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10 Signs You’re Having Trouble Letting Go Of A Relationship

December 16, 2015 by Power of Positivity

Clinging to the idea of a happy relationship after it’s already ended can leave you in emotional limbo. You feel sad, lonely and hopeless and hoping to end the pain. Some relationships end dramatically, but some just linger without coming to a resolution.

The pain of the loss of a close romantic partnership can’t end until you take action to heal yourself emotionally. Letting go is a normal part of releasing a past failed relationship. Feeling stuck? Read on to find out if you’re holding onto past relationships.

10 Signs You’re Having Trouble Letting Go Of A Relationship:

1. You can’t forgive your ex

At the end of a relationship you may harbor feelings of anger or resentment toward your ex. This is perfectly normal, but continuing to feel these negative emotions can drain your energy.

To find your happy again, release the anger that you feel toward your ex. Instead of clinging to the past, let go of the hurt that you feel by expressing forgiveness to your ex. You can do this privately to yourself or in writing in a personal journal.

2. You can’t forgive yourself

Letting go after a breakup will involve some evaluation of your own role in the end of the relationship. Even if your behavior was not the problem that caused the breakup, your role may have been allowing it to continue for longer than necessary.

To move on, look back objectively at what actions or inaction you took that contributed to the breakup. Forgive yourself for your part in the breakup and make a decision to learn from the experience.

3. You’re focusing only on what was good

You’re having trouble letting go if you can only remember the best parts of your relationship. Rather than seeing the frustrations and arguments that were part of your partnership, you only remember how good you felt when your ex loved you.

4. You’re emotionally blocked

Bottling up your emotions is unhealthy. We need to find productive ways to express feelings of sadness and regret at the loss of a romantic relationship. To help you move on, try writing your feelings about the breakup.

Researchers found that people who wrote about the positive emotional aspects of a relationship after a breakup were more likely to feel positive about the breakup afterward. Those who were able to write about the positive emotions that they felt reported feelings of comfort, confidence, empowerment, energy, happiness, optimism, relief, satisfaction, thankfulness, and wisdom.

5. You’re afraid of being alone

Being alone isn’t scary if you like the person that you’re with. Remember that you weren’t always with your former partner and you did just fine on your own. You can read more about coping with being alone here.

6. You fantasize about what might have been

If you could go back in time, you wouldn’t have to worry about letting go because you’d do things differently to prevent the breakup. Living in fantasies about what might have been is counter-productive to healing from the breakup.

Unless you are actively trying to rekindle things with your ex, letting go and focusing on how good the future could be without them is what you should be fantasizing about.

7. You’re reluctant to change

Personal growth after a breakup is one benefit that can come from an otherwise negative experience. Rather than clinging to the past, focus on what you have learned as a result of the failure of the relationship. Think about how you have grown as a person and what you would do differently next time.

Letting go after a breakup will require you to change your perspective. What used to be good is now gone. Getting over the breakup will help you to be more emotionally resilient when you encounter a loss in the future.

8. Your negative emotions are concerning

Your thoughts are so negative that you feel hopeless, depressed, and anxious about the future. Other potentially concerning thoughts are those that involve harm to self or others. You should seek the help of a professionally licensed therapist if you are experiencing any deeply disturbing emotions that are making it difficult to let go.

A study in the Journal of Positive Psychology found that positive emotions can occur following a break-up, particularly when the previous relationship did not contribute any opportunities for personal growth. Experiencing positive emotions was especially true when personal growth occurred after the break-up.

9. You haven’t let yourself grieve

The breakup of a romantic relationship can require a grieving process similar to the loss of a loved one. We go through the stages of grief including denial, bargaining, anger and acceptance.

Finding a way to let go of the past, make up for the loss and go on living without the relationship can take anywhere from several days to months or even years. Pain and loss is something that we all experience as a part of human nature. Learning to handle loss in a way that helps you to move toward positive emotions will be a valuable skill that you can use to emotionally protect yourself when loss happens again.

