In contrast to coconut oil, which is simply extracted from the fruit, coconut butter is made by blending the entire coconut, including the flesh. As a result, in addition to fat, coconut butter also contains fiber, potassium, magnesium, and iron. They both have a lot to offer your health, which is the one thing they do have in common.
Health Benefits of Coconut Butter:
Boosts Immunity
Coconut butter is a good source of lauric acid. This acid is helpful for boosting immunity and destroying harmful bacteria, viruses and fungi. It’s the same acid that’s found in breast milk that is responsible for developing the immune system to fight off viral and fungal infections.
Helps with Weight Loss
If you’re looking to shed a few pounds, coconut butter can help with that. It increases your metabolism, which in turn helps you lose weight. With a fast metabolism, your body is able to break up the food you eat much quicker, thus giving you more energy and allowing you to burn more calories.
In addition, coconut butter is rich in healthy fats that your body uses as energy rather than storage. This fat also allows you to feel full longer and will curb your appetite.
If you eat one or two teaspoons of coconut butter a day, you may notice a difference in just two weeks.
Protects Skin
In addition to helping you feel good, coconut butter can help you look good. Coconut butter protects against free radicals that may be damaging to the skin. It’s also a great moisturiser as it’s able to penetrate deep layers of skin, strengthening the tissues. It can even help you reduce the look of ageing by improving your skin’s elasticity.
Stabilizes Blood Sugar
Your blood sugar levels can also have an impact on your weight. Having high blood sugar levels makes it harder for your body to break it all down. Thus, the excess sugar is then stored as fat.
By adding coconut butter to your diet, you can lower your glycemic index. This helps prevent your blood sugar levels from spiking. It also helps protect you from insulin resistance, which is associated with type II diabetes.
Delicious ways to use coconut butter:
One of the greatest things about coconut butter is that it can be added to a wide variety of foods. It’s rich in flavour and extremely easy to incorporate in a meal, snack or drink. By including coconut butter in your diet, you can enjoy a delicious, flavourful meal as you shed some pounds, and provide your body and brain with a number of health benefits.
1. Spoon coconut butter straight from the jar and eat it. Yes, it’s that good.
2. Melt it and pour it over a sweet potato or winter squash.
3. Use it in a curry dish or stir fry for an extra amazing flavor.
4. Add it to a smoothie like this piña colada one. It doesn’t get more refreshing than this.
5. Spread it over toast in place of real butter and add some almond butter for a satisfying snack.
6. Drizzle it melted over berries or other fruit in a bowl for an amazing dessert.
7. Toss it with some shrimp or chicken and add some hot sauce. If you’re a vegetarian, you can toss it with tofu instead.
8. Add a spoonful to some cacao nibs for an antioxidant-bursting treat.
9. Use it in place of dairy butter in baking for a
healthier fat (this tends to make baked goods a little dryer, so you’ll
need to add a little more of a moist ingredient such as fruit puree or
oil).
Find out how to make your own coconut butter here.
You can also blend coconut butter with a variety of tasty ingredients to make flavored coconut spreads!
Coconut Butter Spread Recipes
Espresso Cacao Chip Coconut Spread
5 Tbsp coconut butter
1 shot espresso, warm (about room temperature)
1 tsp raw cacao nibs
1/2 banana (or try subbing avocado!)
2 tsp cacao powder – or another tsp of nibs
dash cinnamon
2 tsp maple or agave syrup
pinch salt
Spicy Goji Coconut Spread
5 Tbsp coconut butter
2 Tbsp goji berries, soaked in warm water for at least 20 minutes (drain water before adding)
1 banana
2 dashes cayenne (optional)
1-3 tsp maple or agave syrup
Simple Strawberry
5 Tbsp virgin coconut oil
5-6 strawberries
pinch salt
2 tsp maple or agave syrup
Almond Butter Coconut Spread
2 Tbsp almond butter
3 Tbsp virgin coconut butter
1 banana
1-2 tsp maple or agave syrup
pinch salt
dash cinnamon
To Make: Add all ingredients to a blender or food processor and blend until creamy. If you need more liquid when blending simply add water or warmed non-dairy milk as needed. If too runny, simply put it in the fridge or freezer for a bit until it firms up. You can store it in the fridge for up to a couple weeks.
Sources:
http://wholenewmom.com/whole-new-budget/make-your-own-coconut-butter/
http://kblog.lunchboxbunch.com/2012/04/coconut-butter-spreads-cacao-goji.html
http://www.12minuteathlete.com
http://www.shape.com/healthy-eating/diet-tips/ask-diet-doctor-coconut-oil-vs-coconut-butter
http://paleomagazine.com