3 Amazing Recipes That Avocado Fans Will Love

Gone are the days that avocados are consumed as is or is used mainly as an ingredient for guacamole. Today, you can see this healthy fruit being used in soups, salads and even sandwiches. Avocados contain plenty of healthy fats, fiber, vitamins B6, E and K as well as minerals such as copper and potassium. They're good for cardiovascular support, blood sugar regulation, prevention of inflammation and may other health benefits.

Here are 3 delicious avocado recipes that are worth a try:

Tasty Herbed Avocado Dip

What you need:

• 1 large avocado, peeled and pitted
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup chopped seeded cucumber
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• Salt and ground black pepper to taste

Photo: Citnutritionally.com

In a blender or food processor, mix together avocado, garlic, cucumber, lemon juice and sour cream. Pulse until ingredients are well blended then transfer mixture into a bowl. Season with cilantro, mint, red pepper, salt and black pepper. Stir until mixture is creamy. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve - can be used as a dipping sauce or a sandwich dressing.

Chicken Soup with Avocado and Lime

What you need:

• 1 avocado, peeled, pitted and diced
• 1 tomato, seeded and diced
• 1 white onion, thinly sliced
• 8 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 4 jalapeno peppers, sliced
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 4 6-inch corn tortillas, julienned and baked
• 1 cup thin strips of boneless chicken breast halves
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Photo: Womenfitness.net

Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat then cook onion, garlic, jalapeno until tender, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add tomato, chicken broth, chicken strips, lime juice, salt and pepper and simmer for about 5 minutes. When chicken is cooked, stir in avocado and cilantro and heat through. Transfer to soup bowls and top with tortilla strips before serving.

Avocado-Strawberry Green Salad

What you need:

• 1 avocado, peeled, pitted and sliced
• 10 strawberries, sliced
• 2 cups torn salad greens
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• 4 teaspoons honey

Photo: Maxandlulacook.com

Combine avocado, strawberry, salad greens and pecans in a bowl. To make the dressing, whisk together olive oil, sugar, lemon juice, cider vinegar and honey in a separate bowl and drizzle the mixture over salad. Toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Whether you're a fan of avocados or not, you'll definitely enjoy these delicious avocado recipes!

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Switching To Plant-Based Eating Is Not As Hard As You Think

A healthy plant-based diet is not really all that different from a healthy omnivorous diet. If you are thinking about transitioning to a plant-based diet or wanting to incorporate more plant-based food into your nutrition, it's much easier than you may think.

A healthy diet, whether you eat only plants or combine plants with meat, consists of a healthy emphasis on fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, whole grains, beans and legumes. Even those who call themselves vegetarians or vegans can eat unhealthy by not choosing the best plants to eat. For example, pizza and ice cream (for those who eat dairy) are vegetarian foods, but they are not healthy choices. Structuring your nutrition properly is important, and the basis of that should be around whole natural foods.

The largest difference between an omnivorous diet (one that contains meat) and a plant-based diet is where your protein is coming from. Other than that, 80% of the diet is going to be the same (because that's what everyone should be focusing on). Many people eat meat 2-3 times per day. The best place to start is to limit your meat consumption to 2-3 times per week.

The biggest myth in eating a plant-based diet is that you do not get enough protein since you are not eating meat. There are plenty of ways to get great protein sources from plant-based foods. The one food that has the most protein you will find is tempeh (soy protein). One cup of tempeh has as much as 41 grams of protein, more than you will typically find in a steak. One cup of lentils has as much as 18 grams of protein, kidney beans have as much as 13 grams. Chick peas are another one, which have up to 12 grams in one cup. Nuts are also a great choice. A quarter cup of almonds have up to 8 grams of protein; a quarter cup of sunflower seeds has 6 grams of protein. You may be surprised to learn that even broccoli has protein in it! One cup of cooked broccoli has four grams of protein.

Protein is in almost anything that is a whole natural food. Many people only count animal protein in their protein grams, but you can actually get more protein from a plant-based diet than you can with a meat-based diet. Supplements are also available in powder form where you can add your protein to something like a smoothie. Some great ones to start off trying are brown rice protein and hemp protein.

Challenge yourself to begin this process of switching to a plant-based diet by watching where your food is coming from over the next week. 80% of your diet should come from natural sources (not processed foods). As Michael Pollan made popular in his book, "Food Rules," if it's made in a plant don't eat it, but if it is a plant you should eat it.

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The Health Benefits Of Juicing

Juicing raw fruits and vegetables is by far the best way to give your body the nutrients it needs for youthfulness and disease-free living.

