Avocado: The Superfruit

I love avocados. Particularly its creamy texture and the delicate and rich aftertaste. It is one of the superfruits with contain something of everything and has numerous health benefits. It will take me a day to write about its goodness and nutrient content, believe me there are loads. But for starters, let me pen down the 3 basic reasons you need more avocados in your diet; its fiber content, number of vitamins and minerals in it and fat. Don't freak out, this fat is exactly what you need; monosaturated. 

Here are some health benefits to keep you motivated:

1. This tops my list. You can put avocado to use as a facial mask (this mask works!)for cleansing, moisturizing or as sunscreen. 
2. Avocados reduce LDL in the body and increase HDL. Therefore, they keep cholesterol in check and keep the heart healthy.
3. They contain lutein, a carotenoid which are antioxioxidants.
4. It makes you lose weight. Yes! It contains soluble fibre which slows digestion of carbohydrates. So, have your avocados and you won't be feeling hungry anytime soon.
5. A friend of all Mommas-to-be. It contains folate which boosts healthy growth of the unborn baby.
6. They contain vitamins Bs, K, and E. What more can you ask for?
7. They have all the minerals. I cant even list them down.
8. They are awesome to taste.

They mostly grow in tropical climate with little care. But you are elsewhere, do not worry. These countries produce a lot of avocado and share it (export) with others too :). 

Some people take time to develop the taste for avocado. Its a bit too rich to be eaten as is. So, here is a simple recipe you can use to make an avocado spread. It tastes great with some wholemeal bread, nachos and pretty much anything you'd like to take it with.This is a lovely recipe for breakfast or snacks and takes just about 5 minutes.

Ingredients

1. Avocado: 1 ripe (you can increase the quantity as you like and relatively increase other ingredients)
2. Garlic pods: 2-3
3. Lemon Juice: 1 tbsp
4. Chillies: 1-2 (medium spicy); You can always adjust this according to your taste.
5. Parsley or cilantro: 1 tbsp (too much will overpower the flavour of the avocado)
6. Olive Oil: 1 tbsp
7. Canola Oil: 1 tbsp
8. Pepper: 1/4 tsp (preferably crushed)
9. Salt: to taste
10. A good blender (very important)

Method

1. Cut the avocado lengthwise in half. One of the halves will have a seed. Remove it by simply scooping it out.
2. With a teaspoon, scoop out the fruit (you will only be able to do this with a ripe one) in a blending jar. 
3. To avocado, add chopped garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, parsley/cilantro, pepper, salt together and blend until a paste forms.
4. Slowly trickle canola oil while still blending.
5. Stop when the texture is smooth and creamy.
6. Garnish with a sprig of parsley and serve with wholemeal bread toasts or use as spread in a sandwich, that's pretty much your take.

Tip
Keep everything ready before pitting the avocado. If kept in the open for too long, the flesh will oxidize and turn brown, not very appetizing to look at.  If at all you had to attend to your baby who wants to pee after you've cut the avocados, here's the trick. Squirt some lemon juice on them. This will stop oxidization until you're back.

Want to lose weight? Try Chopsticks

To master eating with chopsticks was one my life's small goals since college. Before that I had never given them much of a thought. I had once had the experience of eating with chopsticks at a Thai colleague's wedding reception and it doesn't feature in my most memorable experiences' list. Recently, I started using them just because they appeared from somewhere in my rented accomodation. After a few times of fumbling with them and watching a few youtube videos about the right technique to hold them, I finally got the knack. But while using them, I realized that I was eating way too less and taking way too much time to do so which also brought about the revelation that that just might be the reason behind the slender figures of our south east Asian counterparts, specially the Chinese and Japanese.

The Science...
Ironically, there was no science behind chopsticks when they were first used in China some 5000 years ago. But a book by Kimiko Barber in 2009 postulates that the slim physique of the orient may be attributed to the use of chopsticks. The simple logic is that hunger and digestion are governed by an intricate system of chemicals secreted by the hypothalamus that send out signals to the body.  Once you start eating, it will take about 20 minutes for the mind to send out a signal to stop eating. So if you eat slowly for some 15-20 minutes and eat comparatively small morsels (how much can you hold with chopsticks???), you are bound to eat only what you need and stay healthy and that's exactly what chopsticks facilitate. Gorging on food is a complete no-no if you want to achieve your weight loss goals.

Secondly, many people from around the world are turning to chopsticks and ditching conventional cutlery. There are number of etiquettes and taboos that go together with chopsticks and remembering all of them in an effort to respect the oriental cultures, takes a lot of concentration, practice and calculation on the part of a non-regular user. Performing the daunting task of getting food safely into the mouth from the bowl is also included in those 15-20 minutes which is ample time for the brain to send out fullness signals.