avocado

Okay.. so you’re a pretty smart person, right?! You watch Ted Talks, listen to NPR and scroll through Huff Post:)

You get that avocado’s are healthy. But did you know that they totally help you burn fat, drop inches, keep you smart, stay full longer and help decrease anxiety?

They totally do ALL that

Wait, but you don’t want to eat too much, right?! I mean they have a lot of fat.

WELL, let’s clear that up for you. I’m gonna let you in on why I eat 1-2 avos a day and am staying at my lowest body fat ever  + last check up at the doc with blood test, says I’m uber healthy on all my levels!

I’m gonna keep this quick and simple – Let’s go over exactly how much you can have – based on your daily activities. PLUS the big bullets on what avocados do for you, so you can impress your friends:)

(If you’re a nutrition nerd like me, or just super curious I put all the nitty gritty info on our green buddies at the end)

HOW MUCH AVOCADO YOU CAN EAT, to stay healthy and not get fat

1 whole large avocado/ day  for the human that moves for 1.5 hour total per day.. that should most of us.

Nope this doesn’t have to be a gym full hour workout. This rule applies for anyone moving around lifting stuff!

This could be a bunch of 2×4’s as you build that new deck, the laundry basket and swiffer as you clean up your house. Or heck! even that football or softball as you play catch in the backyard.  BUT this does not apply to you if you have your hiney in a seat all day.

What if you’re super active?

Go ahead and stick with 1.5 LARGE avocado. not the lil’ guys

What if you’re on your butt most of the day?

Stick with half a large avocado OR 1 small avocado..

Here’s why you should totally get this superfood in your daily life.

1. Chock full of essential Monounsaturated Fats.. MUFA’s = The good fats! Here’s why they’re great for you

• Increase nutrient absorption = all those kale salads, chicken breasts and cauli rice you’re eating.. wouldn’t it be great if your body’s cells hoovered those nutrients right up so you got full faster, decreased work on your gutt, and actually used all that stuff way easier for all the stuff you NEED to do, like think and pick up stuff:)

Yup! that’s what happens when you literally take in the good stuffs from your foods way quicker and easily.. thank you MUFA’s!

• Make you full faster.  That’s cause MUFA’s increase Leptin.. Your “I’m full” hormone.

Hunger is the busy person’s enemy! You gotta get stuff done, you can’t be hangry and filling your time with looking for food or sitting and eating all day, right? slam some avo on that burger patty, turkey sausage, eggs or salad and you’ll gain an Additional 2 hours btwn meals.

• Boosts Brain Health. All our hormones (chemical messengers) travel on pathways.. Synapses.

Think of healthy fats (avos) like fresh concrete on an old road. Now think of your hormones (messengers) as cars. Avos and other healthy fats keep that road smooth, free of potholes and cracks.. Now when you need to think a lot (exam, work mtg..) or react quickly to anything (game of catch, distracted driver in front of you)  you’re gonna do it all faster and better – because you paved that road!

• Boosts Gut Health– Did you know that your gut is literally your “second brain”  Truth! That’s because your gut speaks to your brain via the vagus nerve. Don’t worry about these details (you can nerd out with me later in person on that)  just know that healthy fats coat your digestive tract and keep you from feeling tired, bloated,gassy and crampy.
• Make you Sleep Better – This is thanks to that Leptin hormone (same one that makes you full faster and keeps you full). With more Leptin – comes increased melatonin. That does not mean you will get sleepy when you eat avos.. Just sleep BETTER when you do get your ass to bed:)

You know what drops Leptin?  (This is what you DON’T WANT to do)

CARBS, sugar, alcohol..  Just OPT OUT of that fruit smoothie or piece of toast at breakfast. Instead add 1 small Avocado to your smoothie.. take out some fruit AND take the toast away – add more avo to your plate!

OKAY – there’s a TON of Nutritional Bene’s – Here’s a couple links to them all

Dr. Mercola science and info on Huffington Post

Medical News Today Article

– But here’s the quick jist on nutrition

They pack

•  Fiber
  • Potassium (more than twice the amount found in a banana)
  • Vitamin E
  • B-vitamins
  • Folic acid
• reduce risk of cancer
• increase bone density
• reduce anxiety and mood disorders
• improve vision
• help absorb vit D and calcium
• Reduce Depression!

ONE small caveat- Avos are Omega 6 MUFA’s .. that means the more you eat- definitely increase your Omega 3’s

(fish, MCT oil, coconut products – milk, flakes, oil, walnuts, macademia’s, brazil nuts, pecans, sunflower seeds, hempseeds, flaxseed)