10. You can’t picture your future after the end

Letting go of your ex means an uncertain future and right now, that’s difficult to imagine. Rather than dwelling on what could have been, picture yourself happy in the future. You can chose to stay single or seek a new romantic partner. The freedom to be the master of your future can help you to see a positive side of letting go.

10 Things To Avoid Before Bed

December 16, 2015 by Power of Positivity

Getting enough sleep is necessary if we are to be our best selves. Unfortunately, many of us don’t – 35% of the population state that they don’t get a minimum of seven hours of sleep a night. Consequently, a lack of bed rest is a public health epidemic. Wait, an epidemic? Is it that serious? The Center for Disease Control – the U.S. foremost public health authority–says it is.

The reason for this is simple: sleep deprivation does not only harm the individual (which is reason enough), but harms our entire society. Sleep insufficiency can cause the following harmful outcomes:

motor vehicle crashes
industrial disasters
medical errors
other occupational errors

Also, individuals with sleep deficiencies are more likely to suffer from health issues like hypertension, diabetes, depression, obesity, increased mortality, cancer, and reduced quality of life. Around fifty to seventy million Americans are estimated to have a sleep or wakefulness disorder.

But it’s not just the “severe” consequences of sleep deprivation that concern public health officials. Consider these self-reported statistics of sleep-related difficulties reported by adults 20 years or older.

23.2% (49.2 million) have difficulty concentrating.
18.2% (38.8 million) have difficulty remembering things.
10.5% (22.3 million) have difficulty taking care of finances.

Certainly, our schedules are loaded with things to do. Work, school, kids, spouses, and other responsibilities take up much of our day. But is there something that we are doing that’s causing such poor sleep habits? The Center for Disease Control and other health officials give a resounding “YES!” to that question.

Here are 10 of the most common habits to avoid before bed:

1. Going to sleep or waking up at different hours

According to Dr. Brandon Peters at About Health, we should select a wake time that is observable during both nights and weekends. For most people this would involve selecting a time that allows us to go to work or school and then getting up at the same time on Saturday and Sunday. The reason for this is that our bodies follow what is called the circadian rhythm, which relies on consistency. This means that our bodies signal when we should be truly awake and when we should be sleeping. We’re more alert and better prepared for work, school, etc., when we follow this pattern. We also sleep much better.

2. Drinking water immediately before bedtime

Notice the word immediately. Nobody is saying that drinking water isn’t essential, it is! But if we’ve done our part and hydrated appropriately throughout the day (7-8 12 oz. glasses), drinking a bunch of H2O at night becomes less necessary. Drinking water causes us to pee, and waking up to pee disrupts sleep. Pretty simple stuff here!

3. Consuming alcohol or tobacco

Alcohol and nicotine are sleep disruptors. One is a depressant (alcohol), and one is a stimulant (nicotine or tobacco); neither is conducive to a good night’s sleep. Alcohol reduces REM (Rapid Eye Movement), or deep sleep. Nicotine stimulates the brain and body, which makes it more difficult for us to settle in and drift off. For a good night’s rest, lay off the wine and cigarettes!

4. Eating a large meal

Ingesting a lot of food before bedtime can disrupt sleep. The reason is that our metabolism has to kick in, which makes it difficult to fall asleep and stay asleep. Further, a large amount of food in the stomach can become uncomfortable, which makes us prone to waking up. If that still isn’t enough, consider that eating large meals before bedtime has been associated with weight gain, gastroesophageal reflux disease, and other nasty physical effects.

5. Using a tablet or smartphone

Yep, this one kind of sucks…for everyone involved. We love our gadgets, and what is better than playing a game, texting, or reading an e-book while snuggled under the covers? We love it, but our bodies hate it. More specifically, our brains hate it. The reason is that electronics stimulate our cognitive faculties, making it more difficult for our brains and bodies to transition into a state that invites sleep. For a good night’s rest, lay off these gadgets while preparing to fall asleep.

