If you are tired of the monotony of diets, you know everything about losing weight on Russian products. Then this article is for you. Today we will add something exotic to your daily routine with avocado and its beneficial properties.
The birthplace of this fruit is unforgettable Mexico, these are the fruits of Persea americana - evergreen fruit plants from the laurel family. Externally, the exotic fruit resembles a pear, and in the center of the pulp there is a large seed.
Most often, women pay attention to it, since its inclusion in the diet allows you to get rid of excess weight. This is due to the fact that the pulp of the fruit is rich in antioxidants, vitamins and other valuable substances.
In the summer, losing weight is a pleasure: the sea, the sun and most importantly - fruits, one of which is avocado, the benefit of which lies in its properties that promote weight loss and cleanse the body.
Don’t be surprised, the avocado diet is rapidly gaining momentum and surprises everyone with its results, and reviews of the avocado diet are full of gratitude.
Useful properties of avocado
The pulp of the ripe fruit feels and tastes like butter. In the middle of the avocado there is a seed, which, like the leaves, is harmful to humans and even animals. They contain substances that can disrupt the digestive system and provoke an allergic reaction.
The benefit of avocado for weight loss is that its pulp contains a lot of vitamins and minerals, trace elements, antioxidants, fiber, mineral salts, a lot of folic acid, magnesium and potassium, which have a beneficial effect on fat metabolism, the cardiovascular system, and hematopoietic processes.
This pulp is used in the preparation of cold dishes: sandwiches, avocado salads for weight loss, after sprinkling the fruit with lime juice to maintain appearance and taste.
Avocado is popular in vegetarian cuisine and is used as a topping for vegetarian sushi. Sometimes used as an alternative to meat and eggs. Let us consider in more detail the composition of the fruits of an exotic plant.
Avocado Extract May Help Relieve Arthritis Symptoms
Arthritis is a common problem in developed countries. There are many types of this disease, which are often chronic problems that people have to deal with for the rest of their lives.
Numerous studies show that avocado and soybean oil extracts (the unsaponifiable compounds of soy and avocado) may improve the symptoms of osteoarthritis (,).
Whether avocado has this effect separately from soybean oil remains to be determined.
Conclusion:
Research has shown that avocado and soybean oil extracts can significantly reduce the symptoms of osteoarthritis.
Composition and valuable properties
The fruit contains many useful vitamins and microelements.
| Chemical composition | Valuable properties |
| Vitamins A, C, E, F |
|
| B vitamins | |
| Zinc, fiber | |
| Selenium | |
| Squalene | |
| Potassium, potassium, copper, phosphorus, iodine | |
| Fats | |
| Phytohormones | |
| Squirrels, Omega 9 acids | |
| L-carnitine | |
| Carnitine | |
| Folic acid | |
| Glutathione |
It’s safe to say that the pulp of the fruits of this exotic plant is necessary to maintain not only your figure, but also your health and beauty in excellent condition.
Avocado may help prevent cancer
There is limited evidence that avocados may be beneficial in treating and preventing cancer.
Test-tube studies suggest it may help reduce the side effects of chemotherapy ().
In test-tube studies, avocado extract was also found to inhibit the growth of prostate cancer cells ().
However, keep in mind that these studies were conducted on isolated cells and do not necessarily prove that the extract will have the same effect when put into the human body. No human studies have yet been conducted.
Conclusion:
Some test-tube studies have shown that the nutrients in avocados may have an anti-cancer effect against prostate cancer. It has also been shown that this fruit can reduce the side effects of chemotherapy. However, there is a lack of human studies.
The benefits of avocado for weight loss
Avocado occupies an important place among fat-burning foods, although it is a product high in healthy fats.
How is such a paradox possible? The fact is that avocados contain the natural amino acid L-carnitine. It also promotes fat burning and increases metabolism in the body.
In addition, it increases energy production in muscle cells and improves blood circulation. L-carnitine also helps lower triglyceride levels and increases good cholesterol, which helps protect the heart.