Much of the foods people eat, such as french fries, fried chicken, microwave popcorn, doughnuts, margarine, cookies and pastries contain an artery-clogging fat called Trans fat. This fat can lead to type two diabetes, high cholesterol and other health problems. If you desire to live a long, healthy, vibrant life, you have to take care of your body by giving it the proper nutrition. That is why I am such a strong advocate for Juicing.

Health Benefits

The benefits of consuming these freshly made, health drinks are many. They aid in keeping organs such as heart, liver, and kidneys strong and healthy. They also help prevent colon cancer and keep your digestive system in tiptop shape. This is because they are a great supplier of protein, vitamins and minerals.

These drinks also boost the immune system and promote good-looking healthy skin.

Another health benefit to consuming these drinks is they help you lose weight and lower cholesterol naturally.

Nutritional Health Begins On The Inside

I am a firm believer that if you work on being healthy on the inside it will show-up on the outside.

Sometimes when I run into old friends they tell me that I  look very healthy. I believe the juices that I drink has a lot to do with this.

I know a woman who smoked for many years. When she finally quit smoking I noticed in a short period of time, the skin on her face look healthier. There was almost a glow to it. Can you visualize what would happen if more and more people would work on being healthy from the inside out? I can!

Raw Vegetable juice Verses Cooked Vegetables

You might be saying to yourself I eat a lot of cooked vegetables with my meal why then should I consider juicing? Well allow me give you two reasons:

1. When you cook vegetables at temperatures above 114 degrees, heat destroys the enzymes. (Enzymes are naturally occurring chemical substances in the human body that help a chemical reaction take place). In other words enzymes are important because they aid in the digestion and absorption of food in your body.

Fruit and vegetable juice that are sold in a shop or supermarket must go through a pasteurizing process before they can be sold to you the customer. The reason for this pasteurizing process is to give these drinks shelf life. However during this process heat reaches about 120 degrees thus destroying the enzymes.

In contrast enzymes in raw vegetable or fruit drinks are live. So they are able to do the job they are intended to do.

2. When you juice, you separate the liquid from the fiber. Thus food value is available to the body in much larger amounts than if the piece of fruit or vegetable were eaten whole.

If you ate one raw carrot, your body would only be able to absorb about 1% of the available vitamin A (beta carotene). That is because most of the nutrients in a carrot are locked in its fiber. However if you separate the liquid from the fiber, your body would be able to assimilate 90% of the nutrients. Pretty amazing!

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The Best Vegetables For Weight Loss And Fat Burning

When looking up more info on the best vegetables for weight loss, most people want a list of the healthiest veggies to get slim. If you wish to get trim and lean, you must lower your calorie intake and this is easily done with the top vegetables for losing weight. It is now widely known that low calorie meals decrease the levels of stored body fat so this becomes a highly effective approach in reducing your excess weight.

Earlier research also presented facts that plant-based food items such as leafy vegetables help to manage being hungry and also over-eating.

Leafy vegetables are likely to be high in h2o and also fiber. They possess a low-calorie content which makes their ingestion a highly effective tactic in diet planning and even more so when combined with virtually any weight loss pill or other dietary supplement.

The idea not only boosts the results of trimming down, but additionally improves digestion of food and also metabolic process.

Consuming more leafy vegetables is important for individual wellness. Yet what are the very best green leafy vegetables for weight loss? One can possibly like a wide variety of green leafy vegetables to select from. Many health professionals, in reality, advise including leafy vegetables to your meals and dishes for losing weight quickly and easily. They often recommend seven or more servings of leafy vegetables per day for excellent final results.

Even so, a list of the very best leafy vegetables for losing weight for some people is probably not of interest. There are some folks who don't like to eat the most nutritious leafy vegetables and some even gag at the thought. You can even find circumstances involving allergy symptoms as the body behaves to particular leafy vegetables therefore it is better to look for advice first. The most healthy leafy vegetables for you incorporate broccoli, spinach, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, collard greens, and kale.

The apple is well known to be fiber rich and contains pectin. Pectin stops against taking in fat excess and also inhibits hunger. It has high water content that is very helpful in eliminating toxins. Celery ought to be ingested with skin unchanged as it gives plenty of fiber. On one hand, grapefruits may also be effective to shed weight. Based on recent reports, leafy vegetables consist of substances that reduced blood insulin stage by the body processes. It is just a metabolic process increases, thereby, it plays a part in weight reduction and burning body fat faster.

Collard greens, likewise, could be included on the list of very best leafy vegetables for losing weight. They really are packed with potassium that assists boosting levels of nourishment intake. It really is mostly h2o and vitamins and it has many health benefits for you.

