Awesome Avocados!

via Mark Hyman, MD: "Avocados, Eggplant and Pears target the health and function of the womb and cervix of the female-they also resemble these organs. Today's research shows that when a woman eats one avocado a week, it balances hormones and prevents cervical cancers. And how profound is this? It takes exactly nine 9 months to grow an avocado from blossom to ripened fruit."

Awesome Avocados!

If you know any person who suffers from dementia, or even someone who has a loved one who suffers from this condition, you will be happy to know that research out of Tufts University suggests that avocados are beneficial to brain health and function!  Plus, it's a healthy fat -- read a list of my top reasons to consume healthy fats!

Here are some easy way to try them!

Avocado and Mustard Roll-Up
Avocado and Crackers
Super-Easy Guacamole
Mexican Fiesta Bowl (2-Minute Friday Night Dinner)

A COLORFUL and tasty TOPPING for:

Healthy Mexican Lasagna
or
Chili (EASY chili recipe coming soon!)

Or even a DESSERT!

Power Pudding -- there are several flavors!
Try Chocolate Cherry Torte Mousse

Read about some other health benefits of avocados here!  For avocado ripening and storage check out #1 on Quick Tips for the Kitchen!

Or to try EGGPLANT and avocado together!  Try marinating some thick slices of eggplant in extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar and grilling. Top it with some fresh spinach and avocado slices -- delicious!  You can eat it just as it is or as a sandwich!

COMMENTS: Did you eat avocado as a kid?  I didn't ever eat it until I was an adult, and boy was I missing gout!  I remember my grandma liked guacamole, but I thought it looked gross!

18 Quick Tips for the Kitchen

NEVER let an expensive avocado go to waste again!  This post was inspired by an amazing blog that I just love called  100 Days of Real Food  !!  Lisa, the author, and her family have taken to the challenge of consuming all "real foods", as in whole foods, foods without a label, foods that aren't made by a factory.

I believe, Lisa and her family were inspired by the books of Michael Pollan, including In Defense of Food and Food Rules.  I highly recommend checking out Food Rules first, as it consists of some 50 "rules" with a simple paragraph to page of explanation -- in a matter of a few hours you can learn a lot about making really healthy food choices!  Following any ONE of these rules will likely lead you on your way to a whole new you!

100 Days of Real Food is a wonderful resource!  I have only began swimming through the amazing site!  Each post is so thoughtful, useful, rich, and complete!  I highly recommend you check it out right away, but first check out these QUICK TIPS FOR THE KITCHEN:

Photo from localharvest.org -- a wonderful website about CSA (Community Supported Agric.)

1. Once AVOCADOS (give to pressure), PEARS (softened), and BANANAS are ripe, you can put them in the fridge to stunt ripening -- banana peels will turn brown, but the fruit will stay just right!   AVOCADOS will stay perfect for up to 2 weeks!  Pretty cool since once ripe, avocados get nasty within a day or so.  Can't let expensive  AVOCADOS go to waste!

2. If brown peels aren't your thing, at least separate the  BANANA bunch apart to slow ripening.

3. Too speed  BANANA ripening, keep bananas in the closed paper or plastic bag.  If you add a ripe apple to the bag, the apple will give off gases that will further help with ripening.

4. Wrap fresh GINGER in a paper towel and store in plastic, air-tight container.

5. Always store TOMATOES at room temperature.

6. Knock on WATERMELONS -- choose one that sounds hollow -- always a great pick!

7. Once CANTALOUPE smells like cantaloupe it's ready to eat.

8. PINEAPPLE with lose bottom leaves is ready to eat.  THANK YOU  100 Days of Real Food  for this tip AND the ENTIRE POST IDEA!!

9. You can soak CELERY sticks, ASPARAGUS, and even LETTUCE in water to revive crispness.

10. Here is a new one for me!  Flip your SPINACH container in your fridge daily to keep it from wilting.   THANK YOU  100 Days of Real Food  !!

11. Wash fruits and veggies with a combination of vinegar and water to remove nearly all the pesticides and bacteria (1 part vinegar to 3 parts water).

12. Boiling the vinegar-water solution with a cinnamon stick to remove unpleasant or overpowering odors.  THANK YOU  100 Days of Real Food  !!

13. When preparing dinner, cut up some extra veggies to have ready in the fridge for quick and easy snacking.

14. DEFROST meat and other frozen foods safely ONLY THESE 3 ways: under cold running water, in the microwave, or in the refrigerator.

