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Can You Eat Avocados When Dieting?

Hi Lauren,

I think avocados are a marvelous food and should be included as part of a healthy diet for weight loss.

Although it's true that avocados are high in fat content (half a medium avocado has about1 25 calories and 15 grams of fat) and therefore may slightly impact your weight, but most of the fats found in avocado are actually good for you. In moderation, avocados may help weight reduction.

Will Avocados Make You Fat?

1. Avocados are a rich source of L-carnitine, a naturally occurring amino acid in the human body that plays an important role in the metabolism of fat. Foods that have L-carnitine in them can help speed up your fat metabolism and boost fat loss naturally.

Furthermore, L- carnitine has been shown to improve energy production in muscle cells and increases blood flow to the brain. It also helps to lower triglycerides and raise HDL "good" cholesterol, which remove excess cholesterol from the blood and blood vessel walls. High levels of LDL "bad" cholesterol and triglycerides put you at greater risk for heart disease.

2. Many dieters avoid avocados because they think avocados are fattening and eating them while trying to lose weight is a big mistake. However, the fats found in avocados are predominately monounsaturated fats – the "good" fats – that will help increase your basal metabolic rate.

It may sound counterproductive to losing weight but eating small amounts of fat actually does help you control your weight. If you replace some of the calories from refined carbs such as white pasta, or white rice with calories from an avocado, you're more likely to experience an overall reduction in appetite. Why? Eating excessive carbohydrates increases the release of insulin secretion into the bloodstream, which in turn can stimulate your appetite.

On the contrary, fat slows down the emptying of the stomach so you feel fuller for longer, and does not encourage high insulin levels, thereby preventing overeating or the urge to snack.

3. In addition to containing good fats, avocados are also high in potassium. The electrolyte potassium is particularly helpful in reducing weight gain caused by fluid retention in your body. How do you know if the weight gain is due to water retention? Watch out for these classic water retention symptoms – a bloated tummy, swollen legs, feet or ankles, and waking up in the morning with a puffy face.

Potassium also encourages weight loss by helping you build muscles, and convert the food you eat into energy.

Interestingly, avocados contain more potassium than bananas. One average size California avocado has about 880 mg of potassium whereas the banana contains around 450 mg of potassium.

4. Avocados are also an excellent source of B-Vitamins, which lower cortisol levels in the body and reduce stress. Numerous studies have shown that people with high stress levels tend to overeat and gain unwanted weight.

5. Consuming foods high in fiber will help weight loss because these foods are more difficult to digest, and your body needs to work harder (and burn more calories) to break them down.

Additionally, fiber-rich foods can prevent you from feeling hungry for a long period of time.

Avocado contains nearly 10 g of fiber (25% soluble fiber and 75% insoluble fiber). Insoluble fiber contributes to weight loss by absorbing water into your intestines during digestion and increase transit time of food.

Healthy Ways to Eat Avocados

Avocados are good for health when you consume them raw or cook them without adding a lot of butter, margarine, sauce or cheese. That means no deep fried avocado wedges, and control your avocado intake to avoid calorie overload.

There are so many healthy ways to eat an avocado. You can spread it on your sandwich instead of fat-laden mayonnaise, or enjoy avocado on toast or crispbread for a satisfying yet healthy snack. For a quick and easy lunch, try pureed avocado chunks with shredded chicken or turkey breast, a little lemon juice and chopped fresh parsley. Craving for something sweet? Blend frozen avocados and bananas with a bit of honey or agave nectar, and serve with a sprinkle of cinnamon.

By Diane Hanson

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