An Almond Tree Seed: A Nutrient-Powerhouse

ALMONDS



Pink almond blossoms Image courtesy of LoggaWiggler at Pixabay

Mature almond fruit Image courtesy of dfespi48 at Pixabay

Almond shells Image courtesy of dfespi48 at Pixabay

Hello, Everyone!
Almonds are one of my favorite nuts (seeds) and one of the healthiest of seeds in existence. Today, I refreshed my knowledge of details about the almond. The following are a few of the highlights that I read about this wonderful food, today.

• Almonds are actually seeds of the almond tree's fruit.
• The almond fruit tree is 'related' to the apricot tree, peach tree and cherry tree with their pit-like seeds.
• Almonds are, either:
• sweet almonds (prunus amygdalu var. dulcis), or
• bitter almonds (prunus amygdalu var. amara)
• Aaron's rod blossomed and generated almonds, as reported in Numbers, (a book in the Holy Bible) around 1400 BC
• Almond trees blossom in the colors pink or white 
• Around 1900 AD, the almond industry of California (USA) was established

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What Are Avocados Good For?

by Dr. Joseph Mercola

(non-affiliate)

 

Hello, Everyone! The avocado is such a nutritious food, I am highlighting its benefits again!


Health Benefits of Avocado
When it comes to nutrition, avocados are in a class by themselves because of the unusually large number of benefits they offer - more than 20, last count. Loaded with fiber, one avocado contains 36% of the daily requirement of vitamin K, 30% of the folate, and 20% each of the daily requirements of pantothenic acid (vitamin B5, needed to break down carbohydrates), vitamin B6, vitamin C, and potassium - more than twice the potassium of a banana. Vitamin E, niacin, and riboflavin levels deserve honorable mention. Eaten with other foods, your body is better able to absorb the nutrients, such as alpha- and beta-carotene and lutein. Avocado is one of the few fruits that will provide you with "good" fats. That means it can help keep your cholesterol levels already in the healthy range, and help lower your risk for heart disease. Avocados are one of the best fruits for your health. See: The Best and Worst Vegetables to Eat


Studies Done on Avocado
Loosely described, lipids, their derivatives, and related substances are fatty acids. Scientists discovered only 40 years ago or so that they're not just simple building blocks, but perform complex, cell-regulating tasks on a molecular level, like messaging hormones, for example. One study was undertaken to see if avocados might have more lipids than other fruits and vegetables, which, while rich in carotenoids, are lipid challenged, impeding nutrient absorption. Researchers found that adding

avocados to salad and salsa (foods used in the study) can significantly enhance your body's ability to take up the benefits of carotenoids, due primarily to the lipids in the avocados1. The yellow-green color of avocados prompted another study, since color in other plant-based foods indicates carotenoid and other "bioactive" action, indicating possible cancer-fighting properties. The premise was that the monounsaturated fat in avocados might help your body absorb important bioactive carotenoids in combination with other fruits and vegetables, and therefore significantly reduce your risk of cancer2. Another study showed that the lipids extracted from avocados might prove photo-protective against harmful effects of radiation, such as sun damage, inflammation, and even skin cancer, if ingested before exposure3.


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Avocados for the Body

Avocado: Botany
Production and Uses

Avocados: Good for the Body

Hello, Everyone!

Today, we are looking at the avocado and some of its benefits to the body, and therefore, the scalp's hair. The avocado tree (Persea americana) is native to Central Mexico, and is classified in the flowering plant family Lauraceae along with cinnamon, camphor and bay laurel. 'Avocado' or 'alligator pear' also refers to the fruit (botanically, a large drupe that contains a large seed) of the tree, which may be pear-shaped, egg-shaped or spherical.

Avocados are commercially valuable, and are cultivated in tropical and mediterranean climates throughout the world, producing a green-skinned, pear-shaped fruit that ripens after harvesting. Trees are partially self-pollinating and often are propagated through grafting to maintain a predictable quality and quantity of the fruit.

Culinary Uses
The avocado fruit of horticultural cultivars has a higher fat content than most other fruit, mostly monounsaturated fat, and, consequently, serves as an important staple in the diet of various groups where access to other fatty foods  such as high-fat meats and fish, dairy, etc. is limited.

When held in the palm of the hand and squeezed, a ripe avocado yields to gentle pressure. The flesh is prone to enzymatic browning which means it turns brown quickly after exposure to air. To prevent this, lime or lemon juice can be added to avocados after they are peeled.

Indonesian-style avocado
milkshake with chocolate
syrup

Avocado fruit is not sweet, but savory, yet subtly flavored with a smooth, almost creamy texture. However, It is used in savory dishes and sweet dishes, in many countries yet not for both. The avocado is very popular in vegetarian cuisine, as substitute for meats in sandwiches and salads because of its high fat content.


Generally, avocado is served raw, although some cultivars, including the common Hass, can be cooked for a short time without becoming bitter. Caution should be used when cooking with untested cultivars because the flesh of some avocados may be rendered inedible by heat. Prolonged cooking induces this chemical reaction in all cultivars. 

Around the globe avocado culinary use as a dessert is:

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