Coconut Water Vs Sports Drink

SECRET

SPORTS DRINK

Who would have thought, Gilligan’s Island and Tom Hanks in “Cast Away” were all giving us clues to a secret hydration drink full of electrolytes and energy.

COCONUT WATER!!

With all the books that have been written on the subject of hydration, endurance race nutrition plus numerous articles in peer reviewed journals and magazines, it's funny to think the answer comes from a "big nut," that is really a fruit.

In the table below notice Coconut Water has about 15 times MORE cramp fighting potassium than  traditional sports drinks and is high in magnesium. Coconut water contains AMAZINGLY LOW amounts of SUGAR. If DIABETES is something you deal with personally or know someone who does, this should grab your attention. Coconut Water may help to maintain fluids while decreasing blood sugar spikes in comparison to sugary sports drinks and sodas.

Coconut Water: Serving Size           1 Cup (8oz)

Energy (grams)                                  46
Protein (g)                                         1.73
Fat (g)                                               .48
Cholesterol (mg)                                0
Carbohydrates (g)                             8.9
      Sugar (g)                                     6.26
      Dietary Fiber (g)                          2.6
Potassium (mg)                                  600
Sodium (mg)                                      252
Calcium (mg)                                     58
Iron (mg)                                           .7
Magnesium (mg)                                60

Table Source: United States Department Of Agriculture

Cola type drinks have 5mg Potassium (coconut water 600mg) with 22 grams of sugar (coconut water 6g) and virtually no nutrients (calcium, iron, magnesium, and more in coconut water).  This is a comparison for only 8 ounces of Cola vs Coconut water.  Again all information was found at United States Department Of Agriculture.


Coconut Water has just recently become more popular. With the amount of dedication that goes into training for sporting events, I can tell you, the fuel/nutrition factor is just as hard and important as the physical training.  We all struggle with what to drink or eat before, during and after training or a long day working with heavy exertion. Hydration is so important, considering 70% of the body is comprised of water.  There is information below on how to keep hydrated using coconut water and health benefits vs plain water and/or sports drinks.

What is Coconut water? Is coconut water like coconut Milk? Why would I consider drinking coconut water over my sports drink or regular water?
 
These are all great questions.

Coconut water is found in the very middle of a young coconut fruit. As the coconut ripens more of the water becomes part of the white meaty part of the coconut. (see picture below)

Coconut milk is made from the meat of a ripened coconut (white stuff you see when you open a coconut). The coconut water that is found in the un-ripened coconut is absorbed in the white meat of the coconut as the coconut ages.  So, coconut milk is not the same as coconut water and milk is not good to drink during activities for replenishment.

Why would I consider drinking coconut water instead of water or my sports drink?


Coconut water is an isotonic solution which means, it has the same 'salt' concentration as the normal cells of the body and the blood. Considering coconut water is so similar to human plasma it allows the body to use coconut water to replace lost fluids easily. QUICK REHYDRATION!!

Low sugar and naturally high amounts of potassium, about 15 times more than sports drinks. In addition to replacing the lost fluids it also replaces other minerals (potassium, magnesium, calcium) the body loses during exercise.

A study in 2002 done at the School of Medical Science in Malaysia, compared coconut water to a carbohydrate electrolyte beverage and plain water for rehydration of athletes after exercise. RESULTS:  Coconut Water RESTORED blood volume FASTER than carbohydrate electrolyte beverage, or plain water. Blood glucose concentration (energy) was higher with coconut water than with plain water. The Athletes reported that Coconut water was less upsetting to their stomach after exercises and were able to consume larger amounts easier than with a carbohydrate drink or plain water.


Research in the New Zealand Medical Journal found coconut water helps rehydrate and replenish people when they have vomiting and other digestion problems for long periods of time. Coconut water is very easy on the stomach and helps reduce the urge of vomiting while replenishing the bodies electrolytes

Weird, but TRUE:

The American Journal of Emergency Medicine published an article that discussed in extreme conditions some physicians have utilized coconut water as a source of intravenous hydration fluid instead of standard IV fluid for short term use. In World War II many wounded soldiers were saved in the Pacific using coconut water as emergency transfusions for plasma.

