"Let Food Be Thy Medicine" - The Almighty Avocado

In this month’s blog I’d like to give everyone my current favorite breakfast recipe -- avocado toast. This recipe is portable, versatile, can be prepared ahead of time and served many different ways. The best thing about this recipe is that it’s made with what I feel is perhaps the most anti-inflammatory food on the planet… avocados!

The avocado tree is native to South Central Mexico (although grown in many places now) and is often called the “alligator pear” for its shape, color, and texture. The avocado is the only fruit that supplies a substantial amount of monounsaturated fats. Avocados supply our bodies with 20 different vitamins and minerals, contain more potassium than bananas, and boast 7 grams of fiber for every 3.5 oz. serving. Avocados also help our bodies absorb other fat-soluble nutrients eaten with them (https://authoritynutrition.com/12-proven-benefits-of-avocado/).

If you’ve read any of my other blogs, you know that what I look for in an anti-inflammatory dish is healthy fats and fiber. Multiple studies on humans have shown that diets rich in fiber (20 grams per day and up) and monounsaturated fats significantly reduce inflammatory markers in the body like C-reactive protein and other cytokines (http://atvb.ahajournals.org/content/26/5/995). The avocado is one single ingredient that can give you 14 grams of heart healthy monounsaturated and half of the recommended daily amount of fiber in one cup. How can this fruit be called anything other than an anti-inflammatory powerhouse?

Avocados are also an extremely versatile ingredient. In my breakfast toast, I like to use avocado as guacamole. If you’re not a fan of the taste, try adding half of an avocado to a fruit and protein smoothie. I promise you will be amazed at how creamy avocados make smoothies. Several years back, I was working with a team of people from the Philippines who told me that avocado with sugar and milk was their favorite desert growing up. If you can believe it, my mother actually makes avocado ice cream in her blender that is better than any frozen yogurt I’ve had. Do yourself a favor, and make the avocado a daily staple in your diet.

To start my day the anti-inflammatory way, I combine hard-cooked whole omega-3 eggs with one packet of pre-made guacamole and I spread this over two slices of high fiber toast. This meal gives me over 30 grams of protein, 20 grams of fat (mostly monounsaturated), 13 grams of fiber, potassium, magnesium, choline, and a host of vitamins and minerals. When I eat this meal, I can tell a difference in my energy and attitude that lasts through the day. Add in one or two of our low sugar protein bars and you have a full day of clean eating with very little effort.

Avocado Toast (2 servings):

4 whole omega-3 eggs. I use Eggland’s best, but any brand is fine. Just make sure you see the words "Omega-3” printed on the carton.
1 packet of prepared guacamole. I really like the brand Wholly Guacamole. The guacamole comes in various flavors and gives you 2 oz of avocado. They have a great shelf life and all you have you do is throw a single serving pack into a Ziploc bag with your eggs for a meal on the go.
2 slices of high fiber bread. I use Dave’s Killer Bread: 21 Seeds. Note that you can omit the bread if you like. If you’re following a ketogenic diet, mix the eggs and avocado together and top with a sprinkling of pumpkin seeds for added texture and fiber.
Salt and Pepper
Hot sauce (optional)

I hard cook my eggs by steaming them in my Instant Pot electric pressure cooker (the best multi-tasker in my kitchen and well worth the investment). I’ve also heard that the Dash egg cooker is a great tool and very affordable. You can also just do things the old fashioned way and boil your eggs in water (note- start with your eggs submerged in cold water so the shells don’t burst and use an ice bath at the end to make peeling easier). Once the eggs are cooked, cooled, and peeled, place four eggs in a medium sized bowl and mash them with back of a fork or potato masher until crumbled. Add 1 packet (or two tablespoons) of prepared guacamole to the eggs and stir. Add salt and pepper to taste. Toast the bread while you’re making the egg salad. When everything is done, spread the egg salad over the toast and enjoy.