Avocado Love By Jo Ann LeQuang l Health Benefits of Avocado l Avocado Recipes l Healthy Meals with Avocado

10 Ways To Eat Yourself Healthier

Who doesn’t love avocados? Known as alligator pears in some parts of the U.S., these nutritional powerhouses are actually just a large berry covering one jumbo seed. Avocados are incredibly versatile. In some parts of Brazil, India and Southeast Asia, avocados are used in sweet milkshakes. In Central America and Mexico, avocados grace salads and meat dishes. In Peru, avocados and mayonnaise are a popular appetizer. Kenyans eat avocados plain, like an apple; Californians slip avocados into their famous California roll style of sushi; and in my little town in Texas, you can get deep-fried avocados stuffed with beef.

But do these ultra-delicious and admittedly high-fat foods have real health benefits? Avocados are loaded with antioxidants and their mono-unsaturated fat makes them a heart-healthy choice. In fact, in one study, a group of people went on an “avocado-rich diet” for seven days, and their serum cholesterol dropped 17 percent.

Here are the top 10 ways to use avocados.