I know it’s been a while since my last entry-lately time has been flying by and I also took some time off for traveling and to study for my LMSW exam. I’ve been meaning to write about my last trip to Miami which is always so much fun whenever I go. I always make sure to visit life food gourmet, an amazingly delish raw food restaurant, where the chef is now replacing agave with a new low glycemic sweetener that I now use in my own kitchen called “coconut nectar” or “palm nectar” which comes from the sap of the coconut tree. It’s pretty much the healthiest sweetener I found so far that is unprocessed and tastes substantial enough for me. If you’re interested in learning more or purchasing the coconut nectar you can go to: www.coconutsecret.com This website also sells other amazing products that I’ve been using on a daily basis-these products satiate me to the point where my body feels more relaxed and less hungry throughout the day. I would highly recommend the coconut nectar, coconut vinegar, and coconut aminos that you can purchase on their website above. I love visiting life food gourmet and interviewing chef John who introduced me to these coconut products and always has the most up to date information about raw food living and healthy eating for health conscious people like me:-) You can watch my latest video with him below where he goes into further detail about these magical coconut products, talks about why he stopped using agave as his main sweetener, and shows you how to make a healthy and delicious coconut creme shake!

I’ve also been doing a good amount of research on finding the purest and healthiest coconut water & meat on the east coast. It’s easy to buy the young thai coconuts in NYC or go to Organic Avenue for ready to drink organic young thai coconut water. The problem with organic young thai coconuts is that in order for them to be shipped from Thailand they are dipped in a fungicide solution (such as formaldehyde or sodium metabisulphate) before exporting. This is to eliminate mold and bacteria during the “6-week” shipping process. According to wikipedia, “exposure to formaldehyde is a significant consideration for human health.”

As a side note relating to this topic…many of us myself included like to blind ourselves from what we are doing or tend to stay in denial for the sake of convenience & in order to keep the ball rolling, to roll with the punches ect. It’s difficult to change our patterns of behavior even when their juxtaposition to our deeper more innate yearnings and aspirations are completely contradictory. Underneath our resistance is fear and there being too much at stake in the face of our societal standards and too much risk in deviating from its norms. Few take the time to ponder its consequences and where it’s gotten us thus far…I guess in this context I am referring more to our health which of course is connected to and a manifestation of our mental, emotional and spiritual states of being hence the body-mind connection that many scientists are supporting now-a-days.

Perhaps taking a giant step “back” from everything we are doing is the prerequisite for that giant leap forward to a future that is more sustainable, nurturing and healing for man kind. That’s why I find healing retreats including spending time in nature so beneficial and transformative-they give me a chance to take a break from what I’ve been consuming my time with and ponder the meaning of my existence and my mission in life. Ok, I know I just got sidetracked a bit but to think that some of the best organic & raw food restaurants out there are still using these chemically dipped and probably also sprayed organic young thai coconuts on a daily basis is scary for me. And since when were the words “organic” & “chemically treated” meant to be used in the same sentence-talk about a contrasting juxtaposition!

Recommended Coconut Water & Meat in NYC:

1. Exotic Superfoods is a small company that delivers organic, chemical free &  raw young thai coconut water, meat & more to businesses and residents in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens. Since I live in NJ I just meet them somewhere in NYC. They deliver both the meat and water separately in plastic bottles and bags. They claim that the plastic is leach free so I guess at this point I have to take that in good faith. The coconut water is a bit too sweet for my taste but it’s all relative. They are able to sell organic young thai coconuts that are free from any chemicals by freezing their water & meat before they ship them to the US from Thailand.

2. I recently heard from googling that Fairway in NYC sells green coconuts which I will have to look into and give an update at a later time. If anyone knows more about this feel free to post below!

Recommended Coconut Water & Meat in FL:

I found two places in Florida that sell local organic green coconut water. The good news is that both places literally cut the green coconut off from the tree and either package them as is or pour them into leach-free plastic bottles and it tastes amazing! The bad news is you have to pay for shipping and the bottled ones have to come frozen and shipping costs are not cheap.

1. Glaser Farms in Miami is known for its famous raw products and organic farmers market which is every Saturday where they have a huge variety of everything fresh and dry that you can think of! They also sell organic green coconut water-they grow their green coconuts on their organic farm in Miami and ship it overnight (if you’re not in the Miami area) in frozen bottles. If you decide to order from them I highly recommend ordering their frozen ice cream. Here is their website if you are interested: http://glaserorganicfarms.com

2. Another place in Miami that sells organic green coconut water is an organic farm that ships the coconuts to you! You can see the actual farm and meet the owner who sells them in the below video or by checking out his website. You can’t get it more fresh than this-the only thing is that because he ships the whole coconut you get less water than with Glaser farm or exotic superfoods but the price is still decent & it would be cool as an occasional treat or if you want to use them for a party! You can also order a green coconut opener which opens it in seconds from his website. Here is the website if you are interested in ordering both the coconuts and the coconut opener: http://www.florida-coconuts.com If you happen to visit or live in Miami you can actually pick them up from the farm and I remember the owner offering to bottle the coconut water for me when I called him up beforehand.