AVOCADOS - THE WONDER FRUIT

Unripe avocados 

Ripe avocado 

INTRODUCTION: Until, recently, most fruits and vegetables are eaten or consumed in various parts of the world, especially in developing countries,  just because they are tasty, yummy and filling, not necessarily because of its health benefits. Avocados are one of such fruits. In fact, even up till now, there are still a selected few that avocados are not their thing.

Avocados has come to play a great role in health, food and lifestyle in contemporary times.  It's numerous uses ranges from butter spread to smoothies; from salad dressing to additionals in meals like jellof rice etc,  and from beauty treatments to hair treatments and so on.

Avocados are rich in antioxidants, vitamins and minerals, protein, fiber and a host of other nutrients. It is said to contain over 20 different vitamins and minerals such as listed below:

COMPONENTS:

VITAMINS: The vitamin content of avocados are:

Vitamin A
Vitamin, C
Vitamin K
Vitamin E
Vitamin B family such as B5, B6
Vitamin B1 (thiamin)
Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) and
Vitamin B3 (naicin)
Folate or vitamin B9

MINERALS: The mineral content is as follows:

Potassium
Magnesium
Manganese
Phosphorus
Copper
Iron
Zinc etc

ANTIOXIDANTS: The major antioxidant content are :

Zutein
Zeaxanthin
Lutein
Beta Cryptoxanthin
Alpha carotene normally called A-carotene and
Beta carotene also called B-carotene.

PROTEIN AND FAT: Research has it that Avocados has approximately 2 grams of protein and 15 grams of healthy fat.  It has no cholesterol or sodium.

I guess the components of avocados above is sounding too scientific, don't worry about them,   I will just give you a run down of the basic health benefits and why you must incorporate avocados in your daily diet.

WHY YOU MUST EAT AVOCADOS-HEALTH BENEFITS:

Ripe and sliced avocado 

(1) REDUCES AND CONTROLS BLOOD PRESSURE: Avocados help to control and reduce blood pressure, this is mainly because of its potassium content,  Research has it that avocados has more potassium than bananas, that's about 975 milligram while bananas has 487milligram of potassium per large fruit. This means, it is rich in potassium which is good for blood pressure levels and therefore should be incorporated into the daily diet of the elderly.

(2) AIDS IN VISION OR EYE FRIENDLY: Avocados are rich in antioxidants that are eye friendly, such that  it improves eye health and vision. The antioxidants are as mentioned above, such as LUTEIN, ZUTEIN  and ZEAXANTHIN. These antioxidants has been linked in the reduction of cataracts and macular degeneration in the elderly. In a nutshell, make avocados part of your daily diet in order to help your vision.

(3) AIDS CELL REPAIR: Avocados are rich in FOLATE, which is also called folic acid or vitamin B9, it helps in cell repair and during pregnancy. It supports the nerve and immune functions. Hence eating avocado can help supply this.

(4) RICH IN THE B VITAMINS: Avocados are Rich in the B vitamins, and the B vitamins are known for their role in fighting diseases and infection.

(5) CANCER PREVENTION: The vitamins C and E contents of avocados help in cancer prevention, just like any other fiber packed foods and fruits.

(6) AIDS DIGESTION: It is no news that fiber rich foods facilitate digestion. They facilitate the metabolic process of the body, bearing in mind here that FIBER is that indigestible plant matter that can aid in weight loss and reduce blood sugar spikes, while acting as roughages in the metabolic process.

(7) AIDS WEIGHT LOSS: Avocados are rich in fiber,  hence it is filling and good for weight loss when served as a meal. This stems from the fact that about 75% of the fiber in avocados are insoluble fiber otherwise called indigestible fiber.

(8) LOWERS CHOLESTEROL LEVEL: Avocados has high fat content,  that is about 77% of the calories in the avocado are from fat. This fat found in avocados are good fat that helps lower bad cholesterol. It is a monosaturated fat in other words called OLEIC ACID

(9) REDUCE INFLAMMATION: The monosaturated fatty acid or oleic acid has been linked in reducing inflammation and genes linked to cancer. This means avocados are anti-inflammatory and anticancer to an extent.

(10) PROTEINOUS: Avocados are equally proteinous, research has it that the avocado fruit contains about 18 types of protein necessary for good health.

WHAT IS NEW?

EASY TO INCORPORATE IN ALL MEALS: I just discovered that the creamy and delicious nature of the avocados makes it easy to incorporate in most weight loss recipes  and healthy diet just as depicted in the picture below

Cabbage, cucumber, tomatoes and avocado 

Cabbage, cucumber, tomatoes and avocado

This  is just a mixture of veggies that are healthy and heart friendly.







