Avocados, the epitome of luxury in the world of fruit! Creamy, rich, and subtly flavoured, these green gems are the perfect addition to any meal, any time of day.

These versatile fruits can be mashed, diced, sliced, or puréed to create or complement a variety of dishes, from guacamole to salads, pizza toppings to sandwich fillings, and even ice cream. They’re the ultimate companion for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert, and also perfect for on-the-go snacks. And the best part? No prep time required! Avocados are quick, easy, and convenient to incorporate into any dish.

Whether you prefer green-skinned or dark-skinned avocados, rest assured they are equally delicious and nutritious. Just remember, green-skinned avos stay green when ripe, while dark-skinned avos turn purple-black when ripe.

With avocados available almost all year-round in South Africa, there’s no excuse not to indulge in these nutrient-packed treasures. So go ahead, add an avo to your healthy eating plan and enjoy the creamy goodness! 

Looking for additional reasons to add an avo to your diet? Consider these facts because they are all:

• High in energy
• High in heart healthy fats
• High in vitamin K
• High in biotin
• Cholesterol free
• Sodium free
• A source of fibre

Avocados can form part of a successful energy-controlled diet for weight management. The healthy monounsaturated fats found in avocados give a feeling of fullness, which reduces the temptation to overeat or binge on less healthy foods.

For further information and avo recipes, visit www.avocado.co.za, like @iloveavocadoSA on Facebook and follow @iloveavosSA on Instagram.

The post Here’s why you need more avocados in your life appeared first on MyKitchen.

From bloating to acne to painful joints, many health ailments can, in some way, be attributed to inflammation. Imagine sustaining an injury – the tissue around the affected area becomes tender and swollen. This is the body’s natural immune response to allow for inflammation to occur in order to protect and heal the broken bone or sprained ankle, for example. It’s suggested that what we eat can play a role in the severity of inflammation and can even address more mundane types of inflammation such as acne-prone skin, and chronic inflammation such as arthritis.

By Jana du Plessis

Common culprits

Alcohol and cigarettes receive a bad rap for being inflammatory, while gluten, grains and dairy now also get the ‘bad guy’ label. This means more sources are being criticised for causing chronic inflammation. Many people have found that steering clear of milk and other dairy products has eased symptoms of skin breakouts, digestive issues and chronic fatigue, while others experience the same relief when it comes to cutting out gluten.

Nature’s anti-inflammatories

Sipping on a bright yellow turmeric milk may seem like a hippie thing to do, but this is no strange picture for some health foodies. Turmeric milk, otherwise known as golden milk, is a mix of turmeric, ginger, cinnamon and black pepper stirred together in a mug of warm (nut) milk. This blend of spices, especially turmeric, is praised for its anti-inflammatory properties and encouraged to be enjoyed as regularly as possible. Spices aren’t the only foods that can help chronic inflammation ailments. Fruits such as strawberries, blueberries, cherries and oranges; fish such as salmon, tuna and sardines and vitamin K-rich veg such as spinach, broccoli and cabbage.

Are you ready?

Fighting the fight against inflammation is in some cases more tricky than compiling a plate of food. If you are suffering from a diagnosed chronic inflammatory disease, turn to your medical practitioner first to provide you with the best tools to manage or combat the disease. Otherwise, what harm could there be in upping those wholesome veg, including more good-for-you proteins and enjoying the flavours of newly discovered spices? We’ll see you in the boxing ring!

The post Put on the gloves, it’s time to fight inflammation with food appeared first on MyKitchen.