In previous blog posts, we’ve talked about the purple superfoods, this week we’re talking about a super green fruit called the avocado.
Avocados are a wonderful fruit. They taste yummy and can be added to many dishes to enhance the nutritional value. When you add super-fibrous nutrient-dense foods to your diet, you are less likely to crave empty calorie foods. I like avocados because they are delicious and satisfy my hunger quickly on-the-go.
But did you know avocados are especially good for people with Parkinson’s Disease?
Avocados are high in:
- Fiber and good fats. Both help fill you up, absorb water, and prevent constipation. This will help with inflammatory bowel disease, diverticulitis, and hemorrhoids.
- Potassium. Avocados have more potassium than bananas, who knew? Potassium deficiency can lead to fatigue, weakness, constipation, and not to mention heart rhythm issues.
- Energy-boosting B vitamins. The B-complex vitamins help you metabolize carbohydrates from food and energy.
- Magnesium for muscle contraction. Magnesium activates adenosine triphosphate, which provides energy for all metabolic processes.
- Vitamin C. Vitamin C helps make collagen for healthy skin, cartilage, ligaments, and tendons. Collagen also wraps around and strengthens your intestinal walls.
Avocados are versatile and can be incorporated to your usual foods to make them more nutritious. I also like them just as they are with a little sea salt sprinkled on top.
Here are some great ways to incorporate avocados into your day.
Start with breakfast:
- You can put them in your scrambled eggs. Add an avocado half way through cooking the eggs so they don’t burn.
- Season avocado and spread it on your gluten-free toast instead of butter to make it tastier and avoid dairy.
- Add avocado into a smoothie. There are thousands of recipes. You can also add pea protein powder if you need a protein boost (just watch for your medication timing). Here is a base recipe that I like for people with PD:
- ½ cold banana
- ½ ripe cold avocado
- 1 cup of almond (nut) milk or other non-dairy or juices
- Handful of berries of your choice
- Handful of kale or spinach to add healthy greens
- You can add chia seeds- they help you retain hydration and add fiber.
Later meals:
- Guacamole with Mexican dishes or with baked tortilla chips.
- Substitute avocado for mayo in tuna, chicken, and egg salad.
- Put chunks in soups as they are cooking or topped at the end.
- Substitute sour cream with avocados by using this recipe:
- 2 ripe avocados
- Juice of 2 limes
- 2 tablespoons of water
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Avocados can be grilled! Just cut in half, remove the pit, brush with lemon juice and place face down on grill for 2-3 minutes.
- Use them on burgers or homemade pizzas.
- Avocado fries are an absolute favorite of mine.
- Slice and roll in flour or breadcrumbs (can be gluten-free).
- Season with salt, onion powder, or whatever herb you like.
- Place them on an oil-covered baking sheet at 450 degrees for 10—15 minutes.
- You can dip them in your favorite sauce.
- Use avocados in a pasta sauce and pour over spaghetti squash or zucchini noodles for a healthy gluten-free dinner.
- Avocado can be used to replace butter, shortening, eggs, and oils in baking. To replace butter or oil substitute mashed avocado in equal parts. Two to four tablespoons of mashed avocado equals one egg. Two tablespoons of avocado has only 48 calories compared with 200 in butter.
Try adding avocado to your meal plan this week. The positive benefits are pretty amazing, enjoy!