Avocados

 I have always been a fan of guacamole but only ate it occasionally, usually when I had Mexican cuisine at a resturant. As for the avocado it was always that product you looked at and handled at the market but was afraid to actually eat.

How things change! Adhering to paleo nutrition I have no choice but experimenting with foodstuffs to round out my grain/dairy/legume free diet. It began with the purchase of Yucatan brand guacamole, using it as a dip for vegetables and a condiment for salads. Delicious!

I then took the next step and educated myself on the avocado and then purchased some product once I discovered how to determine when it is ripe and how to make my own guacamole....dead easy by the way.

It is also a superfood. Loaded with Oleic acid avocados help defend against cancers, heart disease, high cholesterol and strokes. High in vitamin E it also promotes eye health by preventing macular degeneration and cataracts. What stoked me was this fact.........

"Research has found that certain nutrients are absorbed better when eaten with avocado. In one study, when participants ate a salad containing avocados, they absorbed five times the amount of carotenoids (a group of nutrients that includes lycopene and beta carotene) than those who didn't include avocados."

Nice. Take advantage of avocado and add some to your diet to maximize your nutrient intake by eating the ripe avocados or guacamole. I now enjoy the ripe vegetable by eating it with a spoon in it's "natural" biodegradable bowl....the skin.