Serves 2
Ingredients:
1 avocado
1 tablespoon of cacao
1 tablespoon of honey or maple syrup
Action:
1. Either blend all ingredients in a food processor and make it smooth and creamy OR mash the avocado with a fork in a bowl
2. Add cacao and honey. Taste it, add more cacao if you want it more chocolate and more honey if you want it sweeter!
Why this is good for the heart:
Avocados:
- Improve sheart health for promoting better blood flow and lowering blood pressure by consuming avocados. Again, this is due to their abundant oleic acid content. (NaturalNews.com)
- Though avocados are heavy in calories, those are nutrient dense calories. And the fats are heart healthy monounsaturated fats and omega-3. (NaturalNews.com)
- Avocados are rich in monounsaturated fats that boost heart health and help lower blood pressure. Avocado monounsaturated fats contain the phytonutrient beta-sitosterol, which was clinically proven to lower LDL and triglyceride blood levels while raising HDL. (NaturalNews.com)
- Avocados’ vitamin B6 and the natural folic acid from their high amount of folate help regulate homocysteine, which if high is a harbinger of bad heart health. The natural vitamin E and the master antioxidant glutathione in a base of avocado’s monounsaturated fat’s oleic acid are also recognized heart health boosters. (NaturalNews.com)
- The fat content, which causes some uninformed health “experts” to deem avocados as unhealthy, actually provides protection against heart diseases. Studies have shown that oleic acid improves cardiovascular health. Oleic acid is the primary fatty acid in avocados. Many people now take supplements in order to consume more omega-3 fatty acids to lower their risk of heart disease. Avocados are rich in omega-3, delivering 160 milligrams per cup of alpha-linolenic acid. (NaturalNews.com)
Cacao:
- In comparison by weight, cacao has more antioxidant flavonoids than blueberries, red wine, or black and green teas. In fact, it has up to four times the quantity of antioxidants found in green tea. The Aztecs called the cacao “yollotl eztli,” which literally means “heart blood;” they understood the benefit this truly powerful superfood has on the cardiovascular system. (NaturalNews.com)
- it only takes 200 mg of cacao daily, which equates to 10 grams of dark chocolate or 2.5 grams of high-flavonol cacao powder as part of a balanced diet. That’s less than an ounce. Less than a daily ounce can improve cardiovascular health and reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes. (NaturalNews.com)
- It promotes blood flow to prevents blood platelets from coagulating and creating embolisms. Embolisms are particles in the blood stream that will clog a heart, brain, or lungs. (NaturalNews.com)
- Cacao flavanols improve blood flow, reduce the risk of blood clotting, and help prevent lipid oxidation. (NaturalNews.com)
Other Earth Diet Heart Healthy Recipes:
Sources:
- http://www.naturalnews.com/040067_avocado_cancer_prevention_superfood.html#ixzz2jJu2lvOi
- http://www.naturalnews.com/041241_avocado_nutritional_health_superfoods.html#ixzz2jJt78Mc7
- http://www.naturalnews.com/034370_avocado_nutrition_facts_health.html#ixzz2jJvV0fRj
- http://www.naturalnews.com/029156_cacao_chocolate.html#ixzz2jJwhKYWH
- http://www.naturalnews.com/042319_cacao_super_health_chocolate.html#ixzz2jJxGCbNX
- http://www.naturalnews.com/024309_cocoa_blood_flavanols.html
Love,
Liana
Chat with me here: www.facebook.com/lianawernergray
Liana Werner-Gray
Author of The Earth Diet Book
Designed by: Salvatore Fiteni
Photography by: Jaron and Caleb Lopez
This is part of © 2013 The Earth Diet, Inc. ™ All Rights Reserved