6. Texting in bed

This one is a no-brainer, especially since we’ve already discussed #5. However, texting at night, especially in bed, is so common and sleep-disruptive that it deserves its own section. Texting in bed is a double-edged sword: (1) we’re using an electronic device (smartphone) that makes it much more difficult to sleep, and (2) text messaging is perhaps the most powerful time vacuum; we get sucked deep into a conversation and, before you know it, an hour or two has passed. Lay off chatting with your besties before bed.

7. Exercising

Chalk this one up, along with drinking water, as the one of the two healthy activities that we shouldn’t do before bedtime. Exercise is awesome any other time of the day. This isn’t healthy before bedtime because the brain becomes highly alert due to the influx of “feel-good” hormones, such as endorphins. The muscles and the heart are also stimulated, which increases this alertness – not a good combination before sleep time.

8. Eating spicy or junk foods

Eating before bedtime is not good, but eating spicy or junk food before hitting the sack is worse. Spicy food increases body temperature, which causes sleep disruption. It also further speeds up the body’s metabolism. Junk food stimulates more brain waves, which disrupts our brain’s normal evening activity. Obviously, junk food also contains a heavy amount of sugar, which is counterproductive when trying to fall and stay asleep.

9. Trying to force sleep

With all of the emphasis on getting a good night’s sleep, it may become natural to stay in bed until sleep. In fact, this is not good practice, and we are probably all guilty of doing it. Trying to force sleep doesn’t work because sleep requires a calm state of mind and body. When trying to force sleep, we become stressed and anxious and make the problem worse. Instead, we should get out of bed and do something else completely. Doing so takes our mind off of sleep and naturally tires us out a bit, making sleep easier to come by.

10. Oversleeping

Our bodies have an internal clock that’s set for many things. One of them is sleep. Just as getting enough sleep is essential, it’s important not to overdo it. The main reason is that it jacks up our internal clocks; we feel groggy, foggy, and out-of-sorts, and getting back into a good sleep pattern becomes more challenging. We have to be careful with this next statement, but sleeping in occasionally is probably just fine!

This Powerful Christmas Ad Will Bring Tears To Your Eyes

December 15, 2015 by Power of Positivity

With Christmas just around the corner, it’s the perfect time to reflect on what’s truly important in life. Most of us have very busy lives, and traveling to see all of our family members for the holidays isn’t always possible. However, this powerful video will make you think twice before you turn down an invitation to your parent’s or grandparent’s house for Christmas.

The German supermarket chain EDEKA created this ad so that people worldwide would remember the true meaning of the holiday season, and take the time to celebrate with their family. The ad starts with a disappointed father getting a message from his daughter that she and her children wouldn’t be able to make it this Christmas, and that they’d come next year instead.

We will let the rest of this “Christmas Story” unfold in the video below.

This Christmas, please remember to spend time with those you love; life goes by so fast, and we only get so many chances to embrace our loved ones, laugh with them, and create memories. In the midst of your holiday shopping and errands, don’t forget about what truly matters this Christmas.

If you like the message in this video, please share it with your friends and family for the Christmas holiday.

15 Powerful Quotes That Will Shake Your Soul

December 15, 2015 by Power of Positivity

At some point in life, every one of us feels a little tired and uninspired, and wish we could just catch a break. When life begins to seem colorless and mundane, we seek sources of inspiration. Books, music, our friends and family, a new workout routine, or even a weekend drive to a special place can provide us with a whole new outlook on life. However, motivational and inspirational quotes that you can write on a Post-it and stick on your mirror can do the trick, too.

Here are 15 powerful quotes that will touch your soul:

Read and reflect on these quotes when you need a dose of positivity in your life.

