Avocado Health Benefits – An Avocado A Day!

Avocado Health Benefits Make It a True Superfood

When you think about healthy foods to keep the doctor away, chances are that the apple takes center stage. But while apples are high in complex carbs and fiber, they don’t hold a candle to avocados, which are true superfoods.

By making avocados a regular part of your diet, you can enjoy benefits like lower cholesterol and even better skin and hair. By learning more about the amazing avocado’s health benefits, you might be inspired to add a few to your cart the next time you go grocery shopping.

Avocado Health Benefits

While it may look like an ordinary green fruit, cracking open an avocado opens a world of benefits for your body. Avocados are naturally rich in healthy fats, which contribute to better levels of HDL, or “good cholesterol” in your body. They also offer your body antioxidants to help protect against illness and boost your immune system. What’s more, they’re high in vitamin E, one of the most potent nutrients for healthier skin, hair, and overall aging.

Eating avocados with other nutrient-rich foods can also help speed the absorption of vitamins, minerals, and nutrients, such as alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, and lutein. So next time you’re asked if you’d like avocado on your salad or sandwich, the answer should be “yes!”

Picking an Avocado

One of the reasons an individual might shy away from putting avocados in his shopping cart is that they do not know how to pick a ripe one. It’s easy once you get the hang of it. First, test the outside of the avocado by gently pressing your thumb into the skin. A ripe avocado should have some “give” when you press, but shouldn’t collapse under your finger – that’s too ripe. If there’s no give at all, it’s not ripe enough.

If your store only has unripe avocados, take it home and pop it into a paper bag with a banana and it should be ripened within 24 to 48 hours. You can easily slice it open by running a knife around the circumference of the fruit and twisting the halves apart. Pluck out the pit and use the soft fruit inside.

Adding Avocado to your Diet

The smooth, creamy texture of a ripe avocado means it lends itself well to a variety of recipes and methods for eating. Pop a few slices on a sandwich in place of mayo or eat it on your salad to reap even more benefits of vegetables and nutrients.

You can even use one in a smoothie or protein shake as an added source of good fats and a way to add a creamier texture. Of course, guacamole is a favorite: Just mash an avocado with your favorite salsa and eat with whole-grain pita chips for a healthy snack.

Avocado Nutritional Information

Don’t allow the high-fat content to scare you off from noshing on avocado. Remember, the fats in avocados are the healthiest kind, which can contribute to heart health and better cholesterol levels.

The average avocado contains just 4.5 grams of fat, 0 cholesterol, and a scant 50 calories, making it the perfect addition to recipes. You can also get 2 grams of fiber and 150 mg of potassium from an avocado – about half that of a full banana.

Avocadosmay seem like the next trendy superfood, but they’ve been used in healthy diets for centuries. If you want to enjoy a healthier heart – and a tastier salad – it makes sense to pick up a few avocados the next time you’re at the store. Easy to peel and even easier to eat, they may just become your new favorite food.