ARE AVOCADOS GOOD FOR YOU? Avocado Health Benefits, Nutrition, Calories, Plus Martha Stewart Guacamole Recipe
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ARE AVOCADOS GOOD FOR YOU? Avocado Health Benefits, Nutrition, Calories, Plus Martha Stewart Guacamole Recipe
Avocados are said to be one of nature's perfect foods because of their health benefits and nutritional content. Avocados contain 60% more potassium than bananas, and studies show that diets high in potassium can reduce the risk of hypertension and possibly stroke. Avocados are also rich in B vitamins, as well as vitamin E and vitamin K, all of which are essential for a healthy body. In addition, avocados are known to help lower blood cholesterol, reduce the risks of heart disease, and help prevent osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, among other things.
All the health benefits and nutritional value of avocados make avocados one super food deserving to be included in our daily diet.
Health Benefits of Avocados
- Avocados can help lower cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of heart disease - According to the American Heart Association, mono and polyunsaturated fats ("good" fats), when consumed in moderation and eaten in place of saturated or trans fats, can help reduce blood cholesterol levels and decrease risk for heart disease. Avocados are one of the few fruits that provide "good" fats. Avocados contribute good fats to one's diet, providing 3g of monounsaturated and 0.5g polyunsaturated fat per 1 oz. serving. Folate in avocados is also good for a healthy heart.
- Avocados can reduce the risk of hypertension and possibly stroke - Avocado is a good source of potassium. In fact avocados contain 60% more potassium than bananas. Studies show that diets high in potassium can help lower the risk of hypertension and possibly stroke.
- Avocados can help people with diabetes - Avocados have healthy fats which contain an essential hormone known as adiponectin which helps to speed up the absorption of glucose, and helps to regulate the blood sugar levels.
- Avocados can help prevent osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis - Avocados are rich in antioxidants. Antioxidants are essential for helping reduce the inflammation associated with arthritis.
- Avocados can help reduce the risk of cancer - Studies show that certain toxin found in avocados can kill cancer cells. Although more studies have to done, scientists believe that the toxin can help prevent or reduce the risk of breast cancer. Avocados are also high in potassium which help prevent or reduce the risk of cancer.
- Avocados can help in weight loss - The high fat content in avocados gives you a faster feeling of being full and this helps reduce overeating. Recent studies also show that calories are not the only factor in reducing weight. The timing of both consumption and exercise is also important.
Nutritional Value - Avocados provide nearly 20 essential nutrients, including fiber, potassium, Vitamin E, B-vitamins and folic acid. They have a good amount of B vitamins and especially vitamin E, but less vitamin C compared to other fruits. They are also good for fiber and potassium. The potassium and fiber content in avocado is among the highest for fruits. They also supply a little of other minerals like phosphorus, magnesium and zinc. They also act as a "nutrient booster" by enabling the body to absorb more fat-soluble nutrients, such as alpha and beta-carotene and lutein, in foods that are eaten with the fruit.
So there you go... avocados are good for you.
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Warning:
Don't give any avocado to your pets. Many animals can fall severely ill from eating it, as it contains a fatty acid that is toxic to many kinds of animals ... read more
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Eat Avocado Everyday - Avocados are good for you!
Calories in Avocado
Avocado is unique among fruits in having relatively high calorie content, compared to most other fruits. Most of the calories are concentrated in the fat content of its flesh, which is quite high for a fruit, and which is the reason why you tend to feel full quickly, when you eat avocado. That's good news for us, who are watching our weight.
1 oz. or 2 tablespoon (2-3 thin slices) serving of avocado contain 50 calories. However, more than two-thirds of these calories comes from fat, most of which are "good" fat. To put this into perspective, check out the comparison below.
Fat Content and Calories Comparison
Fresh Avocado
| Butter, salted
| Sour Cream, cultured
| Cheddar Cheese
| Mayonnaise, with salt
| |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Portion (1 ounce)
| 2 Tbsp. or 2-3 thin slices
| 2 Tbsp.
| 2 Tbsp.
| 1 Slice
| 2 Tbsp.
|
Calories
| 50
| 204
| 60
| 114
| 109
|
Total Fat (g)
| 4.5
| 23
| 6
| 9.4
| 9.4
|
Saturated Fat (g)
| 0.5
| 14.6
| 3.7
| 6
| 1.4
|
Cholesterol (mg)
| 0
| 61
| 13
| 30
| 7
|
Sodium (mg)
| 0
| 164
| 15
| 176
| 199
|
More on avocados:
- Are avocados good for you?
