Avocados Might Help You Lose Weight and Absorb Nutrients

If the cancer-preventive and heart-healthy properties of avocado haven’t convinced you that this is one superfood worth eating, maybe this will: according to research published in the Nutrition Journal, eating just one-half of a fresh avocado with lunch may satiate you if you’re overweight, which will help prevent unnecessary snacking later.⁸

Those who ate half an avocado with their standard lunch reported being 40 percent less hungry three hours after their meal and 28 percent less hungry at the five-hour mark compared to those who did not eat avocado for lunch. The study also found that avocados appear helpful for regulating blood sugar

The monounsaturated fat in avocados is a type your body can easily burn for energy, and because they are so rich in healthy fats, avocados help your body absorb fat-soluble nutrients from other foods.

One study published in The Journal of Nutrition found that consuming a whole fresh avocado with either an orange-colored tomato sauce or raw carrots significantly enhanced absorption of the carotenoids and conversion of them into an active form of vitamin A.⁹

A 2005 study similarly found that adding avocado to salad allowed the volunteers to absorb three to five times more carotenoid antioxidant molecules, which help protect your body against free radical damage.¹⁰

Avocados Contain Nutrients Many Americans Are Lacking

Avocados provide close to 20 essential health-boosting nutrients, including potassium, vitamin E, B vitamins, and folic acid. Despite the fact that potassium is available in many foods, especially fruits and vegetables, only 2 percent of US adults get the recommended daily amount.¹¹

It plays an important role in heart function, skeletal health, digestion, and muscular function, and is essential for the proper function of all cells, tissues, and organs in your body.¹²

Further, consuming enough potassium-rich food is important because this nutrient helps offset the hypertensive effects of sodium. Imbalance in your sodium-potassium ratio can not only lead to hypertension (high blood pressure) but may also contribute to a number of other diseases, including heart disease and stroke.

About 2.5 avocados provide the daily-recommended amount of about 4,700 milligrams (mg) of potassium a day. Not to mention, an average avocado contains about 40 mg of magnesium, which is about 10 percent of the recommended daily value.

Magnesium is a mineral used by every organ in your body, especially your heart, muscles, and kidneys. By some estimates, up to 80 percent of Americans are not getting enough magnesium and may be deficient. If you suffer from unexplained fatigue or weakness, abnormal heart rhythms, or even muscle spasms and eye twitches, low levels of magnesium could be to blame.

Better still, avocados are one of few foods that contain significant levels of both vitamins C and E.¹³ One study also found that a combination of vitamin C and E helped to slow plaque build-up, which could help prevent a heart attack or stroke.¹⁴

Avocados are even high in fiber, with about 4.6 grams in half an avocado. Fiber plays an essential role in your digestive, heart, and skin health, and may improve blood sugar control, weight management, and more, so when you eat avocados you’re really providing your body with a comprehensive package of nutrition.

Avocado Super Smoothie Recipe – Delicious!

You’ve surely tried guacamole and probably avocado on salads and sandwiches… but there are many more ways to enjoy avocados. One of my favorite ways is to blend one-third of an avocado into 12 ounces of water with my Vegan or Pure Power Protein and shredded coconut, along with my organic greens mix and my organic psyllium. You can also try avocado:

• As a fat replacement in baking. Simply replace the fat called for (such as oil, butter, or shortening) with an equal amount of avocado
• As the first food for babies, in lieu of processed baby food
• In soups. For example, see Lucy Lock’s Chilled Mediterranean Soup or her Raw Creamy Carrot Soup
• Added to smoothies or your protein shake
• Baked with a soft-boiled egg in the middle for breakfast

You might also want to try this avocado super smoothie recipe, which is adapted from one posted at the Little Epicurean.¹⁵ Try it for breakfast or as a light lunch or snack that will stick to your ribs and give you lasting energy.

Avocado Super Smoothie

Ingredients:

• 1 whole avocado
• 1 cup of torn kale leaves, no stem
• 1/2 cup organic blueberries
• 1/2 cup fresh pineapple
• 1 cup of organic baby spinach
• 1/2 sliced cucumber
• 1 cup unsweetened coconut water

Method:

Pour coconut water into a blender. Add the avocado, kale, blueberries, pineapple, spinach, and cucumber. Cover with lid and blend until smooth. Pour into two glasses and serve immediately.

Source: https://articles.mercola.com/

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