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!

Power Pudding!

LOVE pudding? Now you can make pudding in minutes, and eat it GUILT-FREE! This idea was inspired by a lovely treat I saw on Dr Oz called Decadent Chocolate Fix! AND by a great recipe one awesome reader tried simply called Avocado Chocolate Pudding :) Thank you, LISA!!

And thank you JESS at www.forgivingmartha.com for the lovely photo above!

When you try POWER PUDDING, you'll be even be healthier after eating the recipe! Read more about the healthiness! Learn about HEALTHY fat and specifically AVOCADOS and NUTS (in the Brownie Bites) and COCOA!

Try any LARABALL flavor! to make this yummy pudding, mousse, custard!

1 avocado
1/2 c non-dairy milk of choice
1 recipe of Laraballs

Simply blend all ingredients in a food processor until smooth. Some like to chill pudding for a few minutes, but after that, it's best eaten right away -- enjoy!

Recipe serves 4 (about 1/2 c each).

SO far, I have made it with CHOCOLATE flavors since the unsweetened cocoa disguises the green color of the avocado.

So far, we've enjoyed these PUDDING FLAVORS: choco-peanut crunch, skinny mint, and chocolate cherry torte!

I'm sure Brownie Bites will also be delicious!

I'm not sure about non-chocolate-ie flavors...if you dare to try one, please SHARE YOUR RESULTS!

WHAT DO YOU THINK? Do you like pudding? Custard? Mousse? Do you like different flavors?

Easy Sandwich Snack!

Hungry?

Try this quick snack!

Simply chop half an avocado and spread it on your bread of choice -- whole grain!

Add generously good old-fashioned regular mustard!

Great with the roll-up (above is a piece of Multi-Grain Flatout!) heated 10-15 sec for a warm treat,

or by toasting a Whole Wheat Bagel Thin!

Multi-Grain Flatout bread is awesome!  Just 100 calories, 8 g fiber, 9 g protein, omega-3 fats, no saturated or trans fat, a huge variety of grains from bulgar to millet to rye to oats and more!

Enlisting help from the little ones increases the chance they'll eat it all up!

Toddler EATING TIP: Read them a book, reading another page with each eaten bite.

If there is a challenging food on the plate, a page is earned with a bite of that food.

For more Picky Eater Tips click HERE.

You likely know by now that AVOCADO is a HEALTHY FAT

full of FIBER (~10g per whole fruit - yes it's a fruit!) and 

They are among the HIGHEST fruit sources of vitamin E (an ANTIOXIDANT), folate (this is key for potential MOMMYS), potassium (higher levels in diet correlate with lower blood pressure), and magnesium.

Let's discuss MAGNESIUM tonight: it's important for having a healthy blood pressure, overall cardiovascular function, blood sugar control, bone health, and may be helpful with migraines!

Check out this comparison to butter and cheddar (UNhealthy fats).

This chart is from www.avocado.org/nutrition

For MORE avocado BENEFITS click HERE!

One more thing: MUSTARD!

Did you know it is healthy for you?  Did you know why?

Mustard is a RICH source of TURMERIC!

Top 3 Reasons TURMERIC (which contains CURCUMIN) is good for your health!

1. Powerful anti-inflammatory: this can help about every part/system of our bodies -- we're all inflamed :~

(this is a link to a nice summary of the research on Tumeric from University of Maryland Medical Center)

2. Powerful antioxidant ~ helpful in many ways,
including preventing a variety of cancers, aging, and more!

3. Makes platelets less likely to clump and clot (like CHOCOLATE and ASPIRIN!)

Ok, that's it for now, go enjoy a nice avocado and mustard roll-up now!

WHAT DO YOU THINK?  Can you replace other fats with avocado?  What creative ways can you think of to do this?

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 :)

Tasty 2 Ingredient Snack!

Try plain avocado slices on Low-Fat Triscuits. This is a very SATISFYING snack. We often have it while waiting on dinner to be ready in the evening.  Try this HEALTHY FAT today!  Ever wonder why and which fat is healthy?

My kids even love the avocado in scoops without any crackers! They'll each eat half an avocado in a few quick minutes. It's awesome brain-food and it's easy and delicious too!

When you're BUYING an avocado, be sure that it's nice and firm. Let it sit out in your kitchen for a few days, so it softens and gives slightly to gentle pressure.

Once it is ripe, you can EAT IT or put it in the REFRIGERATOR until you are ready to eat it -- this is a trick to prevent further ripening. They'll stay perfect for up to two weeks! Avocados are too expensive to be throwing away!

Also, you'll want to prepare it just before you eat it, as it does quickly become oxidized upon being cut. Enjoy!

Here is another snack to enjoy: hummus and cucumber on toast!

