Coconut water is a great source of easily digested carbs and has fewer calories and more potassium than most sports drinks, making it an ideal intraworkout beverage. That extra potassium (equal to what a banana has) is just what a hard-training guy needs, says Cynthia Sass, R.D., a sports nutrition consultant for the New York Rangers and Tampa Bay Rays: “Potassium is needed for proper muscle contractions and for preventing muscle cramps.”
Another part of the coconut that’s great for lifters is its oil. It’s fairly high in saturated fat, but it’s made up of medium-chain triglycerides (MCT), which burn faster and quicker in your body than the long-chain triglycerides (LCT) found in other saturated fats like butter, beef, and lard.
If you’re looking to cut weight, adding coconut oil to your diet may help. “Coconut consumption has been shown to reduce belly fat,” Sass says. A 2010 review of studies in the International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition backs up that claim by showing that MCT consumption increased fat burning while changing body composition.
Now Make it!
Coconut-Ginger Yogurt Parfait
Ingredients
¼ tsp fresh ginger, grated
6 oz organic 0% fat Greek yogurt
1 cup fresh or grilled pineapple
½ cup red quinoa, cooked
1 tbsp unsweetened coconut, shredded
1 tbsp macadamia nuts, crushed
Directions
Fold ginger into the Greek yogurt and layer parfait-style with pineapple, chilled red quinoa, unsweetened shredded coconut, and crushed macadamia nuts.
