AVOCADO – HEALTH AND BEAUTY BENEFITS AND HACKS

I’m sure we’ve all seen this fruit around in our local grocery stores and must definitely be a favorite of many. It is a rather fleshy fruit and could possibly resemble a boiled egg when vertically cut into half. This fruit is packed with multiple benefits; here are some of them –

1. Helpful to lower cholesterol:

High cholesterol is a threat to many and those suffering with it have to watch their diet very carefully, as bad cholesterol can clog or block arteries and increase the risk of heart diseases or stroke. Avocados are known to reduce the levels of cholesterol in one’s body as they are rich in nutrients as well as monounsaturated fatty acids (healthy fats). It can keep your heart healthy.

2. Soothes the skin:

Avocados have healthy fats and are rich in vitamin E and vitamin C which are beneficial to the skin. Avocados have antioxidation properties which can speed up the repair process of skin conditions and help treat acne. It can help prevent skin damage like wrinkles, ageing and skin cancer. It can help people with dry skin and prevent sun burns.

3. Prevention of osteoporosis:

Avocados are rich in phosphorous, magnesium and manganese, which are very helpful to maintain bone health over a period of time. Osteoporosis occurs when the bones become fragile or brittle over time or become deficient of calcium (needed for strong bones). Avocados also have vitamin K which can be helpful for bone health and bone strength.

4. Good for vision:

Age-related macular degeneration (a medical condition causing blurry or reduced vision as the person grows older. It occurs because of damage to the macula (the central part of the retina), over time. Avocados can help prevent this macular degeneration and minimize damage caused by ultra-violet (UV) light, because they contain the compounds lutein and zeaxanthin (important antioxidants in the eye tissues to protect the eyes). These compounds act as a natural sun blocking agent for human beings. READ MORE – Pumpkin Seeds for hair growth, weight loss, good sleep and more

AVOCADO HACKS

Store – When the avocadoes are in season, then just half the avocado and coat them in some lemon juice and freeze them. Once frozen add all the avocado into a ziplock bag and then defrost them before eating. You can also freeeze the avocado pulp in an ice cube tray to use the cubes for a quick and delicious smoothie.

Ripen them faster – Store the avocados in a brown paper bag with a banana to make them ripe faster.

Diary free substitute – Use avocado in place of butter or oil when baking browines or cookies.

Here are some ways you can consume avocados:

Avocado Smoothie Recipe:

•  1 full avocado (pulp)
• 1 cup yoghurt/curd
• 5 to 8 ice-cubes (optional)
• Sugar/honey (as per your taste requirements)
• 1 big banana or 2 small bananas (optional)

Method:

Remove the seed of the avocado and you can scoop out the pulp or you could even peel the skin of the avocado and then get the pulp. Using a mixer grinder blend the avocado into a fine paste, to it, add the ice-cubes (optional), yoghurt and sugar/honey (as per your requirement) and blend until it has become a liquid consistency. It is then ready to consume.

Tips:

• You can add the bananas as a variation to this simple homemade avocado smoothie.
• You could also replace the yoghurt/curd with milk and use the same recipe as a milkshake.

Avocado GUACAMOLE Recipe:

• 1 full avocado
• 1 full tomato
• 1 full onion
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 3 tbsp finely chopped fresh cilantro
• Seasoning (oregano, pepper, chilli flakes or any herb of your choice)
• Salt to taste

Method:

Peel the avocado and the tomato (remove the seeds preferably) and cut into small pieces. Chop the onion finely and set aside. In a mixing bowl add the olive oil, lemon juice and blend well, adding some salt to taste. Now to the mixture, add the cilantro (tear the leaves into smaller pieces, rather than cutting it, to keep it fresh longer), the onions, avocado and tomatoes and mix till everything has a fine coating. Season with some herbs of your choice and the salad is ready to eat. READ MORE – Niacinamide a miracle ingredient for Clear and Glowing Skin

Tips:

• The tomato pieces can also be replaced with cherry tomatoes (equal to the number of pieces or as per your requirement).
• You can add chopped cucumber/zucchini, American corn or baby corn, broccoli, carrot slices, chicken pieces or even boiled eggs to this recipe, as a variation.

Also, you can try making guacamole! Yes, it is a dip which is avocado based and can be used as a dip or even spread on toast and eaten.