Hey,

The one time I tried it, it felt like I had a brick in my stomach.

That's not surprising at all, since coconut flour is dried up, pulverized defatted coconut, thus almost pure fiber. (2 tablespoons contain 9 grams fiber). Furthermore, the fiber is mostly insoluble (93%), which can be problematic since it passes through the digestive tract intact and hence 'bulks up' the stool; its one of the cited problems with unrefined grains, and one of the reasons why people with IBS and other digestive issues are often told to favour, say, polished white rice over brown rice if they wish to consume it.

It might also present an issue to people with severe fructose malabsorbtion - coconut flour has negligible amounts of fructose but it may be enough to cause problems for very sensitive people.

I generally wouldn't recommend using it. It's hyper-processed and has very little nutrition compared to whole coconut. If you're into "paleo" baked goods, consider using creamed coconut/coconut 'manna' which is less processed, more nutritious and not as dense; it will also give a more moist result whereas coconut flour is often described as being too dry. And it works very well in thickening sauces, and dishes such as thai curries/soups.

Love

Milla