I am very excited to have recently discovered the wonders of coconut milk! :D Coconut milk is made by grating the white flesh of the coconut, soaking it in boiling water and squeezing it through cheese cloth - not to be confused with coconut water which is the thin liquid found in the middle of the coconut when you open it up.
Anyways....Isaiah has had dry skin since birth and recently I've been noticing large dry scaly patches to the backs of his arms, knees and thighs. Turns out they are classic eczema patches. Eczema symptoms are often accompanied by asthma and food allergies and from what I've read, a dairy sensitivity or allergy is a very common cause of eczema. I consume A LOT of dairy - we easily polish off 2 gallons of milk a week, love cheese, yogurt, cream gravies, butter, whipping cream, sour cream, cream cheese...you get the picture. I would say that at my diet is 90% grains, dairy, and chocolate with some peanut butter mixed in at times. (Not balanced I know!) So, the decision to be dairy free for the next 6 weeks feels like a major life change.
My choices for milk: soy...has made me feel sick in the past and is also a common allergen; rice...I hear from friends that rice milk is quite gritty; almond...in the nut family and I've been encouraged to avoid nuts as well; and hemp milk - makes the most satiny delicious cooked chocolate pudding but has a strong aftertaste when just drunk. :( Then I discovered coconut milk - dairy free and oh so healthy!
Summarizing what I've read on-line:
Coconut milk is very high in saturated fat but because it is made up of short and medium chain fatty acids, it is easily metabolized by the body and converted into quick energy and can aid in weight loss. Plus it has a high content of lauric acid (50%) which is also found in breast milk and has potent anti-viral, anti-fungal, and anti-bacterial properties.
"Because the short-and medium-chain fatty acids of extra virgin coconut oil and coconut milk are easily and quickly assimilated by the body, they are not stored as fat in the body like the long chain triglycerides of animal products."
"While coconut milk is high in saturated fat, it is much healthier than other saturated fat products, and the fat is easily metabolized by the body. Coconut milk also offers some particular healthbenefits. It is anti-carcinogenic, anti-microbial, anti-bacterial, and anti-viral. The main saturated fat that it contains, lauric acid, is also found in mother's milk and has been shown to promote brain development and bone health. Some hope that coconut milk, with its powerful anti-viral properties, can one day be used in the fight against AIDS."
Here's what I do:
1 can of Thai Kitchen's coconut milk
2 cups of water
2 tbsp pure maple syrup
Mix together and serve.
It's pretty good (I don't mind the taste of coconut)....goes good with cookies and cereal and yesterday I used the coconut milk cream in my banana muffins and they turned out so yummy (no coconut flavor at all). I do feel it gives me quick energy - I took a small amount to work my past two shifts. Plus, it makes me feel full so I don't consume nearly as much as I used to with cow's milk. It's been 3 days and with no other intervention, Isaiah's dry skin is resolving so it looks like I'll be dairy free for as long as I continue to nurse him. I'm so happy to have found a dairy alternative that is yummy and healthy!
