Fresh Fruit Hampers | Great Gift Ideas For Every Occasion

Avocado's are in our Beautiful Fresh Fruit Hampers, The gift to give for

every occasion. They aren't just Avolicious, avocado's have many nutritional

benefits for your body.

AVOCADO FACTS

GOOD FOR YOUR HEART:

Avocado's are one of the few fruits that are also a healthy fat food. A 50g serve or quarter

of avocado contains 6g of total fat, that's around the same amount of fat as in a teaspoon

of cooking oil. Avocado's are particularly rich in healthy monounsaturated fats. A healthy

varied diet high in fruits and vegetables such as avocado, has been shown to reduce the

risk of heart disease and contribute to heart health.

RICH IN VITAMIN C:

Avocado's are a rich source of vitamin C. Vitamin C is an amazing antioxidant contributing to

cell protection from free radical damage. Vitamin C is also needed for your skin, helping to build

collagen which keeps your skin strong and elastic. If you are vegetarian then Vitamin C is

needed to absorb iron from plant foods, another reason to add avocado to your dark salad

greens. Half an avocado contains 13mg of Vitamin C which is 32% of an adults RDI.

FOLATE DURING PREGNANCY:

Women of child bearing age need to consume at least 400mg of folate per day at least one

month before and three months after conception. A diet rich in folate including avocado may

reduce the risk of foetal neural tube defects. A quarter of an avocado (50g) contains 60mg of

folate (30% of the regulatory RDI for folate for adults and 15% RDI for pregnant women based

on 400ug).

GREAT FOR MAINTAINING A HEALTHY APPETITE:

The body needs fats as they are vital for good health. The low fat mantra of the 80s and 90s is a

thing of the past and everyone is returning to healthy plant sources of fats such as avocado.

Wherever you find fat - all three types of fat will be present: monounsaturated, polyunsaturated

and saturated but just in different amounts. In plant foods such as avocado the majority of fat is

the healthy kind: 60% monounsaturated fat and 12% polyunsaturated fat.

Half an avocado contains 18g of the beneficial monounsaturated fat. Healthy fats help carry soluble

vitamins such as vitamin E and K and colourful carotenoid pigments such as beta carotene. But for

those watching their waist healthy fats also help released hormones in the intestine which may signal

fullness, controlling appetite. This means you can enjoy a higher fat diet by swapping avocado in

place of other fats. For instance the Australian Government "Swap it Don't Stop it" campaign suggests

swapping butter for avocado next time your spreading your bread.

GOOD SOURCE OF FIBRE:

Avocado's are a good source of dietary fibre. Fibre plays a vital role in maintaining good health

and there are two types: soluble fibre and insoluble fibre. Soluble fibre can help reduce

cholesterol re-absorption in the intestine, while insoluble fibre helps maintain bowl function.

Eating a quarter of an avocado (50g) will give you 2g of dietary fibre which is 7% of adult

fibre needs.

STRONG ANTIOXIDANT CAPACITY:

Mother nature gave avocado's a strong antioxidant capacity to help prevent the healthy fats in

avocado going rancid too quickly. Avocado's contain not only antioxidants, vitamins and minerals

but also other natural antioxidant and anti inflammatory compounds called phenolics. Antioxidant

capacity can be measured using ORAC and avocados have a capacity of 1922 umol TE/100g. A

quarter of an avocado (50g) contains the following antioxidant nutrients:

* 10mg Vitamin C (25% RDI for Vitamin C)

* 1mg Vitamin E (10% of RDI for Vitamin E)

* 0.13mg of copper (10% of an adult's RDI)

* 71mg GAE of total phenolic antioxidants

CONTAINS VITAMIN E:

Eating a quarter (50g) of an avocado gives you 1mg of Vitamin E and the recommended

dietary intake (RDI) for an adult is 10mg so avocado's provide 10% of an adults RDI of Vitamin E.

Vitamin E is a natural antioxidant vitamin that contributes to cell protection from free radical damage.

It seems taking Vitamin E in a natural form may be better than taking it as a supplement.

Vitamin E supplements have been linked to an increase in premature death.

MAY HELP PROTECT YOUR EYES:

Like other fruits and vegetables, avocado's contain a range of colourful carotenoid pigments

that give the avocado that gorgeous green colour. These pigments include:

* Beta carotene - orange colours

* Lutein / zeaxanthin - yellow colours

* Chlorophyll a and b - green colours

PLUS MANY OTHERS

A study has found that adding avocado to salads or salsa can increase the absorption of these

carotenoids from other colourful vegetables. Carotenoids are soluble fat and may dissolve in the

fat of the avocado during absorption into the body. Carotenoids are natural antioxidants that protect

plants from the side effects of the sun's natural harmful rays. Similarly they may play a function

protecting your eyes. A study in women found that those with the highest dietary intakes of lutein and

zeaxanthin had greater amounts of pigments in the macula - the part of the eye responsible for

central vision that can deteriorate with age. While the researchers found no link with the amount of fruits

and vegetables eaten, this effect is an interesting area of study where more research is needed. There may

even be a role of these carotenoids in the development of vision. In the mean time enjoying avocado with your

salads, guacamole, nachos and using avocado as a first food for baby's will do no harm but only help nutrition

intake.

NUTRIENT DENSITY

Avocados are a wonderful fruit containing a range of vital nutrients needed for a healthy body. Just like other fruits

avocados are high in water (75%) but remain nutrient dense. They are rich in fibre and healthy fats while naturally

low in sugar and sodium. To name a few nutrients a quarter of an avocado has:

* 2g fibre

* 60mg folate ( 30% of the recommended dietary intake (RDI for folate)

* 10mg Vitamin C (25% RDI for Vitamin C)

* 1mg Vitamin E (10% of RDI for Vitamin E)

* Naturally low in sodium just 1.5mg per 50g serve

* Source of potassium

REMEMBER TO ENJOY A QUATER OF AN AVOCADO FOUR TIMES A WEEK OR HALF AN

AVOCADO ONCE A WEEK.

Give a Fruit Box to your loved ones to help promote their Nutritional intake.

Order your Beautiful, Healthy Fruit Boxes Today

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