What You 'Ought to Know About the Avocado

By Allyson Bryant, MD | Mar 15, 2018

It’s Made of Good, Healthy Fats

Unlike most fruits and vegetables, the avocado isn’t really considered a carbohydrate- it’s actually mostly made up of fat.  

We know that fats tend to get a bad rep, but the RIGHT kind of fats are actually incredibly important to your health. Avocados are rich in monounsaturated fat, which helps your body absorb nutrients from everything you eat.  So, when you pair them with foods rich in vitamins, like other fruits or vegetables, avocados help you get the most out of your meals.

In addition, studies have shown that monounsaturated fat can lower cholesterol, reduce the risk of heart disease, AND reduce blood pressure- making the avocado the total package. 

It Keeps You Looking Younger

While they can’t turn back the hands of time, avocados can help slow down the effects of aging on your skin.

Avocados contain a large amount of antioxidants like vitamin E and C. These help your body fight off free radicals, those unpredictable particles that can cause wrinkles, speed up your skin’s aging process, and generally, do a lot of damage to your skin cells. Antioxidants neutralize these free radicals and keep your skin glowing and youthful.

Sounds good already, right? But the benefits don’t stop there. Vitamin C works wonders in helping your body produce more collagen, a type of protein that keeps your skin looking tight and smooth.  You see, as we age, our skin starts to lose collagen, making it appear saggy and less supple. So, we need to look for outside sources to keep it looking great. That’s why the avocado is a great way to get back those lost years.

You don’t even need to eat them to get these benefits. Look for skincare products that already contain avocado oil or, you can make your own treatment by mashing up one yourself. 

Here's one of our favorites!

Homemade Avocado Mask

Ingredients:

Half an avocado

1 tsp. lemon juice

                      

Step 1. Remove the pit from half an avocado and scrape the remaining flesh out of the peel and into a bowl. With a fork, mash the avocado until its consistency becomes creamy and free from lumps.

Step 2. Add 1 tsp. lemon juice to the mashed avocado if you plan to save some or all of the paste for later use. Lemon juice prevents the avocado from oxidizing and turning brown.

Step 3. Mix the avocado paste with any optional ingredients you choose to include in your mask--including 1 tbsp. honey, 1 tbsp. olive oil, the juice of 1/2 an orange or a raw egg white. Although avocado facial masks are effective when made with avocado alone, these ingredients contain additional properties that may promote skin health, especially if your complexion tends to be oily.

Recipe courtesy of Livestrong.com

You Can Lose Weight by Adding Avocado to Your Diet

Wanting to drop a few pants sizes? Well, then the avocado is your new best friend (if it wasn’t already). Just half of this palm-sized fruit can contain up to seven grams of fiber, which helps regulate your digestive system AND can keep you feeling fuller, longer.

And remember how we talked about the great benefits of healthy fats earlier? Monounsaturated fat is a proven belly shrinker, which is why a lot of us recommend swapping your regular cooking oil with avocado oil.

Avocados also contain the recommended daily amount of vitamin K. This vitamin is great for getting rid of sugar cravings, which we all know can lead to overeating some not-so-healthy foods.

So, go on, add that extra slice to your salad…your waist will thank you later.