1. “Some people die at 25 and aren’t buried until 75.” – Benjamin Franklin

2. “Be humble for you are made of earth. Be noble for you are made of stars.” – Serbian proverb

3. “The reason we struggle with insecurity is because we compare our behind-the-scenes with everyone else’s highlight reel.” – Steven Furtick

4. “Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day whispering, ‘I will try again tomorrow.’” – Mary Anne Radmacher

5. “You cannot dream yourself into a character: you must hammer and forge yourself into one.” – Henry David Thoreau

6. “Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.” – Rumi

7. “People think a soul mate is your perfect fit, and that’s what everyone wants. But a true soul mate is a mirror, the person who shows you everything that is holding you back, the person who brings you to your own attention so you can change your life.” – Elizabeth Gilbert; Eat, Pray, Love

8. “The most powerful weapon on earth is the human soul on fire.” – Field Marshal Ferdinand Foch

9. “Don’t ask yourself what the world needs; ask yourself what makes you come alive. And then go and do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” – Howard Thurman

10. “Death is not the biggest fear we have; our biggest fear is taking the risk to be alive — the risk to be alive and express what we really are.” – Don Miguel Ruiz

11. “You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing you think you cannot do.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

12. “You must give up the life you planned in order to have the life that is waiting for you.” – Joseph Campbell

13. “I believe that everything happens for a reason. People change so that you can learn to let go, things go wrong so that you can appreciate them when they’re right, you believe lies so you eventually learn to trust no one but yourself, and sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together.” – Marilyn Monroe

14. “Time is too slow for those who wait, too swift for those who fear, too long for those who grieve, too short for those who rejoice, but for those who love, time is eternity.” – Henry Van Dyke

15. “Never be bullied into silence, never allow yourself to be made a victim. Accept no one’s definition of your life, define yourself.” – Robert Frost

This Is What Negative Thinking Does to Your Brain and Body

December 14, 2015 by Power of Positivity

Over centuries, our amazing brain has evolved to make decisions and respond quickly to threats for our safety and survival. When we stress, worry or have negative thinking, we trick our brains into believing that there is an immediate threat. As a result, our fight or flight response kicks in to deal with the event.

Our brains are pre-wired to respond to negative thoughts and feelings more quickly. When we think positively, our brain assumes that everything is under control and no action is needed.

But, we have to ask ourselves, how much of the stress, worry and negative thoughts we think today are actually life threatening? Recent studies show that psychological stress is causing an overuse of this powerful safety system, weakening our immune system and causing disease to set into our body. Yikes, negative thinking is causing more harm to our bodies and brain than we realize.

How Negative Thinking Affects Your Brain

A study in the Journal of Clinical Psychology studied the effects of worrying on performing a task. Subjects were required to sort things into two categories. People who reported that they worry 50% of the time or more showed a significant disruption in their ability to sort objects as the difficulty of the sorting task increased.

In a follow up study, researchers found they were able to show that demonstrated that the disruption was a result of increased levels of negative thoughts. When the brain is faced with complex tasks, negative thinking hurts your ability to process information and think clearly.

If the researchers are correct, thinking negatively about your problems not only doesn’t help solve anything, it actually makes it harder for you to think of a helpful solution. You can read more about how thinking positively affects your brain health here.

Amygdala, Memory and Negative Thinking

If you have a tendency to over-react to stress, it could be due to changes in your brain brought on by negative thinking. Negative experiences are stored in the brain by the amygdala. The amygdala is also responsible for the brain’s fight or flight response. The prefrontal cortex regulates our response to stressors.

Someone who is faced with a stressful situation like being in a traffic jam normally assesses the level of threat to their safety and concludes that the threat is less than the annoyance factor and talks themselves through relaxing until it is over.

In contrast, someone who has been previously exposed to stress that was life-threatening and is suffering from PTSD might see the traffic jam as a threat to their safety and respond as if they are under attack. They lack the ability to distinguish between the true threat and the perceived stress and over-react.

How The Thalamus Perceives Stress

The thalamus is responsible to sending sensory and motor signals to the rest of the body but it does not understand that negative thoughts aren’t the same as real danger. When you think negative thoughts, the thalamus assumes that it needs to prepare the body to flee. As a result, our bodies experience real stress symptoms of rapid heartbeat, elevated blood pressure, and a state of heightened arousal.

