

I didn't even know they'd do this!

 

// I did not know either. That guy at WF did it. He made a cut all the through the coconut say around 20% from the top and then put it back on and tied it up & sealed it with Seran Wrap. It was a pretty good seal.

 

The first dozen or so times I tried opening young coconuts, it was a struggle getting into them, but since someone showed me an easier way and now that I've had some practice it's really fast and easy. And I don't have to use a machete, either, just a kitchen knife.

 

// Okay. You've got to show / teach me how Hopefully it does not involve making a big mess

 

3)I am buying them daily but i want to be able to buy lesser times a week and store. What would be the length for me to keep it like that??

I was eating these daily for a while. Sometimes they don't seem quite right anymore after two days, sometimes I've had them still fresh after a week. It all depends on how long they've been in the store, I guess. Once they've been opened, though, I think you've got about 24 refrigerated hours to work with.

 

//Hmm.. interesting. I'll call mom and ask for her experiences with coconuts.

4) I have seen GOYA and other cans that offer more water than an average coconut. I am considering them for PORTABILITY reasons. Where can I get those in BULK for cheaper?

Again, the asian food market seems to be the cheapest for canned coconut juice. It's definitely not as good as fresh, but better than other convenient beverages, I think.

 

//I agree. I guess I'll have to look up the hongkong market on bellaire. I dont know if there are any other Asian Stores closer to the 610 loop. I live inside.. near Whole Foods.

[artystik]

Dr Fuhrman stated this:

 

"All tropical oils (palm and coconut) are highly saturated fats. Like butter, cheese, and meat, tropical oils raise LDL cholesterol and clog arteries with plaque, increasing your risk of a heart attack. We use coconut oil (because it is so highly saturated) in animal experiments to create atherosclerotic plaque for studying heart disease in animals. There are different kinds of saturated fats with different impact on LDL cholesterol levels. One long-chain sat fat, stearic acid, has little impact on LDL cholesterol. But other long-chain saturated fatty acids, like the ones that make up most of the saturated fat in coconut and palm oils (known as tropical oils), do in fact raise LDL cholesterol considerably. These saturated fats are called palmitic, myristic, and lauric acids. They also make up most of the saturated fatty acids in meat, poultry, and dairy fats like milk and cheese. Other saturated fats that have little impact on LDL cholesterol levels include medium-chain varieties like caproic, caprylic, and capic acids. A small percentage of the saturated fat in coconut oil, about 10%, is made up of these less harmful saturated fatty acids, but virtually all the rest of coconut oil’s saturated fat is made up of the long-chain varieties that raise LDL.

 

Coconut oil is getting promoted on the web, internet and even the health food industry, claiming its healthy because most of its fat is made up of medium chain fatty acids (MCT), which are metabolized differently. Yes, it is true that a small portion of coconut oil is MCT (C-6 to C-10 fatty acids) and these do get oxidized more quickly and have little impact on LDL-C levels. However, because the vast majority of saturated fatty acids in coconut oil are the longer chain fatty acids, C-12 to C-16 (lauric, myristic and palmitic acids) it does in fact elevate LDL-C. The idea that MCT fats will induce weight loss or detoxify the liver is an example of alternative nonsense at its highest level. Coconut oil is 92% saturated, making it more saturated than butter, beef tallow, or even lard. Palm oil, though it contain less saturated fat (50%), is full of a type of saturated fat, palmitic acid, which appears to be most conducive to heart disease.

 

You just can't believe everything you read on the internet. This man above (and Dr. Mercola too) has been taken in by health food industry hype, it is wrong. The coconut oil industry likes to point out that the traditional Polynesian diet - high in tropical oils like coconut - is linked with relatively low rates of heart disease. However, it's important to remember that heart disease involves multiple variables. It is not all fat. The high consumption of fruits, vegetables, fish and the low consumption of cheese and beef obviously are critical in studies of people on traditional Polynesian diets with low rates from heart disease. To attribute the benefit to consuming coconut oil is very deceptive and a clear marketing ploy. I for one am not claiming that eating coconuts is unhealthy in the context of an otherwise healthy diet or that a little saturated fat is so deadly, rather it is the low level of micronutrients eating a diet rich in processed foods such as oil and the high consumption of animal products that shifts natural plant food off our plate that are key. But anyone that claims coconut oil is a health food, or good quality butter is good for you, is clearly not someone you should trust with your health."

[Guest]

I'm sorry but this doesn't make sense. Coconuts are eaten daily in parts of the world where people don't suffer the consequences you mentioned.

