Eat Your Pits!

Super weird title for this post, right?! I'm talking about eating AVOCADO pits. Apparently the lush, green meat inside an avocado isn't the only part of this superfood with health benefits. If you follow me on Instagram, you know how much I love avos. If you know me personally, you know that I absolutely hate wasting food. Since we eat at least two avocados per day in our household, I was so happy to find out that there is a reason save (and consume!) the seeds inside avocados.  

                                         

Avocados are such a perfect food. They are so healthy and versatile. They taste good in smoothies, salads, soups, and dips...and the list goes on as on. You can use them on your skin and hair too!  I've posted about avocado many times on my Instagram page because they are so good for pregnant mamas due to their high amounts of folate, which is said to reduce the risk of birth defects. Folate also promotes brain health (pregger or mommy brain anyone?! It's a thing.) One cup of avocado contains a quarter of your daily recommended intake of folate. Folate is important for the health of your cells, as it prevents cell changes that could lead to cancer. So  everyone should be getting lots of it! Most people already know about the health benefits of avocados, but I just recently discovered the seeds are extremely healthy as well! There are many sites that support this, and according to OneGreen Planet, avocado seeds: 

*have more antioxidants than most fruit and vegetables
*have magnesium and calcium, both which are super important for preggers and breastfeeding mamas
*have polyphenols like green tea
*have more soluble fiber than just about any other food
*may lower cholesterol and helps fight off disease
*may help with inflammation
*helps boost immunity and may prevent bacterial and viral diseases
*contain collagen, which is great for skin, hair and nails

Enough good reasons to give it a try?!! For me, definitely! FYI: Half a seed per day is enough to get the nutrients you need. Since I make smoothies daily (sometimes twice a day!) I figured the easiest way to eat it is to just add it to my smoothies. I saved my avocado seed from breakfast and cut it (easier than you would think), put it into my Blendtec and pulsed until it was chopped finely. 






I took out about half of what was there and saved it for tomorrow's smoothie. Then I added some almond milk, kale, frozen coconut, blueberries, banana, Ground Based Nutrition chocolate protein powder and ice. Blended it all together and it was a tasty and healthy and afternoon pick me up. Rio loved it too! 

                                                

Here are some resources if you want more info about the benefits of avocado seeds. 

http://www.stethnews.com/2543/dont-throw-away-avocados-healthiest-part-its-seed/

http://www.onegreenplanet.org/vegan-food/why-you-should-eat-that-avocado-seed-and-how-to-make-it-tasty/

http://dailysuperfoodlove.com/4448/the-surprising-benefits-of-avocado-seeds/