When I trained for my first fitness competition it was a staple in my diet. Although fruit is good for you, it is something that must be eaten choice fully because of the amount of fructose. I ate grapefruit religiously, which is a great fat burner but it has nothing on this amazing super fruit. The avocado is my favorite fruit I eat almost every day!
Avocados are multi-purposed and can be enjoyed at every meal. I found that it helped me lose weight and not only is it packed with a powerful nutrition benefit but it was great for glowing skin and shiny, healthy hair.
Fats use to be the bad guy. Now, we are learning there is a difference between good fats and bad fats. Avocados are high in heart-healthy monosaturated fats which is yet another plus.
I don’t want to sound like a pitch lady but what I learned about eating healthy starts with our food choices. Many times what comes natural from the ground (although I repeat…natural which is why I prefer organic when possible over conventional) is just what we need to help us achieve the nutritional goals we want.
Here are some of the most abundant nutrients, in a single 3.5 ounce (100 gram) serving (3):
[no_unordered_list style=”circle” number_type=”circle_number” animate=”no” font_weight=””]
- Vitamin K: 26% of the RDA.
- Folate: 20% of the RDA.
- Vitamin C: 17% of the RDA.
- Potassium: 14% of the RDA.
- Vitamin B5: 14% of the RDA.
- Vitamin B5: 14% of the RDA.
- Vitamin B6: 13% of the RDA.
- Vitamin E: 10% of the RDA.
[/no_unordered_list]
Then it contains small amounts of Magnesium, Manganese, Copper, Iron, Zinc, Phosphorous, Vitamin A, B1 (Thiamine), B2 (Riboflavin) and B3 (Niacin).
I actually ate a half an avocado to a full avocado every day when I was prepping for my competition and my diet was very close to vegetarian. It was great because it acted as a meat substitute for me which helped make my salads heavier.
To this day, I love making morning smoothies with avocado or adding them to a salad or sandwich for lunch. I find that it is truly a super fruit that has amazing benefits and it is not too expensive to indulge in. I recommend eating them daily if you can. Why not?
Here is one of my favorite green smoothie recipes:
[no_unordered_list style=”circle” number_type=”circle_number” animate=”no” font_weight=””]
- Vitamin K: 26% of the RDA.
- Ingredients – makes 4 servings
- 1/2 organic pineapple
- 2-3 organic lemons
- 1 banana
- 2 avocados
- 1 handful of greens such as watercress or spinach
- 1 Tbsp. of coconut oil
[/no_unordered_list]
Procedure:
Keep the rind on the pineapple and lemons. Cut into small pieces and run through a juicer to separate the juice from the pulp (rinds should not be blended into the juice).
Combine pineapple/lemon juice, banana, avocados, greens and 1 Tbsp.coconut oil in the blender and blend until smooth
I found this recipe on one of my favorite healthy websites Dr. Mercola. If you are about healthy living and informative insights around diet, fitness and overall well-being check him out!
Thanks to Dr. Mercola!
I can’t say enough about my love for avocados! Please share some of your favorite healthy foods and finds that you have come to love.