The apricot is a great way to take advantage of using the paleo diet for weight loss; it is loaded with beta carotene, fiber, iron, vitamin C, and numerous B vitamins. All these are necessary in achieving our weight loss goals so that our body stays hydrated with the right vitamins and minerals to shred off the extra fat.

Alexander The Great originally introduced apricots into Europe, after he found them growing in the wild during his expeditions in Asia. The Romans gave the apricot it’s name, from the Latin word ‘precocious’, due to the fact that apricot is the first fruit during the season to ripen.

The apricot is also utilized as a weight loss supplement when dried. If you dry an apricot, the nutrients become more concentrated, allowing you to ‘get more bang for your buck’. Apricots don’t just help you in the paleo diet for weight loss, they also help with preventing signs of aging, prevent cancer, protect eyesight long term, and prevent heart disease.

4 Key Health Benefits From The Apricot:

1. Helps Fight Against Cancer- Apricots are a key source of Lycopene; which is a carotenoid that helps prevent prostate, breast, colon, and several other cancers from forming. Dried apricots have an even further concentrated amount of Lycopene within them. However, tomatoes (as I say in my article Tomato, A Paleo Diet Superfood) have almost 30 times more Lycopene in them than even dried apricots. So if you can stand the taste of tomatoes, they are a major superfood!
2. Stops Heart Disease- Munching on apricots throughout the day will help boost up your levels of iron, potassium, beta carotene, copper, and magnesium. These are all key nutrients to controlling and regulating blood pressure. Even the fiber in apricots can help move cholesterol quickly through your body to lower the risk of clogging in the arteries.
3. Longer Life- No, this isn’t a miracle food or the holy grail, this stuff isn’t going to make you immortal. BUT some people claim apricots are actually the secret to the sought-after ’120 year old’ lifespan! There are a few tribes in the Himalayan Mountains that consume large quantities of apricots; and diseases such as cancer, heart disease, and high blood pressure do not exist in these tribes.
4.  Eyesight- Many doctors claim that what you eat will affect your vision. We’ve all heard the saying that carrots can improve our night-time seeing abilities, but many doctors state that eating apricots can actually chase away cataracts and improve long-term eyesight. The main reason this takes place is from Vitamin A. Vitamin A has long been shown to be necessary for great eyesight, and since apricots have large amounts of beta carotene (which our bodies convert to Vitamin A), this just goes to show how important apricots are in our daily diet!

Remember, apricots start producing early in the season, so keep your eyes peeled from June to August when these babies come into your grocery store. The best, most natural and freshest apricots will typically come from California or Washington. But if you need to satisfy that craving during the winter, dried apricots are a great way to go!

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Have you ever focused on fruit to use the paleo diet for weight loss, let us know below!