Avocados

Source of information for this post: https://nutritionsource.hsph.harvard.edu/avocados/ 

This week I thought I'd talk a bit about avocados. 

They are bumpy on the outside and creamy on the inside. Why avocados? I try to eat one for breakfast with 2 eggs because I find they keep me feel fuller for longer. Here is a breakdown of the nutritional value of Avocados:

A medium Avocado contains approximately:
240 Calories
13g Carbohydrates
3g Protein
22g Fat (15g monounsaturated; 4g polyunsaturated; 3g saturated)
10g Fibre (Fiber)
11 milligrams Sodium
0 Cholesterol

Although they are calorific they have really good nutritional benefits for heart, gut, eye and other health. 

They are a really good source of fibre, great for low carb diets and are friendly to your heart as the fats in them do not increase cholesterol. 

They contain the nutrient Potassium:

Potassium is a mineral that your body needs to work properly. It is a type of electrolyte. It helps your nerves to function and muscles to contract. It helps your heartbeat stay regular. It also helps move nutrients into cells and waste products out of cells. A diet rich in potassium helps to offset some of sodium’s harmful effects on blood pressure.
source: https://medlineplus.gov/potassium.html

Avocados have a low Glycemic Index (GI) of about 40 and are less likely to cause blood glucose surges. 

They also have Carotenoids (Lutein and Zeaxanthin) - plant chemicals which are found in the human eye and protect it from the sun's Ultraviolet Light. 

The fibres (fibers) act as prebiotics - they can improve the diversity of microflora in the intestine

All in all they are healthy fruits and can be used in recipes or eaten as they are! 

I will cut the avocado in half, removing the stone and then peeling it (this is a bit messy on the fingers) then I slice it and eat it with the eggs.