O.N.E. Coconut Water

Nostalgia:  my first international trip (not counting Canada) was Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. There were emperor palm trees, lush green mountains protecting the city, and looooong stretches of seaside Portuguese stone walkways  peppered with people out and about, doing beach-y things. A couple of trained monkeys picked pockets on the street! It was so tropical, exotic, and lovely all-around. Among the many fine dining experiences during that trip, I most remember a little shack on the beach in Florianopolis with a shriveled old man taking a machete to fresh green coconuts and serving them raw with a straw poked in the top to drink the water fresh (not the milk!). It was sour, unexpectedly mineral-tasting and full of chunky fiber bits from the coconut seed, but strangely refreshing. My hosts insisted it was the best cure for a hangover, too, which I duly noted for later application.

As it turns out there are quite a few health benefits to coconut water, and on a whim I picked up some O.N.E. Coconut Water (reg. $1.29 / 8.5 fl.oz. carton, sometimes on sale for $1 each) recently. Instantly reminded of the coconut shack on the beach in Rio, I couldn't help but make the same sour face I did the first time I tried it. The second sip was better, and I resolved to research it a little more. Out of the many varieties on the market, I could only find about three of them in the local stores...but better than nothing. The drink seemed a bit stronger than caffeine in keeping me alert (although this may be due to a strong coffee addiction dulling the effects of caffeine for me), and it works great as a sports recovery drink.

So as you're working on that  New Year's resolution to get back into the gym, consider stopping to pick some up to feed the machine!