Coconut woman is calling out...

beginning of a song lyrics sung by an old timer. Offhand, cannot remember his name, but Harry Belafonte comes to mind, but then his song relates to bananas...my memory is going...hopefully not gone.

As a kid, two of my elder sisters were in the Girl Guides, and when their friends came on a visit, I heard this camping line: "C-O-C-O...N-U-T (nut). It is surprising how our memory can be selective in remembering things many years ago, yet cannot remember what we set out to do a moment ago when we went into the kitchen...asking, "What am I suppose to be doing here?" I can also remember a Cantonese one, "Lok sui thin, chau lung farn..." (when it rains, cook fried rice...)

Anyway, my wife's childhood friend, Rama has been sending me loads of medical advice from various sources. There is always the danger of giving wrong advice, even if authoritative sources were quoted (cannot tell if genuine, can we?). End of the day, the best, according to my dietitian wife, is to eat or drink moderately! In other words, right or wrong, the chances of endangering oneself is lessened, I suppose. But I would give her credit for ensuring my good health thus far, for buying loads of fruits and vegetables, and believing in the saying, "We are what we eat". I used to shun vegetables as a kid which led to anaemia, and I take it first, like a chore until I cultivated a liking for some, eg. sweet potato leaves cooked plain with garlic and oil. Lately, she has been bringing back young 'pandan' coconuts for me, from an orchard near the estate where she goes to. Without much ado, here is the advice from Rama:

Why Drink Coconut Water?

CocoWater is naturally: Low in Carbs; 99% Fat Free; Low in sugars

Coconut Water contains organic compounds, possessing healthy growth promoting properties, that have been known to help:

Keep the body cool and at the proper temperature;
Orally re-hydrate your body, it is an all natural isotonic beverage;
Carry nutrients and oxygen to cells;
Naturally replenish your body's fluids after exercising;
Raise your metabolismPromote weight loss;
Boost your immune system;
Detoxify and fight viruses;
Cleanse your digestive tract;
Control diabetes;
Aid your body in fighting viruses that cause the flu, herpes, and AIDS;
Balance your PH and reduce risk of cancer;
Treat kidney and urethral stones;
Boost poor circulation.

Wow! With these properties, our government should encourage cultivation of more coconuts!

Ah! the problem here is that coconut cultivation is profitable as 'toddy' producer. A friend was caught for selling without licence and fined Rm5,000 by Customs and Excise! There is a grey area which some people use to bypass the rules. Apparently, in muslim majority areas, licences are easily available under a different classification and different states have different operating procedures, besides business rivalry where a competitor would report to the authorities if he is jealous of another!
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