GAS TRAP: Generally, green fruits ripen faster when tied up in a bag and kept in a dark environment. Avocado is one of such fruits that ripen fast in such environment,  especially amongst bananas and apples. However;  the big question is why?

The answer however is because, these fruits release ETHYLENE GAS; which is a naturally occurring plant hormone, so when released, the gas trapped in the bag facilitates the ripening of the fruit,  and in this case the avocado.

AVOCADO JUICE OR SMOOTHIES: Avocados can be made into different smoothies or juice, depending on taste and desire.  It could range from a combination of avocado and watermelon mixed together with a touch of ginger for flavour,  to avocado, pineapple smoothie with still a touch of ginger flavour.  A smoothie of avocado, Pineapple and bananas is also made, it all depends on taste and desire as mentioned earlier. Here is a recipe  of how to make avocado juice

HOW TO MAKE AVOCADO JUICE:

INGREDIENT:
1 ripe avocado
1 cup milk
1 tabsp honey to taste

METHOD:

(1) Cut your avocado and put in a blender

(2) Add your 1cup of milk

(3) Add your spoon of honey

(4) Blend till it is smooth

(5) Chill and serve or serve with ice cubes.

NOTES: It must be noted here that avocado juice or smoothie also nourishes the skin and complexion. To achieve this, just drink one cup of avocado juice daily and watch your skin complexion glow

AVOCADO IN HAIR AND BEAUTY TREATMENT:

 The benefits of avocados in cosmetology are equally extensive. It ranges from skin care to hair and scalp care or treatment, from face mask treatments to hair mask and shampoo etc.

AVOCADO FACE MASK: A face mask of avocado can help moisturize your face, skin, treat sunburns, reduce wrinkles, fades scars and spots and slows down the aging process.

Research has it that the oils of avocado are closely related to the natural oil of the skin, so the oil of avocado will help moisturize the skin, reduce inflammation and blemishes, which results into  a glowing skin.

AVOCADO FACE MASK : METHOD-
(1) Mash avocado
(2) Apply on face
(3) Leave for 15-20mins
(4) Wash out and enjoy a beautifying healthy and glowing skin.

AVOCADO HAIR CARE: Avocados are being incorporated into hair products today because of its benefits to hair. Avocado shampoos are easily available in shops and supermarts all over the world, this is because of its ability to repair damage and brittle hair.

AVOCADO HAIR MASK : This treats a brittle and dry hair.

INGREDIENTS:
1 ripe avocado
1 egg yolk

1 tabsp coconut oil

METHOD:
(1) Mash avocado
(2) Add the egg yolk and coconut oil
(3) Mix thoroughly till it blends
(4) Massage mixture into hair and scalp
(5) Leave for 15-20mins
(6) Wash with the help of a shampoo and  conditioner, then experience a lustrous and shiny hair.

HAIR REVITALIZATION: You can revitalize your hair just by massaging your hair and scalp with one mashed avocado, leave for 15-20mins, then rinse and enjoy a revitalized and nourished hair.

AVOCADO SEED:

Avocado seed

It appears everything about avocados are useful, even the seed.  Research has it that the seed of avocados are used for the the treatment of dandruff.  The seed, when dried is ground into a powder and used for dandruff treatment. For best results, use coconut oil to mix the ground powder and massage evenly into the scalp.  Wash out with a shampoo and dry.

AVOCADO HAND AND LEG SCRUB:

To exfoliate and moisturize your hands and legs, you can actually make your own home made scrub. HOW? Below is how

INGREDIENTS:

1 ripe avocado
1/2 cup of sugar or ground oats

METHOD:

(1) Mash your avocado
(1) Mix with sugar or oats as the case may be
(3) Rub gently into your hands and feet
(4) Leave for 5-10mind
(5) Wash off without soap.

RESULT: The mixture will remove dead skin cells from hands and feet and will moisturize and nourish your hands and feet leaving them feeling silky, smooth and glowing.

In all, avocados are rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants which are heart, eye, hair and skin friendly, such as A-carotene, B-carotene, Zeaxanthin, Lutein and so many others. They protect the skin from environmental damage that leads to wrinkles, fine lines and visible signs of aging. They also protect the eye and safe guards the heart. In the same vain, vitamins are generally skin friendly especially vitamins C and E. High amounts of carotenoids, which are free radical quenching compounds in a diet has been shown to improve the skin and general appearance; therefore incorporating avocados in your daily diet is a sure way to a glowing skin and a healthy lifestyle.