Ask around the gym about the coconut products and you’ll find the only answer you get is that they are, “Ahhhmaaaziiing.” The coconut cream is like nothing else — a cross between the flavor of macadamia butter and coconut milk (don’t worry I ate through a quarter of my jar the first night too, just try not to let it happen every night). If you purchased and you have some feedback, please email me or post to comments! Not up to speed on why fat, especially saturated fat, is the CrossFitter’s (and should be everyone’s) main source of fat and calories? Get a-readin’ (here, here, here). I also put together a little summary for you here.
You may know Matt and Preston are skilled CrossFitters, but what may be news to you: they know how to use coconut oil and a crock pot, too.
Coconut oil and products have gotten a very bad rap in years past, along with other foods high in saturated fat (like eggs, fatty meats, and other animal fats) or fat in general. The sat-fat issue usually gets me the biggest eyebrow-raises when I introduce paleo to someone new (along with cholesterol and eating the whole — GASP — yolk). The NYT picked up on the reversal of public health opinion this month. The story of how and why lipophobia/fatophobia began and proliferates is utterly fascinating (in my humble, nerdy, opinion). If you want the detailed version, read Gary Taubes’ Good Calories Bad Calories or the Dr.’s Eades Protein Power. If you prefer the Cliff’s Notes version check out Taubes’ latest book that came out last month Why We Get Fat. Taubes also started blogging finally, check it out. Here’s a good summary post on saturated fat from MDA.Coconut is, in a word, amazing. It’s about 90% saturated fat making it very healthy and an excellent, stable cooking oil. It’s also got a little protein, and a very small amount of usable sugars. Regularly eating coconut fats helps normalize blood lipids, its fats and nutrients help prevent and repair liver, kidney and gall bladder diseases. The association with improved insulin sensitivity (reversing pre-/diabetes, getting rid of cortical belly fat, hypoglycemia, etc.) has to do with its fatty acid content (and its role in displacing sugar in the diet). Of the types of fats in a coconut, about 50% are medium chain fatty acids (MCFA’s) called lauric acid. Not only is this an optimal source of fuel for activity, but it also has germ-fighting properties, and plays a role as a precursor to compounds that help maintain a healthy immune system. Here’s a quote from Dr. Mary Enig’s book Know Your Fats: “Lauric acid… has the additional beneficial function of being formed into monolaurin in the human or animal body. Monolaurin is the antiviral, antibacterial, and antiprotozoal monoglyceride used by the human or animal to destroy lipid coated viruses such as HIV, herpes, cytomegalovirus, influenza, various pathogenic bacteria including listeria monocytogenes and heliobacter pylori, and protozoa such as giardia lamblia. Some studies have also shown some antimicrobial effects of the free lauric acid.”
Read the Full Article Here: http://www.crossfitsouthbay.com/2011/03/crazy-for-coconuts/