It seems coconuts are all the rage these days. Coconut water is suddenly available everywhere and I have recently learned about a whole line of coconut products from Coconut Secret, including coconut aminos and coconut vinegar.

Something else new I learned is that you can harvest “sap” from coconut blossoms, before they have grown into actual coconuts. The sap has a low Glycemic Index of 35 and is nutrient rich, containing a bounty of amino acids, vitamins, and minerals. It is from this sap Coconut Secret sources all its products.

Coconut Aminos

I first heard of coconut aminos while reading the paleo cookbook Well Fed. Having long ago given up soy sauce due to both the soy and gluten content, I was pleased to discover a healthy alternative. Soy sauce, like ketchup, seems to have that uniquely “soy sauce” taste to it that no gluten-free alternative can replicate, and while coconut aminos fail to completely mimic soy sauce they are the most pleasant alternative I have yet encountered.

In addition to being both gluten and soy free, the advantages of coconut aminos over soy sauce also include lower sodium and a higher level of 17 different amino acids. Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins in our bodies and are essential to our nutrition.

Coconut aminos offer a great alternative to any recipe or food that would typically include soy sauce, as well as being great for making dressings and marinades. While they don’t taste exactly like soy sauce, they do indeed taste good, and I would recommend trying them.

Coconut Vinegar

Anyone who has seen my kitchen can tell you I have a vinegar addiction. I enjoy cooking and making my own dressings, so consequently I have collected an assortment of vinegars over time. Needless to say, I was intrigued by the idea of coconut vinegar.

On the Coconut Secret website they position themselves as a better alternative to apple cider vinegar. They also go into great detail to explain the difference between vinegar made from coconut sap versus coconut water. The end argument being that because Coconut Secret coconut vinegar is aged over an eight to twelve month process and made from sap without any added catalysts to the fermentation process, it is a more natural and more nutritious option to vinegars made from coconut water.

For my personal taste, health aspects aside, I find coconut vinegar to be a nice, mild, slightly sweet vinegar. It won’t have the tang of other vinegars, but it is nice for some of the sweeter dressings or foods you might consume. Unlike the aminos, however, I am not sure if I will restock the vinegar once this bottle is empty.

Along with coconut aminos and coconut vinegar, Coconut Secret also produces: coconut nectar – an alternative to agave, coconut crystals – a low-glycemic sugar substitute, and coconut flour – a low-carb, gluten-free flour. The website is worth some exploring and all the products I tried were of high quality.

Coconut Secret products are available on their website along with recipe tips, nutrition info, and detailed ingredients.

The post Product Review: Coconut Secret Coconut Aminos and Coconut Vinegar appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Sports drinks are no exception. They have become commonplace in the fitness industry. A variety of manufacturers churn out drinks for every situation: pre-workout, in-workout, and post-workout.

Electrolyte drinks do work, but are there other alternatives that are more natural? Let’s take a look.

In a study in Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, coconut water (natural, not manufactured) was compared to conventional sports drinks on measures of hydration and physical performance in 12 healthy men with exercise experience. They performed a 60-minute treadmill workout on four occasions, separated by five days. The goal was to dehydrate the men.

They were then given:

• Group 1 – bottled water
• Group 2 – pure coconut water
• Group 3 – coconut water from concentrate
• Group 4 – carbohydrate-electrolyte sports drink

The amount of fluid given was based on body mass lost during the 60-minute workouts. The fluids were administered in random, single (subject) blind, and cross-over design. Hydration status and treadmill performance (time to fatigue) were determined during the recovery periods.

In addition, subjective measures of thirst, bloatedness, freshness level, stomach feeling, and level of tiredness were also determined.

The results of this study were interesting:

• The men lost approximately lost approximately 3.5 pounds during exercise and then regained it during rehydration using the four fluids.
• No differences were noted when coconut water or coconut water from concentrate was compared to sport drink in any case.
• No significant difference was noted between bottled water, coconut water, coconut water from concentrate, and sport drink regarding exercise performance.

However, subjects generally felt more bloated and experienced more stomach discomfort under the coconut water and coconut water from concentrate conditions.

It was concluded that all beverages were capable of promoting rehydration. Only small differences were noted between the four conditions regarding markers of hydration or exercise performance in the 12 healthy men.

So, if you want to go “natural,” coconut water may be a viable option as a post-workout rehydrator (provided your stomach can handle it). If not, it looks like you can stick with plain water if you don’t want to invest in manufactured sport drinks.

The post Coconut Water vs. Sports Drinks: How Do They Compare? appeared first on Breaking Muscle.