Spicy Avocado Lime Dressing

For the last few weeks I’ve been getting a lot of questions about weight loss. Maybe it’s just a product of summer fever. Bikini season seems to instill fear into the hearts of those hiding under their winter sweaters. More specifically, I’ve been getting questions about which diet I think is the best for weight loss. To be honest, I can’t even keep track of these diets anymore! As a consumer it must feel so completely overwhelming to pick the perfect diet or at least the least miserable one. You have to mentally prepare yourself for at least a week before starting. You have to lock up your chocolates, so they’ll tempt you from behind a closed cabinet rather than from the candy bowl. You have to practice what you will say to your mother who will inevitably try to overfeed you. Then you have to closely monitor your progress… one dreaded weigh-in at a time. The worst part, when the diet is over the weight comes back.

The whole process seems so daunting, doesn’t it? I would know. I battled with my weight for years before I took an interest in nutrition. I too was well practiced at the art of yo-yo dieting. I tried them all. Low fat, low carb, diet pills, cleanses… In the end, I would spend months thinking about nothing but food and weight. Eventually, I would give into cravings (my body’s cry for proper nutrition) and eat everything in sight. I would feel wracked with guilt which would just cause me to overeat until my next feverish attempt to lose weight. Not only was this whole process exhausting, but it made me completely lose sight of anything else around me. It was a perfectly joyless way of living.

In the end, I decided to really educate myself about how to nourish the human body properly. I focused both my bachelor’s and master’s degree on nutrition sciences. The more knowledge I gained, the healthier my relationship with food became. I started to make small changes such as selecting less processed foods. I replaced the saturated fats like butter, sour cream and mayonnaise with foods like olive oil, tahini and Greek yogurt. I traded in empty calorie foods (the foods that are high in calories but have no nutritional value) for foods that were nutritionally dense. I found that when I ate foods with a higher nutrient profile I naturally ate less because my body wasn't looking for the nutrition it needed. I eventually found that small changes dietary changes lead to big results both mentally and physically.

This next recipe is a perfect example of one of the small changes I have made in my diet that has added up to big results. I love a good creamy salad dressing to dip my veggies into. Unfortunately, many salad dressings on the market are loaded in calories but devoid of any sort of nutrition. Not only that but I can’t even pronounce most of the ingredients on the label. My Avocado Salad Dressing is a great alternative to those prepackaged dressings. It is made with ingredients that are packed with the good types of fats and antioxidants. The best part is that it satisfies my craving for something creamy and delicious! With undertones of citrus and cilantro, this dressing makes any salad sparkle with flavor!

Ingredients:

• ½ avocado
• ¼ jalapeno
• 1 handful of cilantro leaves  
• 1 lime juiced
• 1/4th cup olive oil
• 1/4th cup water  
• 1/8th TSP coriander
• 1/8th TSP cumin
• 1/4th TSP Salt 

Directions:

1. Take the pit out of the avocado and remove the skin.
2. Place all ingredients in the blender. If the dressing is too thick, add more water one tablespoon at a time until desired consistency.
3. Set the blender to liquefy until all ingredients are blended well.
4. Serve over salad or as a dip.

Note: This recipe may be refrigerated but is best when served at room temperature. 

The perfect addition to any salad to make it sparkle with flavor! 

Nutrition Content:

Serving Size: 2 tablespoons

• Calories: 78 cal
• Protein: .2 gram
• Fat: 8 grams
• Carbs: 1 grams
• Fiber: .7 grams