Add this green superfood to your must-eat list pronto
If you’re using avocados only to make guacamole, you’re not getting the most out of this fruit’s many health benefits. Rich in omega-3 and omega-6 fats and oleic acid, which are important for heart health, avocados are a low-calorie, low-fat food bursting with nutritional value. Here’s why you should add this superfood to your diet:
Avocados are a good source of fiber, potassium, and vitamins C, K, folate and B6. One avocado contains more than a third of the daily recommended amount of vitamin C, and more than half the day’s requirement of vitamin K.
Avocados are rich in minerals, including magnesium, which is essential to more than 300 cellular metabolic functions.
Research shows avocados help prevent inflammation, which can help tame symptoms of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
Avocados contain less than 2 grams of sugar, which is good news for diabetics and anyone else who needs a low glycemic diet. Folks with high blood pressure can rejoice, too. Avocados have no sodium and zero cholesterol.
Studies show avocados are rich in antioxidants that help slow the aging process and boost the immune system. Other research points to the cancer-fighting properties of antioxidants and suggests that avocados in the diet could stave off certain cancers.
So slice up avocados in your salads and sandwiches, make purees and dips from them, or include them in soups or smoothies.
Avocado and Melon Smoothie
1 ripe avocado
1 cup honeydew melon chunks
1-1/2 teaspoon lime juice
8 ounces fat-free milk
1 cup fat-free plain yogurt
1/2 cup apple juice (or white grape juice)
1 tablespoon honey
Cut avocado in half. Remove pit. Place flesh in blender with remaining ingredients. Blend well.
