The Health Benefits Of Avocados

Avocados are native to Central and South America and have been cultivated since approximately 8,000 B.C. By the mid-1800s, they had been introduced to Asia and Jamaica, but they did not arrive in the United States until the early 20th century. California and Florida produce most of the avocados grown in the USA with other commercial producers existing in Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, and the Dominican Republic.

Guacamole is a popular way to enjoy avocados and this delicious food contain other ingredients besides avocados that offer some surprising health benefits.

Ingredients in Organic Guacamole

• Organic Avocado – Contains Lutein (a carotenoid along with Vitamin E), Magnesium, and monounsaturated (healthy) fats. Avocado helps fight cancer of the mouth, breast, and prostate, and improves skin tone. It also improves absorption of nutrients in other foods.


• Himalayan Crystal Salt – Stabilizes blood sugar levels and regulates heart beat. Himalayan salt also improves absorption and cell communication, and relieves the sinuses and lungs.


• Organic Lime Juice – Contains potassium and supports the immune system. It also helps to cleanse the blood and liver.


• Organic Cilantro – Contains several antioxidants, and is a natural deodorizer. It relieves nausea, bloating, urinary tract infections, and indigestion. Consumption of cilantro also helps to reduce blood sugar and cholesterol levels, and has properties that make it beneficial against harmful organisms.


• Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil – Helps balance systemic redness and swelling, also promotes healthy blood pressure. It helps to increase metabolism, and supports health of the ovaries and breasts.


• Raw Organic Apple Cider Vinegar – Once lauded by Hippocrates, apple cider vinegar (raw & unfiltered) helps countless health ailments. It strengthens the immune system, improves metabolism and stamina, and provides relief for sore throats. I personally recommend Bragg Apple Cider Vinegar.


• Organic Cumin – A natural antioxidant that supports the liver, promotes digestion, and vitalizes the immune system.


• Organic Garlic – An antioxidant that may lower blood pressure and cholesterol, and helps to cleanse the liver. Garlic has unique benefits whether consumed raw, cooked, or aged. It also contains unique properties that make it an excellent fighter against stomach cancer.


• Organic Lemon Juice (fresh) – May aid the body in removing gallstones when mixed with olive oil, relieves stomach discomfort, and may help reduce the risk of developing arthritis, atherosclerosis, diabetes, and kidney stones.


• Organic Onion – Onions contain an antioxidant called Quercetin, which is a flavonoid. They also contain Vitamin E, Potassium, Folic Acid, Vitamin C, and Fiber. Onions are known to relieve congestion and allergy symptoms, and help to reduce cholesterol. In addition, they remove heavy metals from the body, and help fight cancer of the lungs, bladder, ovaries, and breast.


• Organic Pepper – Pepper contains an antioxidant called Capsaicin, which relieves congestion, headaches, allergies, colitis, ulcers, and discomfort. Eating peppers can aid with blood clotting, cholesterol reduction, and the rate of stroke. Peppers also increase metabolism.

Tips for Buying Organic Avocados

Look for avocados that are slightly soft, but without dark sunken spots or cracks. Tree ripened avocados generally have a better flavor and can be identified by their slight neck. California avocados usually have a richer taste than avocados grown in Florida. Be sure that you only purchase avocados that have a dark green skin, light and bright skin is a sign the avocado is not ripe.

Organic Guacamole Recipe

Guacamole Recipe

• 2 ripe, medium organic avocados


• Juice from 1 organic Lime (to taste)


• 2 Tbsp chopped fresh organic cilantro


• ½ Tsp organic olive oil


• ½ Tsp raw organic apple cider vinegar


• Juice from 1 organic lemon


• ½ Tsp organic Cumin


• 2 cloves organic Garlic


• ¼ cup finely chopped organic onion


• ¼ Tsp freshly ground organic pepper


• ¼-½ Tsp finely ground Himalayan Crystal Salt (to taste)

Peel avocados and remove the pit. Dice avocado; mince garlic cloves; chop onion and cilantro. Squeeze your lemon and lime and grind your pepper as needed. Combine all your ingredients in a medium sized bowl. Toss well instead of mixing, to maintain the chunky consistency.

