Yes, you read that right. Coconuts.  Coconuts are fascinating things.  Why I have woken up at 4:30 this morning and decided to wax poetic about them is a whole other question, but if you are not in awe of the all-helpful coconut, you soon will be!  Behold!

Coconut milk is considered very healthy in both Ayurvedic medicine and modern research.  It has been found it to have lipid-balancing qualities as well and antimicrobial properties in the gastrointestinal tract and topically. It has been studied for protective effects on drug-induced gastric ulceration. The health benefits of coconut (in particular the oil) are thought to include hair care, skin care, stress relief, maintaining cholesterol levels, weight loss, increased immunity, proper digestion and metabolism, relief from kidney problems, heart diseases, high blood pressure, blood sugar imbalances, HIV and cancer, dental care, and bone strength. These benefits of coconut oil have been attributed to the presence of lauric acid, capric acid and caprylic acid, and its properties such as antimicrobial, antioxidant, antifungal, antibacterial, soothing, etc.*

In what I think is my favorite bit of trivia, coconut water has been used successfully as a substitute for more conventional IV fluids.* The professor (Gilligan’s Island) would be proud.

Coconuts are an amazing source of MCT (medium chain triglyceride) oil, which is thought to be useful for a wide array of metabolic and other health concerns. MCTs have been widely used to support ketogenic diets (used for various health conditions, as well as Atkins dieters). MCT’s are more easily and rapidly digested than other types of fats, and are metabolized quickly to encourage an increase in energy expenditure, while decreasing fat storage. Substituting MCT Oil for other fats in a healthy diet should support healthy weight and body composition.  MCTs are the preferred forms of fat for many patients with fat-metabolism defects (yours truly included!).

In my second favorite fact of the day, coconuts apparently produce a rare gem!

Certainly the rarest and most valuable botanical jewel is the legendary “coconut pearl” that occasionally forms inside a coconut (Cocos nucifera).Like the pearls of oysters and giant clams, it is a shiny calcareous sphere. It is difficult to place a monetary value on a genuine coconut pearl, but the odds of finding one in a coconut are certainly less than one in a million. To put it another way, if you cracked open and thoroughly examined one coconut every 15 minutes during a normal eight hour work day, it would take roughly 80 years to go through a million coconuts! In his classic six-volume work entitled Herbarium Amboinense, the distinguished 17th- 18th century naturalist Georg Eberhard Rumphius described and illustrated exquisite coconut pearls, often mounted in jeweled settings of gold and silver, owned by Malaysian dynasties.*

Last, but definitely not least… Coconut milk makes spectacular ice cream!

Here is my own take on the recipe:

Ingredients: egg yolks (2), coconut milk (1 can, not ‘light’), 2 tsp vanilla, 1/2 cup sugar (or equivalent other sweetener – I like xylitol if your stomach approves of it).

On the stove, bring sugar and yolks slowly (to a temperature you feel comfortable with in terms of eating yolks) while whisking slowly.  You want the egg to warm through and the sugar to melt without making scrambled eggs (kind of like making sweet hollandaise).  Add vanilla and remove from heat.  Add coconut milk and stir until cream is incorporated.  Cool in the fridge and then run in ice-cream maker (or keep in freezer and stir every 15 minutes until set).

Feel free to throw in melted chocolate, etc, but the vanilla alone is pretty perfect.