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Coconut Flakes Benefits (According to Ayurveda)
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Table of Contents

How Does This Ayurvedic Food Improve Wellness?

CLINICAL AYURVEDIC REVIEW


Fronds of a coconut palm sway in a tropical breeze, surrounded by endless sandy beaches, summer sun, and the turqouise horizon of crystal clear ocean. Stress and deadlines melt away in the cool shade, restoring your body. A sip of a pina colada recalls a recent pleasant gathering with your friends. You breathe a bit more easily. The coconut is a delight for the senses and the body, the very symbol of tropical paradise. This idyllic and fun tree nut restores your balance and harmony.

A Boost For Your Energy
While most nourishing foods depress metabolism, coconut is unusual in its ability to support the thyroid and improve metabolism. Coconut oil contains healthy fats and fatty acids that are quickly and easily absorbed, digested, metabolized and utilized by your body, ideal for nourishing the elderly and those debilitated from disease. Coconut's stimulating richness restores your vigor and vitality with a nutty aroma that gratifies the senses, a nourishing alternative to coffee that treats the root cause of exhaustion without the jitters of caffeine!

Strengthen Your Liver & Soften Your Emotions
Coconut has a luxuriant richness that feeds you and your liver. Ayurveda suggests that an agitated liver should be moistened with fats, and pleased by sweet, delightful aromas like rose petals and coconut. By nature an ambitious organ, the liver falls victim to intense, hot blooded emotions and pitta internal heat conditions. Coconut replenishes a liver deficient in fats, and has special cooling properties to soothe an overheated liver.

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Are Coconut Flakes Good for My Ayurvedic Diet?

Find out by taking this free, easy quiz. You'll learn your body type, and whether 'Coconut Flakes' is a good fit. Complete the basic quiz in 1 minute, or go deeper with additional quizzes at your own leisure to learn more about your body.

Take the Quiz

AYURVEDA'S GUIDE TO VITALITY & WHOLESOME NOURISHMENT

Your Ayurvedic diet is tailored to your individual body and your specific imbalances. With an Ayurvedic diet you feel joy and satisfaction because what you are eating truly nourishes and balances you. Disease results from diets and lifestyles that are incompatible with your nature. By eating a personalized diet matched to your body, you experience optimal health. See How it Works.

Metabolic Nature of Coconut Flakes

See a complete list of all biocharacteristics.

METABOLIC NATURE

Metabolic Nature

Ayurveda assesses metabolic imbalances through 20 main biocharacteristics (gunas). Aggravating them weakens your body and causes imbalance. By knowing which biocharacteristics are habitually imbalanced in your body, you will be able to identify and correct metabolic imbalances before you get sick. Every biocharacteristic has an opposite which balances it (i.e. hot balances cold). You restore balance by favoring diet and lifestyle choices that increase the opposite biocharacteristic.

Find Out More

COLD

ABOUT COLD BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Cold refers to anything that reduces body temperature, metabolism, and blood flow.

LEARN MORE ABOUT COLD

HEAVY

ABOUT HEAVY BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Heavy is identified by sedation, sluggishness, or increased weight.

LEARN MORE ABOUT HEAVY

OILY

ABOUT OILY BIOCHARACTERISTIC

In Ayurveda, oily refers to anything moistening. More specifically, oily refers to building substances that increases fat, or are themselves fatty. For example, sugar is Oily.

LEARN MORE ABOUT OILY

TASTES

The 6 Tastes

Taste is used to sense the most basic properties and effects of food. Each taste has a specific medicinal effect on your body. Cravings for food with certain tastes indicate your body is craving specific medicinal results from food. Taste is experienced on the tongue and represents your body's reaction to foods. Sweet taste causes physical satisfaction and attraction whereas bitter taste causes discomfort and aversion. Kapha should use less sweet taste while Vata and Pitta would benefit from using more sweet taste. One of the first signs of illness is that your taste and appetite for food changes. The six tastes are sweet, sour, salty, pungent, bitter, and astringent. Do you crave foods with any of the tastes below?

