Young Green Coconut Water and Meat (Buko)

Young green coconut which is called buko in Tagalog or butong in Cebuano is a fruit popular among health enthusiasts and to those who love the taste of its water and meat. It is mostly sold in makeshift stalls in areas that are frequented by people.  Available coconuts are cut off portion of its husk for the insertion of a drinking straw. And with the fruit opened, the tender meat can be scooped off with an improvised husk spoon. Customers can select a whole unopened coconut, or with the water and the meat removed from the fruit and contained in a plastic cup, or with the coconut water mixed with the meat and other fruits in addition to sugar and ice.     

Coconut water is appealing because it is refreshing, rehydrating and invigorating. It has already found its way in commercial markets and is available in cans, bottles and packages. But the fresh coconut water is still the best because it has not undergone any industrial processes where chemicals or preservatives may be added to prolong its shelf life. The fruits comes from a tropical palm tree that can grow even with no pesticide applications hence it is an all natural food.

Benefits of green coconut water:

Green coconut water is alkaline and is naturally antibacterial and antimicrobial, and helps detoxify the body by providing hydration antioxidants. It can also balance the ratio of good to bad bacteria in the body's digestive tract thus improving digestion and gut health.

It is suitable drink for diabetics because of its low sugar contents.

It has natural electrolytes in potassium, calcium, magnesium and phosphorus and is free of cholesterol and fat. Because it is rich in potassium it is good for the heart and for the regulation of blood pressure.

                      

It is good for kidney and urinary bladder problems. Drinking coconut water 2 to 3 times a week may reduce the size of kidney stones in short period of time. 

Compared to sport drink coconut water is low in calories and sugar and high in electrolytes making it suitable for drink after exercise. In addition it is free of preservatives that sport drinks may have.

   

                                           

The meat of green coconut is delicious and nutritious too. It is rich in potassium, magnesium, sodium, phosphorus and calcium and also contains fiber, protein, Vitamin C and without cholesterol. It is an ingredient in dessert foods relished by Filipinos such as buko pie, buko salad and halo-halo.

Like almost all foods green coconut water and meat should be consumed in moderation or with the guidance of health care professionals especially when a person has health issues such as diabetes, high blood pressure and other illnesses. Over consumption of coconut water may worsen the condition of a person with kidney problem and that in persons with heart problems it may lower their blood pressure too much. 

Cagayan de Oro River Boulevard

A major component of flood risk management project for Cagayan de Oro River which is called river boulevard is now completed. The local government of Cagayan de Oro has now allowed people to enter the newly finished infrastructure although it is still off limits to vehicles. The project is funded by loan from Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) through the Official Development Assistance (ODA) under the foreign ministry of Japan.     

The features of the finished project consist of a 2.3 kilometers two-lane concrete road that covers the distance from J.R Borja to Kauswagan Bridges or vice versa and traversing the Marcos Bridge in between. At the eastern side of the road is a walkway with railings on both sides. And at the western side of the road facing the river bank is a promenade with adobe-like floorings and lamp posts, and along its course are lines of rectangular shaped garden plots with grasses which may also be planted with decorative plants or trees in the future. On the edge of the promenade facing the river is short concrete fence or wall with steel railings on top. That  wall is actually the upper portion of the flood wall that runs the entire length of the boulevard.

For now, people visit the boulevard for strolling, jogging, biking, exercising or taking pictures or video. The best time to visit the boulevard during a good weather for said purposes is in the early morning or in the late afternoon when the heat of the sun is no longer too hot or harsh to the skin or even in the evening since the boulevard is illuminated with street lights.

With the way it attracts people, the boulevard can become one of the tourist destinations of the city. And when opened for the vehicles, its two-lane road can somehow help ease decongest the traffic in the city's downtown area.

The Unfiltered, All Natural Probiotic Coconut Sap (Sukang Tuba) Vinegar

Fresh tuba sold in public market. Fermentation is taking place with yeasts breaking down sugar with carbon dioxides as waste products as manifested by bubbles on the surface of the liquid.

