HCV requires a special diet that takes the load off the liver much like a jackstand takes the pressure off a wheel supporting a vehicle. One good way to do this is to eat good, empty, high fiber foods that have vitamins and minerals but lack the cholesterol baggage. Meet Mr. Coconut.

The coconut is what my son refers to as Paleo food as in Paleolithic in that it is a staple of many who lack access to Safeway grocery stores and their ilk. He’s a half-owner in a Crossfit  Exercise Gym and strongly recommends it. It does have saturated fats but no  transfats or the aforementioned dreaded cholesterol. It has no additives, is low in iron and has lots of neat things in it like potassium in case you get tired of pounding down bananas. My parrot loves it. The coconut milk  is very nutritional, too. Were I still a drinker, I would consider a marriage with Vodka.

I swear by these things for several different reasons. They’re about $1.50 each and last longer than a bag of potato chips.  Sitting  here typing is hard work and my brain needs manganese and saturated fat. Many will say its too difficult to access the cocomeat. Nonsense. If you wish to forego the milk you can crack it open without draining it. In that event, put on a raincoat or w/p apron.

Check it out for the visually inclined. Three tools are needed. A drill or sharp punch to go through two of the three holes at the north pole, a hammer or like device and a very dull butter knife . Unless you want to get on a first-name basis with the ER nurses, this is an important consideration (the knife).

Phase 1–drill the puppy out. Here’s the tools I use, too.

Next, drain out the milk. Two holes are needed for this unless you have lots of time.

Coconuts always crack on the equator, never on the vertical.

Next, crack the two halves by laying them flat and reduce to quarters or eighths.

Take your dull table knife and insert it between the hard shell and the meat and work it around the perimeter until the meat breaks free. Throw the shell away.  My goat won’ t even eat it.

Rinse off the final product and enjoy. For some anally retentive types, removal of the brown skin with a carrot peeler is considered a must. I look at it much like the skin on a potato.

This concludes Sunday’s Betty Crocker adventure in fine dining. If you are having problems, there’s a coconut helpline available M-F from 0800-1730 EDT at 800-827-1000.