However personally I don't think we are naturally supposed to eat them...if we were we'd be able to open them without knives. In the mean time I'll enjoy my occasional pain to open coconut.

[offense74]

I'm sorry but this doesn't make sense. Coconuts are eaten daily in parts of the world where people don't suffer the consequences you mentioned.

However personally I don't think we are naturally supposed to eat them...if we were we'd be able to open them without knives. In the mean time I'll enjoy my occasional pain to open coconut.

It does make sense if you look at high cholesterol as the only factor leading up to heart disease. But there are of course other risk factors too.

Fuhrman has also said that a person eating a standard Swedish diet and a person eating a medeterrainan diet that both have high cholesterol, the person on the Swedish diet has a higher risk of heart disease. He has also stated that he thinks that coconut milk can be part of a healthy diet (as long as you're thin).

I think this is what separates him from most of the "vegan doctors" (McDougall, Esselstyn, etc) in that he looks at other things than just cholesterol itself since it's just part of the bigger picture.

[lotus]

I am no expert but maybe eating coconut (whole fruit) is not so bad, but using a concentrated form (the oil) is not so good.

[Cthulhu]

Dr Fuhrman stated this:

 

"All tropical oils (palm and coconut) are highly saturated fats. Like butter, cheese, and meat, tropical oils raise LDL cholesterol and clog arteries with plaque, increasing your risk of a heart attack. We use coconut oil (because it is so highly saturated) in animal experiments to create atherosclerotic plaque for studying heart disease in animals. There are different kinds of saturated fats with different impact on LDL cholesterol levels. One long-chain sat fat, stearic acid, has little impact on LDL cholesterol. But other long-chain saturated fatty acids, like the ones that make up most of the saturated fat in coconut and palm oils (known as tropical oils), do in fact raise LDL cholesterol considerably. These saturated fats are called palmitic, myristic, and lauric acids. They also make up most of the saturated fatty acids in meat, poultry, and dairy fats like milk and cheese. Other saturated fats that have little impact on LDL cholesterol levels include medium-chain varieties like caproic, caprylic, and capic acids. A small percentage of the saturated fat in coconut oil, about 10%, is made up of these less harmful saturated fatty acids, but virtually all the rest of coconut oil’s saturated fat is made up of the long-chain varieties that raise LDL.

 

Coconut oil is getting promoted on the web, internet and even the health food industry, claiming its healthy because most of its fat is made up of medium chain fatty acids (MCT), which are metabolized differently. Yes, it is true that a small portion of coconut oil is MCT (C-6 to C-10 fatty acids) and these do get oxidized more quickly and have little impact on LDL-C levels. However, because the vast majority of saturated fatty acids in coconut oil are the longer chain fatty acids, C-12 to C-16 (lauric, myristic and palmitic acids) it does in fact elevate LDL-C. The idea that MCT fats will induce weight loss or detoxify the liver is an example of alternative nonsense at its highest level. Coconut oil is 92% saturated, making it more saturated than butter, beef tallow, or even lard. Palm oil, though it contain less saturated fat (50%), is full of a type of saturated fat, palmitic acid, which appears to be most conducive to heart disease.

 

You just can't believe everything you read on the internet. This man above (and Dr. Mercola too) has been taken in by health food industry hype, it is wrong. The coconut oil industry likes to point out that the traditional Polynesian diet - high in tropical oils like coconut - is linked with relatively low rates of heart disease. However, it's important to remember that heart disease involves multiple variables. It is not all fat. The high consumption of fruits, vegetables, fish and the low consumption of cheese and beef obviously are critical in studies of people on traditional Polynesian diets with low rates from heart disease. To attribute the benefit to consuming coconut oil is very deceptive and a clear marketing ploy. I for one am not claiming that eating coconuts is unhealthy in the context of an otherwise healthy diet or that a little saturated fat is so deadly, rather it is the low level of micronutrients eating a diet rich in processed foods such as oil and the high consumption of animal products that shifts natural plant food off our plate that are key. But anyone that claims coconut oil is a health food, or good quality butter is good for you, is clearly not someone you should trust with your health."

