Benefits of Avocado

Friday is finally here and I thought I would write about my favorite fatty food since being on my diet...and yes I said fatty food! When the weekend hits and everyone around me is eating pizza and party foods, I break out guacamole and some tortilla chips that are 100% free of trans fat. Believe it or not, it does such a good job of filling me up that I count it as dinner (and with the amount of calories I don't know many people who would call me unwise). I do not have to eat a lot to get full, but it satisfies that craving to eat something rich and flavorful. On the weekend many of us want to let loose and feel unrestricted. Avocado's are one of those foods that make me feel like I am being bad, but the truth is that is down right good for me. Here is why:


Avocado's are full of the "good fats" They are completely saturated with monounsaturated fats which are not only heart healthy, the also are known to speed up basal metabolic rates. They also help to reduce fat levels in the body; yes I am saying that eating a little of this fruit might actually help with your weight loss goals! This seems contradictory since the average Californian avocado packed 731 calories and 30 grams of fat! Yes I know, holy cow! But because it is full of healthy fats, it can actually be useful in weight management if eaten in moderation and in conjunction with an otherwise low-fat diet. There are several reasons why this may be. Speaking from my own experience, when I shared guacamole and chips with my husband at the cheesecake factory (appetizer), I didn't even make a dent in my actual lunch entree. More over, when I went to a planned banquet 6 hours later I barely ate a thing because I was still full. Now the food they were serving, while fantastic, was full of the wrong types of fat! Fat that makes you want to eat more, not less. So that leads me to my next possible reason which is that if you are getting satisfied eating the "right" type of fat, you may avoid more of the "wrong" type of fat overall. We all crave rich flavorful filling foods, especially when we are being deprived of them!

There are other health benefits besides weight management as well. Diets that are overall low-fat that include moderate amounts of avocado and monounsaturated fats actually helps lower LDL (bad cholesterol) and raise HDL (good cholesterol). In individuals that have diabetes, it also lowers triglycerides by as much as 20%! Also Avocado's are rich in potassium, fiber, vitamin A and antioxidants. Eating foods rich in fiber and beta carotene (Vitamin A) is one way that you can help lower your risk to certain types of cancer. Antioxidants are also thought to help prevent cancer as well as help slow the process of aging and limit the negative effects of a fatty diet.

The one thing I would like to say though is that moderation is key. Eating too much calories of anything is not going to help you lose weight. Also, try to replace good fats with bad fats. Such as using guacamole instead of creamy dips or sandwiches with avocado instead of butter or mayonnaise.

So, if you are like me and are approaching this weekend with the thoughts of treating yourself. Why not search for recipes that include avocado in it's ingredients and do not include satuarated fats or trans fat. You will likely fill up quickly and feel that you have satisfied that craving for something rich, creamy and/or flavorful.