Find Out More

SWEET

ABOUT SWEET BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Sweet refers to anything builds tissue, including macronutrients such as carbohydrates, proteins and fats.

LEARN MORE ABOUT SWEET

DOSHAS

The Three Doshas / Body Types

Ayurveda is a metabolic theory of medicine that explains individual health, tendencies, and disease patterns through the concept of doshas, which can be understood as your metabolic patterns and tendencies.

Each dosha reflects a distinct metabolic nature and describes strengths & weaknesses in bodily function, and how these affect energy levels, digestion, susceptibility to disease, and many other tendencies.

Your metabolic nature not only affects your physical characteristics, but also influences your mental thought patterns, confidence, and enthusiasm.

Ayurveda balances these metabolic strengths & weaknesses to support your body's vitality and prevent recurrent disease cycles. This support is a critical aid, especially in chronic or incurable disease conditions.

The 3 metabolic body types (doshas), are Catabolic (Vata), Metabolic (Pitta), and Anabolic (Kapha).

Through dosha, Ayurveda empowers people to identify metabolic imbalances early, break repetitive patterns of disease, and cultivate habits that support long-term vitality and well-being.

Ultimately, these metabolic patterns also provide a framework for understanding yourself, including body, mind, and spiritual tendencies.

Find Out More

PACIFIES
Pitta pacifying Vata pacifying
AGGRAVATES
Kapha aggravating

GREEK MEDICINE / TEMPERAMENTS

The Four Temperaments / Humors

Ayurveda & Greek Medicine were the dominant form of medicine along the Silk Road from England to China and South Asia. They work by assessing your metabolic type, patterns, and nature. Greek medicine recognizes 4 metabolic temperaments, Melancholic, Choleric, Sanguine, and Phlegmatic.

Find Out More

PACIFIES
CHOLERIC

ABOUT CHOLERIC BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Has a hot and dry metabolic nature. Enthusiastic, vibrant and bright. In excess burns up fluids and ojas, irritable. Corresponds to high bilirubin in the blood that irritates and heats up the body and liver.

LEARN MORE ABOUT CHOLERIC

MELANCHOLIC

ABOUT MELANCHOLIC BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Cold and dry with a slow, variable or erratic metabolism. Colicky, tense. Withdrawn, pensive, anxious, and hesitant. Analytical, intelligent, detail oriented and creative. Prone to ojas depletion, dehydration, an overactive nervous system, and depression.

LEARN MORE ABOUT MELANCHOLIC

AGGRAVATES
PHLEGMATIC

ABOUT PHLEGMATIC BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Wet & cold. When out of balance becomes congested, stagnant, and overweight. Loving, trusting, and patient.

LEARN MORE ABOUT PHLEGMATIC

SANGUINE

ABOUT SANGUINE BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Hot & moist. Full-blooded, vigorous. Vivacious, social, and epicurean. Bullish.

LEARN MORE ABOUT SANGUINE

Other

Subtaste:
Crunchy

CRUNCHY

Makes an audible noise when you eat them. Can provide fun texture variation.

SEE ALL 'CRUNCHY' FOODS / HERBS

Tissue (dhatu):
Blood Plasma Lymph

BLOOD-PLASMA-LYMPH

Plasma (Rasa Dhatu) includes plasma, white blood cells, and lymph.

SEE ALL 'BLOOD-PLASMA-LYMPH' FOODS / HERBS

,
Fat

MILD FAT

Fat tissue (Meda Dhatu) includes adipose tissue and sebum (skin oil).

SEE ALL 'FAT' FOODS / HERBS

Family:
Arecaceae

Medicinal Benefits, Uses & Herbal Actions of Coconut Flakes
Experiences are Personal
Experiences vary according to the person and constitution. Individual results may vary. The list of herbal-actions below has not be approved by the FDA and should not be used to treat a medical condition.

