Is coconut water for weight loss the latest fad diet, gimmick or theme for a diet book? Well, I can't say for sure, but the point of this article is not to sell you on coconut water as some kind of magical solution to losing weight, but to explain why this can, when combined with other sensible practices, really help.
First of all, water itself is an important key to both good health in general and maintaining (or attaining) your ideal body weight. Water keeps your metabolism running smoothly. It keeps you hydrated when you exercise -which you should be doing if you want to lose weight. You've probably heard by now that you should drink eight glasses (or so) of water per day for optimal health. Many people read this, but still don't drink enough water.
So where does the coconut enter the picture? Coconut oil has been getting quite a bit of attention in the health community recently. While some people, especially advocates of low fat diets, believe -or used to believe- that coconut oil is not healthy because it contains fat, more recent research shows that it's a healthy kind of fat. It's part of the paradox that some health experts have noticed --namely, that many traditional people have, for centuries or even millennia, been eating diets high in fat but have suffered virtually none of the diseases --and obesity-- that are common today. Coconut oil is an example of a natural, high quality fat that is very healthy.
Now coconut water is a less concentrated form of this very healthy fruit, the coconut. But it is still very healthy. There are only a few things you can put into water that do not dilute it and make it less healthy. One is lemon. Another is coconut. Both are alkalizing, and help the body in many ways, such as digestion, blood sugar control and metabolism.
It is not recommended that you drink only coconut water. You should always drink plenty of pure water with nothing else added (though a slice of lemon would never hurt). But drinking coconut water every day would be a very beneficial addition to your liquid intake, especially if you can consume this instead of less healthy cold beverages such as soda or even most juices (which tend to be very high in sugars, even if they are natural sugars). For warm beverages, try green tea or hoodia. As far as coconut water goes, find a source of it that is natural and doesn't contain extra sweeteners.
Now, once again, don't expect coconut water by itself to make you magically lose weight. Several cups of this every day can really help kick your metabolism into gear, but it's still up to you to burn off those calories by getting regular exercise. And, it goes without saying (or it really should!) that you can't eat a high calorie, unhealthy diet and expect to make up for it by consuming one or two healthy things (such as green tea or coconut water).
Coconut water can be a great and very beneficial addition to an overall weight loss program. It's a good tasting beverage that can turn into a healthy habit.
Check out more helpful, up-to-date Tips to Lose Weight!
No comments:
Post a Comment