"Coo coo" for Coconuts!

I am not a dieter. Simply put... I enjoy food! I hoped to make a shift to a vegan lifestyle, then opted for a less rigid vegetarian regime until I realized that I enjoy fish, all forms of seafood actually and the occasional dish of red meat. However, with a goal of moving from 210 lbs to the ideal body weight somewhere in the 170's, what is a food lover suppose to do?

Try eating unrefined virgin coconut in as many forms as possible.

I have over the past few months have been seriously looking at my food issues since I trained and ran the 2010 LA marathon and literally saw no difference in my weight. Why? Well, despite the fact that I ran a significant amount of 2009 in preparation for the big event, my eating habits were terrible. I rarely ate fresh fruits and vegetables in their raw or cooked states. In fact the majority of my food consumption was of the processed variety. I bought into the marketing madness of the "nutrition" of these foods when in actuality my body was not reflecting this fictional "nutrition".

So, I swung completely into attempting my above mentioned switch to vegan/vegetarian living but the shock was so extreme that my taste buds could not adapt and craved the junk of processed foods. Then I came across some research on the benefits of Extra Virgin Coconut oil and coconuts. Realizing, I grew up eating a lot of coconuts, coconut milk and coconut oil on a regular basis, I thought it wouldn't hurt to "return home" so to speak. It is funny how you can make changes going into adulthood that you never realize the ramifications of until years down the road.

Starting about a month ago, I decided to not adopt any diet whatsoever. The only change I made was to reincorporate my childhood eating habits, instilled in me by my mother's own cooking style, by cooking with extra virgin coconut oil instead of olive oil, adding both types of fresh coconut into my food consumption, as well as adding coconut cream to cooking and drinking coconut milk on a daily basis. Aside from that, I made no conscious effort to change what I ate.

To my surprise, these simple additions profoundly affected my taste buds and increased my enjoyment of stir fried fresh vegetables, fresh fruit and a wide range of fresh seafood. Without consciously trying, processed foods dropped off my shopping list. I stopped craving sweets, but allow myself to enjoy an occasional chocolate cannolli in place of my regular munching of snickers bars and kitkats. Have you ever actually read the ingredients in those things?

I will admit, watching "Food Inc." has forced me to drop the eating of any foods that contain corn and corn by-products, not for dietary reasons as much as a protest against corporate manipulation of our food industry. This protest while at first difficult became completely a non-issue since incorporating coconut back into my life.

I will be honest, I never thought I could let go of my addition to junk food until now because the cravings just went away. "Resisting" which is always the biggest hurdle to overcome when dieting is not an issue for me. If I want to eat something I eat it. However, the impulse for filling my sweet tooth with junk has been replaced with finding a new exotic fruit to try or a nice cannolli made at a neighborhood Italian deli. Yes, it may not be a healthy choice but it is an indulgence and not a habit.

In the end, I have found this subtle lifestyle change has brought so many benefits, I see no reason to ever think of dieting again. Without exercising other than my regular runs, I have moved toward my goal weight, effortlessly, to my current weight of 186lbs. I trust I will be at my ideal weight of the 170's  in no time as I get back to the gym.

There is something to the medium chain fatty acids that makes the saturated fat coconuts are known for actually good for you. I will encourage everyone who is interested to do your own research. It works for me and that is all I am able to confirm. I am no scientist or wacky health nut. I am just getting back to my roots and finally appreciating my mother for building in me a love of all things coconut that I am once again embracing to my delight and nutritional benefit!  .Life is good.Thanks, Mom!!