Coconut Water Relieves Urinary Problems
Coconut water has been reported to help with problems related to the urinary tract, and kidneys. Some patients have found coconut water to be helpful with kidney stones in addition to taking prescribed medication.

Completing two, 20 mile runs consuming only coconut water, I have noticed less dehydration, along with absence of my normal cramping with long runs. Unlike most sugary sports drinks coconut water actually satisfies your thirst compared to other drinks.

I will soon post more on where you can purchase coconut water, how to keep it FRESH longer, and different ways to use it during exercise. 

Knowing all the important roles a coconut can play in human nutrition, maybe the coconut should have been the star in the movie Cast Away.

Dr. Hamlin

Carolina Chiropractic

Home Experiment

(Picture: Left is chicken egg and right is a duck egg)

Do you know how to test the health of the chicken or duck that laid your egg?

Here is your Answer!!

SEE HOW HEALTHY YOUR CHICKEN OR DUCK EGGS ARE:

Things needed for test:

1- Regular white egg (not free range or cage free)

1- Free Range/ Cage Free organic chicken egg

1- Bowl
Instructions:
Take the white (not free range) egg, and crack it against the edge of the bowl.  Take note on how hard the shell was to crack.
Now take the free range (organic) egg and crack it against the edge of the bowl.  Take note how hard the shell was to crack.

You should notice a profound difference between  how hard it was to crack the two shells.  The free range, organic egg, should be harder to crack open because the shell is more dense.  Chickens that are free to roam eat a more natural diet of grass and bugs.  This produces a healthier egg, and a noticeable stronger egg shell.  Duck eggs have an even stronger dense shell than chicken eggs. 

Now this is the best part.......add veggies and make an omelet!!!

Have fun with this!!
Dr. Hamlin

Bison

 RED MEAT = DEATH?????

“My doctor told me to stop eating red meat because it’s bad for me.”

“I stopped eating red meat because I read/heard its bad for me.”

Are these statements True or just LIES??

These statements have some truth but are mostly just a LIE! I hear the above statements almost weekly in practice. To me the biggest disappointment is when Medical and Chiropractic Physicians, physician's assistants, physical therapists, and or dietitians say these things to their patients and don’t explain why. Imagine enjoying the succulent taste of a nutritional steak that is healthier for you than Fish or CHICKEN!!

Why should, or should we not eat hamburgers, steak, roast (red meat)? Below I will explain why you should eat nutritious red meat and how it will add active, pain free years to your life.

Eating grass-fed and finished bison (American buffalo), chicken, beef as well as other wild game meats is a smart way to improve your health. Why? For many reasons; the most important reason being the high Omega-3 content which contributes to brain, heart and joint health by decreasing inflammation. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines health as “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” I find most people refer to health as “I’m not sick or in pain, therefore, I’m healthy.” Not True. If this was the case, wouldn’t all cancer patients go to the doctors once the first cell turns cancerous?

Chronic and whole body inflammation, due to diet, is linked with most of today’s medically debilitating ailments, Back and joint aches and PAINS, HEART ATTACKS (#1 KILLER), heart arrhythmias, cancers, tumors, Multiple Sclerosis, Rheumatoid and Osteoarthritis, diabetes, acne, scar tissue formation, and so on. Time Magazine referred to inflammation in 2004 as the, “Secret KILLER” (February issue). 

Research by American Heart Association’s, “Lyon Diet Heart Study,” was being carried out to see if Omega 3 (good fats) would decrease the risk of; 1. Cardiac death and nonfatal heart attacks: 2. Heart beating problem, stroke, heart failure and lung or limb clots: 3. All of these plus events that made people go to the hospital. Devastating results were concluded! Participates in the study that incorporated the Omega-3 fats in their diet were showing a 70% lower risk of the medical ailments in 1, 2, and 3 above!! Control group (not getting Omega-3 supplements) were dying and having recurrent heart attacks in such large numbers that research authors felt it was ethically their job to have the control participant’s start taking omega-3 fats. I too feel you should have this life saving information and don’t want you to become the control group.

