Simple Guacamole Recipe

Avocados are a great ingredient to incorporate into your diet. They contain antioxidants, potassium, vitamin C, protein, dietary fiber and monounsaturated (healthy) fats. So many nutrients with no cholesterol or sodium make avocados a good replacement for fat in some recipes. (They actually make delicious brownies.) This simple guacamole recipe is an easy and delicious way to start adding avocado to any diet.

For more information specifically on Avocados, check out the California Avocado Commission's Website

Recipe for Simple Guacamole:

Ingredients:
2 Ripe Avocados
1 Tomato chopped
2 Tbs Chopped Onion
2 Tbs Fresh Green Chilies (or 4 Tbs canned)
1 Clove of Garlic minced
1 Tbs Fresh Lime or Lemon Juice
1/2 teaspoon Salt
Fresh Cilantro to taste

Directions:
1. Remove Avocodo peels and pits.
2. Mash Avocado pulp until smooth
3. Add remaining ingredients and mix well.

A blender can be used to create a smoother texture if desired.

Nutrient Facts:

Guacamole Portions: 6
Nutrients	Amount Per Portion
Total Calories	80 Calories
Protein	1 g
Carbohydrate	6 g
Dietary Fiber	3 g
Total Sugars	1 g
Added Sugars	0 g
Total Fat	7 g
Saturated Fat	1 g
Monounsaturated Fat	4 g
Polyunsaturated Fat	1 g
Minerals	Amount Per Portion
Calcium	13 mg
Potassium	281 mg
Sodium	240 mg
Copper	114 µg
Magnesium	16 mg
Phosphorus	31 mg
Vitamins	Amount Per Portion
Vitamin A	12 µg RAE
Vitamin B6	0.2 mg
Vitamin C	11 mg
Vitamin K	14 µg
Folate	46 µg DFE
Niacin	1 mg
Choline	9 mg
www.SuperTracker.usda.gov

DIY Body Scrubs

I like to use a mix of fine and coarse ground sea salt in my body scrubs. Finer salt is more gentle so better for people with sensitive skin. Coarser salt is able to exfoliate more and help your skin get clean.You can find these at any grocery store,should only cost a few dollars. Then I add oil. Different oils have different benefits and treat different skin issues. For example, grape seed oil strengthens and tightens skin while moisturizing to fight aging. Grape seed oil has anti-inflammatory properties that make it good for people with sensitive skin. Coconut oil has a nice smell and contains vitamin E to help repair damaged skin. In my own experience, coconut oil really makes my skin smooth. I got my oils at the Queens Health Emporium my local health food store. I'm sure they could also be ordered online.

The essential oils and extracts are mainly used for scent since salt and oils don’t have much of a smell. Fresh fruit juices or shavings of peel can also be used. Citrus fruits are great because the smell really comes through, especially if it’s fresh. I have used fresh lime and grapefruit in the past and I highly suggest it, I loved the smell. I found these other essential oils at the health food store and on amazon. (just regular lime juice from the grocery store)

One example of a scrub I made contained sea salt, apricot oil, coconut oil, orange extract, and lime juice. 

The ratio and ingredients are up to you depending how you want the finished product to be. I like mine the constancy of wet send. I usually start out by filling a container halfway with salt. I add oils until it is saturated, mix it and then add more salt and fragrances. It’s so easy and inexpensive compared to similar products on the market now. One 200 mL jar sized batch usually lasts me 2-3 weeks. My skin feels great and I feel good about what I'm using to clean my body. Many commercial body care products contain a long ingredient list of chemicals. I prefer something with a few simple ingredients that I know and understand. There are some of natural products on the market now, but I find many of them are cost prohibitive. The oils and extracts will last a while. I haven't run out of any of mine and I've made seven or eight batches. I've had to buy more salt but it's pretty inexpensive.

Introduction (About Me)

Audrey Grace Lahman born August 2, 1993 in Rochester New York. I am currently a dietetics major at CUNY Queens College working towards becoming a Registered Dietician. (Projected Graduation Spring 2016) I am a student member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. I hope to be able to help provide information to people so they can make smart choices and heal themselves. In 2010 I watched the movie Food Inc in my high school economics class and my life was forever changed. Before this movie, I had never put much thought into where my food came from. I pictured farms with lots of space and happy animals. The reality shocked me. I couldn't believe we (Americans) had let our food system become so clearly messed up. I started on a food journey. The day I watched Food Inc I started eating vegan. Avoiding animal products is a healthy and easy way to avoid alot of the issues with our current agri-bussiness system for food. I was fully vegan for around two years. I consider myself loosly vegan because I still have a majority vegan diet, maybe 75% of my diet is vegan. The more I have learned about nutrition the more I have come to appreciate the many positives of a plant based diet as opposed to an animal based one. I am on an everchanging journey of diet and discovery. I plan to use this blog to share recipies I like and my nutrition discoveries. I hope anyone who reads it, even if they don't agree with my opinions, will be pushed to think more about the food they eat and where it comes from. I honestly believe that Americans should be outraged by our current food system. I plan to explain why in some future posts. If you're not mad, you're not paying attention!

Education Not Medication