Avocados – 5 health benefits of this super food in your diet
Avocado a super food gift from nature
Avocado is a unique super food fruit that is very healthy for you. The avocado is different than most fruits in that it has a much higher nutritional value and is considered a ‘superfood’. It is loaded with essential nutrients that are good for your body. It has many healthy attributes along with a great taste and makes a great addition to your pantry.
Avocado is a positive Paleo food. If you are not familiar with the Paleo diet or lifestyle, it is a word to describe the ancient cave man diet. These early hunters and gatherers ate mostly nuts, berries, meats and other good whole foods, with none of the farmed grains that are part of many mainstream diets. We really love eating Paleo, as it gives us a simple framework to good healthy clean eating. One of the other major benefits we’ve found with Paleo, is we stay satisfied between meals, reducing the need for snacking, and the temptation for less healthy foods.
1-Avocados Are Full of Good Nutrients
Avocados have many vitamins and nutrients. Vitamins B, C, K and E all in significant amounts. There is over twelve percent of potassium per serving in these green bumpy fruits; its why they call them a super food! The fruit is also very low in sugar, which has many health benefits, especially keeping inflammation at bay. The carbs that exist in avocados are mostly dietary fiber. It also contains smaller amounts of trace minerals like zinc, copper and iron. These fruits taste great and they are nutritious too.
2-Avocados Contain “Good Fat”
Over seventy percent of calories in avocados are made up of fat. They contain some protein and NO trans fats. The good news is this green super-food contains ALL good fats. This is great for healthy eating. There is only a half gram of saturated fat in this wonderful fruit. Eating good healthy fats can actually lower your body’s cholesterol, provides a more stable, slow release energy source.
3-There are no GMO Avocados
There are no varieties of avocados that have been modified in the lab, so you don’t have to worry about your avocados being GMO (Genetically Modified Organism). It’s tough alligator like shell prevents pesticides from making it’s way into the tasty fruit. This fact puts Avocados onto the clean 15 list each year. The clean 15 helps to indicate which produce we need to buy organic (the dirty dozen) and which are ok to buy non organic (the clean 15).
4-Avocados are a natural source of Folate
One of the most important nutrients for expecting mothers is folic acid or folate. Folate is the natural form of this B vitamin and better than having to take the synthetic form. Folate helps to prevent the baby from having any deformities. The lack of this vitamin can also lead to depression in adults. Folate from avocados provides the natural source of the vitamin that is readily absorbed by your body.
5-Avocados Are a Good Replacement for Dairy
They can be used in many of your favorite recipes that require dairy. A good example is to use avocados to make a creamy dressing or instead of butter when baking. They make great thickener for smoothies or shakes and even work with ice-creams and other deserts as a cream replacement. The durability of the fruit makes it one of the finest super foods you can include in your diet.
Below are some of the recipes from our site that contain Avocado
[ultimate-recipe-grid name=”Avocado Recipes” template=”default” images_only=”true” filter=”” multiselect=”true” match_all=”true” match_parents=”true” limit_author=”” limit_by_tag=”ingredient” limit_by_values=”Avocado; Avocado Dip” sort_by=”date” sort_order=”DESC” limit=”30″]What’s your favorite use for avocado in your daily meal plan ?
Part of the cruciferous family, rich in fiber and has been shown to cure stomach ulcers.
A source for quercetin, allicin and chromium.
