Avocados: 5 reasons to eat one today and every day!
Tuesday, June 09, 2015 by: Antonia
(NaturalNews) It wasn't too long ago that avocados were on the "never eat" list of many diets. Back in the days of the low-fat craze in particular, avocados were considered downright sinful!
Thankfully, those days are behind us, and we can celebrate the delicious, delectable avocado for what it truly is: a super healthy food.
There are two main varieties of avocado, the Hass (from California) and the Florida variety. The Hass is the darker one with the rougher, pebbly skin, while the Florida avocado is larger and has a smooth, lighter green skin. Both are healthy -- so it's really just your personal preference as to which kind you indulge in.
Following are five proven reasons why you should include avocados in your diet. Even every day, if you wish!
[size=14pt]
1. Avocados can help you lose weight (yes, you read that right!)
Rather than being "diet enemy number one," avocados have proven to be an effective tool in a dieter's arsenal of weight loss tricks.
In a 2013 study published in the Nutrition Journal, it demonstrated that people who consumed avocado with a meal were 23 percent more satisfied after eating, and get this -- had a 28 percent lower desire to eat over the next five hours!(1)
If you think about it, that means that, if you include avocado in one meal a day, you will feel more satiated and eat less the rest of the day. Not to mention being happier, because what a treat!
2. Avocado eaters tend to be healthier than others
So, first we discovered that eating avocados can assist you in weight loss, now we find that eating them can put you into the "healthy people" crowd? This is great news!
Results from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, which analyzed data from 17,567 participants in the U.S., demonstrated that:
"Avocado consumption is associated with better diet quality and nutrient intake, and lower metabolic syndrome risk in US adults."(2)
3. Avocados are packed with healthy fiber
Many people have heard that fiber is good for them, but aren't quite sure why. Fiber is the indigestible plant part of food, and when consumed, it helps balance your blood sugar levels and can contribute to weight loss as well.(3)
If you eat just 3.5 ounces of avocado, you get a whopping serving of 7 grams of fiber, and that is 27% of the recommended daily serving for women between 19 and 50 years old!
4. Avocados can boost your nutrient levels
Enjoying a cup of fresh avocado can increase the absorption of carotenoids (powerful antioxidants which your body turns into vitamin A) by an eye-popping 400% in later meals!(4)
5. Avocados are a source of good fats
If you have always thought that avocados were high in fat, well, you were correct. However, there are "good" fats -- the kind that can actually help with weight loss -- and avocados fall into that category.(4)
[/size]