(see all)
Digestion:
Antacid

ANTACID

Herbs that neutralize acidity in the gastrointestinal tract, the stomach in particular.

SEE ALL 'ANTACID' FOODS / HERBS

Mind, Stress & Sleep:
Brain Tonic

BRAIN-TONIC

An herb that strengthens the brain and thereby enhances memory or other cognitive functions and improves mental stamina or stability.

SEE ALL 'BRAIN-TONIC' FOODS / HERBS

Energy Vitality:
Stimulates Energy

STIMULATES-ENERGY

This category groups thyroid and adrenal stimulating herbs.

SEE ALL 'STIMULATES-ENERGY' FOODS / HERBS

,
Nutritive

NUTRITIVE

An herb that is strengthening and nourishing.

SEE ALL 'NUTRITIVE' FOODS / HERBS

,
Tonic

TONIC

A tonic herb restores function through strengthening tissue. This can happen through a combination of nourishing the tissue, and invigorating tissue metabolism. The tonic should not be withering, as in caffeine.

SEE ALL 'TONIC' FOODS / HERBS

Immune System:
Anti Inflammatory

ANTI-INFLAMMATORY

Reduces inflammation in the body. Different herbs and carriers target different body systems.

SEE ALL 'ANTI-INFLAMMATORY' FOODS / HERBS

,
Antifungal

ANTIFUNGAL

Herbs that destroy fungus.

SEE ALL 'ANTIFUNGAL' FOODS / HERBS

Heart & Circulation:
Blood Tonic

BLOOD-TONIC

An herb that produces more blood cells in the body, or otherwise improves blood cell quality or hemoglobin content. Helpful for anemia and other types of deficiency.

SEE ALL 'BLOOD-TONIC' FOODS / HERBS

,
Refrigerant

REFRIGERANT

An herb or substance that strongly cools the body. Can be helpful in cases of heat conditions.

SEE ALL 'REFRIGERANT' FOODS / HERBS

Liver & Gallbladder:
Livotonic

LIVOTONIC

An herb that strengthens the liver. It is helpful for people with a history of substance abuse, chronic liver issues from hepatitis and hemolytic anemias. Generally, liver tonics are oily, cool, sweet, mildly sour, or contain beta-carotene.

SEE ALL 'LIVOTONIC' FOODS / HERBS

Weight Loss:
Raises Thyroid

RAISES-THYROID

An herb that increases thyroid function.

SEE ALL 'RAISES-THYROID' FOODS / HERBS

Reproductive Health:
Promotes Virility

PROMOTES-VIRILITY

Encourages virility and potency.

SEE ALL 'PROMOTES-VIRILITY' FOODS / HERBS

Other:
Constituents:

Foods with a Similar Nature to Coconut Flakes

  • Coconut Butter

    Coconut Butter has these Actions in Common

    Anti-inflammatory, Brain-tonic, Promotes-virility, Stimulates-energy, Antifungal, Livotonic, Raises-thyroid, Tonic, Antacid, Blood-tonic, Nutritive, Refrigerant

    LEARN MORE

  • Coconut Cream

    Coconut Cream has these Actions in Common

    Refrigerant, Anti-inflammatory, Brain-tonic, Promotes-virility, Stimulates-energy, Antifungal, Livotonic, Raises-thyroid, Tonic, Antacid, Blood-tonic, Nutritive

    LEARN MORE

  • Coconut Oil

    Coconut Oil has these Actions in Common

    Anti-inflammatory, Livotonic, Raises-thyroid, Tonic, Antifungal, Nutritive, Refrigerant, Brain-tonic, Promotes-virility, Stimulates-energy

