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Behold! The
Mighty Avocado!
Name: Avocado, aka
"Alligator Pears," "Poor Man's Butter"
Birthplace: Central America
Recurring Role: Guacamole
Surprise Appearances: Energy Soup - One of the 4 "Healing Foods"
Biggest Misconceptions:
#1: An avocado is a
vegetable—actually it's a fruit.
#2: Avocados are high in fat and therefore unhealthy. Wrong again. Avocados
contain just 5 grams of fat per serving. Of this amount, 3 grams, or 60 percent,
is heart-healthy monounsaturated fat.
Avocados are a great
source of monounsaturated fat, which studies have shown reduces serum
cholesterol levels when substituted for saturated fats. This nutrient-dense
fruit also provides dietary fiber, vitamins B6, C, and E, and folate and
potassium (60 percent more potassium per ounce than bananas). Rich in the
antioxidant glutathione, avocados help in the fight against cancer by preventing
free radicals from infiltrating cells and changing their DNA. A true superfood,
avocados are a healthy addition to the diets of babies, kids, athletes and
diabetics.
There are many varieties
of avocado, but the most popular and widely available is the Hass (rhymes with
"pass") avocado, accounting for 80 percent of consumption. It's an
oval-shaped fruit with pebbly skin that turns from green to purplish-black when
ripe.
When purchasing avocados,
look for fruit that yields to gentle pressure. If you're planning to use it
several days later, look for firmness. Don't rely on skin color to determine
ripeness. The Hass will darken as it ripens, but other varieties such as the
Fuerte and the Reed remain green when ripe. To speed the ripening process, place
the avocados in a paper bag at room temperature until ready to eat
(approximately two to five days). Placing an apple in the bag can speed the
process up even more.
The California Avocado
Commission suggests the following when peeling avocados:
- 1. Cut the ripe avocado
lengthwise around the seed. Twist the halves to separate.
2. Remove the seed by sliding a spoon underneath and lifting out.
3. Peel the fruit by placing the cut side down and removing the skin with a
knife or your fingers, or scoop out the meat with a spoon.
4. Be sure to sprinkle all cut surfaces with lemon juice, lime juice or white
vinegar to prevent discoloration.
Avocado:
(From: The Secret Life of the Avocado)
The avocado is an ideal
food. A 1 lb avocado supplies 70% of an average adult's daily needs of vitamin
C, a fifth of needed vitamins A, B1, B2, a third of the requirements of vitamin
B3 and much of the minerals iron, phosphorous, and magnesium.
For about 480 calories,
12% is oil and 8% carbohydrate… more like a nut than a fruit. The fats occur
in simple easily assimilated molecules, which are cholesterol-free and low in
sodium.
The essential fatty acids
in the avocado remain unrefined and retain the nitrogen compounds that act as
chemical "tags" to let the liver know how to break them down and use
them.
The fats in avocados will
not be turned into adipose tissue; they become energy reserves, lining membranes
for the nerves. This is true of the carbohydrates in the avocado, which are
complex carbohydrates the body know what to do with. Avocados are an ideal food
because they are a complete food. |