 

That information Dr. Fuhrman is LARGELY flawed. The saturated fats in coconut oil/meat are medium chain fatty acids and do not raise bad cholesterol. Medium chain and long chain fatty acids work differently in the body. Honestly, I still believe there is still a fat conspriacy among most raw fooders/vegans that I meet today. Lately, there has been attacks made on both cocoa and coconut with now scientific theory or studies behind what was being claimed. Clearly, you can tell this doctor is on a "low fat" trip by reading his article. In fact, there really isn't any clean proof on saturated fat causing heart disease, since almost EVERY study that claims saturated fat is evil also used TRANS FAT. Most processed foods today that are high in saturated fats are also high in trans fat. There never was any distinction made between what fats were being consumed during these studies. Maybe one day people will realize that it's not fat that hurts your health, but the kinds of fat you consume that makes a difference. There are days where I consume over 8 avocados. If you're eating healthy fats, there should be no problem. Period.

[Cthulhu]

I'm sorry but this doesn't make sense. Coconuts are eaten daily in parts of the world where people don't suffer the consequences you mentioned.

However personally I don't think we are naturally supposed to eat them...if we were we'd be able to open them without knives. In the mean time I'll enjoy my occasional pain to open coconut.

It does make sense if you look at high cholesterol as the only factor leading up to heart disease. But there are of course other risk factors too.

Fuhrman has also said that a person eating a standard Swedish diet and a person eating a medeterrainan diet that both have high cholesterol, the person on the Swedish diet has a higher risk of heart disease. He has also stated that he thinks that coconut milk can be part of a healthy diet (as long as you're thin).

I think this is what separates him from most of the "vegan doctors" (McDougall, Esselstyn, etc) in that he looks at other things than just

cholesterol itself since it's just part of the bigger picture.

 

 

When cholesterol is heated or dried, it reacts with oxygen, and becomes "oxidized." Fried foods, and processed and cooked foods that contain butter, eggs, and other sources of animal fat, often contain oxidized cholesterol-which has been damaged by reactive oxygen molecules called free radicals.

Our bodies have no receptors for normal cholesterol, only for oxidized, damaged cholesterol. For example, if you consume animal byproducts, raw eggs and milk will not effect us because they are not heated heavily.

Although it would seem that the key factor in atherogenesis would be oxidized cholesterol, it is much more complex than that. Since oxidized cholesterol has been damaged by reactive oxygen molecules, called free radicals, I would recommend a HIGH intake of Antioxidants in the form of fresh produce to help offset the effects caused by oxidized cholesterol for anyone who chooses to consume cooked cholesterol.

 

Many doctors forget that we only have receptors for OXIDIZED CHOLESTEROL and not raw cholesterol. In fact, many tribes have shown to naturally have higher cholesterol levels while having very low cases of heart disease amongst their people. There really isn't any proof showing that there is a connection between higher cholesterol levels and heart disease, like many have been brain-washed into believing . A bigger person can naturally have higher cholesterol levels and a smaller person have lower cholesterol levels. There are many people who have high cholesterol levels and never had heart diseae. In fact, my Dad was one of them and there has never been a case of heart disease in my family. It's just that Statin drugs are the biggest money-making scam in history. Many people forget that the actualy "cause" of heart disease and unnaturally high cholesterol levels are damaged arteries, where arterial plaque starts sticking to the walls of your arteries. The major cause of this, I believe, is the large consumption of pasteurized dairy and trans fatty acids. In a healthy person with no arterial damage, the cholesterol would go right through just like water goes through a pipe and would not stick. Nevertheless, ANYONE can suffer from unnaturally high cholesterol levels, which may lead to heart disease. This, however, depends on the age, size, etc. of the person. If someone naturally has higher cholesterol levels than someone else and has practiced a healthy diet for all or most of his life, then that is where his cholesterol levels are naturally. But, if it goes up because he's eating junk food, then, obviously, that would not be his natural level and that could set him up for heard problems later on in life.

[offense74]

Dr. Fúhrman is not on a low fat trip. He thinks oils have less nutrients than the source they came from and thus recommends the source. It's hard to argue against that.

 

It's probably the oxidized cholesterol that is the problem when it comes to cholesterol and thus it would seem that it would be a priority to make it not oxidize in the body. There are compounds in unrefined plant foods that does this as you state. Why not eat the whole plant insted of making a twisted version of it in the form of an oil? This is exactly what Dr. Fuhrman says and this is exactly what his critiques (like Mercola and Weston Price) don't get about his philosophy. He's not low fat, instead he rather see that you limit starches and up your nuts and seeds if you can't have both.

 

If you want to critique Fuhrman you have to disprove the benefits of whole plant foods with regard to "foods" that are not whole plant foods. It's the only angle since that is what he is saying.

 

You can take the low fat angle on Dr. McDougall and Dr. Esselstyn along with a few others but I don't think anyone here is really following their advice so it would be kinda' pointless

[Cthulhu]

DR. Fuhrman is just blaming companies who produce coconut oil.

