Don't be a Sap

I've talked to a few people who have not yet bought Coconut Aminos.  If you're reading this saying, "Huh?" just go out and buy a bottle. I saw this ingredient in a few recipes, and simply skipped it because I thought it was just a vitamin supplement, something like adding fish oil to a recipe.  While it is a terrific supplier of amino acids and vitamins, it's a flavor kick that you probably haven't experienced in a few weeks. 

Coconut Aminos is the closest replacement to soy sauce in strict Paleo recipes.  It is the direct, raw product that comes from tapping the sap of a coconut tree.  Soy sauce is loaded with, of course, soy, MSG, and products of fermentation that will adversely affect your health.   Before I started eating Paleo 2 years ago, soy was the first food item I eliminated from my diet.  Not only will large amounts of soy, and especially fermented soy, decrease your thyroid function, but soy is a phytoestrogen, which means it will boost estrogen levels in the bodies of both males and females.  Coconut Aminos, conversely, are a healthy, nutrient-rich, raw food additive providing 17 amino acids, minerals including Potassium, vitamin C, broad-spectrum B vitamins, and its pH is nearly neutral.  

How does this benefit you? Here's the quick run-down on the above nutrients as I would explain them to Ben, my 5th grade son, so no need to let your eyes glaze over just yet.  Amino Acids: you can't live without them, as these are the building blocks of all proteins.  There are 20 types of amino acids, 10 of which we automatically produce and the other 10, essential amino acids, we need to get from our diet (this is a big problem with vegetarian and vegan diets.  So what do they rely on? Soy.)  If we do not get all 10 of the essential amino acids, our bodies break down our own muscle to find and use them.  Coconut aminos naturally provide 17 of non-essential (the ones we make ourselves) and essential (the ones we need to eat every day) amino acids.  Potassium: an essential daily mineral, one that has fluctuating levels in our bodies at all times.  It's most important in cardiac function, but it is also the primary stabilizer of our electrolyte balance within our bodies.  Vitamin C:  essential for immunity and overall disease prevention.  Vitamin B: there are multiple types of B vitamins, which not only provide energy but fight against bad cholesterols, inflammation, even diabetes. 

Amino Acids contribute to the repair and rebuilding of muscle tissue, and glutamine, which is abundant in Coconut Aminos, helps improve brain function, increase energy levels, and build your body's immune system. 

Another bonus in today's world is that Coconut Aminos are a highly sustainable method of farming.  Once the tree is tapped, that single tap provides sap for 20 years. I've personally seen these guys climb and tap the trees in the Grenadines, and it is definately one of those jobs that makes you appreciate your own safe, American profession.  They hustle up the tree to heights of 40-50 feet, and do their work with no safety cables, just their own arms and legs.  The sap is then combined with sea salt (where the minerals come from) to give it the taste that mostly resembles soy sauce.

Ok, so now I've sold you on the benefits of this little bottled ingredient.  It's a little difficult to find, but it's around. It's not at Wegmans, surprisingly, and I don't know if it is at Trader Joe's or not.  In Frederick, it's at the Common Market.  I know Whole Foods shows it online, so I suppose it's in their stores.  It's also widely available at the good ol' point and click shop.  It's not cheap, but just remember the teenage kid across the world that has to climb the tree to tap the sap.  Add it to your steamed veggies or marinade and your Paleo horizons have just expanded.