Wednesday, March 23, 2016

Stay Hydrated With Coconut Water


Since the days are so hot, my Babypie was down with fever, again. Sigh it is tiring taking care of a sick baby who becomes very clingy and literally hangs onto my boobs 24/7! I have to keep myself cool, I have to stay hydrated to make sure I make enough milk for him and I have to make sure my kids stay hydrated. I keep telling Babycakes to drink tons of water, to make sure she finishes her water everyday in school and to eat more fruits and vegetables. 
One of the ways to get your kids to drink is of course by giving them sweet sugary drinks but we all know how bad sweet and sugary drinks are for our health. So try to say NO to carbonated drinks, sweet cordials and artificial drinks. Instead, try getting them to drink coconut water. 
Luckily both Babypie and Babycakes love this coconut water. I love this drink too as it is very refreshing and is made of 100% pure coconut water. I wish I can get real, fresh coconut water easily but this is the next best thing and the closest and easiest way for me to drink coconut water. 
Currently Kedai Mesra Petronas are selling these for only RM1.90 per pack so every time I send Babycakes to her kindergarten, I would drop by Petronas and buy a few packets. Put them in your fridge and they are best served chilled. Besides, coconut water has amazing benefits. Here are some of the benefits of coconut water.

Health benefits of coconut water

  • Coconut water is a very refreshing drink to beat tropical summer thirst. Its liquid is packed with simple sugars, electrolytes, and minerals to replenish dehydration conditions inside the human body.
  • Research studies suggest that cytokinins (e.g., kinetin and trans-zeatin) in coconut water found to have significant anti-ageing, anti-carcinogenic, and anti-thrombotic (anti-clot formation) effects.
  • Coconut water has been generally offered to patients with diarrhea in many tropic regions to replace the fluid loss from the gastrointestinal tract and to reduce the need for hospitalisation. The osmolarity of tender coconut water is slightly greater than that of WHO recommended ORS (Oral Rehydration Therapy) solution. Presence of other biological constituents like amino acids, enzymes, minerals, and fatty acids may account for this higher osmolarity. Nonetheless, unlike WHO-ORS, its water is very low in sodium and chlorides, but rich in sugars and amino acids. This well-balanced fluid composition, along with much-needed calories, would be an ideal drink instead of any other kind of soft drink beverages available in the markets to correct dehydration conditions.
  • Coconut water is composed of many naturally occurring bioactive enzymes such as acid phosphatase, catalase, dehydrogenase, diastase, peroxidase, RNA-polymerases etc. In effect, these enzymes help in the digestion and metabolism.
  • Despite being very light in consistency, its water proportionately has better composition of minerals like calcium, iron, manganese, magnesium, and zinc than some of the fruit juices like oranges. (Compare the mineral composition of oranges).
  • Its liquid is also a very good source of B-complex vitamins such as riboflavin, niacin, thiamin, pyridoxine, and folates. These vitamins are essential in the sense that the human body requires them from external sources to replenish.
  • Coconut water carries a very good amount of electrolyte potassium. 100 ml of water has 250 mg of potassium and 105 mg of sodium. Together, these electrolytes help replenish electrolyte deficiency in the body due to diarrhea (loose stools).
  • Further, fresh coconut water has a small amount of vitamin-C (Ascorbic acid); It provides about 2.4 mg or 4% of RDA. Vitamin C is a water-soluble ant-oxidant.
Source: http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/coconut-water.html

I hope everyone is keeping themselves hydrated, cool and healthy in this sweltering heat. Global warming is serious, you guys! Temperatures are rising, forest fires are blazing and ice caps are melting. What are we going to do with our beloved Mother Earth? Don't forget to recycle the packaging OK?

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