Healthy Night Out!

I went out Friday night with some girlfriends from college to grab a bite to eat. We decided on going to a pizzeria called Raffaelle's. I had browsed the menu before going cuz it takes me forever to decide on what to eat. I saw an interesting pizza that had avocado as an ingredient and thought I'd give it a try. I'm a huge fan of avocado (or just pear as we call it here in Ja). Unlike most people, though, its not the taste that makes me such a huge fan but the host of benefits that this amazing fruit provides. Whether you eat it, slab it on your face or hair, it works wonders. So there was absolutely no way I was going to pass up on this avocado pizza. Thankfully I wasn't disappointed, presentation was lovely and the taste didn't disappoint. The service was also good. I'll definitely be returning. 

Mmmmm! Yummies! (Yeah, I need to adjust the date on my camera, lol)

Trying to be a good girl with a salad. It was served with a tasty terriyaki sauce with a kick of ginger.

Fun Facts on Avocado:

• Avocados have been shown to improve the absorption of lycopene and beta-carotene (remember these are fat-soluble nutrients).
• You'd think high concentrations of carotenoids are only found inbrihgt orange or red foods such as carrots and tomatoes. But despite its dark green colour, avocado has an array of carotenoids. 
• The greatest concentration of carotenoids in avocado lies in the dark green flesh, just under the skin.
• Though avocado is high in fat, its the good kind. It contains phytosterols and polyhydroxylated fatty alcohols that help to keep inflammation in control. 
• It also contains oleic acid, a monounsaturated fatty acid, that helps to lower our risk of heart disease. 
• Avocado helps to regulate blood glucose levels (only 19% of calories come from carbohydrate) and is a low glycemic food. It also provides dietary fibre which helps to regulate blood sugar levels. Due to its high fat content, moderation is key.
• Avocadomasks are great for age spots, scars, sun damage and other signs of aging, dry skin and eczema.

Avocado Mask:

1/4c avocado puree

1/4c sour cream

Apply mask to clean face and neck. 

Allow to sit for 15 minutes. 

Remove with warm water. 

Snack of the Week

I've been trying really hard to combat the munchies at work but it doesn't help when there's a supermarket right across the road, along with a patty and pastry outlet (I'm a self-proclaimed pastry/anything dessert-ey junkie). Sometimes, when I manage to resist the urge to buy sweet biscuits or chips, I have a packet of peanuts and raisins. But as much as I love peanuts, it can get tiring, especially now that my wisdom tooth is coming out (takes twice as long to finish a packet). So I've been search health magazine to find healthy snacks that I can prepare at home or buy at a grocery store. Now, everytime I think of a healthy snack, the first thing comes to mind is peanut butter and celery. I don't know why but I guess its because of the  peculiarity of the combo. I used to read about the healthy option while growing up but had never been introduced to celery. The day I was, I wished I had never met celery. Do't get me wrong, I appreciate the very, very, very faint taste of celery in soups and meats, But celery itself? The thought even makes my mouth go dry. So as an alternative, I came up with a much milder cruciferous vegetable: cucumber!!! Now, I just love it that Mr. Cucumber hardly has any taste and just blends in with everything :-). And I just love peanut butter...

Fun facts about cucumbers:

• They're  a good source of vitamin C, beta-carotene, manganese and flavonoids which are antioxidants that help to prevent damage caused by free-radicals.
• Fresh cucumber extracts have been shown to reduce unwanted inflammation in animal studies (that's why its used to reduce eye puffiness). 

If you have any ideas for healthy snack options, please feel free to leave a comment!