The post The Health Benefits Of Avocados appeared first on The Sleuth Journal.

Have You Heard of the Low-Fat “SlimCado?” Avocado Incoming!

One of the healthiest aspects of an avocado is its fat content. Even though a 1-cup serving of avocado contains 22 grams of fat, eating avocados has been shown to lower the risk of heart disease, improve LDL cholesterol, and decrease levels of oxidative stress in the bloodstream. The monounsaturated fat in avocados, especially oleic acid, plays a role in these cardiovascular benefits. [1]

Rachael Hartley, a dietitian in South Carolina, said:

“Avocados, they have that great healthy fat. Fat is an often overlooked nutrient, but it is definitely important for keeping us full or keeping us satisfied.”

I guess not everyone got the message.

The SlimCado is an avocado grown in Florida that, according to The Wall Street Journal, is trying to compete with the Hass variety, which is grown in California. Hass avocados account for 95% of the American avocado market and 80% of global demand.

However, SlimCados contain half the fat of a Hass avocado; and if that sounds gross, well, that seems to be the general consensus.

Here are a few fast facts about the “slim” avocados:

• SlimCados can weigh up to 3 pounds – nearly 6 times the size of a Hass avocado.


• Aside from containing half the fat of regular avocados, SlimCados contain 35% fewer calories than a Hass.


• SlimCados offer a “subtle tropical flavor similar to papaya.”


• Many native Floridians grew up eating SlimCados.


• SlimCados are much more fibrous and contain much more water (some describe the texture as “slimy”).


• A SlimCado leeches water in a big way when you salt it. [2]

Corinne Zmoos, an avocado lover in Boston, tweeted:

“I’ve never felt so betrayed by a piece of food in my life.”

She went on:

“I have not given them another chance. They broke my heart.”

Related: Avocados Deemed a Perfect Food Due to Countless Benefits

The 22-year-old grad student describes the low-fat avocados as having a watery texture that produced a soupy guacamole that lacked the beloved rich, creamy flavor of regular avocados.

SlimCados are trademarked by Brooks Tropicals LLC. The reportedly unpalatable fruits are available for 8 months each year starting in June, and actually consist of several Florida varieties. In 2003, Brooks began selling them as SlimCados so that they wouldn’t be confused with the Hass avocados.

Brooks has gotten accustomed to customer complaints. Mary Ostlund, a Brooks Tropicals spokeswoman, said:

“I get a lot of people from California absolutely emailing me and calling me saying, ‘What the heck are you doing?’’

The magazine Cooking Light gave the avocados a giant thumbs-down as well. Kimberly Holland, a Cooking Light editor, said in a text message to the magazine’s nutrition editor, Sidney Fry:

“I tried the SlimCado tonight. Please let’s never ever recommend it. Ever.”

Fry agreed, responding:

“Omg I hated it! Watery slimy. Gross.”

Well, I think they sound nasty, but some people love them. Delores Curtis, of Waldorf, Maryland, lost 180 pounds when she changed her diet, which included incorporating SlimCados. When she first brought a SlimCado home, her husband was skeptical. But for her, it was love at first bite. She recalled:

“He said, ‘Slim what? Slim who? Slim Jims?’ I put it on almost anything. I just love it.”

People still believe that fat is bad for you, but science tells another story. A study published in 2010 in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that “there is no significant evidence for concluding that dietary saturated fat is associated with an increased risk of CDH [coronary heart disease] or CVD [cardiovascular disease].” A 1-cup serving of regular avocado contains 3.1 grams of saturated fat.

Read: Study Finds Avocado-Eaters to Be Especially Healthy

Source: Chosen Foods

In another study, researchers found that healthy fats, such as those found in avocados, may help men with prostate cancer extend their lives. Those who reported eating more vegetable fats were less likely to develop fatal tumors or die from other causes than those who ate carbohydrate- and animal-fat filled diets.

Those are just a few examples of literally tons of studies showing the importance of eating healthy fats, and especially vegetable fats like those found in avocados.

