Holy guacamole! Avocados are good for your body and for your beauty. This green goodie is a good fat too, so go ahead and indulge. And buy an extra avocado for some home spa treatments. Read on for my favorite and always-requested guac recipe, a home spa treatment and a few avocado-enhanced beauty products that I found.
Before I break out the yummy recipe for my favorite guacamole dip, let’s first discuss why avocados are so good for the body.
*Avocados are rich in heart-healthy monounsaturated fat, the good fat. Plus this green fruit gives you Vitamin E and other vitamins and minerals. And Kellie Collins, author of “501 Easy Health Tips” says to add avocado oil to your salad and your body will better absorb the beneficial antioxidants that tomatoes provide. Good to know.
*For good skin, author Lisa Dryer, M.A., R.D.’s book called “The Beauty Diet” says that avocado oil has the highest concentration of any plant oil and that it is also antibacterial. Dryer also points out the Vitamin E benefits and says that avocado oil lubricates and nourishes skin.
*Although an avocado is the fattiest fruit on earth, avocados have more soluble fiber and protein than any other fruit. The book, “Food Cures” by Reader’s Digest says that half a medium avocado gives you more potassium than a banana.
The good fat that an avocado gives the body actually can lower your cholesterol and the “Food Cures” book says that researchers found that by replacing just 5% of your calories from a saturated fat like butter, with the monounsaturated fat that an avocado gives you, just might slash the risk of a heart attack by more than a third.
So now that we’ve discussed the health benefits of an appealing avocado, here is my favorite guacamole recipe that my friends request every time. Then later in the article we will look at some home beauty remedies and a few avocado-infused beauty products.
Great Guac Recipe
Ingredients:
Trader Joe’s guacamole kit
(Trader’s Joe Kit includes 2 avocados, 1 tomato, 1 lime, 2 garlic cloves, 1 shallot and 1 jalapeno pepper. I buy the spice packet at Safeway. )
1/2 package of McCormick Produce Partners Great Guacamole Mix – Spicy
Half of a chopped up cucumber
1. Chop and mix all of the ingredients from the Trader Joe’s kit. Add the cucumber, too. My friend suggested that I add cucumber for the texture and it is good! Squeeze the lime juice into the mixture.
2. Next pour in half of the McCormick packet and save the other half for next time. Since the kit comes with a jalapeno pepper, half of the spicy packet is plenty.
Serve with chips for a yummy appetizer that your guests will eat up and love. I use the leftover guac the next day to add to my breakfast burritos. Plus, to see my trick that keeps it perfectly green every time, watch the segment.
And our show producer, Charlene, has an even faster recipe that she highly recommends. She says to buy the Trader Joe’s premade guacamole that is called Avocado’s Number One Guacamole. Combine the Trader Joe’s brand with chopped tomatoes, some chopped cilantro and a squeeze of lime. She also recommends adding chopped red onions if you like oniony guacamole. Charlene says that this easy recipe is zesty, yummy and all natural!
An Easy Homemade Avocado Beauty Idea
I had heard of facial masks and hair conditioners made with avocado, but I had not thought of a body butter until I did some research for this article. A cool website called www.sheknows.com is packed with beauty news that also includes a simple skin recipe that calls for one avocado.
Website author Kori Ellis says to remove the avocado pit and skin, then mash avocado up in a small bowl. Then slather the mixture all over your body, paying attention to rough spots like knees, elbows and heels. Leave on from 20 minutes then rinse with cool water. So easy, so good for your skin and so inexpensive. I love this!
Avocado-Infused Beauty Products
My favorite beauty consultant at my local Walgreen’s turned me on to several beauty products that are infused with avocado and she says that these items are customer favorites.
*Garnier has several products that include Pro Vitamin B5 and avocado oil that moisturizes and enriches the scalp and the skin. These products include the Garnier Skin Renew Anti-Puff Eye Roller, the Skin Renew Brusher Gel-Cleanser and the Nutrisse Nourishing Color Crème hair color kit.
I’m a big fan of the Organix shampoo and conditioner line because the products are sulfate and paraben free. The Organix Nutritional Acai Berry Avocado Shampoo is one of my favorites. I found all of these products at Walgreen’s. And be sure to ask the Walgreen’s beauty consultant for the Spring Beauty Guide that has over $25 worth of coupons inside.
So from head to toe, avocados are the way to go! What avocado recipes or products do you like? Share here in the comments section and the next time you go to eat your greens, enjoy a heart-healthy avocado!