Increased life expectancy
Do you dream of active longevity? Avocado can become your companion and assistant. The fruit improves the absorption of vitamins and antioxidants from other healthy foods, as it is a source of healthy fats. It accelerates metabolism in cells and promotes skin rejuvenation. Avocado fruits are included in numerous lists of products for youthful and beautiful skin.
In addition, the product helps maintain the speed of metabolic processes and has a general rejuvenating effect. Therefore, it is recommended to include at least half an avocado per day in your diet.
The rejuvenating effect of avocados can be enhanced by adding the fruit to salads with rich sources of antioxidants and carotenoids - spinach, carrots, red bell peppers. This will help enhance the beneficial effects of vegetables and get more rejuvenating and healing effects.
Avocado allows you to keep your heart healthy and your blood vessels “clean” of cholesterol plaques; the fruit helps improve metabolic processes in myocardial tissue, and allows you to get rid of the risk of hypertension and ischemia. The omega-three fatty acids it contains are considered the very first remedy for everyone.
Avocado diets
There are three types of diets you can use to lose weight:
- It is based on one product (mono-diet) - eating avocados and water throughout the day.
- Drawing up a proper nutrition menu, observing calorie standards.
- Cleansing the body lasting one day.
Weight loss will only occur if there is a calorie deficit in your daily diet.
Warning: Avocado seeds are poisonous and should not be eaten.
How to include avocado in your diet?
There are countless dishes you can add this superfood to. Avocado can be used to make guacamole sauce. A good combination is two types of toast: with avocado and poached egg, with avocado and lightly salted fish. This product can be baked in the oven with an egg or added to various salads.
So, avocado is a very nutritious and beneficial fruit for the human body, the consumption of which prevents the development of many dangerous diseases and helps in the process of weight loss and regulation.
Avocado diet
The main dish of the diet is avocado. To lose weight, it is recommended to use the recipes given below. Such a menu will not only allow you to lose a few extra pounds, but also improve your well-being. Following the avocado diet makes it possible to lose up to 1.-1.5 kilograms in 3 days, depending on the initial weight.
A gentle and varied menu will allow you to achieve similar results in a week. This diet is easier to follow, since nutritionists allow the inclusion of fermented milk products, as well as dietary meats, in the menu.
Let's look at what the diet might look like in the table:
| Eating | Diet |
| Breakfast | 1) ½ avocado, 2) low-fat cottage cheese, 3) tea, coffee. |
| Dinner | 1) avocado soup, 2) buckwheat porridge with veal. |
| Snack | 1) low-fat yogurt, 2) sandwich with avocado, sour cream, 3) fruits: apple, pear or orange. |
| Dinner | 1) salad with tuna or chicken breast, 2) kefir. |
Fat burning diet
The diet presented in table. 3 is distinguished by strict rules: the number of avocados is no more than 4-5 per day, cottage cheese up to 5% fat, no more than 300 grams of meat.
| Eating | Diet |
| Breakfast | 1) ½ avocado, 2) low-fat cottage cheese or porridge. |
| Dinner | light salad: avocado, cucumber, tomatoes, herbs, egg. |
| Dinner | 1) boiled meat (beef or veal, 2) vegetables. |
The given diet is usually called a fat-burning diet, which is used to quickly cleanse the body.
For three days
This option is somewhat simpler due to the inclusion of snacks in the diet.
| Eating | Diet |
| Breakfast | 1) ½ avocado, 2) low-fat cottage cheese, 3) tea, 4) muesli. |
| Snack | light salad: avocado, shrimp, arugula, lemon juice, olive oil. |
| Dinner | 1) avocado soup, 2) buckwheat porridge with veal or turkey, 3) juice. |
| Snack | avocado cocktail with berries |
| Dinner | 1) salad with tuna or chicken breast with avocado, 2) low-fat yogurt, 3) fruits: apple, pear or orange. |
We eat separately
Suitable for separate power followers. Avocados should not be eaten with sweet fruits or nuts. In combination with tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, celery and peppers, avocado will bring more benefits.
| Eating | Diet |
| Breakfast | 1) smoothie from ½ avocado, banana, 2) low-fat cottage cheese, 3) a sandwich made from lightly toasted rye bread, sour cream, and avocado. |
| Dinner | 1) salad: carrots, corn, peppers, olive oil. 2) light fish or chicken fillet with half an avocado. |
| Dinner | pumpkin, lettuce, celery, ½ avocado. |
The fats in avocados may help absorb nutrients from plant foods.
