You probably love avocados already unless you're (a) allergic to them or (b) crazy. It’s hard not to: They’re creamy, fresh, satisfying…we’re practically drooling just describing them. But they’re not just good—they’re also really good for you. So much so, in fact, that we thought it was high time to compile a list of their most amazing health benefits. Read on to get even more pro-avo than you already are…
1. They could help you slim down:
2. You may make healthier choices if you eat them:
3. They’re great for your skin:
4. They may lower your blood pressure:
5. They can help prevent injuries:
Add more avocados to your diet with these delicious recipes:
2. You may make healthier choices if you eat them:
3. They’re great for your skin:
4. They may lower your blood pressure:
5. They can help prevent injuries:
Add more avocados to your diet with these delicious recipes:
read more
5 New Ways to Use Avocado
Avocados aren't just delicious—they're brimming with health benefits. For starters, they’re high in potassium (half an avocado contains 487 milligrams, more than you’ll find in a medium banana), which can help lower blood pressure. Their healthy fats (the monounsaturated kind) can help fight high cholesterol and fend off belly fat.
Active women need to make sure they eat enough fat to perform their best. When competitive female runners ate a diet with less than 20 percent fat, they were more likely to suffer injuries than those who consumed at least 31 percent fat, according to researchers at the University of Buffalo. Researchers speculate that the problem is linked to extreme low-fat diets, which weaken muscles and joints. "A few slices of avocado a day are a great way to boost fat for women who are fat-shy," says Leslie Bonci, R.D., director of sports nutrition at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.
We can’t think of a reason why you wouldn’t want to chow down on more of these green wonders, especially when they’re more versatile than you may think. The five recipes below will teach you how to work avocados into breakfast, lunch, dinner, and even dessert.
For breakfast, try a Mango Surprise Smoothie
5 New Ways to Use Avocado
Avocados aren't just delicious—they're brimming with health benefits. For starters, they’re high in potassium (half an avocado contains 487 milligrams, more than you’ll find in a medium banana), which can help lower blood pressure. Their healthy fats (the monounsaturated kind) can help fight high cholesterol and fend off belly fat.
Active women need to make sure they eat enough fat to perform their best. When competitive female runners ate a diet with less than 20 percent fat, they were more likely to suffer injuries than those who consumed at least 31 percent fat, according to researchers at the University of Buffalo. Researchers speculate that the problem is linked to extreme low-fat diets, which weaken muscles and joints. "A few slices of avocado a day are a great way to boost fat for women who are fat-shy," says Leslie Bonci, R.D., director of sports nutrition at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.
We can’t think of a reason why you wouldn’t want to chow down on more of these green wonders, especially when they’re more versatile than you may think. The five recipes below will teach you how to work avocados into breakfast, lunch, dinner, and even dessert.
For breakfast, try a Mango Surprise Smoothie
For dinner, try Vegetable Fajitas.
For a snack, try Tropical Guac.
For dessert, try Avocado Ice Cream.
read more
The Best Lunch for Keeping Hunger at Bay
Every so often, new research comes along that's so awesome, we can't believe the findings are actually true. The latest: Eating half an avocado at lunch could help you feel full until dinnertime, according to a study published recently in Nutrition Journal.
The Best Lunch for Keeping Hunger at Bay
Every so often, new research comes along that's so awesome, we can't believe the findings are actually true. The latest: Eating half an avocado at lunch could help you feel full until dinnertime, according to a study published recently in Nutrition Journal.
Now—full disclosure—the study was funded by the Hass Avocado Board. That said, the findings are still in line with previous pro-avocado research. For this study, the researchers gave 26 overweight adults a standard breakfast and then one of three lunches: one without avocado, one identical to the first option with about half an avocado added to it, and a smaller version of the first lunch with about half an avocado incorporated into it. Researchers tracked participants' hunger levels for three hours after the lunch and fed them a buffet dinner two hours after that.
What happened? Lunchtime avocado eaters weren't s hungry throughout the afternoon. Those who had some of the green stuff at lunch were 26 percent more satisfied and had a 40 percent decreased desire to eat three hours after the meal when compared with those who hadn't had the fruit at all. And five hours later (i.e., right before dinner), the avocado eaters reported that they were 23 percent more satisfied and had a 28 percent decreased desire to eat than the control group.
An Avocado a Day Keeps the Doctor Away?
That guac-and-chips habit might not be as devastating as you thought
Guacamole lovers, rejoice! People who eat a daily dose of avocado are typically healthier than those who don’t, according to a new survey conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Researchers asked 17,567 adults to record everything they ate in a 24-hour period, then analyzed their diets and health. The 347 people who ate an average of half a medium-sized avocado reported more balanced diets containing more fiber, good-for-you fats, vitamins, and minerals. What’s more, they also weighed less and had lower BMIs, smaller waists, and healthier cholesterol levels than those who didn’t eat avocados. And the good news just keeps on coming: Avocado-eaters were also 50 less likely to suffer from metabolic syndrome, a collection of health measures that predict your risk of heart disease, stroke, and type-2 diabetes.
It makes sense that avocado eaters would get more of the good stuff found in the fruit, like monounsaturated fat, vitamin K, folate, potassium, vitamin E, lutein, magnesium, vitamin C, and vitamin B6—but that doesn’t tell the whole story.
