Rich in heart-healthy monounsaturated fatty acids, fiber, potassium and vitamin E, avocados are healthy for you — in moderation. Avocados have high content of calories. One-half of avocado has 182 calories. If you eat too many of them, you may end up gaining, instead of losing weight. Consumption of only avocados for a long period of time will not provide you with other nutrients including calcium, vitamin A and vitamin D. But when consumed in tandem with a balanced diet, avocados are a great addition to your plate. The luscious, creamy fruit, that grows on the tree of the same name, is native to South Central Mexico. It belongs to the flowering plant family Lauraceae. Botanically speaking it is a large berry that contains a single seed. Avocados come in various shapes like a pear shape, egg shape and spherical. An avocado diet is a good source of various nutrients like vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, flavonoids, carotenoids, dietary fibers, essential fatty acids, etc. and the presence of these compounds make avocados very valuable for us.
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Avocado Diet Details:
Do Avocados Cause Weight Gain?
Avocados get a bad rap when it comes to weight loss. Researchers divided 61 overweight volunteers into two groups and put them on identical calorie-restricted diets. The only difference was that one group consumed 200 grams of avocado containing 30 grams of fat, while the other consumed 30 grams of other mixed dietary fats such as oil and margarine. At the end of six weeks, both groups showed significant weight loss, and the group that ate avocado lost just as much weight as the group that didn’t.
Avocados May Aid Weight Loss
Another study found that people who eat avocados regularly may find it easier to manage their weight. Participants were given one-half of avocado with their lunch meal, either as part of a standard test meal or in addition to it. The control group did not eat avocado. The result of this experiment showed that people have higher satisfaction who eat avocado with their meal. They also had less desire to eat as compared to the non avocado group.
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Caution: A diet that focuses on a single food is usually a bad idea. Grapefruit, potato, banana and avacados — these are all healthy foods in moderation, but they should not be the only food you eat in a day. Moderation in portions, and a variety on your plate is key.
Fitting The Fruit Into A Healthy Weight-Loss Diet
A healthy weight-loss diet includes all the food groups but fewer calories. In order to lose a pound per week, you must cut approximately 500 calories from your diet per day. Focus on eating non-starchy vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains for maximum results. Substitute avocado for less healthy foods in your diet such as fried foods, sweets, and sugary beverages. Top a salad with avocado slices, or make an omelet with avocado and spinach for your morning meal. Even when you are tempted to eat food that has more calories, instead have an avocado instead.
Benefits of Eating Avocados
1. Reduces Risk of Birth Defects
Avocados have a high content of folate and folic acid which has an essential role in the growth and development of a newborn baby and saves the baby from congenital disabilities. A cup of avocado consists of 23% of folate which is required by the human body each day.
2. Improves Digestion
Avocado has dietary fibers that regulate bowel movement and makes sure the waste is excreted smoothly out of the body. These fibers vitalize the gastric and other digestive juices in our body which make sure that your body gets proper nutrients.
3. Governs High BP
Avocados have a high amount of potassium in them which is responsible for neutralizing the blood pressure.
4. Benefits For Diabetic People
The dietary fibers of avocado decrease the glucose level of blood and make sure there is no sudden increase in the sugar level of blood.
5. Healthy Liver
Avocados protect the liver from any kind of damage as they have certain organic compounds that keep the liver healthy.
6. Improved Bone Health
Avocado makes your bones stronger as it consists of carotenoids which lower the risk of cartilage defect.
7. Healthy Eyes
Avocado consists of antioxidants which protect the eye tissues and saves them from any damage which may be age-related, cataract, etc.
8. No Premature Ageing
Due to the presence of antioxidants in avocados, they reduce wrinkles, dark spots, fine lines, freckles, etc.
9. Improved Cardiovascular Health
Avocados have beta-sitosterol present in them, which balances the cholesterol in your body, hence, reducing the risk of cardiovascular problems such as heart stroke, clotting, and heart attack.
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10. Aids In Weight Loss
Avocado has a solution for everything. It can be eaten for both losing weight, and for gaining a few extra pounds. The dietary fibers of avocado keep you full for a longer period of time and reduce any desire to eat. As a result, the consumption of fatty food decreases and so does the weight. For gaining weight, avocados must be included in your diet as they have a high content of calories.
11. Beneficial For Teeth
Avocados have flavonoids in them which are anti-bacterial. They eradicate bad breath and keeps teeth healthy, which further lessens the chances of oral cancer.
12. Healthy Kidneys
It is a well-known fact that potassium is responsible for keeping the kidneys healthy for managing the fluid balance of the human body. Since, avocados have a high amount of potassium, eating them could keep your kidneys healthy.
Avocado Calories
Avocado contains:
- Amount per 100 grams
- Calories 160
| Total Fat | 14.66g |
| Saturated fat | 2.13g |
| Polyunsaturated fat | 1.82g |
| Monounsaturated fat | 9.80g |
| Cholesterol | 0mg |
| Sodium | 7mg |
| Potassium | 485mg |
| Total Carbohydrate | 8.53g |
| Dietary fiber | 6.7g |
| Sugar | 0.66g |
| Protein | 2g |
Source: USDA
https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/?query=ndbNumber:9037
Avocado also contains vitamins and minerals such as vitamin A, vitamin C, iron, calcium, magnesium, vitamin B-6, selenium, zinc, manganese.
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How To Eat Avocados
You can eat avocados in various ways so that you don’t get bored of eating it every day. Here is a list of ways in which you can eat this multi purpose fruit.
1. With Toast
The easiest way to eat an avocado is with a toast. You can mash the avocado’s pulp unevenly and lay it on the toast. It also works as an replacement of butter. Simply add a pinch of salt and any other spice based on your taste. It will be an ideal snack for you to kill hunger.
2. The Mexican Way
Guacamole is a dish loved by Mexicans. Now you can prepare this dish at home and enjoy the Mexican culture in a healthy way. All you have to do is mash or cut an avocado in small pieces, mix it with chopped onion and tomatoes. You can also add different sauces and spices to this dish for better taste.
3. Avocado With Pasta
Did you know you can make pasta sauce out of an avocado? Yes you can. To convert an avocado into pasta sauce, you need to mash a mix of avocado, basil leaves and spinach in salt and olive oil. Simply pour this paste on spaghetti which is boiled and mix it evenly and there will creamy sauce pasta prepared in no time.
4. Avocado For Breakfast
You can eat this healthy fruit with semi-cooked egg yolk with a dash of cheddar cheese on top. Don’t worry about the cheese not being healthy because cheddar cheese is a low-calorie cheese. You can also have avocado toast and a bowl of cereal for a healthy breakfast.
Avocados have a creamy, rich texture and it goes very well with other ingredients. Therefore, it’s easy to add this fruit to your diet. Using lemon juice may prevent cut avocados from browning quickly.