Add coconut in diet for healthy you

Coconut has many nutritional benefits and now it has been revealed that this superfood can help in curing various medical problems.

Sally Norton, weight loss consultant and founder of Vavista.com, shares tips on how one can be fit and fine with an element of coconut in the diet, reports femalefirst.co.uk.

* Coconut water: The juice is now marketed as a highly hydrating fluid. It has less sugar than fruit juices and more minerals such as potassium, sodium, magnesium and calcium. These properties are great as a post-workout drink if you've only been doing moderate exercise, but there isn't enough protein or carbohydrate if you're undergoing vigorous exercise of over one hour.

* Coconut oil: This is becoming increasingly popular and can be used for roasting and baking.

* Coconut sugar: This can be used instead of sugar in baking. It may be a healthier alternative to traditional granulated sugar, however it is still an energy-dense food-type which should only be used on special occasions.

* Coconut yoghurt: This is a fairly new dairy-free alternative, great for those who are lactose-intolerant and who fancy a change from the soya varieties. It is much higher in fat than both natural dairy yoghurt and soya yoghurts, but also much lower in carbohydrates.

* Fresh coconut as a snack: Fresh coconut flesh is delicious, full of vitamins and minerals and goes really well in a smoothie. Enjoy as a snack but go easy on your portion sizes - a typical snack pack (100g) of fresh coconut pieces contains 271 kcal compared to just 50 kcal in a 100g fresh fruit pot.