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Avocado For Weight Loss: Check Out How The Fruit Help Promote Healthy Weight Management

As of today, there are an approximate of 2.1 billion overweight people in the world - that is 30% of the world's population. With obesity and excess weight posing extreme danger, the need to adopt necessary steps have become imperative. The principal approach to regulating the problem of excess weight is the adoption of a healthy lifestyle.

However, losing weight doesn't necessarily make a person fit or healthy. The health of a person depends on the fat content of his or her body. The body weight is majorly comprised of the mass of water our body stores, and consequently, carbohydrates can bind with our body's water content and cause weight gain. Hence, consuming lower levels of carbs can aid in weight loss [1].

At times weight loss can lead to losing muscle mass which in turn lowers your body's metabolic rate and trigger weight gain instead. Therefore, it is extremely important to choose the right steps in losing that extra weight. Trying out anything and everything under the sun may help you lose weight - but note that it will have a severe impact on your overall health.

There are plenty of foods such as fruits and vegetables that help promote weight loss, such as berries, green vegetables, lentils etc. In the current article, we will explore one such fruit that helps promote a healthy weight loss - and that is avocado [2].

Avocado For Your Health

Avocado For Your Health

Cultivated in the Mediterranean regions of the world, avocado has a high commercial value. Its light-green skin with a fleshy body that almost looks like a pear has immense health benefits. The fruit also offers nearly twenty vitamins and minerals in every serving including potassium, lutein, and folate [3].

Loaded with various nutrients, the green fruit helps lower cholesterol levels, regulate blood sugar, protect the eyes, promote fertility, improve cognitive function, enhance digestive health and prevent the onset of osteoarthritis. Out of all these benefits, the one that stands out is how avocado can help lose weight. Avocados are low in carbs and a great source of fibre, with each serving containing only 9 grams of carbs, 7 of which come from the fibre [4].

1. Avocado helps you feel full

1. Avocado helps you feel full

One of the major reasons that cause you to gain extra weight is unnecessary eating. Your body does not need to be full all the time - it is just your mind getting confused between boredom and hunger. Foods that are high in fat or fibre such as avocado can help you feel more full and satisfied after eating. This is because the fat and fibre content in the fruit slows the release of food from your stomach - leaving you feeling full for a longer period and stopping your habit of binge eating. An entire avocado has a total of 322 calories [5].

A study supports the above claim by pointing out that people who ate half an avocado with their lunch reported decreased appetite up to five hours [6]. The good fat content in avocado helps in developing a feeling of satisfaction, thereby promoting appetite regulation and weight loss.

2. Avocado is low in sugar

2. Avocado is low in sugar

The creamy fruit contains less than 2 g sugar - lower than most fruits. Consuming avocado help maintain a healthy blood sugar level, thereby not contributing to any excess weight gain [7]. Weight loss happens between meals, that is, when the blood sugar levels in your body are balanced, it helps facilitate long-term healthy fat loss.

Also, the low carbohydrate content in avocados contributes towards promoting a healthy weight loss [8].

3. Avocado reduces oxidative stress

3. Avocado reduces oxidative stress

The fruit can help reduce oxidative stress in the body, which is caused when the levels of harmful reactive oxygen species rise due to environmental stress, bad food habits, mental stress, disease, and UV exposure [9]. The antioxidants and oleic acid present in avocados help reduce oxidative stress and prevent DNA damage and inflammation-related obesity. This, in turn, is proven to have an effective role in causing a healthy weight loss by improving your metabolism [10].

4. Avocado reduces belly fat

4. Avocado reduces belly fat

Studies point out that as avocado is rich in monounsaturated and oleic fatty acids, it can help reduce abdominal fat, which may decrease the risk for metabolic syndrome which is associated with unhealthy weight gain. According to a study, people who consumed avocados for four weeks lowered their belly fat by 1.6 per cent in comparison to other fruits [11]. They also reported a lower body mass index and smaller waist circumference.

5. Avocado contains healthy fat

5. Avocado contains healthy fat

The monounsaturated fatcontent in avocados is associated with improved weight and fat loss, studies point out. Because, they are burned at a higher rate than other types of fats, can increase the rate at which fat is burned and can cause your body to burn more calories after eating [12]. In addition to this, the mono fat in avocados helps reduce appetite and decrease the desire to eat after a meal in the most healthy manner.

6. Avocado helps reduce cholesterol

6. Avocado helps reduce cholesterol

According to a study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, eating an avocado a day lowers the amount of bad cholesterol in the blood levels of overweight and obese individuals [13]. By improving one's cardiovascular system, the fruit helps in structuring your body towards a healthy weight loss path.

1. Avocado hummus

1. Avocado hummus

Ingredients

  • 500 g chickpeas, boiled[14]
  • 2 medium ripe avocados, cored and peeled
  • 3 tbsp olive oil, plus more for serving if desired
  • 1 ½ tbsp tahini
  • 3 tbsp fresh lime juice
  • 1 clove garlic, peeled
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/8 tsp cumin
  • 1 - 2 tbsp finely chopped cilantro leaves
  • Red pepper flakes
  • Directions

    • Pulse chickpeas, olive oil, tahini, lime juice, and garlic in a food processor until smooth.
    • Season with salt and pepper to taste and add cumin and avocados and pulse mixture until smooth and creamy.
    • Serve topped with more olive oil, sprinkle with cilantro and red pepper flakes.
2. Chicken avocado and lime soup

2. Chicken avocado and lime soup

Ingredients

  • 500 g boneless skinless chicken
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 cup chopped green onions
  • 2 jalapeños, seeded and minced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • 2 tomatoes, seeded and diced
  • 1/2 tsp ground cumin
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/3 cup chopped cilantro
  • 3 tbsp fresh lime juice
  • 3 medium avocados, peeled, cored and diced
  • Directions

    • In a large pot heat 1 tbsp olive oil over medium heat.
    • Once hot, add green onions and jalapeños and sauté until tender (2 mins) and add garlic during last 30 seconds of sautéing.
    • Add chicken broth, tomatoes, cumin, season with salt and pepper to taste and add chicken breasts.
    • Then, bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat.
    • Reduce the heat to medium, cover with a lid and allow to cook, stirring occasionally (15mins).
    • Reduce burner to warm heat, remove chicken from pan and let rest for 5 minutes and then shred it.
    • Stir in cilantro and lime juice.
    • Add avocados to soup just before serving.
On A Final Note…

On A Final Note…

It is safe to say that avocados have many qualities of a weight loss friendly food. As long as you eat this green fruit in reasonable amounts, avocados can indeed be a part of an effective weight loss diet.

Read more about: avocado weight loss diet