I love avocados. I eat them nearly every day but I often hear “aren’t they fattening though?” so I wanted to debunk this common view by explaining some of the key benefits and also why on the contrary, they actually help you burn fat!
- Avocados are a top super food, being highly nutritious and containing 20 different vitamins and minerals. They are rich in vitamin K, folate, vitamin C, potassium and vitamin E.
- They are rich in essential fat predominantly mono-unsaturated fat, which is also the key component of olive oil renowned for having heart-health benefit and inflammation reduction.
- Avocados are rich in fibre, indigestible plant matter that can aid weight loss by controlling the surge in blood sugar after eating foods.
- It is important to note the absorption potential of foods rather than the nutrient list alone. This is why I rarely advise taking supplements except in therapeutic situations, preferring real food for optimal nutrition. The essential fat in avocados help you absorb the fat-soluble vitamins within it and also the fibre to help your digestive tract move it through your body and into the intestines where they are absorbed. There’s a reason nature has created these perfectly-packaged items!
- Avocados have a high satiety factor meaning you feel satisfied after eating it. This is due to the low carb and high essential fat content. This is one of the main reasons they can help you lose weight as items like these prevent you from eating too many calories overall.
Here’s a recipe for guacamole if you don’t fancy eating avocado alone as a snack or in salads:
Ingredients
4 mild chillies, finely chopped
Bunch of coriander, chopped
2 tomatoes, finely chopped
Pinch of Himalayan crystal salt
1 onion, finely chopped
1-2 tbsp water
½ lime, juice only
3 ripe avocados
Method
1. In a pestle and mortar, pound the chillies, coriander, tomatoes, salt and onion to a fine paste.
2. Add a little water and lime juice to make a looser mixture. Mash in the avocados. Serve.
