Friday August 3, 2012, 3:04 pm
Excerpt: "The Mayan Indians have a saying: “Where avocados grow, hunger or malnutrition has no friends.”

For years you were told to avoid the high fat/high caloric content of avocado. Now scientists are debunking that long-held belief with evidence that this antioxidant-rich fruit enhances heart health, lowers cholesterol and improves skin.

Avocados Are Abundant In Vitamins and Minerals Crucial To Total Body Health
Beta-carotene, lutein, vitamins B6, C, E and K, selenium, zinc, folate, potassium, glutathione and omega-3 fatty acids are just a few of the nutrients found in a single avocado.

9 Reasons Why an Avocado a Day Can Change Your Life:
1. Avocados contain the 18 amino acids required to form complete protein that is used more efficiently by the body than are proteins found in meat.

2. Avocados contain more natural fiber than any other fruit, and this high fiber content aids in digestion and total body absorption of nutrients.

3. Healthy fats found in avocados raise “good” cholesterol (HDL) while lowering “bad” cholesterol (LDL) and triglycerides by 20%.

4. Avocados contain 35% more potassium than a banana does. Potassium is important because it regulates blood pressure.

5. Avocados provide the lutein necessary to protect you from age-related eye degeneration.

6. The anti-inflammatory properties of avocados prevent and/or treat rheumatoid arthritis.

7. Sufficient amounts of oleic acid improve your cardiovascular system and protect against prostate and breast cancer.

8. Vitamin B6 and folic acid control homocysteine levels – high quantities of homocysteine are linked to an increased risk of death from heart disease.

9. Glutathione boosts your body’s immune system and keeps your nervous system healthy.

Christian Cortés-Rojo, a researcher at Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo in Morelia, Michoacán, México conducted a recent study on avocados health benefits.

Using simple cells found in yeast, he discovered that when treated with avocado oil the yeast cells survived severe free radical damage (higher than levels common in most human diseases). " More at link..

Friday August 3, 2012, 3:19 pm
Very interesting, Barbara, thank you.

Friday August 3, 2012, 5:12 pm
Amazing! Thank you!

Friday August 3, 2012, 5:57 pm
And I like avocados : )

Thanks Barbara

Saturday August 4, 2012, 10:02 pm
They're good for us and they are crazy delicious! Win win! There is a saying in Mexico that if you are angry, you shouldn't eat avocado so as not to upset the liver and get indigestion. In Michoacán, Mexico you can even get avocado ice cream. You may think, what? or ew!, but it is reeeeeaaaaaly good! Great post Barbara.

Sunday August 5, 2012, 10:06 am
Funny I should stumble upon this post just now, Barbara. Just Friday, when I had 4 friends over for lunch, I made a very tasty salad which is light, refreshing & particularly enjoyable in the summer. And one of the main ingredients is avocado; the others are oranges, cooked shrimp, & surimi crab sticks (with a % of real crab meat if possible are better). The avocado are cut up in mouth-size cubes, the orange flesh is gently cut out of the peel & membranes, the sticks cut up in 4s, the shrimp just cooked & heads & shells removed. It is prettier to have the four ingredients each occupying its own quarter section of a bowl & to let everyone see it BEFORE you mix them together with the sauce, afterwhich you can't distinguish them very well & the effect of green & pink & orange color constrast is lost.

For 5 people, I used 4 avocados (+ the one for the sauce); 5 oranges (and recovered -to use for the sauce-
all the juice prduced from removing the flesh); 10 surimi crab sticks; 200 grams of cooked shrimp (with shells & heads to remove)

For the sauce: in a blender, mix the equivalent of one avocado, the juice of one orange, a teaspoon or more or less of sugar, to make up for oranges that are not sweet enough; a little mustard; 1 piece of raw garlic; salt & pepper until you have a smooth paste.

Once everybody has appreciated the look of the salad in the bowl, add the sauce, mix delicately & serve. My 4 guests found it delicious, so I was very gratified.

Now that I know how good avocados are for the health, I'm even more so. Don't have to feel guilty anymore about another fattening food I like so much.

Sunday January 13, 2013, 8:03 am
Noted.