The mighty avocado

Strictly speaking, avocado is a fruit, although it is typically used in savoury dishes. It is native to Central America, and was discovered by Spanish invaders in the 16th century. It is now popular throughout the world and grown in various tropical regions. With a smooth, buttery texture and mild, creamy taste, avocado is best eaten when ripe.

Immunity-boosting properties

Avocados contains monounsaturated fat which can help to lower cholesterol. They are also a source of linoleic acid (known as omega-6 fatty acid), which the body converts to gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), a substance that helps to thin the blood, soothe inflammation and improve blood sugar balance.

They are rich in vitamin E, an antioxidant that neutralises the damaging effect of toxins in the body and boosts resistance to infection. Avocado's B-vitamin levels help the immune cells to destroy harmful invaders - as does glutathione, a powerful substance that boosts the action of the body's natural killer cells. Last but not least, they contain the plant chemical beta-sitosterol which is particularly beneficial to the prostate gland. But did you also know...

*The avocado has been known by several names, including alligator pear and butter pear. It earned the title butter pear because of its smooth texture, but alligator pear was the original name given to it by the Spanish.

*Stop opened avocados from turning brown by sprinkling the exposed surfaces with lemon juice and leaving the stone in.

*Avocado is also an effective skin treatment - simply mash the flesh and smooth it over your face, washing off after 10 minutes, to nourish your complexion.

*People with latex allergies are also likely to be allergic to avocado.

With all this talk of avocado I better try a juice with it in! The only recipe I haven't tried in my book with avocado in also has celery, which I have decided, I HATE! But you can't like everything in life and it's always good to try new things. This one is called 'punchball' and you juice 100g of green grapes and 2 celery sticks. Put the juice into a blender with the avocado, blend and serve with a couple of ice cubes. As with most avocado concoctions it was a juice on the thick side and was light, grassy green in colour. Rating 3/5

I was out and about today and managed to find the time to make up 'pulpitation' last night, and froze it. Put 1 large orange, 1/2 grapefruit and 1 lime into the juicer and put into a container in the freezer. It's worth noting that you should never include the skin of citrus fruits as they contain small amounts of arsenic. If you want a longer drink then just add a bit of sparkling mineral water. I took this out on my way out the door and had it defrosting in my bag. It was a little warm when I came to drink it but it was a great refreshing, tangy, citrus hit. Rating 5/5

Today's Ratings (out of 5) Energy:5 Hassle:2 Benefits:4