Did you know that avocados are fruits? Lots of people think they are a vegetable because they are not sweet like a fruit, but…
While most fruits are mainly carbohydrates, avocados offer a high content of healthy fats. Now, before you run away at the mere mention of the word ‘fat’, you need to know that you should eat it to remain healthy and strong! And avocado – just like extra virgin olive oil – is unsaturated, meaning that it is a good fat that you should be eating, instead of avoiding!
Here are a few reasons why you should eat more avocados:
- Good for Your Sight – their content in lutein helps stop eye degeneration and prevents visual loss. Dip some raw carrot sticks in your guacamole and you’re good to go!
- Prevent Heart Diseases – Several studies have shown that one avocado a day could significantly reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases thanks to its content of folic acid and vitamin B6.
- Helps Reduce Cholesterol – similar to the previous point, avocados can help you fight cholesterol levels and reduce HDL (or bad cholesterol) in your blood.
- High in Fibre – Fibre is your friend, and avocado has more fibre than a lot of fruit! They are very useful for digestion and regulating your blood sugar levels.
- Good For Your Skin – A lot of organic cosmetics now include avocado or avocado oil as one of their main ingredients, since it helps to keep the skin hydrated and supple. It also helps fight redness, flaking, and inflammation.
- Anti-Inflammatory Properties – Just as they help you get rid of redness and skin inflammation, avocados also help fight general inflammation in the body, mainly due to its content in polyphenols and flavonoids (plant-based goodies that help you stay healthy and disease-free!).
- A Big Source of Potassium – Avocados have even more potassium than bananas, which is fantastic since this is an essential mineral for the body to function properly. Potassium is also responsible to regulate blood pressure, to maintain proper hydration of the body, and to aid in the contraction-relaxation process of the muscles. Just one avocado contains 20% of our daily needs!
- A Great Source of Antioxidants – Avocados have vitamin E and glutathione, these decrease the damage caused by oxygen (also called oxidation); they improve the function of your immune system and allow a healthier cellular environment.
So how can you eat them? You can add them to your salads, into your smoothies, on toast, and to any veggie dish, you might be eating. Make guacamole, popsicles, pudding, the list is endless. I like to mash an avocado, mix with mustard and use as a spread for my sandwich or wrap rather than mayonnaise.
What if you don’t like the taste or texture of avocado, well I have something for you! This recipe is one of my family’s favourites. My husband, who isn’t an avocado fan, actually asks for them quite often. He knows the ingredients, and says he can’t taste the avocado, but loves the flavour they have. I have taken these squares to different gatherings and everyone is surprised to hear what the main ingredient is after they have eaten it. This is an easy recipe, that’s incredibly rich and creamy thanks to healthy fats like avocado and coconut. Then it is sweetened with the natural sugars of maple syrup or honey.
KEY LIME PIE BARS
INGREDIENTS
Crust:
- 1 cup old-fashioned oats
- ¼ cup unsweetened coconut flakes
- ¼ cup almonds
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup or honey
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
Filling:
- 2 large ripe avocados
- 3 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
- 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup or honey
- ¼ cup fresh lime juice
DIRECTIONS:
- Line an 8×8 baking pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a food processor, pulse oats, coconut flakes, and almonds until finely chopped.
- Add honey, coconut oil, and lime juice. Pulse again until the mixture pulls together into a ball.
- Press mixture into prepared pan, it will be gooey, but that is ok. Set aside. Wash food processor.
- Blend all the filling ingredients until smooth. Pour over the crust.
- Freeze for an hour before moving to the fridge. *These need to be kept in the fridge until serving time as they soften at room temperature.
- Enjoy!!
Did you know? One of my best sellers here at Rain Natural Skincare is my Renewing Night Cream and, one of the main ingredients is Avocado Oil!
I use Avocado Oil in those products because it is great for skin cell repair and regeneration; it hydrates, moisturizes and replenishes sensitive, dry, inflamed, irritated, damaged, cracked and mature skin. It has vitamins – A, B1, B2, D and E. Minerals – potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, sulphur, calcium, sodium, and copper. But best of all, it lifts and lightens skin complexion smooths wrinkles and fine lines, and removes dark shadows to grey, tired, and slack skin. WOW!!
I hope I have given you a few ideas to try avocados either by eating them or putting them on your delicate skin. So now you have no excuses to not enjoy avocado more often!
If you’re looking to change up your skincare products and understand what ingredients you are using on your skin, you may want to try Rain Natural Skincare products.
If you have any questions, send those to hello@raninnaturalskincare.com
