Cheers to Coconut!

A couple of days back, I met this lady, by the looks of whom one could clearly make out a typical day in her life.  i am talking about the breed who have filthy rich spouses, have never done anything productive in life yet wear nothing less than solitaires and Swaroskis', do nothing at home except keep a track of Page 3 and arrange kitty Parties to show off their husband's money... (guess i should stop before my jealousy starts shouting loud and clear).The moment she came to know that i am a nutritionist, I was bombarded with questions and queries of all sorts. (like any other time when people 1st meet me..maybe I should write about those experiences too) All I could hear was 'what if...', 'how to..', 'Do I..' and so on..

Anyways, from all the clutter and confusion, what I could figure out was that she wanted to avoid the amount of junk she was consuming through all the colas and cocktails. She rightly pointed out that when we go out for parties, unhealthy food can be avoided..there are lot of choices but what about drinks? we just can't say no to a round of drinks.

This is just one situation and I am sure lot of us face it at some point of time where we have to choose between saying no or upsetting people.Well my answer is simple.Go for Coconut water!
Its refreshing, healthy, trendy and a beverage with calories as close to plain water!
Let me explain.Coconut water contains organic compounds possessing healthy growth promoting properties that have known to :

1. Keep the body cool and at the right temperature (hence also suggested during a fever)
2. Orally rehydrate your body.
3. Raise your metabolism (hence weight management)
4. Boost your immune system.
5. Balance the Ph in your body and prevent cancer.
6. detoxify and fight viruses
7. Cleanse the digestive tract.
8. Naturally replenish the body tissues after exercise.
9. Control Diabetes.
10. Boost poor circulation.
11. It is Tasty!!

(I guess you won't be in a doubt again Ms.Page 3.)

Interesting fact about coconut: The English name coconut 1st mentioned in English print in 1555, comes from a Spanish and Portuguese word 'coco' which means 'Monkey Face'

Reading A food Label

The following label building skills are intended to make it easier for you to use nutrition labels to make quick, informed food choices that contribute to a healthy diet.
The Nutrition Facts Label - An Overview:
The information in the main or top section can vary with each food product; it contains product-specific information (serving size, calories, and nutrient information). The bottom part contains a footnote with Daily Values (DVs) for 2,000 and 2,500-calorie diets. This footnote provides recommended dietary information for important nutrients, including fats, sodium and fiber. The footnote is found only on larger packages and does not change from product to product.

Tips to use food labels effectively:
· Pay attention to the serving size, especially how many servings there are in the food package. Then ask yourself, "How many servings am I consuming"? (e.g., 1/2 serving, 1 serving, or more) · Keep your intake of saturated fat, trans fat and cholesterol as low as possible as part of a nutritionally balanced diet.
· The % Daily Values are based on the Daily Value recommendations for key nutrients according to the specified caloric diet (e.g.2000 cal diet)
· To limit nutrients that have no %DV, like trans fat and sugars, compare the labels of similar products and choose the food with the lowest amount.
· Hypertensive people and people with renal disorders should pay special attention to sodium content of the food. Also check out for preservatives like sodium benzoate. Avoid these.
· Look out for terms like- ‘high fiber’, ‘low fat’, ‘no preservative’, ‘sugar free’, ‘0 trans fat’, ‘cholesterol free’, ‘no MSG’; to ensure that you are picking out a healthy option.