- Are avocados good for your pets?
- Is AvoDerm safe for your pets?
- Avocados Health Benefits, Nutrition, Calories
- How to grow avocados
- How to ripen avocados faster
- Martha Stewart's Guacamole Recipe
More Health Related Articles by Rosie2010:
- Health Benefits of Avocados
- Health Benefits of Bananas
- Health Benefits of Oranges
- Health Benefits of Fiber
- Health Benefits of Peanuts
- Health Benefits of Sweet Potatoes
- Health Benefits of Yogurt
- Health Benefits of Beer
- Health Benefits of Red Wine
- Health Benefits of Light Therapy
- Health Benefits of Ear Massage
- Health Benefits of Smiling
- Health Benefits of Walking
- Nutritional Comparison between Yams and Sweet Potatoes
Martha Stewart Guacamole Recipe
Ingredients
2 ripe avocados, peeled, pitted, and lightly mashed
1/2 cup minced onion
1 jalapeno chile, minced (remove seeds and ribs for less heat)
1 plum tomato, seeded and diced
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
Coarse salt
In a bowl, combine avocados, onion, jalapeno, tomato, cilantro, and lime juice. Season with salt, and mix to combine.
Here are some suggestions from Martha Stewart readers:
- To keep Guacamole from getting brown, save the pit from avocado and put aside. Mix all ingredients to your liking then push the pit into the mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use. Don't forget to remove pit before serving.
- Add in 1 clove of fresh garlic, minced or crushed (easiest to do with a garlic press). Cut down on the onion a bit if you do this. If you don't have fresh jalapenos on hand, flakes of red pepper will give it a good kick and look pretty.
- Always look for an avocado that is firm, not mushy. It should just give to the touch.
- Caution: a little cilantro goes a long way, so if you're not a huge fan of this herb--decrease amount called for in the recipe.
- Add some garlic (or lots of it).
- You can also add some green pepper and a bit of ground cumin.
Enjoy!
Avocado Slicers and Pitters
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More Guacamole and other Avocado Recipes
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Hiya Will, your wife considers that sacrilege? Oh that is so funny! I can't eat avocado like that. The ones I bought I made milkshakes for me and my kids. hmmm.. so delicious, you should try it. I used skim milk and a little sugar, but you can use vanilla ice-cream and milk too. I'm glad you enjoyed my hub and found it useful. Thanks so much for the vote up.
Have a nice day,
Rosie
I like avocado but I do not eat them very often anyway. We eat them with shrimps, in salads, in cold dips with mayonnaise, on hard bread and so on. Good to know that avocado is also good for us! A wonderful and informative hub!
I love eating avocado, I like to eat them anyway you fix them. Martha stewart is a bonus. I love her recipes. Thanks for sharing it gf.
Best wishes Rhonda
Good Hub; Martha's recipe is great I always added ground Corriander the seed from Cilantro and a little chili powder, and certinaly fresh crushed Garllic. In my yard in California I had many citrus trees and three different varieties of bearing Avocado trees. My "duke" tree produced avocados up to three lbs. I often let them ripen on the tree and would take one and a lemon for my lunch. Split the Avocado length wise, sqeezed lemon juice in the pit cavity a little pepper and salt and ate it with a spoon; wonderful nutrition and good fat. That's the only part of California I miss. The Avocado capital of California is Fallbrook about half way between where I lived in Riverside County and San Diego.
Hiya thoughtforce, thanks for dropping by. I love shrimps so probably I'd try eating avocado with shrimps. I can't eat avocado as is. The ones I bought I made milkshakes for me and my kids.. they loved it.
Have a nice day,
Rosie
Hiya my dear friend Rhonda, nice to hear you like eating avocados anyway you fix them. I can only eat guacamole and avocado milkshakes.. have you tried avocado milkshake? It's so delish! hugsss
Have a nice day,
Rosie
Hiya Bob, thanks for dropping by. Wow! 3 lbs avocados? Those are certainly huge avocados! I'll try eating them the way you do it, just squeezing lemon and add salt and pepper.. I might be able to eat avocados that way. So far I only eat guacamole and make avocado milkshakes, which by the way is so delicious!