On another similar note, one of the very best fruits for losing weight could be the kiwi fruit. It is just a low-calorie tasty fruit which is high in fiber. It includes equally disolveable fibers which inhibits your appetite and also insoluble fibers which helps with digestion of food. Melons are incredibly low-calorie food items which contain mostly h2o and also fiber. Berries including raspberries, blackberries and blueberries also speed up weight loss. These types of foods provide power and also burn up fat rapidly. Berries consist of fiber, low-calorie but high nutrient content and also antioxidants.

Acai berries, said as "an amazing diet plan key from the Amazon", could be the newest discovery which can help with weight loss. It really is composed of antioxidants, phytosterols, essential fatty acids, and also amino acids that really work with each other to get rid of fat efficiently and also helps to make meals less complicated.

Other leafy vegetables including cabbage, turnip greens and also spinach may also be regarded as very best leafy vegetables for losing weight. In addition, it's encouraged to step away from canned vegetables because these are generally packed with salt and are lower in nutrients. Dried up leafy vegetables get higher nutrient concentrations considering that their h2o compound is already taken out.

The top leafy vegetables for you are generally organic. Always use leafy green vegetables for greater final results as previously mentioned. Complement this specific tip with ongoing workouts and quick weight loss results will most certainly be reached. Consuming the best leafy green vegetables for weight loss will allow you to trim down whilst fat deposits burn off quickly.

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3 Cool Summer Foods To Hydrate Your Body

Summer is fun, hot and demanding on our bodies. It's easy to get dehydrated when we stay out in the heat. We are supposed to drink plenty of water during the day, but did you know you can keep your body hydrated with food too? 

Rejuvenate your immune system and stay hydrated with these 3 cool summertime foods:

1. Watermelon

Chock full of vitamins C, A, and B6 and potassium and magnesium, this watery fruit helps keep the water in your cells where it belongs. Ways to eat watermelon are in slices and chunks. If you cut a watermelon in chunks and store in a covered dish in the refrigerator, it will be easier to grab and eat when you are hungry. Another delicious way is to drink your watermelon. Make watermelon juice by putting slices in the blender with a few ice cubes.

2. Cucumber

Have you ever heard the phrase "cool as a cucumber"? Cucumbers are loaded with vitamin C, molybdenum, and vitamin A. The skin of the cucumber has silica which nourishes your skin and connective tissue. It is rich in potassium and magnesium which is essential for keeping hydrated. Add cucumber slices to salads or make a cold soup like Gazpacho. Just puree the cucumber with tomatoes, green peppers and onions. Add salt and pepper to taste.

3. Summer squash

Zucchini or yellow squash are prolific in summer gardens. They are full of manganese, vitamin C, magnesium, potassium and vitamin A. So both kinds of summer squash are a great vegetable to keep you hydrated. Grate the squash over salads or add to sandwiches. Serve with your favorite dips instead of chips. You can also shred zucchini to add to bread or muffin recipes.

It's easy to add these 3 foods into your summer fun. Cold soups and salads help you to stay cool, keep you away from the stove, and take minimal time to prepare. Don't forget the watermelon juice! It's better for the kids than sweet drinks and sodas which cause dehydration.

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Excellent Benefits Of Fruit And Vegetable Juices During Summer

You can refresh yourself in summer with the help of fruit or vegetable juices. These delicious, healthy juices can refresh you and replenish your depleted energy levels. Even though juices can be enjoyed any time of the year, they become much more enjoyable during summers.

You can prepare tasty health drinks at home which can provide you with important nutrients like proteins and vitamins and also help in overcoming the effects of the scorching summer heat. As you might be aware, fruits are very important for our body as well as for a healthy skin.

Fruits and vegetables consist mainly of water and fiber, but they also provide a lot of other important nutrients like minerals, vitamins, phyto-nutrients. It is a very healthy habit to consume fresh fruits and vegetables on regular basis, specially in summer season.

The problem is most people do not like to consume whole fruits or vegetables. Such people can enjoy juices made from them. For example, no one would like to eat 10 carrots at once. But if you make a glass of carrot juice using those 10 carrots, you can easily gulp it down.

Fruits and vegetables provide nutrients which are essential for the growth and healthy functioning of the body. They provide us energy and help in regulating our metabolism. They contain minerals which are necessary for the nerves and muscles of our body. However, keep in mind that vegetable or fruit juices should not be used as substitutes for whole foods, but as supplements. They can be a perfect food supplement, specially for our eat-on-the-run lifestyles. You can make a glass of juice easily and quickly.