    LEARN MORE

  • Sesame Oil

    Sesame Oil has these Actions in Common

    Livotonic, Stimulates-energy, Nutritive, Tonic, Blood-tonic, Promotes-virility

    LEARN MORE

  • Pomegranate

    Pomegranate has these Actions in Common

    Refrigerant, Antacid, Livotonic, Anti-inflammatory, Nutritive, Blood-tonic

    LEARN MORE

  • Almonds

    Almonds has these Actions in Common

    Blood-tonic, Promotes-virility, Brain-tonic, Stimulates-energy, Nutritive, Tonic

    LEARN MORE

  • Blueberry

    Blueberry has these Actions in Common

    Blood-tonic, Nutritive, Brain-tonic, Refrigerant, Anti-inflammatory, Livotonic

    LEARN MORE

  • Grape

    Grape has these Actions in Common

    Brain-tonic, Tonic, Anti-inflammatory, Livotonic, Blood-tonic, Nutritive

    LEARN MORE

  • Goji Berry

    Goji Berry has these Actions in Common

    Livotonic, Tonic, Nutritive, Blood-tonic, Stimulates-energy

    LEARN MORE

  • Coconut Water

    Coconut Water has these Actions in Common

    Antacid, Nutritive, Brain-tonic, Refrigerant, Livotonic

    LEARN MORE

Herbs & Supplements with a Similar Nature to Coconut Flakes

  • Amalaki

    Amalaki has these Actions in Common

    Antacid, Tonic, Anti-inflammatory, Blood-tonic, Brain-tonic, Nutritive, Promotes-virility, Refrigerant, Stimulates-energy

    LEARN MORE

  • Chyavanprash Nutritive Jam

    Chyavanprash Nutritive Jam has these Actions in Common

    Blood-tonic, Nutritive, Promotes-virility, Stimulates-energy, Tonic, Anti-inflammatory

    LEARN MORE

  • Ashwagandha

    Ashwagandha has these Actions in Common

    Anti-inflammatory, Blood-tonic, Brain-tonic, Nutritive, Promotes-virility, Tonic

    LEARN MORE

  • Bala

    Bala has these Actions in Common

    Nutritive, Promotes-virility, Stimulates-energy, Tonic, Anti-inflammatory

    LEARN MORE

  • Oats, Fresh Milky Seed

    Oats, Fresh Milky Seed has these Actions in Common

    Nutritive, Promotes-virility, Tonic, Blood-tonic, Brain-tonic

    LEARN MORE

  • Ginseng, Chinese

    Ginseng, Chinese has these Actions in Common

    Tonic, Antifungal, Brain-tonic, Nutritive, Stimulates-energy

    LEARN MORE

  • Shatavari

    Shatavari has these Actions in Common

    Tonic, Antacid, Anti-inflammatory, Nutritive, Refrigerant

    LEARN MORE

  • Punarnava

    Punarnava has these Actions in Common

    Stimulates-energy, Tonic, Anti-inflammatory, Blood-tonic, Promotes-virility

    LEARN MORE

  • Licorice Ghee (9oz)

    Licorice Ghee (9oz) has these Actions in Common

    Antacid, Anti-inflammatory, Livotonic, Nutritive, Refrigerant

    LEARN MORE

  • Licorice Root (Yastimadhu)

    Licorice Root (Yastimadhu) has these Actions in Common

    Antacid, Anti-inflammatory, Livotonic, Nutritive, Refrigerant

    LEARN MORE

  • Pitta Massage Oil

    Pitta Massage Oil has these Actions in Common

    Anti-inflammatory, Blood-tonic, Nutritive, Refrigerant

    LEARN MORE


Joyful Belly is a recognized college of biocharacteristics medicine.

how to use Coconut Flakes medicinally

The appropriate dosage of coconut depends on the form you are using (e.g., coconut oil, coconut milk, dried coconut, coconut water, etc.) and the purpose for which you're using it.

Coconut Oil:

Coconut Milk:

Coconut Water:

Shredded or Dried Coconut:

  • Typical Dosage: 2 T. - 1/4 c. (about 10- 20 g per day).
  • Purpose: Used in cooking, baking, or as a snack. Dried coconut is high in fiber and fat, so it's important to consume it in moderation.
  • Note: Dried coconut is calorie-dense and may lead to weight gain if eaten in large amounts without balancing your diet.