Have a nice day,
Rosie
I'm new to avocado's but after reading all of this I am up for it! My love truly enjoys guacamole. Now that I know the fats are mostly good fats and the calories are not worth worrying about (kinda like chocolate - no chocolate has calories)
Thanks for the very thorough hub and the free recipe!!
Oh I'm loving the Guacamole pics...mmm they look good!
It's cool that you mentioned growing avocados, I actually grew one before, in the exact same way you mention above! It works out really well, but don't leave them in direct sunlight as the leaves get burnt.
Your hub made me hungry!
Very very interesting! Rosie, I really love to get this type of information. Thanks for the nice article.
Awesome info!
I love avocados on my turkeyburgers sliced or in guacamole.Gonna try this recipe.
Thanx for sharing!
Hiya Pixie, thanks for dropping by. I'm glad you found this hub helpful and your love loving guacamole is a good thing. What about you, do you like guacamole too?
Have a nice day,
Rosie
Hiya Iontach, thanks for dropping by. lol those guacamole pics also made me hungry... with tortilla chips... omg to die for. So you've grown an avocado plant too? I never have, so thanks for the tip of not putting it in direct sunlight. I might just try it one of these days.
Have a nice day,
Rosie
Hiya manjubose, thanks for dropping by. I'm glad you enjoyed reading my avocado hub and found it informative. Thanks again.
Have a nice day,
Rosie
Hiya Rastermermaid, thanks for dropping by. Oh that sounds good.. turkeyburger with a slice of avocado. I gotta try that one. Sounds really healthy.
Have a nice day,
Rosie
It looks like a great recipie :) Thx
Hiya sarclair, thanks for dropping by. Yes it's a great recipe, add lots of garlic if you like garlic.
Have a nice day,
Rosie
Really informative! I remember learning the pip trick to keeping guacomole from turning brown when I worked in a cafe. I absolutely adore avocado and can eat guacomole til it's coming out of my ears *grin*. Homemade is best though.
Hiya Leah, thanks for dropping by. I'm glad you found my avocado hub information. I didn't know about the pip trick before.. it is good to know. I love guacamole too, but not that much! lol Enjoy!
Have a nice day,
Rosie
Nice Hub. Love Avocados, never had any luck growing the seed though, usually wind up with long stem and two levaes. :)
Hiya Silvie, thanks for dropping by. I'm glad you enjoyed reading my avocado hub. I've never really tried growing one, but my mother used to, similar to yours except her had three leaves at least. lol
Have a nice day,
Rosie
Hi! I love eating avocado and it´s good for me and my dry skin. When I eat avocado I usually put a little aside for my facial mask. Avocado oil is good for massage treatment. It´s really good for a dry skin like mine. Great Hub, Rosie2010.
I live in Arizona where people eat avocados as the state's favorite activity. I have only tried avocados once, and it didn't really taste like anything. Now that I know they are good for you, and good for dry skin (which is invaluable here in the desert), I guess I will give avacados another try. Good Hub!
Thanks for the guacamole recipe! I eat avocadoes any way. We even make a soup with avocadoes.
@Thelma Alberts - sorry for the late reply. I'm glad you enjoyed reading my avocado hub. Avocado mask is great for dry skin.. I'm glad to hear it works for you. Cheers!
@Rachelle Williams - lol I didn't like avocado as a kid, unless my mother made avocado shakes. Yes, avocado is great for dry skin, so I hope you give it a try. I'm glad you enjoyed reading my avocado hub. Cheers!
@vespawoolf - I lived in Texas for a while, and that's where I fell in love with guacamole. I also love avocado shakes, in salads, or just as is. I have not tried it in soup though.. I'm sure it's delicious. Cheers!
Have a nice day y'all,
Rosie
hi
Very informative hub.Thanks for sharing.
I love avocado and try to eat it everyday. It is one source of healthy fat.
tomato enhenss mamori
Did you know? by Rosie2010
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Did you know you can be part of a great community, make friends and, share your knowledge and experience, and EARN MONEY through Adsense and other Affiliate programs?
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WillStarr Level 8 Commenter 16 months ago
Very informative, and I love to eat a ripe avocado split in half with a little salt. My wife, a Latina, considers that a sacrilege...avocados are for guacamole!
Another great Hub. Voted up and very useful!