No need to eat gross, flavorless, slimy substitutes!

Sources:

[1] The World’s Healthiest Foods

[2] Delish

Melanie Cooks

Chosen Foods

---

---

About Julie Fidler:
	Julie Fidler is a freelance writer, legal blogger, and the author of Adventures in Holy Matrimony: For Better or the Absolute Worst. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and two ridiculously spoiled cats. She occasionally pontificates on her blog.

8 ‘Magical’ Vegetables You Can Regrow From Scraps (With A Little Help)

Image source: YouTube screen capture.

Vegetables typically get one go-round in the kitchen, and then we toss the carrot tops, sprouted garlic or celery bottoms in the compost bin or garbage can without giving it a second thought. Who would imagine that many kitchen scraps actually have the potential to regrow into usable vegetables?

Most vegetables won’t regrow indefinitely, and they probably won’t grow enough to feed your family for very long. However, re-growing vegetables can save you money and in the meantime, many are attractive, decorative plants that bring a bit of the outdoors into your kitchen. If you’re looking for fun gardening projects to inspire kids, this one is sure to be a hit.

Try these vegetables:

1. Celery, bok choy and romaine lettuce – Slice the bottom from the bunch and put it in a bowl of warm water with the cut side facing up and just the root end submerged. Watch for leaves to emerge from the center as the outer section gradually turns yellow and deteriorates. Once the celery bottom has several healthy leaves, plant it in a container filled with potting mix, with only the leaf tips showing above the soil.

Story continues below video

2. Avocado – This is an old trick that kids love. Unfortunately, the plant isn’t likely to bear fruit unless you’re patient and willing to wait a dozen years or so. In the meantime, enjoy the lush, green plant.

To grow an avocado plant, just use toothpicks to suspend a cleaned seed, wide end facing down, over a glass of water so only the bottom half of the seed is submerged. Place the glass in a warm spot where the avocado is exposed to indirect sunlight. Check the water every day and add more as needed.

Looking For Non-GMO Seeds? Look No Further!

Once the stem grows to about 6 inches, cut it down to about 3 inches. When you notice new leaves, plant the avocado in potting mix with about half the seed above the surface of the soil. Keep the soil moist but not soggy.

Story continues below video

3. Potatoes – Cut potato peels into 2-inch chunks, each with at least two eyes. Set the chunks on the countertop to dry for a day or two, and then plant them in a large, deep container with the eyes facing up. Cover the potato chunks with 4 inches of soil, and then as the plant grows, add an extra 4 inches of soil. The new, tender potatoes will be ready to harvest in a few weeks.

4. Onions – Slice the root end from the onion, along with about a half-inch of the onion. Plant the onion in potting mix, root side down, and water as needed to keep the soil moist. The onion should be ready to harvest in several weeks. At that time, cut off the root end and grow yet another onion.

5. Ginger root – Plant a small chunk of ginger root in potting mix, with the buds facing up. Water as needed to keep the soil moist, and then harvest the entire plant, roots and all, in a few months. Grow ginger root indefinitely by saving a small chunk from the new root.

6. Garlic – If you’ve left a garlic clove a little too long and it’s sprouted, don’t throw it away. Just plant the clove in a pot with the root end facing down. When the clove is well-established and displays new growth, trim the shoots so that energy is concentrated on the clove. You can grow garlic this way indefinitely; just start a new garlic clove from the newly grown bulb.

7. Carrots – Unfortunately, you can’t grow new carrots with carrot tops, but you can use the lacy tops as an attractive garnish. Put the carrot tops in a tray or dish with a little water, cut sides down, and place the dish in bright sunlight. Check the carrot tops daily and replenish the water as needed. Snip off small amounts as often as needed.

8. Cilantro – It’s easy to start this pungent culinary herb by placing a few stems in a jar of water. When the stems root, plant them in a pot. The new plant will be ready to use in a few months.

What advice would you add? What vegetables would you have placed on our list? Share your ideas in the section below:

Every Year, Gardeners Make This Avoidable Mistake — But You Don’t Have To. Read More Here.