Avocado Bliss

Avocados are rich in vitamin A,(Vitamin A promotes healthy surface linings of the eyes and the respiratory, urinary, and intestinal tracts.)

Avocados are also rich in vitamin C,(You need vitamin C for the growth and repair of tissues in all parts of your body. It helps the body make collagen which is a protein used to make skin, cartilage, tendons, ligaments, and blood vessels. Vitamin C is needed for healing wounds, and for repairing and maintaining bones and teeth.

Avocados also give you Vitamin E (It is a fat-soluble vitamin, and an antioxidant which is a substance that may help prevent damage to the body's cells. It is important in helping your body make red blood cells, and Aids your body to use vitamin K.)

Avocados contains 30% more potassium than bananas. That high amount of potassium helps regulate blood pressure and prevent circulatory diseases.

Avocado also contain carotenoid lutein which keeps the eyes safe from oxidative stress, macular degeneration, and cataracts.


Because they are rich in antioxidants, avocados are useful in preventing aging symptoms.  The glutathione in avocado boosts immune systems, slows the aging process, and encourages a healthy nervous system.

AND...believe it or not, Avocados are very effective in stopping bad breath. (It also reduces the risk of oral cancer.)

Now that you know the awesome benifits of this wonderful fruit, why not look up some creative ways to use it. I will list a few to get you started so that you can see its worth more than just guacamole.

Avacado Uses:

I have replaced mayo with mashed up Avacado on all meat sandwiches.
I also like to slice it up on BLTs (turkey bacon of course lol)

Greek yogurt vs Regular yogurt

Yogurt is considered one of the healthiest foods around. It's rich in probiotics which aid digestion, it reduces the risk of intestinal infection and colon cancer, and improves lactose tolerance. It also improves cholesterol levels by lowering bad Cholesterol and raising good Cholesterol.

Fat-free yogurt is rich in both calcium and protein, an important combination to include in any type of weight control. Calcium promotes the breakdown of body fat, stokes the metabolism, and helps build and support strong bones. Protein helps build muscle and staves off hunger, helping prevent feelings of hunger between meals.

Regular yogurt is not as thick as Greek yogurt because the whey has not been strained out of it. Greek yogurt is thicker because the liquid whey has been strained out of it. Both strained and unstrained yogurt is very good for you, but there are some nutritional differences. When the liquid whey is strained from regular yogurt, the volume of the yogurt reduces by half. That means it's more concentrated and results in some nutritional changes.

let's check out the differences:

Protein - Greek yogurt has twice the protein of regular yogurt, because the protein is concentrated in the yogurt after it's strained.

Carbohydrates - Greek yogurt has fewer carbohydrates, because the liquid that is strained out of it is high in carbs.

Sodium - Greek yogurt has half the sodium of regular yogurt, because the liquid that is strained out of it is high in sodium.

Calcium - Both yogurts are considered a good source of calcium, but regular yogurt has 3 times more calcium than Greek yogurt, because the liquid that is strained out of Greek yogurt is high in Calcium.

Strained (Greek) yogurt is a healthy substitute for sour cream, cream cheese, and mayonnaise. It's creamier, thicker consistency makes it a better substitution in dips and dressings. Strained yogurt is also better for cooking because it doesn't curdle when it's heated; regular yogurt can curdle when heated.

Greek yogurt does tend to be more expensive, so lucky for us we can make our own very easily.

Ingredients:
regular yogurt - whole, low, or no fat
metal mesh strainer or colander
large bowl
cheese cloth, or paper coffee filters

Directions:
Line strainer (or colander) with cheese cloth ( paper coffee filters). Place strainer over a large bowl, making sure there is space between the bottom of the strainer and the bottom of the bowl to catch drips. Pour yogurt into strainer. Cover with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator until liquid has dripped out to desired consistency.
--drain for 1 hour to remove 20% of the liquid.
--drain for 3-4 hours to remove half of the liquid.
--drain overnight (8 hours or so) to remove all of the liquid. (closest to consistency of sour cream)

Use strained yogurt to substitute for sour cream, cream cheese, and mayonnaise. And...because Greek yogurt is more expensive to buy, why not make your own and add your favorite fruit to it.

Oolong/wulong Tea

All tea comes from one plant Camellia Sinensis if it doesn't come from that plant it is not tea (herbs come from a variety of plants).

The difference in green tea and oolong tea is the processing. All tea is green when its picked. Green tea is heated in order to stop the natural oxidation of the leaf. When its dried green tea leaves are rolled to break the cell structure. But when Oolong tea leaves are picked they are kept under carefully controlled conditions and allowed to oxidize. Their leaves are not broken, leaving most of the cell structure intact. These processing differences make each category of tea beneficially different even though they come from the same plant.

The dark brownish color of oolong tea is a bit different than normal tea. The use of Oolong/wulong tea has many benefits such as reducing cholesterol, heart attacks, and other problems. The facts about the Oolong tea health benefits are incredible and one more benifit of this tea is that it helps you to loose weight!

Oolong tea also benifits your immune system and is a big essential to longevity. Aside from containing powerful anti-oxidants, it also contains essential minerals including Calcium, Manganese, Copper, Potassium and many others.

Oolong teas taste great and are delicious hot or cold.
There is a tremendous variety of affordable oolong teas.
Enjoy a cup of oolong 30 minutes to 1 hour prior to your walk, workout or yoga session and reap the rewards!
Drink oolong in the afternoon to stave off late day sweet cravings and energy slumps.
All of these aid in healthy weight loss and maintenance.

ENJOY! :)