In an effort to increase my calorie intake, I have been exploring different foods and have discoverd coconut milk. Mixed with protein powder it makes a great tasting shake and comes in at close to 500 kcal of protein and fat (hardly any carbs at all). Does anyone know much about coconut milk? I.E. is it a good choice or not? Obviously is a P & F meal but is 36 gms of fat too much in one sitting?
Thanks.
Too much saturated fat. Unless you are extremely skinny and can’t put on weight for the life of you, I wouldn’t use too much of it. You can add some with regular milk or water to up the calories in shakes, just don’t down gallons of it!
hahahah, clapping Patch! congrats on your discovery. I also use coconut milk, it’s one of the most healthful foods you can eat! coconuts contain a great supply of lauric acid, which is naturally antibacterial. they also contain medium chain triglycerides, which the body uses for energy without turning into fat. it’s a very interesting type of fat, and highly useful for losing weight. in fact, when the word got out about coconut oil helping with weight loss (it was in some popular womens magazines) the supply of coconut oil was practially sold out for several months!!! coconut milk is great if you can’t get real milk (raw, grass fed, organic milk, the only kind really we should drink) and it makes awesome smoothies. i say, drink as much of it as you can in a day 
but if you get a stomach ache slow down as it could be your liver saying i can’t digest all that fat at once. just increase the amount as you can. also, don’t worry one bit about the saturated fat, in fact, you might notice some great positive side affects from taking it (softer skin, healthier, more energy, increase in metabolism-coconut oil can do that too, yes!!). saturated fat won’t kill you, in fact the saturated fat in those coconuts is one of the healthiest in the world.
I would have to disagree with loop. on this one. While it is a lot of fat for one sitting, coconut is a great source of dietary fat. %05 of the fats in coconut are MCT’s which have a plethora of benefits to ones diet. I personally use it more while cutting for energy but I can imagine it would be of equal use to packing on some quality mass.
Here is some info on MCT’s:
[quote]Medium chain triglycerides are fats that contain 6-12 carbon fatty acids (as opposed to long chain triglycerides, those generally found in the diet, which contain more than 12 carbons per fatty acid). Medium chain triglycerides contain less calories per gram than other fats, and when consumed are processed differently in the body. They are commonly used in hospitals as a calorie source for patients who are having trouble digesting food, but also have application as a weight loss aid and rapid source of energy. They have the additional benefit of protecting the liver and gut from various toxins (one of them being alcohol) (1).
Multiple human and animal studies indicate that supplementation with medium chain triglycerides during calorie restriction has the ability to increase energy expenditure, reduce fat mass, improve nitrogen retention, preserve lean mass, and reduce appetite in the short term, but these effects have not been demonstrated in the long term (2, 3), and there is some indication that metabolic adaptation prevents long-term efficacy (2). For this reason, they are most beneficial when cycled and used for 1-2 week periods along with caloric restriction. From the available data, it is estimated that the use of MCTs for a two week period will reduce fat mass by up to 1.5 pounds (3), but this is assuming that all long-chain triglycerides are replaced with MCTs. More realistically, supplementation with a smaller amounts will have a modest effect on fat mass while aiding in muscle sparing and suppressing the appetite.
MCTs may also be useful as a pre-exercise energy source, primarily on a low-carbohydrate diet, but the data are contradictory, with some studies on exercise performance showing a benefit and some being equivocal (4, 5). The studies that show a benefit from MCTs tend to be when MCT was used as a stand-alone, indicating that they are an effective fuel source for exercise when carbohydrates are absent, but they probably do not improve performance to a significant degree when carbohydrates are ingested.
Finally, MCTs can be used as a healthy source of calories and dietary fat, even (and perhaps especially) while bulking. Comparisons between MCTs and olive oil show that MCTs cause a greater reduction in both total cholesterol and LDL (6), making them a healthier source of calories than some other fats, and they have the additional benefit of protecting digestive organs from various toxins. MCTs have a very good safety profile, and have been used in many trials at up to 1 g/kg with no ill effects (7).[/quote]
Just my 2cc
Phill
I also wanted to add you might look @ dried unsweetened coconut. It has all the fats and protein and much less of the carbs. You usually have to go to a natural foods type of place to find it without sugar added though.
