I Love Meat but I Eat Vegan: My Love For Avocado

I had such a love for avocados when I was a little girl. My grandpa would give me slices of avocado with a sprinkle of salt on top as a snack. Years passed and I forgot my love for avocados and would rarely eat one. After switching over to eating like a vegan I have renewed my love for avocados. I didn't realize all the different uses for them and all the nutritional benefits.

Interesting facts:

Avocados have 60% more potassium than bananas.
Avocado intake has been shown to have a beneficial effect on blood serum cholesterol levels.
Avocados provide nearly 20 essential nutrients, including fiber, potassium, Vitamin E, Vitamin K, B-vitamins and folic acid. They also act as a "nutrient booster" by enabling the body to absorb more fat-soluble nutrients, such as alpha and beta-carotene and lutein, in foods that are eaten with the fruit.

Here's a chart comparison between using an avocado vs. other spreads........

Reference: USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 18 (2005) and FDA Food Labeling Guidelines for Voluntary Nutrition Labeling of Raw Fruits, Vegetable and Fish (Vol. 71, No. 159); Appendix C to Part 101 – Nutrition Facts for Raw Fruits and Vegetables (2006).

^{How to Select and Store:

Ripe Avocados should be slightly soft when pressed gently. Avoid overripe avocados with brown meat. These are the ones that are overly mushy as well. If you have a firm avocado, then you can put it into a paper bag to ripen faster (thanks for teaching me this Celine). Be sure not to refrigerate your avocado until they are ripe. If you want to prolong the shelf life of your prepared avocado you should store with the pit touching the mashed avocado.}
^{Some ideas for using avocado for an inexpensive spa treatment........}

Hair Conditioner Recipe: Combine mashed avocado with some coconut milk. Comb it through the hair and let sit for 10 -15 minutes, rinse out.
Face Mask Recipe (for dry skin): Combine 1 Avocado with 2 tsp. of extra virgin olive oil. Apply to face avoiding area around eyes. Leave on for 10 minutes and rinse off with cool water.