So hydration – quite important right? The story goes – three days without water and you’re cactus.

In recent times though the fit and healthy crew have gone a bit overboard with DRINK ALL THE WATER!

But more than you actually need is not better at all. It in fact can slow your metabolism down, overtax your kidneys and dilute the minerals and electrolytes your body actually needs to function correctly. More on that whole hullabaloo another time.

However that last point about electrolytes… leads me to coconut water.

Did you know that pure water may not be the actual best thing to hydrate your body properly?

SAY WHAT?

When you’re in hospital and they rehydrate you with a drip, it’s a mixture of saline solution and glucose – helping to enter the cells better than pure water.

So here comes coconut water from the young green coconut, already containing natural electrolytes. Nature rocks.

Some articles say specially formulated sports drinks are better. I for one, would rather use pure naturally occurring coconut water as a base and add a bit more mineral rich real salt and nutrient rich real raw honey as a sweetener myself, than drink the fluoro bright, chemical bombs on offer.

One coconut water I am loving at the moment is new Brisbane brand Cococoast. Sourced from Vietnam and available in plain green coconut with nothing added at all and passionfruit, which just has a hint of pure passionfruit juice added. No added sugar, no colours, no added flavours and nothing that you don’t need. It’s brilliant.

Both are perfect as is, or as the base for more adventurous concoctions.

Here are some of my creations:-

Passionfruit and Blueberry Gummies

Passionfruit and Blueberry Popsicles

Recipe…

I made the gummies and popsicles at the same time because they mostly have the same things in them but you get two different treats!

Blueberry jam part

1 cup frozen blueberries

2 TBS honey

1/2 cup Cococoast Passionfruit Coconut Water

1 TBS CollagenX Pure Gelatin (orange top)

Place the blueberries and honey in a saucepan over medium heat. Raise to a simmer and cook for approx 15 mins stirring occasionally.

Add the gelatin to the coconut water and stir through ensuring there are no lumps.

Then add the gelatin mixture to the blueberry mixture and stir through over the heat until it looks kind of melty and combined.

Half fill gummie moulds and pour a little into popsicle moulds tipping up the sides to get a coated effect. Put both in the freezer to set a little before the next layer.

Passionfruit Coconut layer

1 cup Cococoast Passionfruit Coconut Water

2 TBS CollagenX Pure Gelatin (orange top)

2 TBS honey

Place coconut water in a saucepan and sprinkle the gelatin over the top, mix through to ensure no lumps allowing the gelatin to bloom.

Add the honey stirring through and raise to barely a simmer.

Take the gummie and popsicle moulds out of the freezer and add the passionfruit mix on top. Gummies can then be returned to the fridge to complete their setting. About 1 hour.

Add a bit of the passionfruit mix to the popsicle moulds and return to the freezer.

Then make your coconut ice cream to add in – recipe here.

Heaven!

Passionfruit Coconut Super Drink

Recipe…

1 cup Cococoast Passionfruit Coconut Water

1 TBS CollagenX Gelatin Hydrolysate (Yellow top)

1/2 cup San Pellegrino Mineral Water

1/4 tsp Himalayan Rock Salt

1/2 cup crushed ice

Optional extras…. splash of fresh OJ, 1 TBS Colloidal Minerals, garnishes like fresh mint, orange pieces, coconut sugar – your imagination can go wild!

But just with the original 5 ingredients listed, it is a mineral rich, super recovery drink that will knock your socks off and make your cells very happy campers.

So Cococoast Coconut Water is available in 500ml cans or 1.25 litre bottles (both BPA free) hopefully at a store near you! See stockist list below.

I tell you though, the Passionfruit flavour is rocking my world and will be added to my weekly grocery list for sure!

Bottoms up, Cheers and Saluti!

Kristy x

NB – All images where indicated courtesy of www.adrianalfordphotography.com