Some of the leanest, melt-in-your-mouth, nutritionally-dense steaks come from animals that are hunted (deer, elk, etc.), or animals that are free range/grass-fed and grass-FINISHED. All other steaks are full of DEADLY inflammatory fats and have less nutritional value.


Why does the meat have to be wild game, or grass fed and finished to be healthy and stop back pain?

The quick answer is seen below in the charted information from the United States Department of

Agriculture (USDA).

Serving Size 100grams (Medium size burger)	Bison	Ground Beef	Ground Beef (lean)
Energy (Kcal)	143	276	269
Protein (grams)	28	25	26
Fat (Total)	2	19	18
Cholesterol (mg)	82	88	90
Iron (mg)	3	2	2
Magnesium (mg)	26	20	20
Sodium (mg)	57	400	397
Potassium (mg)	361	287	312
Zinc (mg)	4	6	6

USDA.gov

I’d like you to focus on the fat, sodium and potassium content between bison and regular grain-fed beef.  Has anyone ever told you to decrease the amount of salt you use? Too much salt is bad for you, and look how much is in the grain fed BEEF and you didn’t even add any salt yet!! Human body only needs 500mg per day.

Most livestock in the U.S. are fed a grain-based diet for 3 reasons: 1) More livestock on less land, 2) Cheaper to buy grains, 3) Increases slaughter weight and Profit for livestock owner. The money the farmer saves buying grains to feed the animal is at our health expense. Grain feeding the animals costs us thousands of dollars in health care expenses, days off work because of illness, Headaches all day, joint pain, decreased life expectancy, I think you get the point.  It is optimal for these animals (and us) to feed on what would be present in their natural environment, such as wild grass and plants.

“We are what we eat,” doesn’t just apply to humans. When animals are fed inflammatory (back pain) grains, vegetable oils and corn their whole lives, the meat itself is now a SUPER condensed form of inflammatory oil, grains and corn. When we add condensed grain-corn fed inflammatory meat to our dinner plate with a side of inflammation (rolls, bread, rice, processed food, etc.) and another side of corn, you and your family are on the fast track to an inflammatory disease.

Inflammatory chemicals made due to our diet are regulated by the Omega 3:6 fat ratios in our bodies. Omega-3 fats are anti-inflammatory and stop back pain, joint pain, arthritis and more. Omega-6 fats (found in grains, vegetable oils) drive our biochemical production of inflammation. This leaves us popping anti-inflammatory pills, such as Motrin, Aspirin, Ibuprofen, and Advil, to slow the inflammation process. These anti-inflammatory drugs have negative side effects. A diet consisting of these grain fed meats, processed foods, chips, and granola bars lead us to be increasingly inflamed and prone for injuries.

North Dakota State University reports meats of domesticated animals have 25 to 30 percent fat while the average fat content of wild game animals is only 4.3 percent. Not only is the quantity of fat lower in game meats, but the quantity is also healthier. Fat from wild game contains a much higher proportion of polyunsaturated fatty acids (good Omega – 3 fats) and is lower in saturated fat.

Everyone has different allowances and limitations for their food expenses. With this in mind, I recommend you start looking for any grass-fed and grass-finished meats in your local area. This will help cut down shipping costs and help drive the price in your area down. I practice in Raleigh, North Carolina and there are local farmers, farmer’s markets, and grocery stores that sell grass-fed beef which is much healthier than the beef that can be found in most grocery stores. Bison is also very convenient to order online and will be shipped right to your front door. The site I order from has bison that is grass fed and finished.

SEE RESOURCE PAGE.

You have the power to help yourself, and your family, avoid the risk of debilitating ailments, along with already diagnosed problems, just by choosing the right foods next time you go to the grocery store. Imagine how good it will feel to help your son or daughter with their ACNE just by cooking an anti-inflammatory dinner.

How much is that worth to you?

Next week Monday look for new information.

Is Your Breakfast Good For You?

