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.