Trader Joes has it if you have access to them.
The flakes make it easy to add to just about anything. Also coconut oil is another good choice, zero carb and still has all the coconut flavor. Just make sure it isnt processed.
Phill
Phill thats a great post man. Very informative. Its just another thing to add to the list of food to eat. I love the taste of coconut but have stayed away from it because of the stigma it has received, lif the one loop described. Now I know its not true. I’m heading out to Trader Joes this weekend and I’m going to pick me up some. Once again Phill, thanks for the break down and information.
No problem, anytime I can help I will give it a try.
Phill
Anyone have good recipes for protein drinks made with coconut milk/oil?
Ah, once again, Seminole is the voice of reason…Phil, great post as well.
Too much sat. fat, eh? I wonder if we will all regress, at some point, back to 0-fat, superSUPER high carb diets, and start wearing zeebra striped pants and flor. lime green tank tops to the gym with a bandanna with a skull and crossbones on it.
I can get shredded dried coconut, is this fine to eat with my salads & veggies?
Rank it is more than good it is down right tastey. Just make sure it is unsweetened. 90% of the coconut at stores is sweetened.
Phill
Can you buy it in a carton or something or do you have to drain coconuts yourself?
Seems like it would take alot of coconuts to get a good amount.
Uncle,
The sell the dried shredded stuff in bags, the milk is usually contained in cans, and the oil is in some type of glass or plastic jar. The oil is actually solid much like crisco @ room temp.
Just make sure that the dried and shredded is unsweetened. It is more of a prob, with the dreid flakes. It usually isnt much of a problem to find the milk that isn’t molested.
Try to find the stuff that is the least processed also.
Hope that helps.
Phill
not coconut water, the stuff that drains out of a fresh coconut you crack open. coconut water is full of sugar! coconut milk is made my processing coconut meat. you buy it in a can, it’s about a buck a can,sometimes more. i usually use half a can at a time. make sure you get the kind that is just coconut milk and sometimes water. you can tell by the fat content if it’s been messed with. some have half the fat taken out. who would want light coconut milk? that’s crazy. just get the plain stuff. some have some preservatives in them, (which is silly) but i’ve never had a problem with them. good luck!
Thanks for all your replies guys - nice to know I’m on the right lines…I was put on to coconut milk in a book called “Nourishing Traditions” by Sally Fallon and she really does explode the saturated fat hypothosis that so many people live in fear of. I’m off to chug a coconut milk shake…Mmmmm 
Here’s a recipe I adapted from Nourishing Traditions and Patient Heal Thyself for a coconut oil/milk shake. I’ve been consuming this bad boy for a couple of weeks now and have been putting on a good amount of muscle and notice my digestion improving.
10 ounces of raw goat milk kefir or 10 ounces of full fat coconut milk. (Unless I am short on one, I usually use a combination of the two.)
1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Coconut Oil
1-2 raw Omega-3 whole eggs
1 tablespoon of cold-pressed flax seed oil
1-2 tablespoons of unheated honey (get Really Raw Honey at the health food store. It tastes the best and it really is raw. Some honey companies heat their honey and still put a raw label on it. The government hasn’t cracked down on this practice yet.)
1-2 tablespoons of Goatein protein powder
?-1 cup fresh or frozen fruit (berries, bananas, pineapple, etc.)
1-3 scoops of Omegazyme digestive powder
Vanilla extract or nutmeg to taste
Sometimes I throw in some perfect food to the mix too. I’ve been making my own kefir (you can get the culture for it at GEM cultures) for some time now, but only with raw milk. I’ve heard of culturing coconut milk with the kefir, but I’m not sure if you can do it with the canned stuff. I hear that you need green coconuts for culturing or else it is dangerous. No clue why, though. Anyways, that shake is a little expensive, but it provides over 1000 calories, and is not only easily digested, but improves digestion as well. And it tastes DAMN GOOD!! WHEEE!