Coconut water can be a great addition to a healthy diet when your goal is to lose weight. Any doctor will recommend that you consume enough water each day to be hydrated properly especially if you are exercising regularly. By substituting coconut water for regular water or even as a supplement you can see some great benefits.

First let’s talk about how drinking water can help you lose weight. Water is great because it flushes toxins out of your body so that you can perform your daily functions at optimum levels. It also lubricates the joints which helps if you are doing high impact exercises such as hiking or running. Lastly, my favorite reason for drinking water while trying to lose weight is that it helps fill you up. By drinking enough water your stomach feels full so you don’t over eat and on top of that there are absolutely no calories in water.

How is coconut water better in terms of losing weight? First of all coconut water has much more nutrients than regular water. Nutrients that are important for proper bodily functions. For example coconut water is packed with electrolytes and more potassium than a whole banana! Electrolytes are lost during exercise and much like a sports drink coconut water can help get your body back to its optimum electrolyte levels.

Secondly, coconut water is a natural diuretic causing you to go to the bathroom more frequently and as a by-product flush out any waste in your system. This is a great way to lose excess water weight quickly so you can look good in your clothes. Keep in mind this is not a method for rapid weight loss, just a way to always stay a couple pounds lighter than if you weren’t actually following a healthy diet.

Coconut water does however contain calories, about 60 in an 11 ounce serving. If you are on a strict low calorie diet then your first thought would be to drink regular water instead. We feel however that coconut water can be very beneficial as a replacement or as a supplement to regular water if you live an active lifestyle. In any case try it out for yourself and see how it works. The taste is great and if you are in tune with your body you should be able to notice the difference in your energy level, especially after a long run or exercise session. You can find coconut water at nearly every health food store, online, or more and more often at your local grocer. Check out our other post on where to buy coconut water for more information.