Coconut water lineup: Zico, Vita Coco, ONE, and a real nut
There is sweet water inside a tender coconut. Who poured the water inside the coconut? Was it the work of any man? No. Only the Divine can do such a thing. ~Sri Sathya Sai Baba
Coconuts are fun. We can't see one without thinking of the tropics, and it's odd to think that it's just a huge seed. Everything about a coconut is useful, but one of our favorite parts is coconut water (which occurs naturally in young coconuts). It looks slightly cloudy, and it doesn't really have a coconut flavor. It's mild, slightly sweet, and best drunk chilled. It's delicious and thirst-quenching.
Coconut water is touted as a natural sports drink full of benefits. It's certainly natural - all you have to do is smack a baby coconut. Proponents say that it is chock-full of electrolytes and potassium, and hydrates you quickly after exercise and excessive partying. We've been drinking it for over a year now, and it's our preferred post-run sports drink when marathon training. Does it work better than other drinks? We don't know, but we like the fact that there's no artificial chemicals or sweeteners in it. So let's compare it to Gatorade, shall we?
One serving of Zico Coconut Water vs. one serving of Gatorade Fierce (since it sounds hardcore):
- Calories: 60 to coconut, 50 to Fierce
- Sodium: 60mg to coconut, 110mg to Fierce
- Potassium: 670mg to coconut, 30mg to Fierce (more in coconut water than a banana)
- Total Carbohydrate: 15mg to coconut, 14mg to Fierce
- Sugars: 14mg to coconut, 14mg to Fierce
They both work post-exercise, but since you are now anti-processed food (a fluorescent sports drink counts as processed), you should give the nod to the coconut water.
You don't actually have to crack open a coconut to get to the water. You can just open an increasingly prevalent Tetrapak. Happily, there are an increasing number of brands on the shelf - Zico, Vita Coco, and ONE are some of them, and they are all good. If you don't like taste of coconut water, there are additional flavors like mango and passionfruit. We like it straight-up best. Our absolute favorite is water from a fresh young coconut. Sip it through a straw, and scoop up the coconut jelly after you're done.
3/17/11 Update: While Dr. Weil agrees that coconut water is natural, he doesn't buy into all the claims. He recommends lots of pure, filtered water for the same health benefits.
What to do
- Try coconut water - there are several brands and "flavors". Find one that you like. Or go to a natural food store that sells whole young coconuts, and have them open one up for you.
- Hydrate. It's not processed like fruit juice, and comes loaded with potassium. It's not a water replacement (for those counting calories, there are 60 calories), but it's a good hydrator, particularly post-exercise or during hangover.
- Recycle the Tetrapak - some communities like NYC recycle (check to see if yours does here), otherwise you can mail them back.
What I ate: vegetable juice, cottage cheese + blueberries + 3 strawberries, shell peas, whole wheat spaghetti + tomatoes + garlic + basil, 8 squares dark chocolate, 1 cup coffee, 1 pretzel, 1 cup Rainier cherries, strawberries, blueberries, raw kale salad, roasted turkey, 60 oz. water, Mindful Mix
Exercise: 65 min. vinyassa yoga