Imagine just sitting quietly and suddenly having the physical symptoms of fear. You can sense your heart rate increase, your breathing increases, you perspire, and your blood pressure goes up. You start looking for the cause of the symptoms, but when there is no rational explanation for the fear response it is the thalamus causing you to have a panic attack.

Negative thoughts affect our brain by triggering this same stress response. Chronic stress affects the body physically and can have negative effects on our health and well-being.

How Stress and Negative Thinking Changes Cortisol

Stress from negative thinking creates changes in the brain that may affect your likelihood of mental disorders such as anxiety, depression, ADHD, schizophrenia and mood disorders.

People who have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) have been shown to have abnormalities in their brains. The amount of grey matter versus white matter. The difference is that grey matter is where the information is processed by neurons whereas white matter is a fibrous network that connects the neurons. Chronic stress produces more white matter connections but fewer neurons.

The balance of grey matter and white matter in the brain is important for the timing of communication in the brain. It is believed that the disruption in connections affects both your mood and your memories of the associations with that mood.

The problem is that our brains are good at learning from bad experiences but bad at learning from good experiences. According to Dr. Rick Hanson, creator of The Taking in The Good Course, a brain training program to use your mind to improve your happiness, says that people who completed a program of training themselves to replace negative thoughts with positive ones “experienced significantly less anxiety and depression, and significantly greater self-control, savoring, compassion, love, contentment, joy, gratitude, self-esteem, self-compassion, satisfaction with life, and overall happiness.”

Improving our brains by eliminating negative thinking is possible. Replacing negative thinking with positive thinking is like training your brain just like you would a dog. You give a dog a reward for good behavior and your brain is similar in that positive thoughts create pleasure in the brain, which is a reward. Once we feel pleasure, we want more of it, so give your brain positive thoughts and keep it on a steady diet of self-rewarding pleasure.

10 Ways to Replace Negative Thinking with Positivity

Are you tired of pessimism drawing more negative energy into your life? The good news is that you have the power to change your attitude. Here are ten helpful ways to trade those rainy days for a little more sunshine.

1. Become an Observer

You may be surprised when you flip the Golden Rule to the other side of the coin. How would others feel if you treated them like you treat yourself? For some reason, people are often more critical of themselves than others in the same situation.

Instead of being the object acted upon, try to imagine yourself as an observer. What would you tell a friend or loved one if they were in your shoes? This practice can help you get a different perspective that could be more optimistic.

2. Write in Your Journal

Journaling is an excellent way of giving voice to your thoughts and feelings. When you’re in the middle of a difficult decision or circumstances, your emotions are everywhere. Writing in your journal offers you the freedom to express yourself.

When you reflect back on your entries, you have more clarity. You may notice flaws in your reasonings or a pattern of negativity. Once you’ve identified this pattern, it’s often easier for you to change your attitude.

3. Practice Mindful Breathing

A study published by The National Library of Medicine concludes that daily mindful breathing exercises can help relieve anxiety. Per the article, just a few minutes each day or as needed may also increase positive feelings and affect. Mindful breathing allows you to slow down and bring your thoughts into focus.

Practice breathing whenever you feel overwhelmed with negativity and anxiety. Inhale deeply through your nostrils, hold for a couple of seconds, then slowly exhale through your lips. Imagine that you’re inhaling positivity and exhaling the negative thoughts with each healing breath.

4. Meditate Each Day

Meditation is an ancient practice that’s part of many spiritual traditions across the globe. You don’t have to adopt an aesthetic lifestyle or any particular religious sect to reap its benefits. Plus, you can meditate anywhere you can find a quiet spot to be alone for a bit.

When you meditate, you become more aware of your thoughts. You acknowledge the negative ones without judgment and let them pass. Meditation combines mindful breathing and visualization that can boost your positive energy.

5. Re-Evaluate Your Beliefs

If you’re stuck in a negative mindset, your pessimistic thoughts may not be based on reality. For example, you may resist applying for a management position because you don’t feel smart enough. Maybe you’ve sabotaged your life by believing you aren’t attractive, successful, worthy, etc.

