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Saturday, December 31, 2011

The joy of avocados

Most people already know this about me but I am obsessed with everything avocado. I love eating them on sandwiches, mashing them up into a magnificent guacamole, whipping them into a wonderful dessert, and I even use the oil in one of our favorite soaps. There are whole websites dedicated to the avocado, that in itself is noteworthy.

What is it exactly that I like about this fruit so much? Maybe it's the efficiency of it as a whole. The skin doubles as a bowl once you open and scrape the meat out, the seed doubles as an awesome massage ball and the meat itself can be incorporated into a savory dish or a delicate and sweet dish with ease. It is also  packed with vitamins and healthy fats to boot.

The below information was found on www.livestrong.com.


Avocados have a long and rich history dating back to the Aztec civilization. The fruit is known to improve heart health, aid in weight loss,provide a good course of vitamins B, C and E and is safe to use in baby food and in a diabetic diet. Besides all of the internal benefits, avocados have received a well-earned reputation for keeping skin looking young, beautiful and moist. Centuries after their first discovery, avocados are making a a cosmetic comeback to fight aging and dry and acne prone skin.

History

The word for avocado comes from the Spanish word "aguacate" which comes from the Aztec word "ahuacatl." Agri Business Week reported in 2009 that the word "ahuacatl" translates to "testicle," probably a reference to the way the fruit hangs from the tree, and that for centuries the fruit was associated with being an aphrodisiac. Because of its sexual reputation, avocado purchases were nearly non-existent in the western world where buying one might lead to slanderous assaults. Despite the rumor, countries around the world have been using avocados in ice cream, milk shakes, as a side dish, as a dip, in soups, in salads and as an ingredient in face masks for optimal skin health.

Avocado's and skincare 

According to Avocado.com and livestrong.com, avocados reduce the appearance of age spots, help reduce signs of skin aging and heals dry skin and eczema. Large amounts of sterolins, a protein proven to reduce the appearance of age spots, scars and sun damage, are found in avocados. Avocado oil contains the highest amount of sterolins in the fruit, making it an ideal ingredient in skin moisturizers marketed to people with dry or damaged skin. Avocado oil also increases the amount of collagen found in the skin. Avocado.com reports that a loss of collagen in the skin occurs in the natural aging process and avocado oil helps to slow that process down. Avocados do not clog pores.

With old man winter knocking furiously at my door these days I find that my skin is feeling a bit dryer and tighter than usual. I treated my face to a little facial which ended with an avocado mask. It felt wonderful and made my skin feel great.

Avocado mask:
1/2 avocado
1tbsp avocado oil (you can substitute this for a more readily available oil)
5 drops of Clary Sage essential oil (this oil helps control oily skin problems and smells kind of nice and earthy)

Directions: (if you have a small food processor that is most helpful if not, no worries just use elbow grease.) Mash up avocado, add oil slowly and blend well, last add the drops of clary sage and then apply to your face and neck. Leave on for about 15 minutes then rinse off with warm water and soft cloth. Tone and moisturize as usual.

For an extra treat I put a little avocado oil directly on my face after my mask and my skin soaked it right up (it was very thirsty!).
Avocado's in my belly
I stumbled upon a dessert dish recently which utilizes the Avocado and wanted to share it because it's just that good!

Whipped Avocado:
Serves 4
1 Avocado
1/2 C Milk (I used my favorite, coconut milk by soy delicious)
1/4 C white sugar (could be less if you do not want this to be too sweet)
1/2 Tsp vanilla

Directions: Whip, chill, serve.....yes, it's that simple!
Well this will be my last post for 2011, I hope you have enjoyed my posts this year, I have enjoyed doing the research and writing them. Wishing all my friends/fans and wonderful customers an awesome and safe New Years Eve and a rocking new year! 
'Till next year.......
~Your Soapsmith


For additional information check out these sites:
www.avocado.com
www.livestrong.com