Why you should eat avocado everyday
I’ve been lessening breads and gluten from my diet for a while now, but after my recent labs … It’s a wake up call to hustle up more even more. My body just doesn’t respond well to certain foods and I need to step up my health game, pronto. One of my biggest weaknesses is bread. To redirect my cravings, I’ve been stocking my pantry and refrigerator with hearty replacements like sweet potato, squash and avocado to eat with a chicken or tuna salad. I mean, there’s nothing like a nice toasty piece of French bread but if you have to cut down, try adding more avocado to your diet to keep you full and, most of all, healthy! It’s the kind of fat you need and want in your life.
Here are my five reasons why you need to eat avocado everyday.
Oh, and if you want the recipe for this avocado, tuna and apple piece of heaven, scroll down to the bottom.
Reduces cravings
If you’re snacker, make sure you have yourself a nice stash of avocado in your kitchen for the week. It’s a healthy fat and it will help you feel full, which reduces craves. And make sure you also remove temptations as well (believe me, I know the struggle is real). I just had an avocado and kale salad with a bit of lemon and sea salt, and it was delicious and hearty enough to keep me away from craving Funions (my guilty pleasure).
Related: Guacamole recipe
Packed with nutrients
The list of nutrients is pretty long, which adds to my point about the avocado’s ability to reduce cravings. When your body has what it needs, it doesn’t ask for the bad stuff. This little fruit includes over 14 minerals, 18 essential amino acids, 2 grams of protein per 100 grams of avocado, anti-inflammatory properties, carotenoids (an important anti-oxidant), chloropyll (a natural detoxifier), vitamin B, C and E, potassium (even more so than bananas so it’s great for people who need to lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels).
Good for the heart
I don’t know about you, but when it’s my time to go, I want it to be peaceful. A heart attack does not sound pleasant. What we eat can creep up later in those arteries of ours, so we must pay attention to what we put in our mouths. High cholesterol, triglycerides and blood pressure are all contributors to heart disease. Including more avocado in your diet (along with eating more leafy greens, less saturated fats and exercise) can lower that LDL and HDL.
Related: Kale, chickpea salad with avocado
Blueprint for the skin
Carotenoids act as antioxidants and do wonders for the skin. Wonders, my friends. My son went on a kale and avocado shake binge a few weeks ago, and his skin never looked so good. He was doing it for that reason. Because, girls. But at least he enjoys a green shake and really sees the benefits. Apparently, high amounts of carotenoids in your diet have been shown in scientific studies to improve your skin’s density (so, yes, anti-aging goodness) and general appearance. Add about 8 glasses of water a day, and you’re skin will look amazing.
Great for digestion
I never talk about digestion on this blog. But we all eat. We all poop. There, I said it. Some of us aren’t going as much as we should. And many of us have issues with digestion. It’s sort of an epidemic caused by a lot of reasons. But gut health should be taken seriously. Our gastrointestinal system is the second brain, and if it’s not working properly, it can impact the function of your other organs. Everything is connected, my friends. Avocado has fiber, which is needed for the body to get rid of waste. If not, you will be constipated. That’s no fun.
Related: Avocado toast
I hope I’ve encouraged to eat at least a cup of avocado a day. Beautiful skin, reduction of cravings and a regularity. Hello? Who doesn’t want that in their life? Plus, they taste good. I can eat this fruit all day long.
Here’s a fun recipe to try: Tuna and apple avocado boat.
What you need:
1 Fuji apple, chopped
1 120z can of chunk light tuna (We love Tonno)
2 tablespoons of dairy free mayonnaise (tastes so good!)
Sea salt and black pepper
1 tablespoon minced celery
An avocado, sliced in half with pit removed (but this recipe will make enough for couple of people)
What to do:
In a medium sized bowl, mix in your tuna, mayo, apples and celery. You can add a bit lemon too! Salt and and pepper to taste. Scoop a spoonful of your amazing tuna salad and place into the avocado pockets. Add garnish should you want to be fancy. I added a bit of some left over pico de gallo that I got from Trader Joes. Lunch is served!