The production of a vinegar is not the primary purpose of gathering sap from the cut blossom of a coconut tree, but for having tuba, a type of local Filipino drink. A freshly harvested sap has natural sugar and taste sweet. It can be drunk as it is or as preferred by some people with added powdered or crushed bark of a type of mangrove tree. However, this will change the color of the liquid from milky white to reddish orange or pale red. Although the drink is sweet and nutritious some people shun it because of the resulting bad smell in the mouth when it is drunk. Only an small amount of tuba is wasted even if it not consumed or sold out because an stored tuba can become a vinegar after some time. The vinegar is just a by product of tuba, so to speak.

From the moment after the sap is gathered from the tree, one can notice the natural fermentation process of the liquid taking shape. The natural yeast start to break down the sugar from the sap. The resulting waste products of that process are carbon dioxide and ethanol alcohol. The carbon dioxide is manifested on the surface of liquid by the bubbles. The fresher the sap the more bubbles are created. The chemical process that takes place results in gases escaping from the liquid so that a bottle or any container cannot be closed airtight because the lid will burst open  because of the pressure of the gases.

In two to three days the action of the yeasts converts the sugar into ethanol alcohol, and this time fewer bubbles can be seen in the liquid, and the sap is less sweet and its taste similar to a red wine. The tuba at this stage is called bahal in the Visayan dialect which is more preferable to drinkers than the fresh and sweet one. Exposed to oxygen in the air, the sap undergoes another stage of fermentation. This time the ethanol is oxidized by acetic acid bacteria and results to the production of acetic acid that will make the sap taste sour and less alcoholic thus a vinegar is made, and the aerobic fermentation process is done in 3 to 4 weeks. If the stored sap vinegar is left untouched for several months, murky gelatinous substances develop or settle at the bottom of a bottle or container. They are called mother vinegar. although unappealing to look at, they are harmless and contains beneficial probiotic bacteria. A vinegar with the "mother" indicates that it is unpasteurized, unfiltered and all natural.

A fully fermented coconut sap vinegar with the "mother" in the bottom of the bottle.

In the Philippines sukang tuba has been used by Filipinos for generation to prepare or cook their foods. In Northern Mindanao region the coconut sap vinegar or sukang tuba is used to prepare or cook such foods as kinilaw, paksiw, adobo among other dishes. Coconut sap vinegar combined with salt, siling labuyo, onion or other spices is used as a dip for broiled pork, fish and others to enhance their flavor and to boost one's appetite. Mixed with oil, spices and vegetables it is also used as salad dressing or condiment.

The long fermenting process results to the production of vinegar that has probiotics properties. The probiotics in sukang tuba along with the mother vinegar is excellent for our gut's health. not all vinegar are probiotics but sukang tuba or maybe apple cider vinegar are exceptions. Probiotics are bacteria that destroys harmful ones in our gut's microbiome thereby improving our body's efficiency in digesting foods and absorbing nutrients and most importantly in boosting our immune system. Probiotics are living microorganism and exposing them to extreme high temperature will kill them. When coconut sap vinegar is used in cooking its probiotics benefits are lost. 

Apple Cider Vinegar with the "Mother"

Coconut sap vinegar contains polyphenols and is rich in amino acids which is the building block of life and protein. And it is claimed that it has even a higher level of amino acid, vitamins and minerals than the popular apple cider vinegar (ACV). It also tastes better and less acidic and costs much cheaper than the ACV so that for Filipinos sukang tuba might even be a better alternative to apple cider vinegar. 

 

Sukang tuba also aids in weight loss, fights type 2 diabetes because of its less sugar content, and helps reduce blood pressure. It has also antimicrobial and antifungal properties which can help the body fight against common illnesses.

In the Philippines coconut sap vinegar is mostly homemade. The research of its beneficial uses and large scale commercial production has not yet reached its full potential.

The Benefits of Coconut Oil

 

What are good oils? Those that are rich in mono unsaturated and saturated fats which are released easily from their source. This is the claim of some health experts regarding what oils are safe and healthy to use and consume.

Coconut oil is one of the most popular edible oils of choice by people the world over because it is considered to be one of the healthiest edible oils. However, a group such as the American Health Association (AHA) claims that coconut oil is mostly composed of saturated fat which can raise LDL or bad cholesterol level hence its consumption should be moderated.

