Welcome to My World – The Wonderful Avocado!
Hello World! I hope you all had great holidays & for those of you celebrating Kwanzaa – Joyous Kwanzaa! 
I promised to talk about the wonderful avocado & today I will. Did you know that avocados are a fruit, not a vegetable? I love avocados & eat them almost daily.
Guacamole lovers, rejoice! It turns out that not only is avocado super delicious, but you can enjoy your avocado without the guilt thanks to its mix of healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals.
Health Benefits of This Incredible Superfruit
Some people avoid avocados due to their high fat content. Most of us know by now that avocados have the kind of fat that actually help you lose weight!
Avocados are bursting with other health benefits too. They’re strongly associated with fertility & aphrodisiacs &, as a result, the Aztecs would lock up virgin daughters during avocado harvest time to keep them safe.
10 Avocado Benefits 
1. Nutrient-dense fruit: they are actually a large berry with one seed. One avocado contains approximately 1/3 of the daily requirement of vitamin K & folate, lots of pantothenic acid, vitamin B6 & vitamin C.
Avocado has twice the potassium of a banana. It also contains vitamin E, niacin, & riboflavin. That is definitely nutrient-dense!
2. A Source of Healthy Fat
They help increase good cholesterol. Avocados are full of fat, but adding avocados to the diet can increase HDL & decrease triglycerides.
3. Help Cure Cancer: The glutathione found in avocados has been found to help prevent some kinds of cancers. Researchers found extracts from Hass avocados kill or stop the growth of pre-cancerous cells that lead to oral cancer. Avocado extract was found to inhibit prostate cancer
4. Excellent as a First Baby Food: Dr. William Sears puts it as #1 on the top ten list of fruits for babies because avocado nutrition is well-suited for a baby’s growing development.
5. Stabilize Blood Sugar Levels: Avocado slows digestion which keeps blood sugar from spiking after a meal.
avocado salad
6. Avocados Can Protect Unborn Babies: One avocado provides 1/3 of your recommended daily intake of folate, which helps form a baby’s brain & nervous system. The USDA recommends avocados as one of the best sources for some of the nutrients needed when pregnant.
7. Improve Eyesight: 
The high amount of lutein & zeaxanthin in avocados can protect your eyes from age-related macular degeneration & improve your vision. One ounce of avocado contains 81 micrograms of lutein.
8. Have Low Pesticide Levels: “Avocados were the cleanest: only 1% of avocado samples showed any detectable pesticides. “ The thick skin of the avocado protects it from absorbing pesticides.***
9. Help With Weight Loss: It was found that those who ate 1/2 of a fresh avocado with their lunch had a 40 percent less desire to eat for 3 hours after lunch, & a 28% less desire to eat 5 hours after as compared with those who ate lunch with no avocado.
10. Good for Sexual Health and Fertility: They are rich in Vitamin B6 & folic acid which regulate sexual hormone functions. Also, vitamin B6 & potassium boost testosterone production in males. Rich, heart healthy fats keep your heart beating strong making sure that blood is flowing to the right places.
Perhaps those Spanish priests were on to something when they banned their parishioners from eating avocados. Avocados were a fertility fruit for the Aztecs & used as an aphrodisiac by the Mayans. Old folklore mentions the Aztecs would lock up virgin daughters during avocado harvest time to keep them safe from farmers who may be sexually-aroused from eating too many avocados.
Bonus: Great for Beauty Treatments 
The glutamine amino acid in avocados helps cleanse your skin & offers it enough protection against harsh environmental factors. D-manno-heptulose found in avocados has been shown to boost collagen formation. Their specific amino acids & carotenoid anti-oxidants can help reduce age spots & heal scars & burns.
Avocado Recipes
1. Avocado Corn Cups – Who needs a bowl when you can eat a yummy, organic corn salad right out of an avocado? 
2. Avocado Pudding – This might sound a little iffy, but avocado makes a great base for pudding! Just toss it in the blender with some cocoa powder & the liquid sweetener of your choice. If you need more deets, check out these ideas for making avocado pudding.
3. Vegan Avocado Alfredo Sauce – Who needs butter and cream? Make a decadent alfredo sauce with avocado as the base instead!
4. Creamy Avocado Potato Salad – 
Mashed replaces the mayo in this healthy, tasty side dish.
5. Avocado & Pomegranate Salad – 2 superfoods team up in this delicious salad. 
Related Reading: Superfood: 10 Delicious Pomegranate Recipes
6. Avocado Reuben Sandwich – Talk about decadent! 
7. Vegan Enchiladas with Cilantro Avocado Cream Sauce – I’ve always said that avocado is perfect for mimicking the creaminess of cheese, & this recipe proves it!
8. Avocado & Basil Mayonnaise – The avocado base for this recipe gives you the creaminess of mayo without any high cholesterol eggs.
9. Mexican Pizza – Another delicious example of avocado standing in for saturated fat-laden cheese!
10. Avocado Lime Cupcakes – The avocado adds a bit of richness to these decadent vegan cupcakes. 
Do you have a favorite way to eat avocado? Let’s share more recipes and tips in the comments!