Consider breaking through the pessimism by re-evaluating what you believe about yourself and your situation. Ask yourself if these “not enough” statements are true, or an unfair assessment based on fear? The more honest with yourself, the more confidently you can discard false beliefs that only hinder you.

6. Use the Law of Attraction

When you plant corn, you can’t expect to harvest wheat. It’s a practical example of reaping what you sow. According to the law of attraction, whatever affirmations you send into the Universe will return to you in kind.

If you spend your days constantly spewing negativity into the Universe, it’s little wonder that you continue to get negative results. You can receive more blessings by changing your attitude and speaking positive affirmations.

7. Talk to a Friend

Let’s face it, there are some days that you don’t feel like getting out of bed. The sky is falling, and you’ve just been hit with a storm cloud. The voice in your head is like a continual loop of gloom and doom.

Instead of hiding under a mound of blankets, reach out to a trusted friend or loved one. They may not offer any earth-changing solutions, but they can actively listen with compassion. Call, text, or better yet, spend some face-to-face time.

8. Adopt a Healthier Lifestyle

When your body is strong and healthy, it complements the delicate balance of your body, mind, and spirit. You’re more apt to have a positive outlook and minimal negativity. On the other hand, neglecting your physical health can impact your attitude on a mental and spiritual level.

If you don’t already, try to enjoy a balanced diet of whole, nutritious foods. Get off the couch and move your body to be more physically fit. A healthy body and a positive attitude go hand in hand.

9. Practice Yoga

Yoga is an ancient practice that is physical, mental, and spiritual. It incorporates mindful breathing with body poses to boost focus, flexibility, and strength. This practice can also help you minimize negative energy.

According to an article published by Harvard Medical School, practicing yoga may increase your feelings of well-being. You may have more energy and strength to accomplish more. As you see each small success in your life, it encourages you to set higher goals.

10. Surround Yourself with Positive People

Do you remember the old saying that a rotten apple can ruin the whole basket? Likewise, rubbing shoulders too often with negative personalities can affect you. Soon, you may catch yourself repeating the same gripes and grumblings of the pessimist person.

Instead, try to surround yourself with positive, upbeat people. They can still see the good in everything and encourage you too also. Their positive attitude will rub off on you, and you’ll attract more positivity to your life.

Final Thoughts on Ways to Replace Negative Thinking with Positivity

Although you’ll always have stress and obstacles in your life, they don’t have to define your mindset. As you learn to replace pessimistic thinking with optimism, your life can be more abundant and fulfilling. You will have the occasional storms, but your positive outlook becomes your umbrella.

10 Health Benefits Of Avocados

December 14, 2015 by Power of Positivity

Here’s a question to get us started: what foods can you think of that are both healthy and delicious? The last word is ‘delicious’ and not ‘tolerable’, folks. If we’re honest with ourselves, we’ll concede that there are not too many foods that check both of these boxes. Those that do will probably fall under one of two categories: fruits or vegetables.

This segues into our discussion of avocados and the health benefits derived from the versatile and delicious fruit. Another question: did you know that the avocado is a fruit? Even more interesting, the avocado is a berry! Well, it does contain fleshy pulp and a seed (albeit, a very large one).

Anyways, we’ve digressed from the original topic – the health benefits of avocados. There are numerous health benefits of this delicious food, not to mention various ways of enjoying the tastiness of the avocado. An avocado smoothie, even. Well, that’s a new one, but they apparently do exist!

Here are ten health benefits of avocados:

1. Avocados keep you smart

Avocados are bursting with omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin E, both healthy for your brain. Though ‘E’ may be undervalued, it serves a vital role in protecting brain membranes for oxidation, which may help explain why those deficient in vitamin E are more prone to dementia. As a great source of omega-3’s, they improve blood supply to the pre-frontal cortex – the area of the brain responsible for executive functions, such as: managing time, paying attention, focusing, organizing, remembering details, impulse control, and decision making.

