Many encounter coconuts as part of the beach environment without knowing how they benefit those who live near them.
The coconut’s parts are all useful — from the trunk all the way to the fronds. The tree trunk can obviously be used to construct tables, chairs, houses, and even simple boats or rafts. Fronds are used as roofing material for houses. They are also used to make mats, brooms, and decorations. The shells? Cut in half with the skin still intact; they are used to polish floors. The hardest part, cut into little circular pieces, are used as decorations, materials for various items like ladles, keychains, and even chandeliers with a very tropical character.
Perhaps most familiar to people is the water. It is good for rehydration rivaling even sports drinks. They are comparable in terms of hydration effects, but the coconut has these drinks beat in the fact that they don’t have potassium. Coconuts have lots of it. This is good for most Americans since they do not consume enough fruits and vegetables. How much more potassium? Four times more than bananas.
The meat itself is edible and is a good source of protein. It helps prevent goiters, destroys various intestinal worms, and is good for constipation.
Peter Gaum has gone one step further and crafted a nutrition bar from the coconut and partnered it with almonds. This and other bars can be seen in the Santa Barbara Bar website.
Peter Gaum Santa Barbara 
