Celebrity and the avocado

In a Daily Mail article by Alice Smellie last month, glam author Jillly Cooper was quoted as saying her doctor had warned off the avocados she loves because she was on a “low cholesterol diet”. As avocados contain no cholesterol at all, and because of the monosaturated (healthy) oils they have actually lower cholesterol levels, this is a pretty poor piece of advice. Luckily the Mail’s resident nutritionist put the record straight later in the piece.  

Many celebrities have publicised their love of the avocado, not least because of the beneficial effect it has on their hair and skin.

Do a Google search on “Avocado Victoria Beckham” and among the results, you’ll find articles detailing preparations for both hair conditioner and an avocado-based skin treatment.  And three years ago, husband David, also reportedly gave up dairy products, caffeine and alcohol for a diet that included generous helping of avocados.

An encouraging number of celebs also seem to be well up on the benefits of our favourite fruit. On more than one popular website Katie Price reveals the secrets of her “Trim Tum” programme – a diet that has avocados as one its central components.

Finding out the above inspired us to Google searches on some more, well, upmarket celebrities, with good results:

Joanna Lumley, for example, went on the record recently as saying that her final meal, would consist of “salted peanuts, a hot vegetable curry and a glass of Champagne” – and “an avocado pear”. Good choice.

Desperate Housewife Eva Longoria loves avocados and has created her very own “Best Ever Guacamole Recipe”.

Gok Wan has been linked with eating avocados (perhaps he should be called “Guac Wan”…)

But our favourite celebrity discovery to date is summed up in this headline “Obama Likes to Eat Avocado Burgers”, a story that broke just after the US elections, revealing that President Obama’s meals of choice was the house speciality at a the Kua ‘Aina restaurant in Hawaii.

http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2008/11/obamas-not-so-secret-hawaiian-burger-joint-kua-aina-oahu.html

A free avocado key ring to anyone who can better that…