Avocado Smoothie

A beautiful pear-shaped green fruit with smooth flesh that is loaded with healthy fat…  although, botanically, this fruit is said to be a berry. When I say Avocado, I’m not talking about these quick-growing for-export tiny elegant looking varieties, no. I’m talking about the giant ancient trees that you find in pockets of Afrika, which produce fruit that are the size of a young child’s head and that ripen to a deep black color with creamy smooth flesh. That’s the avocado I grew up knowing. The name avocado apparently comes from the Nahua people of Mexico and Central America and means testicles, possibly in reference to their shape.

Avocado fruit (berries) have both poly and monounsaturated fats, both of which are said to be really good for the body in providing the tools for building cell membranes, helping clot blood, reducing inflammation, fighting cancer, enabling muscle movement, enabling the body to absorb fat soluble anti-oxidants and lowering the risk of heart disease.

Avocados also have antioxidants, folate (great for expectant and breast-feeding moms), copper, lutein, Vitamins K, A, E, C, D, lecithin, beta carotene, and B6, fiber, protein, magnesium and apparently more potassium than bananas. You can cook with them, eat them raw, use them to thicken your smoothies or apply the creamed flesh to your skin as an indulgent face mask, and even make a lovely green nutritious oil from their flesh.

Avocados are great for your brain health and memory, digestion, mood, eyes, gums, joints, blood pressure, metabolism, liver and can even help prevent food poisoning. It has been said say that they can trigger migraines in some people, and that you should be careful with them if you are allergic to latex… so keep this in mind as you indulge.

For a quick avocado-based smoothie recipe you can try:

Use half or quarter of an avocado (depending on how large an avo you have and how thick you want this)

One large banana

Half a ripe mango

A slice of sweet pineapple

The juice of one delicious orange

Blend and enjoy.

You can also add nuts and berries if you like or make this an all green smoothie by using avocado, a green apple and fresh, organic kale instead of the other ingredients; although this could be tweaked with a little fresh ginger and a dash of fresh orange juice. There is no limit except what’s in your pantry and in your heart.