Weekly tips to bring island-inspired wellness into your everyday life from Rosalie Bay Resort wellness coordinator Laura Lund.
Coconut palm trees are found throughout the Caribbean and our Dominica hotel. Where they originated is a bit unknown.
Called “Dew from the Heavens” by the Hawaiians and “tree that gives all that is necessary for living” by the East Indians, it is suspected the trees originally came from Malaysia and Indonesia and were brought to the Caribbean on ships. The name, “coco” nut, came from the Spanish who thought the three eyes on the shell looked like a monkey face.
Coconuts not only are a tropical icon, but a great nutrition source. Coconut water, which is sterile and full of electrolytes, has been used worldwide for re-hydration, in place of glucose in World War II, and in folk medicine for fevers, headaches, upset stomach and dysentery. It has also been used for fertility, during pregnancy and to wean babies off of mother’s milk.
Coconut oil, which received a bad wrap nutritionally in the 1950’s when studies measured hydrogenated coconut oil, has 87% saturated fat. But in its natural non-hydrogenated state, it is high in lauric acid (anti-bacterial and anti-viral) and healthy fats that are water-soluble and used immediately for energy in the body. Essentially, they act more like carbohydrates than fat.
While coconut water is becoming mainstream and beneficial, to get even more nutrients from the coconut we recommend sipping a Coconut Whip. While at our wellness resort, try it at Oscar’s Pool Bar or Zamaan Restaurant. Or if you have access to coconuts, try it at home with this recipe.
Coconut Whip
- Find a young green coconut that has water and jelly (avoid hard, mature coconuts which have little to no water and thick coconut meat)
- Cut the top off of the coconut
- Drain the water into a blender
- Scoop out the jelly and place in blender
- Blend until smooth and creamy
- Garnish with cinnamon (with its own health benefits), nutmeg or lime.