Obviously, whole foods are better than supplements. But, I really don't see coconut oil as a supplement. You can buy raw, organic coconut oil and it wouldn't be any different than taking the meat out of a coconut and blending it up in the blender with a little water added to it. In fact, I use coconut oil for a sun block on my skin too. It works well and isn't toxic like most sun blocks on the market are. Dr. Mercola advocates eating whole foods first, then filling in the gap with whatever supplements are needed. I feel the same way. It's hard to make coconut oil yourself at home, so, when I want to use some for my skin if I'm going to the beach, I'll do it. People have been doing that for thosuands of years, I just think he's on some crazy kick. The then goes on to say that "Coconut oil is 92% saturated, making it more saturated than butter, beef tallow, or even lard. Palm oil, though it contain less saturated fat (50%), is full of a type of saturated fat, palmitic acid, which appears to be most conducive to heart disease."

 

He simply trusts todays dogma when it comes to heart disease, when, there was never any distinction made between the saturated and trans fat consumption in those "studies" showing saturated fat is the evil enemy here. Coconut oil does not contribute to heart disease because it's higher in fat. Healthy fats have no influence on heart disease and actually fight heart disease. You can eat a diet of 50% healthy fats-although I wouldn't go over that because fruits and vegetables are so essential-like many tribes around the world do, and suffer from no heart disease.

That is not what the Doctor said. In fact, last year a study followed 10 people or so for over five years and watched their fat intake increase and their chance of getting heart disease never increased. And this was with todays SAD diet. One doctor did mention that most of them naturally didn't eat fast food that much, which shows that they weren't eating as much trans fat as most Americans are today. Maybe 10 years from now people and doctors will realize that not coconut oil, or even your fat intake is the problem; and that it's hydrogenated oils that are causing this problem.

 

Dr. Fúhrman is not on a low fat trip. He thinks oils have less nutrients than the source they came from and thus recommends the source. It's hard to argue against that.

 

It's probably the oxidized cholesterol that is the problem when it comes to cholesterol and thus it would seem that it would be a priority to make it not oxidize in the body. There are compounds in unrefined plant foods that does this as you state. Why not eat the whole plant insted of making a twisted version of

 

it in the form of an oil? This is exactly what Dr. Fuhrman says and this is exactly what his critiques (like Mercola and Weston Price) don't get about his philosophy. He's not low fat, instead he rather see that you limit starches and up your nuts and seeds if you can't have both.

 

If you want to critique Fuhrman you have to disprove the benefits of whole plant foods with regard to "foods" that are not whole plant foods. It's the only angle since that is what he is saying.

 

You can take the low fat angle on Dr. McDougall and Dr. Esselstyn along with a few others but I don't think anyone here is really following their advice so it would be kinda' pointless

[offense74]

In all processing you will lose nutrients. It's just a matter of where you want to draw the line. Whole wheat flour is basically the same as whole wheat and white flour is basically the same as whole wheat flour....

 

I use virgin coconut oil for my skin too. If I fry veggies I sometimes use coconut oil, sometimes olive oil and most of the time I use nothing.

 

The picture you give of Dr. F is biased by Mercola. I'm a member of his forum, I read his blog and I've read EatToLive and what you're saying is not on par with what he is suggesting. He is not focusing on any specific macro nutrient but instead he focuses on whole foods. If one needs to lose alot of weight he will advise you to cut down on calories from fat, carbs and protein by substituting calorie dense food with less calorie dense food and thus you will eat fewer calories while you will still eat alot of food. For that reason he would tell you to cut out oils and refined grains first, together with the obviious junk food.

[Cthulhu]

In all processing you will lose nutrients. It's just a matter of where you want to draw the line. Whole wheat flour is basically the same as whole wheat and white flour is basically the same as whole wheat flour....

 

I use virgin coconut oil for my skin too. If I fry veggies I sometimes use coconut oil, sometimes olive oil and most of the time I use nothing.

 

The picture you give of Dr. F is biased by Mercola. I'm a member of his forum, I read his blog and I've read EatToLive and what you're saying is not on par with what he is suggesting. He is not focusing on any specific macro nutrient but instead he focuses on whole foods. If one needs to lose alot of weight he will advise you to cut down on calories from fat, carbs and protein by substituting calorie dense food with less calorie dense food and thus you will eat fewer calories while you will still eat alot of food. For that reason he would tell you to cut out oils and refined grains first, together with the obviious junk food.

