My Favourite Addition To Summer Salads: Creamy Avocado Dressing Recipe

I am currently completely addicted to this delicious avocado dressing! It is so quick and easy to throw together and really makes any salad really special, with the standout hero of this dressing being the avocados. Currently in season I could eat them all day long with their exquisite nutty, creamy flavours plus there is mountains of scientific evidence backing up the theory that eating avocados can lead to a longer, healthier life. So let’s have a quick look at the benefits:

1. Actually classed as a fruit rather than a vegetable, avocados have a rich fat content, meaning that  by adding avocado to a meal its easier to absorb the fat solubles present, such as vitamins A, K, D, and E, which means that adding this creamy fruit to any vegetable-dense meals will help you get all of the vitamins of your food. Without fat in your diet, the body would not be able to absorb the fat-soluble vitamins in that meal.
2. Avocados possess a mix of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory characteristics, which makes them able to combat certain cancers, including mouth, skin, and prostate. A 2007 study published in the journal Seminars in Cancer Biology found the phytochemicals in avocados can selectively induce cell cycle arrest, inhibit growth, and induce apoptosis in precancerous and cancer cell lines. In other words, it is the phytochemicals in this fruit that encourage cancer cells to stop growing and die out.

   The consumption of avocado can also be beneficial during chemotherapy. These sessions often drain the body out of glutathione — a powerful antioxidant source — but avocado can help. A low supply of glutathione, which is found in avocados, can make the healthy cells vulnerable to chemotherapy damage. Low glutathione levels are also found in people with autoimmune conditions, asthma, depression, anxiety, acne, the list is endless!

3. The super fruit is filled with fats that are good for you, specifically monounsaturated fat, which helps to lower bad cholesterol. This is because avocados are high in beta-sitosterol, which is a compound that lowers blood cholesterol levels. If you worry about your body’s cholesterol levels, avocados are a great solution because they will actually lower your LDL (bad cholesterol) and increase your HDL levels (good cholesterol).

   A 1996 study published in the journal Archives of Medical Research found patients with high cholesterol who added avocados to their diet for one week had a 22 percent decrease in bad cholesterol and triglycerides and an 11 percent increase in good cholesterol. It also improved cholesterol for people who already had good lipid levels but was shown to be more effective in people with mild cholesterol problems. Incredible!

4.  

   Avocado contains lutein, along with zeaxanthin, two phytonutrients which are essential to eye health. Lutein and zeaxanthin are carotenoids, which act as antioxidants in the eye, lowering risk of developing age-related eye conditions. Adding avocados to your daily diet can protect the tissues of the eye from sun damage and the formation of cataracts and macular degeneration. It is the fat content in avocado that helps the body absorb the carotenoid.

5. The mono- and polyunsaturated fats in avocados not only help reduce blood cholesterol levels, but they help decrease the overall risk for heart disease. Avocado’s high vitamin B6 and folic acid content helps to regulate homocysteine levels, which is what reduces the risk. A 2013 study published in Nutrition Journal found avocados were associated with a reduced risk of metabolic syndrome, a group of symptoms shown to increase the risk of stroke, coronary artery disease, and diabetes. Overall, avocado consumption is associated with improved diet quality, nutrient intake, and good heart health.
6. Avocado’s smooth and creamy texture actually contains 6 to 7 grams of fiber for half of a medium-sized fruit. Its rich fiber content can help you feel full faster and longer, making it a go-to weight loss aid. Additionally, 75 percent of the fat in an avocado is unsaturated, which makes it a great substitute for foods high in saturated fat plus the oleic acid, one of the unsaturated fatty acids, may help to activate the satiety center in your brain that makes you feel full. They may be full of fat, but this is A GOOD THING as eating MORE FAT helps us loose weight.
7. Avocados contain phytosterols, carotenoid antioxidants, omega 3 fatty acids, and polyhydroxolated fatty alcohols, which make the fruit an anti-inflammatory agent, therefore helping with inflammatory conditions such as arthritis, autoimmunity, cardio vascular disease etc- the list goes on!

And so to the RECIPE. I have added garlic, a potent fuel for our good bacteria in the gut (known as a prebiotic), lemon juice, which promotes alkalinity and olive oil for additional good fats, all of which happen to taste fantastic too!