15. Non-instant OATS can be cooked in the microwave in just 2 minutes or so for a 1/2 c dry rolled oats.

16. Use silicone bakeware (muffin pans) or ice cube trays to freeze small quantities of food, pureed fruits and veggies (for baby food or muffins), PESTO SAUCE, pimentos (large can or jar divided), etc.  Transfer into resealable freezer bag, ready for use in a flash!

17. Rub your hands with stainless steel to get rid of ONION smell on your hands.

18. Test EGG spoilage by putting it in a bowl of water.  If it floats, bacteria has been busy contaminating the egg and producing gases, hence the floating.

19. Flip PEANUT BUTTER jars over for a couple of days before opening it, and you won't have to stir it up!  THIS tip is new to me -- I can't wait to try it!  THANK YOU  100 Days of Real Food  !!

One more thing about 100 Days of Real Food -- last month, it listed fresh-you on a list the site made called "Other Real Food Blogs".  This was SO very exciting!  I was thrilled and honored to be included, and the exposure from such a wildly popular website has been awesome!  I am so grateful to LISA (the blog's author), and LISA (a friend who told Lisa about fresh-you) for allowing me to REACH MORE PEOPLE!

It makes me so HAPPY to be able to help spread the word about simple ways that FOOD and HABITS can increase HEALTH, HAPPINESS, and of course QUALITY of LIFE to anyone who cares!  Check out the blog list!

IF YOU'D LIKE, WE'D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU!  Do you have tips to make time in the kitchen easier?  Please tell!

Top 5 Quick and Easy Baby Foods

Nutritious, Easy, and Fresh!

1. AVOCADO - cut one in half and grab a spoon!

2. BANANA - Open it, mash it a bit with a fork, and viola! Depending on age, they might just take chunks in their hand, or regular bites from a whole banana.

3. SWEET POTATO - stab one with a fork a few times, pop it in the micro for 5-8 min depending on size, 8 min for a huge potato. Let cool, cut open, and grab a spoon!

4. PLAIN regular or Greek YOGURT - it is SO much easier to get a child used to this taste early. What a favor you are doing him or her! It took me years of tasting a bit myself when I was feeding my little ones, to finally enjoy the taste!

5. Old Fashioned Oatmeal (rolled oats) - dump some in a microwave bowl, add water until oats are covered. Make sure bowl is large enough for oats to bubble up quite a bit; overflow can be a little messy! Cook for 2-3 minutes. Let cool, stir in some ground flax seed, even some chia seeds!, and cinnamon, and add a little milk.

Plus, a delicious and nutritious oatmeal recipe coming soon!

Try these, and HERE ARE SOME MORE IDEAS! See what you AND your baby think!?!?

Jars are a great convenience for when you are out and about, but when your at home with your child, why not take a few extra minutes to make something from the heart, that is more nutritious AND will save you money too! Don't worry -- we will get into more variety, but this is an easy place to start!

TELL ME IN A COMMENT -- Have you ever made baby food? Have you ever thought about trying? I sure love the money I save doing it, as well as knowing exactly what my child is eating!

Top 5 Reasons to Eat Healthy Fat

1. Healthy fats taste great, fill you up, and keep you satisfied longer!
2. Eating more healthy fats will speed up your metabolism AND specifically, your body's ability to burn FAT!
3. Healthy fats are the fats that make up your BRAIN!
4. Healthy fats are great for your skin and hair health!
5. Healthy fats are helpful to IMMUNE function and ANTI-INFLAMMATORY properties.

For more on the specific fat called omega-fats click HERE!

SO WHICH fats are HEALTHY fats? Avocados, nuts and seeds (especially walnuts, flax, and chia), nut butters, canola oil which is EVEN better than extra-virgin olive oil (a pretty good choice), and fish are BEST! Try some snacks with healthy fat: avocado and crackers, hummus on toast, PB&J Poppers, Cinnamon Cranberry Confections, or any of my Larabar ball flavors!

I prefer to focus on what TO EAT, rather than what to avoid! In case you aren't aware: fats FROM ANIMALS is an easy rule, so basically your meats, poultry, dairy, especially cheeses, should be avoided.

TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK!

Have you ever avoided fat because it is "bad for you"? Do you think "low-fat" foods are good for you? What other fads have you tried/heard about/laughed at?

I think it is hard the way nutrition information changes. Even when I learned about fat in college! avocados were at the top of the food pyramid to avoid!!!! That makes me feel old!

But really, all the nutrition information is finally coming together nicely, recommendations to eat whole foods are beneficial to every health problem, diabetes, arthritis, etc, every health aim, weight loss, etc., and I don't see how that could ever change! It's even being tested and proven by science which is what makes me a believer! Plus how I feel from my own experience :)