    • TRADITIONALLY INDICATED FOR
    THESE SYMPTOMS

    Coconut Flakes may be beneficial for these symptoms. The suitability of any food for a condition is highly dependent on the individual. Please see your doctor before using this food to treat a medical condition.

    CONTRAINDICATED FOR
    THESE SYMPTOMS

    Coconut Flakes may be harmful or contraindicated for these symptoms. Note this is not a complete list of all possible contraindications. Please see your doctor before using this food to treat a medical condition.

    Coconut Allergy: Although rare, some people may be allergic to coconut, which can lead to symptoms such as skin rashes, swelling, itching, difficulty breathing, or anaphylaxis in severe cases. People with a coconut allergy should avoid coconut and coconut-derived products entirely.

    Heart Health Concerns: While some studies suggest that the saturated fats in coconut oil may not raise LDL cholesterol as much as other saturated fats, it still contains a significant amount of saturated fat. People with high cholesterol, heart disease, or a history of cardiovascular problems may want to limit coconut products, especially in large quantities.

    Blood Thinners: Coconut oil has mild anticoagulant properties, and excessive consumption could potentially interfere with medications like blood thinners (e.g., warfarin). People on such medications should consult their healthcare provider before significantly increasing their coconut intake.

    Kidney Stones: Coconut products, particularly dried coconut, contain small amounts of oxalates, which can contribute to the formation of kidney stones in susceptible individuals. If you have a history of kidney stones, it's advisable to consult with a doctor before consuming large amounts of coconut.

    Herb Drug Interaction Risk

    Here are some potential herb drug interactions with Coconut Flakes. Please see your health care provider for more information.

    View other ingredients
    for Autumn-Winter

    Coconut Flakes is recommended for Autumn-Winter. Check out these other Autumn-Winter foods here.
    VIEW ALL AUTUMN-WINTER FOODS MORE FOODS FOR VATA / PITTA MAIN INGREDIENT PAGE

    HOW DOES EATING AYURVEDICALLY MAKE YOU FEEL?

    Eating Ayurvedically makes you feel nourished and energized. Food digests with ease when right for your body type (dosha). Healthy digestion is seen as the cornerstone of well-being in Ayurveda. Healthy digestion generally prevents illness. If you do get sick, a strong digestive fire reduces the severity of illness and increases your resilience. It also improves your mood. Once you begin eating Ayurvedically, you will feel refreshed, vital and strong.
    CONTINUE READING

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    About the Author

    John Immel, the founder of Joyful Belly, teaches people how to have a healthy diet and lifestyle with Ayurveda. His approach to Ayurveda is clinical, yet exudes an ease which many find enjoyable and insightful. John also directs the Joyful Belly College of Ayurveda, offering professional clinical training in Ayurveda for over 15 years.

    John's hobbies & specialties include advanced digestive disorders, medieval Catholic philosophy, & botany. He holds a bachelor's degree in mathematics from Harvard University. His wife and family of 7 kids live in Asheville, NC.

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    Comments & Impressions of 'Coconut Flakes'

    Do you like 'coconut flakes'? Why or why not? What makes it unique? Is there something else you'd like to know about 'coconut flakes'?

    334 likes
    Sign in to review or comment

    Kimberly Chandler, AZ
    2012-08-31
    “I shredded a the meat from a coconut, can I use that in the recipes? Or do I need to do something to it before it is recipe ready?"
    Like Reply
    John J Immel Asheville, NC
    2012-09-01
    “That's wonderfully fresh and it is recipe ready."
    Like Reply
    Jess Allen park, MI
    2015-01-05
    “What about coconut flour? Since it's high in fiber and protein, I'm going to guess it's near tri-doshic? Or at least, better for kapha and pitta?"
    Like Reply
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