Vitamin C present in some juices can be good for the skin. If you regularly drink juices which are rich in Vitamin C, you can notice a significant improvement in the smoothness and beauty of your skin. Vitamin C also helps in joint flexibility and is good for the hair. Grapefruit juice is a good source of Vitamin C and can be helpful in preventing arthritis, cataracts. But people with type 2 diabetes should avoid it due to its high sugar concentration. Orange juice is another good source of Vitamin C.

Carrot juice contains a large amount of beta-carotene, potassium and vitamins. It helps in strengthening the immune system, improving the eyesight and preventing heart related diseases. It can also be helpful in reducing cholesterol levels, healing of wounds and preventing cancer.

Sugarcane juice is very popular during summer season because it quenches our thirst and re-hydrates our body, giving us instant burst of energy. It is also effective in fighting against prostate and breast cancer.

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Green Nutrition - How Can It Benefit Me?

Green nutrition, smoothies, juices, we've been hearing these terms more and more. 'But what exactly is it, and how can it benefit me?' 

I'm glad you asked!

Green nutrition is something that used to be reserved for patchouli-wearing hippies, right? Not anymore! Thanks to the incredible communicative power of the internet, you are finding more and more people learning about and using the variety of green foods available to them.

What I mean by "green foods" are specifically - certain foods that are, yes, green in color. They are generally referred to by their color not because the color itself is so wonderful, but because they all have similar nutritional benefits.

Green Superfoods are very nutritionally dense, in fact, incredibly so. They have an extremely high vitamin, mineral, enzyme, and antioxidant content, and have a great variety of health benefits, including battling with cancer, heart disease, glaucoma, macular degeneration, osteoporosis, and more. They also provide a tremendous amount of energy along with high quality protein, often with all amino acids for a complete protein.

Here's a few examples of foods that provide green nutrition:

• Wheat, oat, and barley grasses
• Alfalfa
• Algaes such as Chlorella or blue green algae
• Parsley
• Oregano
• Spinach
• Peppermint
• Kale
• Swiss Chard
• Sprouts
• Dandelions

And the list goes on!

Green foods are generally prepared in many ways, depending the food. Grasses are usually juiced or blended, and algaes are available as powders. Herbs can be added to smoothies or salads, and some of the leafy greens can be made into a salad or cooked.

There are a few things to consider when you want to get the most out of your green:

1. Raw green foods are generally better than cooked.
2. Fresh is better than dried, powdered or processed (though is unavoidable sometimes).
3. Organic foods will usually be the most nutrient-dense.

And finally - VERY IMPORTANT - getting some green nutrition is better than none at all.

While you will certainly get the best nutrition from foods that you grew yourself without chemicals and then juiced or consumed within minutes of harvest - that's just not realistic for most people

One of the biggest obstacles we have when trying to change our habits is the "all-or-nothing" mentality. Does that sound familiar? Do not fall into this trap! It is perfectly OK to start off your journey into green foods using a powdered drink mix that you have every morning. Just do something!

The key here is baby steps. Once you get going and incorporate something into your routine, it soon becomes habit and -- guess what? You are then ready to add something new - kick it up a bit.

So to answer the original question, green nutrition IS for real, and it can benefit you by increasing your health and resistance tremendously. It is no miracle that will strip you of 100 lbs overnight or anything, but it really does make a difference.

I challenge you to give it two weeks - try green nutrition - a smoothie or juice or whatnot -- every day for two weeks. It will give you energy, vitality, and will make a huge difference in your day.

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What Makes 'Organic Food' Organic And Clean?

As more and more people wanted to eat food that was free of chemicals and unnatural processes, they began growing their own crops without the use of harmful chemicals. Smaller farmers also began to revolt against factory farming and they returned to old school farming methods. Then those farmers were able to offer us the alternative to industrially grown produce.

This food began to be called organic because the term implies that everything was produced using only living matter, like plants and animals instead of chemicals.

Pretty soon the big guys could see the attraction that was growing in the market place. They began to adopt the labels and slap them onto the same stuff they were already growing. False advertising? Pretending? Just think of all the "green" products you see in the supermarket.

So the term, organic, had to be regulated somewhat. Finally, standards are set now, and farmers have to meet those standards before they can call their food "organic." The standards are exactly what you think they'd be (who knew the government could do something straight-forward?).

Organic farmers are not allowed to use bioengineered genes (GMOs), synthetic pesticides, sewage sludge-based fertilizer, or petroleum-based fertilizers. Organic livestock need to be fed organic feed and they also need to be able to go outdoors and roam in minimum space.

