Wednesday 2 October 2013

Avococo Anytime Smoothie




Avocado's are definitely my favourite food. They are so delicious and have endless health benefits. The one very exciting take-away from the book I'm reading - The pH Miracle by Dr Robert and Shelley Young - is how close to the perfect food avocados are (there were a few disappointing take-aways too i.e corn = fungus, AVOID! - more on that some other time). In the words of Dr. Young: "Avocados are an alkalising, energising, hydrating fuel for your body". The fruit (technically yes!) is a great source of protein, monounsaturated fats, essential fatty acids (emphasis on essential not fatty), beneficial plant sterols, chlorophyll, and a broad range of micronutrients. All the while having no starch, very little sugar and being the most easily digested rich source of fats and protein in a whole food. They provide more protein than cow's milk containing all of the essential amino acids - the building blocks of protein.

Lets talk about why these monounsaturated and fatty acids are so essential. Firstly the good fats help in cellular construction and lower cholesterol - people moan a lot about cholesterol hey? They are a much better energy source for the body to burn fuel then sugar (or even protein) which leave an acidic ash waste in the blood. Despite the common misconception that avocados are just so calorific they can actually help with weight loss thanks to a compound called oleoylethanolamide (OEA - excuse the jargon, this guy is a doctor after all so does get a bit technical). The fatty unsaturated acid oleic acid (found in avocados) stimulate the production of this compound OEA which suppresses appetite by telling the brain YOU ARE FULL.

On top of loving the taste you can see why I look forward to making my morning smoothies every day. As long as I have an avocado as my base I can work with anything. I've been reverting to this very simple recipe for a few days now. It combines three of my favourite tastes - avocado, coconut and lemon. Warning: if you are not used to eating a lot of lemon then maybe add gradually according to taste.




Ingredients (serves 1):

1 large avocado

1 cup of almond milk

1/2 lemon, peeled and pipped

juice of the other 1/2 lemon

1 tablespoon of coconut oil

1 teaspoon of wheatgrass (or any green powder - barley/wheat grass, spirulina etc.)

1 tablespoon of chia seeds

Blend all the ingredients until thick and creamy, then sprinkle some nuts/seeds on top and enjoy! If the above combination doesn't completely do it for you then experiment with other healthy additions such as cacao nibs, almond butter, coconut oil, spinach, kale, cacao powder, blueberries... 





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