One of the arguments raised in favor of coconut oil is that it comes from an organic food whose oil is easily released from it. The oil is natural because there is less or no need of added chemicals or preservatives to extract it. Other crops sourced for oil such as canola, flax, soy, corn and others need fertilizers and insecticides to cultivate and grow them. The oil is sourced from their seeds. They need intensive processing and use chemical such as hexane to release their oils. Although the raw oil content of said foods are mostly mono unsaturated fat which is considered healthy, the method of processing to release the oil has significantly reduced the quality of the oil so that some groups or people are even saying to avoid those oil products.

Coconut oil contains stearic acid and is mainly composed of saturated fat. It also contains about 60% medium-chain triglyceride (MCT). Due to its shorter length, the MCT is digested faster without the need of other enzymes unlike long-chain triglycerides. MCT is a substance that let the body directly consume coconut oil without storing it in the liver. In other words theses process will lead to reduction of body weight because less fat is stored in the body. In this condition when the body has less glucose to burn for energy it will source its energy from fat stored in the lever resulting to the production of ketones which the body can use for energy. MCT is found naturally in foods such as coconuts and dairy products. In summary the benefits of MCT is that it increases fat loss, energy, brain function and athletic performance.

Coconut oil also contains about 47% lauric acid, a medium-chain fatty acid that is also present in a mother's breast milk. While lauric acid has shown to increase LDL or bad cholesterol level, it also raises the level of HDL or good cholesterol level indicating that lauric acid is good for the heart. Lauric acid has anti bacterial and anti viral properties which are effective in the treatment of infections like influenza, common cold, fever, blisters, cold sores and genital herpes caused by herpes simplex virus and even HIV/AIDS virus. Lauric acid is also good for digestion because it maintains healthy micro biome in the gut by promoting good bacteria and reducing bad bacteria.

Coconut oil may treat Alzheimer's disease and dementia. Ketones are produced in the body during conversion of fat into energy which is needed to prevent neuron degeneration. Coconut oil helps improve memory by supporting the health of neurons in the brain.

Coconut oil boosts production of collagen. Because of it, this oil helps improve bone health. Coconut oil with its collagen boosting property can help delay the aging process of the skin by reducing wrinkles and making the skin look glowing and younger. It can also heal wound faster together with an aloe vera gel.

Coconut is ideal for cooking. It is highly resistant to oxidation at high heat which makes it suitable for frying or deep frying since the heated oil is usable for up to 8 hours of continuous heating. It is very stable when heated and does not change in substance during the heating process and does not create toxic byproducts. Coconut oil has a smoke point of 350 degree Fahrenheit which is within the ideal temperature range of 325 to 375 degree Fahrenheit.

                                                                   

Coconut, the Tropical Tree of Life

Coconut trees adorn a white sand beach.

For this article I would like to refer to the coconut tree as the plant and the coconut as the fruit. The coconut tree (cocos nucifera) belongs to the palm tree family. It has a branchless trunk with leaves, inflorescences and fruits clustered on the upper part of the tree. The coconut is round in shape and its skin turns to grayish brown when matured. Inside the outer skin is a fibrous coir. The husk surrounded a water filled shell containing the meat and embryo. People should stay away from a tall coconut tree with matured fruits because a hit on the head coming from a falling coconut will be very fatal.       

coconut tree with fruits

Many Filipino families, 25% to 33% of them, depend on the coconut for their livelihood. Coconut tree is the easiest and one of the most profitable plants to grow in the tropics. A coconut planted or buried in the ground will sprout after several days or weeks. And from then on the tree healthily grows even with less fertilizer or pesticide unlike other crops. A tree yields fruits after about 6 years, and will live up to a hundred of years. When the tree fruit all a farmer has to do is just watch them and hire workers when harvest time comes. The good thing is that coconut tree is everbearing unlike other crops that bear fruits by season. In the past and even today, in rural areas, some poor Filipinos make for their living climbing up the tree, cut off portions of its inflorescence crosswise and gather the sap for a toddy drink called "tuba". This drink is one of a kind considering that it can get people drunk when taken in excessive amount even if the sap is just freshly gathered from the tree. Left alone, unsold or unconsumed "tuba" turns into an all natural healthy vinegar after some time. When the sap or "tuba" is fermented or distilled and aged, it becomes a wine. It is called "lambanog" in Tagalog. Other product derived from coconut sap includes coco sugar.     

