Avocado - Help You Lose Weight The Healthy Way

First a few "facts":

Can it take us to Mars?........no
Can it save the whales?........no
Can it fly?............................no
Can it create world peace?...........maybe?
But should we still eat it?.........YES......READ ON!!

So whats so special about this weird looking oily fruit? and Why is it so healthy?

I'll tell you why....

The avocado aka Persea americana Mill, may look like a weird looking pear and taste like vegetable butter, but it is loaded with several important micronutrients, allowing it to be highly beneficial to human health.

These includes: Vitamin E, Carotenoids, Vitamin C, phenols, sterols and more importantly.......FAT, yes...FAT, but not just any fat, monounsaturated fat.

How are these beneficial? These will be explained in the sections below.

As said above, avocado are rich in a variety of vitamins, minerals and healthy oils. The average sum of water and oil content is around 90%, where the oil portion is around 15%. This means that most of the calories that you get from eating an avocado are from fats, more on that later.
Due to this, avocados are relatively high in calories, at around 200 calories per 100g.

DON'T LET THIS FOOL YOU, KEEP ON READING!

From that number you might think that avocados may cause weight gain, WRONG.
Research have shown that adding avocados into the diet have been shown to assist weight loss, due to its ability of speed up the basal metabolic rate. Another reason is the types of fat, more on that later...

The best part about the avocado is its oil content. Up to 90% of the oil content is made up of unsaturated fat, the good stuff. Primarily (~70%) is made up of Oleic acid, a monounsaturated fatty acid which also makes up a large portion of olive oil.

How are these fats good?

High intakes of these unsaturated fatty acids have been associated with:

- Decreased LDL (the bad sort of cholesterol)

- Decreased risk in cardiovascular heart disease

- Decreased risk of type II diabetes

The two most important vitamins to talk about here are Vitamins C and E. Although Vitamin C can be found in many other fruit, the same cannot be said for Vitamin E. Apart from their common uses of being a vital part of the human diet, both of these are also known to be effective antioxidants.

So what are antioxidants?

Antioxidants are chemicals which are able to scavenge and inhibit the actions of excess free radicals.

But what are free radicals?

These are groups of chemicals what are produced as by-products within our bodies that are have many good uses. However, as we produce much more than we actually require, they are also able to deal significant damage to cells, which can lead to Parkinson's disease, cancer, cardiovascular disease, arthritis and the list goes on. Fortunately, our bodies have their own set of defence mechanisms which can fight against these, however a little extra help is always welcomed.

One theory have linked free radicals to be the underlying cause of aging.

Anyway, back to antioxidants. Essentially these are able to help fight off the excess free radicals, to decrease the risk of many diseases, as well as to slow down aging.

It's one of those fruits which when you look at it, you think ..."ewwwww, looks like a rotten pear."
But really you have no idea what you're missing out on.
The oil content, vitamin content and mineral content makes it a health freak's dream.

The calories in avocados may not only help you lose weight, but may also provide you with a healthier lifestyle.

French Guacamole

2 ripe avocados ½ Tbsp fresh lemon juice 2 Tbsp finely chopped shallot 1 ½ Tbsp dry vermouth 1 Tbsp chopped, fresh tarragon or 1/2 tablespoon dried ½ tsp salt

Coarsely mash (DO NOT PUREE) avocados Stir in lemon juice Fold in remaining ingredients Guacamole is best made as close to serving as possible. For short-term storage, seal in an airtight container with a piece of plastic wrap against the surface of the guacamole.

Avocado on Toast

Instead of butter, next time just spread avocado on to toasted or even un-toasted bread instead. You'll love the creaminess.

Avocado and Pineapple Salad

Chop avocados into bit sized pieces and mix together with canned or fresh pineapples pieces.

One of my absolute FAVOURITE fruit salads

Avocado Icecream

350ml milk, 230ml coconut cream, 120g white sugar, 450g avocados - peeled and pitted, 10ml lemon juice.
Method

Add all ingrediants and blend until smooth. Freeze in an ice cream machine according to the manufacturer's directions. Allow ice cream to soften in refridgerator for 10 minutes before serving. Without an icecream machine, just pour the puree into a dish and place in the freezer for 2 to 3 hours, then mash it into a slush; repeat the freezing and mashing about 3 to 4 times so that the icecream will be smooth.

Pasta with Avocado & Bacon

1 onion, chopped 1 tsp olive oil 100g thick bacon cut into 2cm strips 2 x 400g cans Italian tomatoes, chopped (with juice) 1 small, dried hot red pepper, chopped finely Salt to taste 400g penne (or other short pasta) ¼ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese 2 avocados, diced, Juice from 1 lemon
Method

Sauté onion in oil until golden, (about 10 minutes). Stir in bacon; sauté until cooked but not browned, about 10 minutes. Stir in tomato and juice, hot pepper and dash of salt. Simmer, uncovered, until liquid reduces, about 25 minutes. Mix in the cheese, reserve a small amount to garnish. Add 1 diced avocado to the sauce & gently heat through. Gently squeeze the lemon juice over the remaining avocado. Cook pasta in salted, boiling water until just tender, about 8 minutes; drain well. Stir pasta into the sauce. Remove from heat and mound on a serving plate. Garnish with remaining diced avocado and a thin sprinkle of finely grated parmesan cheese. Serve with a fresh green salad.

Peach and Avocado Salad

1 fresh peach, diced
1 avocado, diced
3 tablespoons diced red onion
1/4 cup chopped fresh coriander leaves
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil or avocado oil

In a medium bowl, combine the peach, avocado, red onion, and coriander leaves.

In a small bowl, whisk together the lime juice, red pepper, and olive oil; pour over and toss with salsa mixture

serve chilled

Avocado and Prawn Salad

Dash of Tabasco Sauce
2 Avocados, chopped into large pieces
1 Spring Onion, finely chopped
Juice of 2 Lemons
250 g Prawn Meat, cooked
¼ c Low fat mayonnaise
Salt
Pepper

Combine the prawn meat with the mayonnaise, lemon juice, Tabasco, chopped avocado and spring onion.

Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve in a bowl or platter lined with lettuce leaves, or inside the avocado skin.