Avocados

Avocados are probably my most favorite way to get healthy oils into my diet.  So many people are concerned that they are getting too much fat from avocados. If you are adding it to an already fatty diet from processed fats, than maybe there is cause for concern. If you are eating all natural fats in the whole food form, then there shouldn't be any concern.

Here are a few facts about avocados that you may find helpful:
1. They are baby friendly. They mush into the perfect baby food. (Fun fact: Avocados are the size of a baby in the mother's womb at 16 weeks.)
2. They are fiber rich. There are 10 grams of fiber in one medium-sized avocado. There are two grams of fiber in one serving, which is one-fifth of a medium avocado. It contains both insoluble and soluble fiber (which speeds up the passage of foods) accounts for 75%, with the remaining 25% as soluble fiber (the fiber that makes you feel full).
3. They have natural packaging. The thick skin protects them. You can't eat the skin, but it shields the green goodness inside, making avocados perfect for travel.
4. They lower bad cholesterol. Avocados are one of the only fruits that contain heart-healthy monounsaturated fat (the good-for-you fat) that helps boost good (HDL) cholesterol and lowers bad (LDL) cholesterol.
5. They upgrade your dips and spreads. An avocado serving size is 50 calories, which works out to be 3 thin slices or 2 tablespoons mashed. There are fewer calories than the same amount of butter, mayonnaise, sour cream, peanut butter, almond butter, olive oil, and coconut oil - plus avocado has over 20 vitamins and minerals to upgrade your natural diet! Use avocado as a substitute today!
6. They're gluten free, dairy free, vegan and cholesterol-free. Avocados are naturally full of nutrition, so there's no need for special labels. They're full of flavor; think of all the meals you can healthify (I like that word!) with avocados.
7. You know when they're ripe and ready. Avocados are ripe when they feel heavy for their size, yield to light pressure and are dark in color. But don't squeeze them too hard. Not ripe? Put in a brown paper bag for 2-4 days, or you can speed up this process by putting a banana or apple in the bag. If you have many ripe ones on hand, place them in your vegetable crisper in the refrigerator to extend the life.
8. They're an anti-aging powerhouse. Avocados are one of the most inexpensive anti-aging tools for your skin. Skincare from the inside out.
9. Yes, avocado is a fruit and it matures on the tree, but ripens off the tree. The avocados we get in non growing areas are picked hard and green and kept in coolers until they reach their final destination. Avocados must be matured on the tree to ripen properly. In a perfect world they would fall off the tree and ripen on the ground naturally.
10. Avocado trees do not self-pollinate; they need another avocado tree close by to bear fruit.

Now that you know the basics of avocados, incorporate avocados into your own healthy lifestyle.