10 Health Benefits of Avocado
If you are not on the avocado bandwagon as yet, then why not! This latest superfood is filling the supermarket shelves across the country. However, unlike many other superfood fads there is good reason to why avocados are sticking around, read on for just some of the benefits of avocados.
Avocado is full of fat, but wait there don’t run off, these fats are good for you and one avocado can provide you with 30% of your daily recommended amount of fat. The good fat within is monounsaturated fat which works hard to lower the bad cholesterol which, in the bigger picture helps reduce the risk of heart disease and strokes. Avocados increase the amount of monounsaturated fats in the body and in turn raise levels of your good cholesterol.
Sticking with fat, a large majority of important vitamins and minerals need fat in order to be absorbed and used within the body. Therefore adding avocado to a meal that contains vitamin and mineral rich vegetables, for example, will support your body to absorb all this natural goodness from the meal. Clever huh!?
Avocado contains Polyhydroxylated Fatty Alcohols (PFAs) and important antioxidants such as vitamin C and vitamin E. These PFAs and antioxidants team up to fight inflammation within the body, building up a strong team of these agents can really start to relive pains and symptoms of inflammation across the body.
Believe it or not the trusted avocado can also help protect your eyes from harmful light waves and reduce the risk of eye disease. The avocado if brimming with carotenoids that is essential for the general health and wellbeing of your eyes.
Avocados are bursting with omega 3 fatty acids and vitamin E as a natural source. These two elements are great for your grey matter as they improve blood supply to the brain and in particular the pre frontal cortex. This part of the brain is required for problem solving, critical thinking and planning ahead, so you better stock up!
Fibre for all
Yes, you guess it; avocados are also very high in fibre. In fact 7% of its whole weight is fibre, which is good news as your body requires fibre to help reduce blood sugar spikes and essential in terms of body weight management and metabolic health. One of these beauties contains around 30% of your required daily fibre!
Supports Weight Loss
Back to the good monounsaturated fats above, these fats are also stored in the body as slower burning energy for use across the day rather than stored as fat! This means, if you are trying to lose weight/body fat then eat avocados as a way of feeling fuller for longer, keep hunger at arm’s length and still have the required energy available to fully function.
Podium finish for Potassium
Traditionally for a snack around the house you may well grab a banana. Well, did you know an avocado contains more potassium than a banana? Potassium is an electrolyte important for water balance, heart function, reduced blood pressure, digestive function, muscle contraction and so much more. In general people don’t take on enough potassium; increasing avocados into your diet will help.
Fill up on Folate
Folate is important because it plays a role in DNA synthesis and repair. It also encourages cell and tissue growth which is very beneficial during pregnancy. One avocado contains 25% of your daily required folate levels, which is essential for both mum and baby!
Vits & Mins
The benefits of avocados continue as they contain 20 vitamins and mineral, including 25% of your daily vitamin C required for body tissue growth and repair. Also, bursting with B6 avocados provide a great defence mechanism to fight off infections, viruses and disease.
At our Fresh Start boot camp we certainly encourage a varied and balanced diet which aims to include the benefits of avocados to match your health and fitness goals. You will get lots of opportunities to discuss diet and exercise when you attend our Boot-camp holiday in Chiang Mai, Thailand.