COMING SOON! Guacamole pizza, tasty sandwiches, and even a chocolatey dessert!

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WHAT DO YOU THINK? TELL ME IN A COMMENT: Do you like avocado? What is your favorite way to eat it? If you ever didn't like it, what was it that changed your mind? Did you have it as a kid? I never tried it until I was out of college! Boy, was I missing out!

3 Ingredient, Healthy, Late-Night Snack

Simply toast a bagel-thin (fiber-rich with only 100 calories per bagel).

Spread it generously with hummus, and top with cucumber slices! Whole wheat bread is the way to go!

Hummus contains the superfoods: beans (garbanzo), nuts (sesame seed paste called tahini), and garlic! The fiber, healthy fat, and protein combination will allow you to be satisfied without going wild with a huge late-night meal!

Try Heavenly Hummus!

 These three nutrients: fiber, healthy fat, and protein should all be included in every meal! They help you feel full sooner and satisfied longer, and keep your blood sugar levels steady.

 Regarding hummus, you can make your own cheaply, easily, and it's delicious and fresh! Or if you go to Costco, you could buy a large tub of it (shown in pic) for a better deal than at any grocery store. It tastes EXACTLY like our recipe, SO we have opted, lately, for the convenience option. The ingredients list is wonderful!

 


















Or you could make these cutie-pie little sandwiches :)

TELL ME IN A COMMENT: DO you eat late night snacks? DO you always crave the same thing? Do you ever notice it's happened when you didn't eat much for dinner? I tend to get hungry if I stay up a lot later than usual, and over the holidays, I have been staying up much too late!

PB and Banana Sandwiches!

This old-fashioned breakfast sandwich makes a really healthy meal any time of day! Great toasted, and with a cold glass of almond milk! It will keep you going strong for Christmas shopping all morning long!

Make sure to make it with 100% whole wheat bread and natural peanut butter! Here is a link to see more about the benefits of peanut butter and a treat called PB&J Poppers!

For the bread, be sure that you see the word "WHOLE" first on the list of ingredients following the nutrition facts.

Natural peanut butter is free of any trans fats!

The best varieties only contain PEANUTS in the ingredients list. Sometimes salt is added, but avoid brands that add sugar by any name! These may include honey, cane syrup, etc.

And viola!

The meal your grandma used to make is ready to enjoy!

To read about healthy fat click here!

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WHAT DO YOU THINK? Did you eat these sandwiches as a kid? What other meals do you remember from your childhood? Have you made them for your kids?

PB&J Poppers!

Craving peanut butter? No worries! It's a healthy fat that speeds up your fat-burning and overall metabolism! It's a great source of protein and FIBER, as well. Peanuts also provide vitamin E, folate, and magnesium.  For more on benefits of NUTS click HERE!

Be sure to eat "natural" PB; this is peanut butter with an ingredients list that includes only one or two items: peanuts, and perhaps salt.

PB and J Poppers

GRAB YOUR FOOD CHOPPER and whip some up!

1/2 c peanuts

1/2 c unsweetened raisins

1/4 c ground flaxseeds

Add 1/2 tsp chia seeds for an added nutritional punch!

Blend together until mixture begins to clump and then shape into balls! Addicting! For more hints about how to make these yummy treats, click here. Here is carrot cake flavor!  You can learn about Laraballs here!

"Like" the fresh-you Facebook page here!

WHAT DO YOU THINK? Tell me in a comment below: do you like some other version of PBJ? Grape or strawberry jelly? Jam? Add dried fruit or nuts inside? Almond butter instead? Perhaps peanut butter and butter (Earth Balance spread) like my oldest daughter?

PB&J Poppers!

Craving peanut butter? No worries! It's a healthy fat that speeds up your fat-burning and overall metabolism! It's a great source of protein and FIBER, as well. Peanuts also provide vitamin E, folate, and magnesium.  For more on benefits of NUTS click HERE!

Be sure to eat "natural" PB; this is peanut butter with an ingredients list that includes only one or two items: peanuts, and perhaps salt.

PB&J Poppers

GRAB YOUR FOOD CHOPPER and whip some up!

1/2 c peanuts

1/2 c unsweetened raisins

1/4 c ground flaxseed

Add 1/2 tsp chia seeds for an added nutritional punch!

Blend together until mixture begins to clump and then shape into balls! Addicting! For more hints about how to make these yummy treats, click here. Here is carrot cake flavor!  You can learn about Laraballs here!

"Like" the fresh-you Facebook page here!

WHAT DO YOU THINK? Tell me in a comment below: do you like some other version of PBJ? Grape or strawberry jelly? Jam? Add dried fruit or nuts inside? Almond butter instead? Perhaps peanut butter and butter (Earth Balance spread) like my oldest daughter?