The Awesome Avocado!
There are so many reasons - and so many ways - to love avocado! A culinary superfood, avocados provide up to 20 nutrients including vitamins K, C and E, as well as folate, magnesium, zinc, and potassium. In fact, they actually have more potassium than bananas.
Unlike most fruits, avocado is low in carbohydrates and high in a healthy fat called oleic acid. Like olive oil, oleic acid has been linked to health benefits such as reducing inflammation, protecting cells against cancer, and promoting healthy cholesterol levels. This amazing fruit also improves digestive health and helps your body absorb other nutrients.
Avocado is also great for your liver and supports detoxification. Avocados are the richest food source of glutathione - an antioxidant that the liver needs to filter out toxins and protect liver cells from damage.
There are limitless ways to add avocado to snacks or meals: Use avocado as a healthy spread on gluten-free toast or crackers; blend it into scrambled eggs; add it to dips, salsa, or soup, or slice for a salad topping. My personal favorite is guacamole that I serve with sliced radishes instead of chips. SO delicious and refreshing!
Avocado is optimally ripe when the fruit is mildly soft to touch. Its flesh should be creamy and green-gold in color. If you don't use the whole fruit at one time, keep leftover avocado fresh by leaving the pit in the unused portion and allow it to sit, uncovered, on a counter for a few hours before placing it in the fridge (still uncovered) for up to two days. When you want to use the other half, simply peel off the brown crust to reveal a soft and deliciously ripe avocado beneath.
References:
- Dreher, Mark L., and Adrienne J. Davenport. "Hass Avocado Composition and Potential Health Effects." Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition 53.7 (2013): 738-750. PMC. Web. 28 Mar. 2016.
- WorldsHealthiestFoods.com. "What's New and Beneficial About Avocados?" http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=5 Accessed on March 29, 2016
- AuthorityNutrition.com "Avocado 101" https://authoritynutrition.com/foods/avocado/ Accessed on March 29, 2016
- "12 Proven Benefits of Avocado" https://authoritynutrition.com/12-proven-benefits-of-avocado/
- Ding H, Chin YW, Kinghorn AD, et al. "Chemopreventive characteristics of avocado fruit. Semin Cancer Biol." (2007 May 17). Accessed on March 29, 2016. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17582784