coco sugar

Families with sizable areas of land planted with coconut earn most of their income from the dried meat of the coconut called copra. The production of copra is a big industry which provide the farmers and the government money. Coconut products are one of the leading exports of the Philippines which account for about 64% of the world's production.                                                                                              

green coconuts for sale

green coconut with drinking straw

an opened green coconut with flesh

Some people love to consume coconuts especially the young green one for its water and tender jelly like flesh which is called "butong" in Visayan or "buko" in Tagalog. The water is tasty, refreshing and invigorating and is rich in anti-oxidants and electrolytes. It is comparable or even better or healthier than commercial sport drinks because coconut water is all natural.                                                    

People do not usually eat the matured coconut meat because of its bland taste and hard texture. They instead grate and extract from it the so-called "milk" or "gata" which is used as ingredients for delicacies such as "suman", "biko", "binignit" and other snack foods. Coconut milk is also added to soup and dishes. Although the locals have been using the milk from fresh matured coconut meat for generations, they do not do it to extract oil for cooking. Oil can be produced from fresh grated meat by putting it on a wok and heating it until oil is produced. The oil that is made is fragrant with distinctive coconut aroma. It is then sifted to separate it from coconut sediments and then placed in a container such as small bottles and other vessels. The oil is used especially by folk healers to massage people to relieve their muscle and joint pains or heal dislocated or broken bones. Superstitious people use the oil to immerse their amulets inside the bottle. They called the oil filled bottle with amulet "lana" or "laning-laning" in the Visayan dialect. Although homemade coconut oil for massage is soothing, some people shun it because of the coconut smell that may not be desirable when the one who has it is near other people.         

an opened matured coconut with shell and meat

                                                                                                                       

commercial coconut milk in sachet

grated coconut meat

fresh coconut milk

Matured coconut meat is the most economically profitable produce of the tree. From it, is derived oil and other products. Coconut oil is arguably one of the healthiest in the world. There are sources though that state that coconut oil contains significant amount of saturated fat that is not good for the heath. But other reliable groups claim that oil from coconut comes naturally and need not much processing or addition of compounds that makes it good for consumption despite its high saturated fat content. Coconut oil is different from the so-called vegetable oils like soy, canola, corn and others which need complicated mechanical pressing to extract their oil. In addition some of the vegetable oils are products of chemical extraction process which can affect the quality of oil. Coconut oil had been demonized in the past as unsafe and unhealthy especially from soybean farmers to promote their own product. Fortunately, the trend is that coconut oil has gained wide acceptance from some health professionals that it is safe and healthy for human consumption.  

de-husked coconuts

coconut oil in plastic container

extra virgin coconut oil

Other products from coconut include cosmetics such as soap and shampoo and foods such as coconut cream, milk, coconut flour among others. Aside from those already mentioned about the products and benefits from the coconut, there are many other things that can be derived from the coconut tree. Almost all of its parts are useful. An upright coconut cut in half with the husk and shell still intact can be made as scrub to clean floor especially the wooden one. The fibrous husk can be a material for filling mattresses and potting composts. Next to the husk is the hard shell that can be made into buttons and charcoal. The leaves are used as wrappings for "suman", a glutinous rice cooked in coconut milk and and woven as pouches called "puso" to contain a boiled rice. A broom can be made out of the midribs of the coconut pinnate leaves. This is called "walis tingting" in Tagalog. In a situation when temporary shelters are needed to camp soldiers or other people in the field, coconut fronds can be a material for thatched makeshift huts. Petioles and husks can be used as fuel for cooking. In contemporary time when forest woods are scarce and expensive and cutting of trees in the forest is strictly prohibited by the government, sawed coconut trunks also known as coco lumber provide materials for low cost housing constructions.                                                                                         

coconut scrub and broom

boiled rice wrapped in woven coco leaves

The Philippines is fortunate to have the coconut tree. It is a blessing that God gives to the Filipinos for their sustenance and health. Tropical paradise as depicted in the west is an island with white sand beach surrounded with turquoise water with coconut trees or palm trees as vegetation. This palm tree deserves people's admiration considering the benefit it gives to the people and community to include the nation's economy. The coconut tree is truly a tropical "tree of life".

a beautiful tropical island with coconut trees