2. Avocados protect the heart

Avocado is a high fat food, but it contains healthy fats and the calories necessary to sustain the body. One such important fat is oleic acid, a monounsaturated fat that is most commonly found in olive oil. Oleic acid has been known to reduce inflammation and lower the risk of cancer. For future reference, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are those that are considered healthy fats, and make up a good amount of the nutrients found in avocados.

3. Avocados help absorb nutrients

Not only do avocados contain nutrients that benefit mental and physical health, they help to absorb other nutrients that benefit mental and physical health! More specifically, avocados increase the amount of carotenoids absorbed by up to 5 times. Carotenoids such as beta carotene and lycopene are essential to good health and help to decrease the possibility of health issues in various areas of the body, including the stomach and small intestine.

4. Avocados regulate cholesterol levels

Just one cup of sliced avocado contains 32% of the recommended amount of fat intake for the day, but it’s all good fat. The reason for this: avocados contain a healthy dose of monounsaturated fat, which helps to lower bad cholesterol levels. Also, avocados reduce the risk of stroke and heart disease while raising the levels of good cholesterol in the body. Also, avocados help to lower the level of triglycerides in the bloodstream – enhancing the effect of lowering bad cholesterol levels.

5. Avocados protect the eyes

Avocados contain a high number of antioxidants which are known to have protective properties. Among some of the antioxidants that avocados have are Zeaxanthin and Lutein, which are very important for eye health. Some studies have shown that these nutrients are linked to a reduced risk of cataracts and macular degeneration, which are very common in the elderly. In short, eating avocado should have long-term health benefits for eye health. Nutrients found in avocados are also known the protect the eye from harmful sun rays.

6. Avocados help you lose weight

Containing monounsaturated fatty acids, avocados consist of fats that are stored as slow burning energy rather than fat. Also, studies have been performed that demonstrate that including avocado in a meal increases feelings of fullness while decreasing the desire to eat. If so, the inclusion of avocado in one’s diet could help naturally decrease caloric intake. Avocado is also high in fiber and very low in carbohydrates, which are two very important attributes that assist with weight loss.

7. Avocados have a lot of potassium

Potassium is one of those nutrients that most people are not getting enough of. However, potassium serves a vital health role by reducing blood pressure and lowering the risk of stroke, heart attack and kidney failure. Bananas are what most people think of when they think potassium, but Avocado contains 40% more of the recommended daily potassium intake (14% vs 10%). Potassium also plays an important role in reducing anxiety and stress, enhancing muscle strength, improving metabolism, and regulating the nervous system.

8. Avocados may relieve arthritis symptoms

Studies have shown that an extract from avocado and soybean oils can considerably lessen the symptoms of arthritis. Avocado contains Polyhydroxylated Fatty Alcohols (PFAs), which contain an arsenal of anti-inflammatory benefits. Found mostly in seaweed and other ocean plants, PFAs are very uncommon to find in land plants, which makes the avocado quite special in this regard. Finally, avocado contains vitamins C and E, which also helps to suppress inflation while relieving the symptoms of arthritis.

9. Avocados have pregnancy benefits

Just one cup of avocado provides nearly a quarter of the recommended daily intake of folate, an important vitamin that reduces the risk of birth defects. Also, the properties of avocado help in many other ways during pregnancy by: improving digestion, preventing anemia, balancing cholesterol and sugar levels, and reducing the frequency of leg cramps. Avocado also contains high levels of choline, which is known to aid babies’ brain and nerve development.

10. Avocados are incredibly nutrient dense

The fact that this little fruit contains so many health benefits is incredible, and much of this has to do with the abundance of nutrients. Consider these levels of nutrients in just a 3.5 ounce serving:

Vitamin K: 26% of recommended daily allowance (RDA)
Vitamin E: 10% of RDA
Folate: 20% of RDA
Vitamin C: 17% of RDA
Potassium: 14% of RDA
Vitamin B5: 14% of RDA
Vitamin B6: 13% of RDA

Avocado also contains smaller levels of vitamin A, B1 (thiamine), B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin), copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorous and zinc.

So…who’s up for an avocado smoothie?

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