Just
like in the world of fashion, food trends fluctuate every year. And for 2017, Whole
Foods predicted it's going to
be the year of coconut everything. It's going way past your basic coconut
water. Think coconut butter, chips, ice cream. Coconut everything, everywhere.
But if you think the new health food fad is the key to helping you drop pounds
this year, you might want to read the fine print. We spoke with nutritionists
to find out whether going cray-cray for coconut is worth the hype.
It Can Help Crush Cravings
As it turns out, coconut has properties that can
keep you fuller longer. “The fat content in coconut is a medium-chain triglyceride,
which helps with satiety,” says Lisa Cohn, R.D. consultant for miVIP Surgery Centers. Plus, the
fruit provides sugar for quick energy while the fat digests slowly. That
winning combo gives you long-lasting energy and prevents hunger and
cravings by keeping your blood sugar levels in check.
Cohn recommends adding jarred or fresh coconut to
juices and smoothies, and coconut flakes to hot or dry cereals, fresh
salads, and cooked dishes.
It's
Low In Carbs
Bonus: If you're trying to cut back on carbs to lose weight, coconut is pretty low
in that macronutrient. For example, a tablespoon of unsweetened coconut flakes
has only 3.5 grams of carbs, according the the U.S. Department of Agriculture. And since the sugar in coconut is
flavorful, easily absorbed, and unprocessed, it mixes well with freshly
prepared smoothies and cooked foods that fit your low-carb plan.
Portion
Size Is Super Important
However, you've to got keep an eye
on your coconut consumption, says Toby
Amidor, R.D., That's because, despite its craving-crushing benefits and
low-carb status, coconut is still a high-calorie food with lots of saturated
fat, says Amidor. If you're going to incorporate coconut into your diet and lose weight, Amidor says to cap your
daily intake to 10 percent of your diet. So if you're eating 1,600 calories a
day, that's about 160 calories worth of the coco.
Aside from the calorie guidelines,
Amidor recommends keeping your consumption of coconut oil to
one tablespoon per day (120 calories) and your portions of
unsweetened coconut chips or flakes to two tablespoons per day (about 110
calories). When it comes to coconut milk, keep your serving size of light
unsweetened coconut milk, which is made with filtered water, to one cup (about
110 calories). If you like the richer stuff, cap your serving of pure coconut
milk to a two-ounce serving (90 calories) in order to keep your saturated fat
intake and calories in check.
Science
Hasn't Confirm Its Fat-Blasting Power Yet
"The fat in coconut is
somewhat different from more traditional fats that we eat," says Susan Bowerman, R.D. "It is a
source of medium-chain triglycerides that are structurally different from most
of the fats we eat." That means they're metabolized differently than the
longer-chain fats like the ones in olive
oil or meat, she says. Unlike the
fat in those foods, the fat in coconut doesn't get stored as fat tissue, and is
used for energy instead, says Bowerman. Theoretically, that could help you loseweight, she says, "but there are no clinical studies proving that coconut
consumption leads to weight loss."
The
Verdict
Consumed in small amounts, coconut
can be positively integrated into a weight-loss
plan by sticking to the 10
percent rule and watching your portion sizes. However, eating coconut
everything on top of an unhealthy diet won't have a positive effect on your
waistline.
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