I have always been interested in nutrition and once I started my graduate studies at Palmer Chiropractic College, I discovered more interesting research about foods affect on our bodies.  After Graduating and working in Detroit, MI, I moved to Raleigh, NC to practice Chiropractic Care.  I have really enjoyed helping everyone from families, to endurance athletes, with their food/nutritional recommendations.  When it comes to nutritional recommendations breakfast always raises the most questions.  Most people I talk to assume, cereal (with or without milk), waffles, pancakes, doughnuts, bagels (with cream cheese or not), and coffee are okay for breakfast. 

These foods will not only destroy your quest for a healthy diet, but they will also destroy your body first thing in the morning.  Some like to say “I eat a healthy cereal” or “I eat whole grain bagels.” This is a step in the right direction, and I’m trying not to sound like an extremist, but these processed foods, whole grain or not, are still terrible for you.  Marketers jump all over the “healthy whole grain,” and “health cereal” phrases because they are better than pure sugar cereal or glazed doughnuts.  Many people think “The cereal I’m eating is healthy and has a 100% of all the vitamins I need.”  Where did this information come from?  Maybe you found it on the specific products commercial, or side of the box/wrapper it came in?  I bet you heard it in a commercial or found it on the side of the box/wrapper.  This is exactly what the cereal and bagel companies want you to think.  The marketing firms for these companies usually know nothing about health and nutrition…but they know A LOT about persuasive marketing!! 

Breakfast is usually rushed through and consists of high inflammatory processed grain foods (toast, cereal, bagels, doughnuts, etc.) promoting spikes in blood sugar, cancer, chronic pain and or disease.  Picture this, race cars are lined up side by side; as the start-gun sounds, you slam the pedal to the floor and take off, leaving everyone in your dust.  Seconds later the engine is starts to decelerating rapidly!!  What’s the problem?? Eating toast in the morning is comparable to this scenario above.  Endurance athletes should take this advice literally.  Breakfast may be the only good fuel you put in your body for the next 1-12 hours.  Wrong food choices first thing in the morning will cause you to play catch-up all day.  Next you will find yourself drinking coffee, soda, and popping caffeine/alert pills of some sort, to stay awake.

What is the solution to inflammatory morning foods?  Think eggs – scrabbled, sunny-side-up, omelets (just veggies and eggs, no milk or cheese), or hard boiled, anyway-will do.  For a long time, I used to eat inflammatory morning foods.  As I read more research, I gradually made the switch to less processed foods and more anti-inflammatory choices.  I eat eggs almost every morning now.  The nutritional density in free range eggs (even more with duck eggs) will give you an advantage in everyday activities and especially before physical activities.

Imagine you are back on that starting line, everyone is lined up, the start-gun sounds and you hammer the pedal to the floor.  This time the car purrs right along not slowing, and continues to feel strong even after you’ve crossed the finish line.  Literally, “you are what you eat….”  Eat good foods (fruits, veggies, lean meat, fish, and sparingly nuts) and you will feel good.  Eat bad foods (high sugar, processed grains, breads, trans-fats) and you will feel sick and increase you risk of inflammatory diseases.

Resource Page

Resource Page

Picture a race horse wearing those crazy looking focus glasses around their eyes, these are used to keep the horse focused and not distracted. Pretend you have these same glasses on when you are grocery shopping. Do not let your eyes wander! To keep from wandering into the middle isle because of bright and colorful advertising packages, take a list (this will double as your focus glasses). Don’t wander too much; spend a great deal of time (70%) in the fresh foods and not the packaged foods. Good for you foods are not square, and spend little time on the store shelf before going bad.

Grocery Shopping in Raleigh, NC
Rosie’s Store – Lots of Gluten Free Foods
Whole Foods
Earth Fare
Fresh Market

Local North Carolina Farms:

Blue Sky Farms

North Raleigh Farmers Market
Wednesday 3pm-7pm
Saturday 8am – 1pm
Durant road and Falls River by Ace Hardware and Food Lion

Online Stores for Food:

Bison - (Grass Fed and Finished)