Avocados are one of my favorite foods and I would eat them most days and they are such a very popular food that they dominate posts on social media in foodie photos. However, there is more to avocados than being great for social media posts and delicious and satisfying to eat for they possess some amazing health benefits. They are high in fibre, packed with minerals, vitamins and nutrients that keep us healthy, and they can even help with weight loss!
When buying avocados there are several varieties you can pick from such as Shepherds or Hass variants (I myself prefer the Hass variant).
The main thing to do is to try to choose ripe avocados, a ripe avocado will be soft but free from dark sunken spots. To check to see if you avocado is ripe you should avoid squeezing avocado with your palm, as this will bruise the flesh inside, instead gently press the flesh at the top / neck of the avocado.
Avocados are easy to include in your diet, they are great for a breakfast meal with poached eggs, you can add them to a tasty salad for lunch, or a guacamole as a snack for afternoon tea, they can even be used in desserts!
How Avocados Can Help With Weight Loss
Click Here to read a study which was published in April 2017 by Phytotherapy Research.
It was found that avocados have “anti-diabetic, anti‐obesity” effects that may help prevent metabolic syndrome, a cluster of conditions that are linked to obesity and can increase your risk of heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Bottom line, avocados are packed with good fats and fibre and this will help to keep you fuller for longer. They are a rich and creamy food and therefore it is difficult to overeat them.
GOOD HEALTHY FAT in your diet can help you to lose weight.
Here is a list of seven health benefits of eating avocado that you might not know about it.
1. Avocados are Loaded with Nutrients
The avocado is jam packed full of nutrients. Avocado’s contain Vitamin K, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin B5 & B6, Vitamin E, Potassium & Folate to just name a few.
2. Helps Digestion
The avocado is a great source of fibre, you will find 6-7 grams of fibre in every ½ an avocado. Our bodies need dietary fibre as it helps to maintain a healthy digestive system & a high fibre diet can help with avoiding weight gain.
3.Cardiovascular Health
The avocado can help to improve our cardiovascular health. Including avocado in your diet will help improve your HDL / good cholesterol levels which can help prevent against stroke or heart attacks.
4. Potassium
Did you know that avocados contain more potassium than bananas?
A 100 gram serving of avocado packs 14% of the RDA ( recommended daily allowance ), compared to 10% in bananas, which are a typical known as a high-potassium food. Most people don’t get enough potassium in their diet, we need potassium in our diet for maintaining a normal heart rate and for helping to regulate blood pressure.
5.Help With Weight Loss
Including avocados in your diet can help aid with weight loss, this is due to the good healthy fats that you find in them, healthy fats help us with controlling our appetite by releasing hormones that signal to our body that we are full, they are also low in carbohydrates. If you are wanting to lose weight or are watching your weight you should be including avocado in your diet.
6. Protection from Chronic Diseases
Due to the high fibre found in avocados they have been linked to helping to lower the risks of developing chronic diseases such as heart disease, stroke, obesity, diabetes & stroke.
7: Helps Strengthen Bones
Including avocados in your daily diet can help to strengthen bones and therefore help prevent osteoporosis / or relieve the symptoms & can help to improve bone mineral density levels.
Summary
No wonder avocados are one of my favorite foods!! The avocado is rich & creamy, taste great, have a lovely texture and they are so versatile. Avocados have a creamy, rich, fatty texture and blend well with other ingredients. Avocados are loaded with nutrients, and nutrients is one thing that many of us are lacking in the modern diet.