Have you guys seen this Vine? I think it’s funny but I can so relate to this kid. If you gave me an avocado for my birthday, better yet an avocado tree, I'd up your friend status to life saver. I will pretty much put avocado on or in anything. I even tried it in my coffee the other day. No, I'm totally not kidding. I heard Dr. Sara Gottfried did this with her morning java instead of butter and I have to say...it's different. Bulletproof Coffee is already weird with butter but avocado? I'm an avocado fan so I'll try again. Perhaps next year.

But if you haven't noticed, the avocado has become one of the cool fruits. He/she used to be an outsider, not really getting much attention except for the random appearance at a local Mexican joint. Even then, most would shower attention on the queso dip rather than the weird green (and expensive) concoction. But not so fast, my friend. Avocado has become the new kid on the block and for a good reason. 

Avocado has one billion health benefits. I'll give you a few and just take my word for it on rest of the 9,999,997. 

1. Healthy fats

Fat is no longer shunned by every day society and actually quite a few folks are elbows deep into using it as their main source of calories/energy. The monounsaturated fats in avocado help reverse insulin resistance and regulate blood sugar levels. These types of fats are actually good for our heart and brain health as well as cognitive functioning. One of those fats is called oleaic acid which helps us absorb carotenoids which we get from those brightly colored fruits and veggies that make our plates look like a party. We need as many carotenoids as possible as they help lower inflammation, boost immunity and keep our skin and eyes healthy. 

2. Great source of fiber (10 grams per cup!)

Yeah, yeah. We all need to eat more fiber. But do you really know ALL the reasons why? We've all been told that adequate fiber intake (25 grams for women, 35-40 g for men) will help you from being constipated. But did you know that fiber helps increase the healthy bacteria in your intestinal tract while flushing out the bad? When we have an overabundance of amount of unhealthy compared to the healthy, we get all kinds of digestive tract issues happening. When the digestive tract suffers, our chances for high cholesterol and inflammation goes up. Fiber also helps flush toxins from our bodies, aids in weight loss (keeps us full longer), and can also help with insulin resistance. FYI, fiber from food is better than fiber from supplements because of the lack of actual fiber (gotta love false claims!) as well as suspect ingredients.  

3. They are nutrient dense

Avocados contains lots of Vitamin A, B, C, E & K, as well as folate, potassium, and magnesium. Along with those, it contains antioxidant phytonutrients that help with preventing oxidative damage to our cells (i.e. free radicals) which in turn can damage our DNA and cause cell mutation. The phytochemicals in avocados can actually help lower the risk for cancer and support the body's natural ability to fight this deadly disease. Have I caught your attention yet? 

Our daily food supply is either hurting us or helping us and avocados are one of the good guys so put them on your weekly shopping list today! 

Here are some recipes I've found that can help you incorporate them into your daily diet that will bring your body and taste buds to life. If you're family is adverse to anything green or healthy, a couple of these are sneaky AF so you can have your avocado and eat it, too. 

• Glowing Green Smoothie

• Desserts like these avocado brownies or these avocado cookies (I KNOW!)

• Salad topper

• As a condiment on your burger or grilled chicken

• Guacamole (as your new favorite condiment)

• Avocado toast (check out all these variations!)

• Tuna Avocado Salad

• Avocado Margarita. Yes, an avocado margarita. Leave it to Landyn!

Sidenote: If you're a Costco card-carrying bulk buying avocado fanatic like myself but you always end up throwing out one or two because you couldn't eat them before they got too ripe, <deep breathe in>, wait until you hear this! Just cut them up and FREEZE THEM! Wait you knew that already? Why didn't you tell me?! This is the perfect way to save the avocados from the trash bin! This is perfect for those smoothies or adding them as secret ingredients!

Ideas for freezing:

• halve, peel and spray with lemon essential oil (spray bottle filled with filtered water and a few drops of lemon essential oil) or with lemon juice

• dice, spray with lemon oil and freeze in baggies

• puree and place in ice cube trays for easy freezing