 

Actually, there are a few things I don't even agree with Mercola on, although most of it I probably do. In the article with Dr. F, he states"All tropical oils (palm and coconut) are highly saturated fats. Like butter, cheese, and meat, tropical oils raise LDL cholesterol and clog arteries with plaque, increasing your risk of a heart attack." Yet, he fails to go into detail on how they "clog" arteries, increase your risk of heart attacks, and fails to provide any clean scientific evidence. To me, it sounds quackish. Maybe he needs to look at what countires and tribes cactually consume diets high in palm oils and see if they're also high in heart disease. It might be shocking to him.

[offense74]

I think he is just frustrated that he doesn't get to focus on what's important (ie nutrient density) but instead has to answere questions about snake oil, coconut oil, herbs and chlorella.

What's up with the tribes all the time? Sure threre are tribes that lives pretty long and are pretty healthy but if you really want to base your health on tribal eating habits, why not adapt the lifestyle of the longest living people on earth instead of the ones just doing ok? Inuit and Maasai are among those barely doing ok so when those two are brought up as an example all the time I never really see the point.

 

I believe that there are obvious different ways of defending ones diet (if one wishes to do that). You can base it on tribes (Weston Price), on modern science (Dr. F), On one or a few (often contradictive to all the other studies conducted in the same area) studies (Atkins, South beach, Eat right for your type) or just plain guessing.

Both Mercola and Fuhrman as well as T. Colin Campbell, John Robbins, Atkins, McDougall and others have interesting info to offer and think about but in the end since we obvoiusly don't have enough info it becomes a bit of a guessing game and in this guessing game I would like to go with the most probable positive way that modern science can come up with and thus I have to use statistics and therefore it becomes more or less a guessing game nomatter which way you choose.

[Guest]

I've heard way too many people arguing about the Inuit diet and low cancer rates. Which may be right but who wants to avoid cancer if you only live to be 50 or so. Its like advocation cordless bungee jumping because people who cordless bungee jump never get heart disease.

[Cthulhu]

I'm not basing my opinion on the tribal eating habbits. As you can see, I was talking about the science behind it too. I am talking about DISEASE, not living the longest. We're talking about heart disease, so, obviously, I will look at those tribes that eat the so called "high fat diets" and see why they don't have many cases of heart disease. 90% of these tribes also live in the wild and can die from many different things. That is probably why some of them live such short lives. To me, him saying that coconut oil contributes to heart disease is flawed and there isn't really any science to support his claim.

 

I think he is just frustrated that he doesn't get to focus on what's important (ie nutrient density) but instead has to answere questions about snake oil, coconut oil, herbs and chlorella.

What's up with the tribes all the time? Sure threre are tribes that lives pretty long and are pretty healthy but if you really want to base your health on tribal eating habits, why not adapt the lifestyle of the longest living people on earth instead of the ones just doing ok? Inuit and Maasai are among those barely doing ok so when those two are brought up as an example all the time I never really see the point.

 

I believe that there are obvious different ways of defending ones diet (if one wishes to do that). You can base it on tribes (Weston Price), on modern science (Dr. F), On one or a few (often contradictive to all the other studies conducted in the same area) studies (Atkins, South beach, Eat right for your type) or just plain guessing.

Both Mercola and Fuhrman as well as T. Colin Campbell, John Robbins, Atkins, McDougall and others have interesting info to offer and think about but in the end since we obvoiusly don't have enough info it becomes a bit of a guessing game and in this guessing game I would like to go with the most probable positive way that modern science can come up with and thus I have to use statistics and therefore it becomes more or less a guessing game nomatter which way you choose.

Edited June 28, 2007 by Cthulhu

[crashnburn]

Nice. Coconut Water & Agave Nectar.. too topics hijacked

[Troy]

I just opened my first coconut and attempted to eat the whole thing. I failed miserably. I got about half of it down and my jaw started to become tired and stomach full. I don't remember ever eating raw coconut but I like the texture and mild taste. Probably won't have it again, just needed something off the beaten path.

[beforewisdom]

I tried that once in highschool with all of the tools of my fathers garage at my disposal. It is a skill for sure. I have Indian friends at work. I should make use of their knowledge.

[Troy]

Watched a five minute youtube video on how to open it and peel it. A couple whacks from the non-blade side of the butcher knife and it cracked right open. A couple more cracks and the meat peeled right off. Took about 3-4 minutes from start to finish.

[Zack]

I just put it in a plastic bag and have at it with a sledgehammer.