It was said the Aztecs used it as a sex stimulant, but the Conquistadores seemed to think just about everything was a sex stimulant.

It may just be that the original name, ‘ahuacatl‘, meaning ‘testicle‘, caused all the confusion. I am told that this name is because of the shape, not for any magical viagra-like effects upon the Aztecs. (Although I can’t speak for the Conquistadores).

In any case it took a huge public relations campaign to make the avocado acceptable on the family dinner table.

Avocados are packed with beneficial antioxidants and phytonutrients, including vitamin C, folate, vitamin E, fibre and unsaturated fats. They are naturally sodium-free and a healthy addition to any diet.

Nowadays we eat avacados for our health. And because they taste so good.

Beauty Aid

The avocado is also a wonderful beauty aid, rich in beneficial oils that rejuvenate our skin.

Puffy Eyes
Cut an avocado in half and take off the peel. Don’t throw the peel away in the compost just yet!

Cut the avocado flesh into crescent shapes. Lie down with a few slices under each eye and rest for 20 minutes.

Dry Skin Luxuriant
Mash half an avocado and spread evenly on your clean face. Leave it for 15 minutes and then gently rinse off with warm water.

Oil-rich Night Moisturiser
Now for that peel you didn’t throw in the compost. Apply the inside of the avacado peel to your clean face with gentle upward strokes. Leave on overnight and gently rinse your face with warm water in the morning.

More than guacamole

When it comes to cooking, Mexican guacamole is without a doubt the best-known avocado dish. But there are a lot more ways to enjoy avocados.

• Spread some on toasted rye bread with a squeeze of lime juice and black pepper
• Dice the flesh and make it into a coarse salsa with tomatoes, onion, chilli, lime and coriander
• Toss wedges gently in a salad with green leaves and a little lemon

Remember not to serve avocado with heavy sauces, cream and cheese. It not only smothers the nutty taste but makes the dish too rich.

On the BBQ

What you need

• 6 ripe avocados, peeled, pitted, and halved
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for grilling
• Juice of 2 lemons
• Salt and pepper to taste

What you do

Heat up the BBQ.

• Place peeled and pitted avocado halves in a bowl
• Drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice and sprinkle with salt & pepper
• Leave for 2 minutes
• Pop the avocado halves on the BBQ with the cut side down
• Grill for 1 full minute on each side

Is my avocado ripe?

Avocados have to ripen in a warm place before they’re used. To test ripeness, press the skin lightly with your thumb. If it feels slightly yielding, it’s ready to eat.

Cut lengthways down to the stone and twist to separate the two halves. Pierce the stone carefully with a knife to embed the tip of the knife, then pull the stone out.

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Cleopatra, Queen of the Nile, and Poppaea Sabina, wife of Nero, used to bathe in asses’ milk. They believed it was responsible for their sought-after white complexions and Poppaea kept a herd of 500 she-asses to aid her beauty treatments.

(Sadly, Poppaea’s beauty didn’t save her from being brutally kicked to death by her husband, but don’t take it as an omen).

A large herd of white asses, especially prized in Egypt, provided enough milk for Cleopatra’s daily soak. Both of these ladies (and doubtless millions more) were using food acids as the ‘fountain of youth’.

When you look at your skin in the mirror you’re looking at dead skin. The outermost layer of cells don’t slough off as they did when we were young, instead they hang around, stuck on the upcoming layer, and cause lots of fine lines and wrinkles. Natural fruit acids called alpha hydroxy acids or AHAs, encourage the shedding of old surface skin cells.

The most frequently used alpha hydroxy acid for facial treatments is Glycolic acid, but lactic and citric acid are also popular. Of course, lactic acid doesn’t come from fruit but from milk. Any milk, not exclusively asses’ milk. Our famous ladies could have bathed in cows milk for the same result.

Billions of dollars are spent annually for cosmetics containing AHAs. Just type alpha hydroxy acids into google and you’ll see the thousands of products for sale based on AHA.

Derived from fruit and milk sugars and packaged as creams and lotions, AHAs are claimed to reduce wrinkles, spots, and other signs of aging, sun-damaged skin. You should become familiar with the names so you can identify them on cosmetic labels. It would be a lot easier if they were called ‘milk acid’ ‘grape acid’ etc wouldn’t it.

Lactic acid	Milk, yoghurt
Citric acids	Fruits
Malic acids	Fruits
Glycolic acid	Sugar Cane
Tartaric acid	Grapes

You can pay a lot of money for treatments like skin peels with AHA, or buy some expensive lotions. Or you can open up the frig and reach for the milk.

Bathe like Cleo and Poppy

You can use regular milk or powdered milk for a bath. There’s no need to start a run on the dairy, three to four cups of regular milk are generally enough, but please yourself, use as much as you wish. Mix up the powdered milk according to the instructions. Here’s a simple recipeIngredients:

• 4 cups powdered milk
• 1 cup boiled water
• 5 chamomile tea bags

• Steep chamomile in water for 20 minutes
• Strain liquid.
• Mix liquid with milk
• Add to bath water and jump in!

(After a milk bath don’t forget to give the tub a good scrub)

Here’s a recipe for a soothing skin cleanser using papaya and honey.

Age Spots and Sun Spots: Place the fleshy side of the skin from a mature green papaya onto the age spots until the spots fade.

A ready made Rejuvenater : ARCONA Papaya Enzyme Gel, Rejuvenate PM 1.17 oz (35 ml)

Skin Cleanser

What you need

• 3 Tbsp (45 mL) pure honey
• 1/2 tsp (2 mL) extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 tsp (2 mL) wheat germ oil
• 1 tsp (5 mL) papaya juice

What you do

• Mix the ingredients together
• Wash the skin with warm water
• Gently massage the cleanser onto moist skin, then rinse well with water
• Apply twice daily.