The Joy of Drinking Coconut Water in Ghana
Via Wikimedia
ON MY TRIP TO GHANA FOR THE #YEAROFRETURN, WE FREQUENTLY STOPPED FOR FRESH COCONUT. HERE'S ONE OF OUR STOPS IN TEMA WHERE WE PULLED OVER TO GRAB A FEW COCONUTS FROM A VENDOR ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THERE’S NOTHING LIKE FRESH COCONUT AND MY FAMILY SHOWING ME THE WAY TO ENJOY THE FRUIT. MAYBE I WAS BEING SLIGHTLY "BAD AND BOUJEE" BY ASKING FOR A STRAW... APPARENTLY MOTHER NATURE GIVES YOU ALL THE TOOLS YOU NEED TO ENJOY!
WHAT IS COCONUT WATER?
Simply put, coconut water is the clear liquid found inside its shell. Coconut water has a slightly sweet flavor with little bit of a nutty taste. This natural beverage is jammed packed with nutrients like electrolytes, potassium, magnesium, sodium and calcium. According to healthline.com, coconut water may have health benefits like supporting heart health, reducing blood pressure, preventing kidney stones and so much more. I personally experienced clearer skin and better digestion and for me, all praises go to the almighty coconut water.
Rihanna drinking coconut water in “Man Down” music video
COCONUT WATER LIFE
If singer, actress and beauty mogul Rihanna told me that drinking coconut water while growing up in Barbados was the key to her flawless physique, I’d believe every word. One of my favorite music videos, Rihanna’s “Man Down” featured the Bajan beauty sipping from a young coconut in picturesque Jamaica. When I was heading up Music Programming for TEMPO, a pan-Caribbean television channel broadcasting the music and culture of the Caribbean, I kept this tune in rotation! In tropical climates like the Caribbean and West Africa, coconuts trees are plentiful and drinking coconut water is a part of everyday life. So it was easy and affordable to drink coconut water daily when we were in Ghana. I’d gotten used to the improved skin and digestion, so I planned to make sure to include coconut water in my diet when I returned to the United States. Turns out coconut water isn’t cheap in the US, it costs me about US $20 for a case of twelve, 11 oz cartons from my local Costco. But that’s the cost of healthy living….here in the US. When I build my home in Ghana, there will be plenty of coconut trees in the back yard. Trust and believe me!