BeanDiet

I went to the farmers market today and bought myself five avocados for $7.00. I recommend you do the same. Besides the fact that avocados are delicious and satiating (read: filling), they are also GOOD for you.

So here are just a handful of reasons why you should go nuts on avocados:

1) Antioxidants. Avo's are loaded with antioxidants like vitamin E, folic acid and glutathione. All these are known to prevent cancer & heart disease while boosting the immune system.

2) Potassium. Forget bananas, avo's have way more potassium which is known to lower blood pressure. (Yes, you can have your bananas too.)

3) Fiber. One avocado contains between 6-8 grams of fiber - without the peel or pit.

4) Diabetes. Because of their high fiber & healthy fat content, avocados are ridiculously low on the glycemic index, or GI. The GI measures how slowly a food causes blood sugar to rise and therefore, its potential contribution to diabetes.

5) Lowering cholesterol. Fatty plant foods like avo's and nuts contain high amounts of what are known as plant, or "phyto" sterols. Plant sterols block cell receptor sites from absorbing real cholesterol, thus lowering LDL (bad) and total cholesterol levels significantly.

6) Preventing cancer and macular degeneration. Ohio State University researchers found that the beneficial fats in avocados increase the absorption of carotenoid nutrients by up to 15 times (Journal of Nutrition, 2005). Study participants who consumed avocados with their salad absorbed more lycopene (known to help prevent prostate cancer), beta and alpha carotene (known to prevent many types of cancer, including oral), as well as lutein. The nutrient lutein is especially known for preventing macular degeneration in the elderly, which is the most common form of blindness in the U.S.

7) Appetite control. That's right, avocados - like nuts - are often believed to cause weight gain but actually do the opposite. The fat in avo's is not only good for you but keeps you fuller for longer periods. Think about it, how many avo's can you eat at once? Just try.

8) Omega-3 fatty acids. We hear so much about Omega-3's being found in fish, but avo's have just as much and there's no mercury to worry about. Omega-3's are renown for lowering high blood pressure, preventing blood clots leading to stroke and heart disease, as well as improving brain function and the immune system.

So add avo's to your salads, sandwiches, burritos, or just eat them plain or spread on bread. Finally, an easy way to improve your health.

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By the way, if you haven't bought my brand new book Free to Eat yet, I will forgo tax and shipping costs for another week as part of the promotion. Oh yeah, and I will sign them for free too! Free to Eat includes all the material on this blog plus 50 recipes and a 30-day meal plan. Buy it at http://www.fiber-girl.com!