Fortunately, the guidelines prohibit growth hormones, antibiotics, and animal-by-products as well. Of course there are marketing cheats aiming to fool us with false claims so we need to be on our toes. If it says anything but "Organic" or "Certified Naturally Grown" they're probably hiding something.

If you're not familiar, "Certified Naturally Grown" is an alternative to organic which is controlled by a non-profit organization. They're held to the same standards as "Organic" but they're inspected by other farmers instead of the government. It is not the same as a food simply saying it's "natural" so be careful, they like to trick us.

Affects of Pesticides On Your Body

The whole reason we want organic food is to protect our health; non-organic foods can have some serious health implications. Studies have revealed that pesticides show up in our bodies from eating non-organic food, and often at levels several times higher than is "safe."

Many of these chemicals have been linked to serious health issues like birth defects, infertility, and cancer in both adults and children.

Are you pregnant, or planning to be anytime soon?

Pregnant women can be extremely vulnerable to pesticides because they increase the stress on an already over-stressed body. Even worse, the chemicals can even be transmitted from you to your child, whether still in the womb or through breast-feeding later.

Some tests of children have revealed the presence of nerve-damaging chemicals at 4 times what is officially deemed as "safe" levels. Those chemicals are deliberately designed to kill insects by targeting their nervous system.

Frankly, it seems too obvious to me that those same chemicals will damage our nervous systems exactly the same way they kill the insects. Yes, pesticides come in doses much too low to kill us, but even an only slightly unhealthy diet will catch up to you after years of maintaining it. Another part of that same study revealed significantly high amounts of organochlorine pesticides in women. You might ask, "What's so special about that?"

Well, organochlorine pesticides can be passed down to your child during pregnancy. If that happens, it causes a disruption in vital brain development - leading to learning disabilities and other neurological problems. None of us want that happening to our children. Processed foods are a danger but not the only one. Contaminated food comes out the farm gate on the way to the factory before processing, so we need to be careful where we get our "clean" foods from.

What Foods Are Best To Eat Organic

Ideally, if it was once alive, whether plant or animal, then we want it to be organic. You've probably heard of organic animals, right? That's because animals aren't spared the treatment we get; farmers feed them the same crap they feed us. They use crops in their feed filled with pesticides, but they also include growth hormones and keep the animals locked up indoors 24/7. It's cheaper.

Organic animals are pesticide and hormone-free so you don't need to worry about putting those harmful chemicals in you or your family's bodies. Organic is expensive, though. We can't always afford to spend extra on the better quality stuff, so are there some guidelines we can use to put our money in the best spot?

Yes, there's a list of the "Deadly 14? foods that should always be bought organic. The Environmental Working Group studied data from 9 years of research and told us the 14 foods which tested the highest for pesticides:

* Apples

* Grapes

* Strawberries

* Peaches

* Spinach

* Celery

* Cherry tomatoes

* Potatoes

* Imported snap peas

* Imported nectarines

* Cucumbers

* Sweet bell peppers

* Hot peppers

Do you like blueberries? A lot of us do, but did you know that if you buy domestically grown blueberries they can have organophosphate insecticides? Organophosphates are a common nerve agent used for chemical weapons. It's used to kill us humans, not just insects.

Even low levels of exposure inhibits brain development, often resulting in not only slower learning and reduced physical coordination for our children, but ADHD too. If you've got a growing family, you may want to think twice about buying non-organic blueberries...or anything else.

These organophosphates aren't unique to blueberries, everything else on that list above can also be sprayed with these deadly chemicals But, I know we don't always have the money to spend extra on organic foods, some of us have a tight budget to keep. That's why I've got another list for you.

This one has the foods that tested the lowest for chemicals:

* Onions

* Pineapple

* Corn

* Avocado

* Asparagus

* Mango

* Kiwi

* Sweet peas

* Cabbage

* Papaya

* Eggplant

* Winter squash

* Bananas

* Cauliflower

* Broccoli

* Melons

You may have noticed that most of them have a skin we peel or cut off before eating. At least, most of us normal people do. The chemicals tend to not make it all the way through the skin into the good part we eat, so we get food less tainted by chemicals. Good ol' nature protecting itself from us.

The other foods, like broccoli, are just unappetizing to pests so they're not sprayed as much. If only they'd leave our other food alone too. Although organic food is not any more nutritional than mass produced foods, it is a great fit for a clean eating diet simply because it is free of chemical pesticides. And let's face it, your body must be better off without additives that are powerful killers of insects, don't you think?

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