Why Avocados Have Become
the New Superfood

They are not only delicious, but these days, avocados are known as the new superfood because of their incredible health benefits. Not only do they contain a variety of nutritious ingredients, but they have also been touted as a weight-loss food and an aphrodisiac. Also, their high water content keeps the skin hydrated. Important nutrients found in avocados include monounsaturated fat, lots of fiber, potassium, folic acid, vitamins B, K and C, and carotenoids.

What Makes Avocados so Healthy?

Website Naturally Savvy lists the nutrients that make avocados an essential part of a healthy diet:

• Vitamin B5 – Keeps skin healthy and nerves functioning properly; helps create antibodies, convert energy and support adrenal-gland health.
• Vitamin C – This antioxidant powerhouse keeps teeth and bones strong and helps wounds heal.
• Vitamin K – Important for clotting, including nose bleeds and healing wounds.
• Potassium – Important for healthy skin, nerve transmission and water balance.
• Fiber – Vital for digestion and prevents constipation.
• Carotenoids – Excellent for prevention of rheumatoid arthritis and healthy bones.
• Folate – Aids digestion and important for metabolizing protein; also good for depression, appetite and proper growth function.
• Potassium – Avocados actually contain more potassium than bananas. Potassium intake is good for keeping blood pressure low.

A serving of 3.5 ounces, or 100 grams, of avocado contains 160 calories.

How to Add Avocados to Your Diet

These delicious superfoods are actually fruits, not vegetables, and they are very versatile. Avocados are ideal in salads and guacamole, and they can even be made into desserts—mixed with cocoa, mashed and sweetened, they make a popular vegan chocolate mousse.

Avocados are soft when ripe. The moment you peel an avocado and remove the pit, it will go brown because of oxidation unless you add some lemon juice, or immerse the unpeeled avocado in boiling water for a minute before peeling. So, keep them whole until you are ready to serve them.

Quick and Simple Avocado Recipes

• Substitute a banana with an avocado next time you make a smoothie
• Mash with lemon juice, salt and black pepper, and use as a sandwich filling
• Your guacamole can serve as a delicious dip for vegetable crudités
• Slice and serve in salads
• British bloggers Melissa and Jasmine Hemsley, who are health food writers for Vogue UK, have just released a cookbook entitled “The Art of Eating Well,” which is now available in the United States. Their favorite recipe is serving avocado with vinaigrette. For a dessert, they sprinkle the avocado with cinnamon and drizzle some raw honey over top.

If you want to eat clean but just don’t feel like cooking, Organicrestaurants.com can help you find an organic eatery near you. To get started, check out our Organic Restaurant Search page.

SOURCES
theepochtimes.com
naturallysavvy.com
hemsleyandhemsley.com
authoritynutrition.com
whfoods.org