When it comes to nutrients, your intake level isn't the only thing that matters. You must also be able to absorb these nutrients.
Some nutrients are fat soluble, meaning they must be combined with fats to be used.
Vitamins A, D, E and K are fat soluble along with antioxidants such as carotenoids.
One study found that adding avocado fruit or oil to a salad could increase antioxidant absorption by 2.6 to 15 times ().
So not only is it highly nutritious, it can also greatly enhance the nutritional value of other plant foods you eat.
This is a great reason to always include a healthy source of fat when eating vegetables. Without this, many beneficial nutrients simply will not be absorbed.
Conclusion:
Research has shown that consuming avocado fruit or oil with vegetables can significantly increase the amount of antioxidants absorbed.
Rules of use
Everything is good in moderation. Avocado is a high-calorie product - 210 kcal per 100 grams. Overeating tropical fruit causes unpleasant consequences: heaviness in the stomach, discomfort. Nutritionists recommend consuming no more than 1-2 pieces in one day.
In terms of the amount of protein in its composition, avocado occupies a leading position among fruits. Saturates the body with useful components, gives a feeling of satiety.
Can you eat avocado in the evening or before bed?
Avocados are high in calories, so the question may arise: “Is it really possible to lose weight on it?” The chemical composition of the fruit is valuable and varied: beneficial substances help burn fat in the body and remove waste products.
Nutritionists also advise noting your last meal with an exotic fruit. This trick will start the process of fat breakdown during sleep.
Support normal weight
From the experience of many people, it is clear that those who consume more vegetables and fruits are thinner and slimmer. Avocado also contributes to this. Why should this fruit be included in your diet when losing weight? And there are reasons:
- The fats contained in this fruit burn faster than other types of fats;
- Avocado also speeds up calorie consumption after eating;
- helps accelerate the burning of other fats;
- reduces appetite, thereby eliminating the desire to snack between main meals.
Of course, it is worth remembering that different people have individual metabolism and the substances in avocados manifest themselves differently, however, the overall positive effect remains.
Avocado recipes
Some people don't like the taste of "alligator pear". But this is because they do not know how to cook it properly.
We offer you simple, tasty and healthy avocado-based recipes.
Avocado and orange salad
- Remove the fruit from the pit and remove the skin;
- Grind;
- Sprinkle with juice of ½ lemon;
- Peel the orange, cut it;
- In a separate dish, mix the juice of the remaining half of the lemon with salt and pepper (to taste). Add 2-3 grams of honey and 20 ml. olive oils;
- Finely chop the onion and add it to the composition obtained in the previous paragraph. Add chopped mint;
- Take a flat plate, place a lettuce leaf on it, and avocado and orange on top;
- Season with sauce.
Avocado and chicken salad
- Grind half a kilo of chicken breast;
- Remove the fruit from the pit and remove the skin;
- Grind;
- Sprinkle with juice of ½ lemon;
- Wash the lettuce leaves, dry them, leave them in the cold for a couple of minutes;
- Take a flat plate, put it on the salad, and on top of the avocado and chicken;
- Refill with 20 ml. vegetable oil.
Avocado and tuna salad
- Grind half a cucumber, avocado, tomatoes (you can take cherry or regular ones);
- Place spinach (2 tablespoons) and the mixture from the first point in a deep plate. Sprinkle with lemon juice and oil. Mix thoroughly;
- Cut the tuna into pieces. Add to salad.
Baked avocado
- Remove the fruit from the pit;
- Cut off the bottom skin of the halves for stability;
- Break two quail eggs into each half;
- Place the avocado halves with the egg in a preheated oven (200 degrees) for 15 minutes;
- You can sprinkle cheese on top.
Guacamole
- Remove the fruit from the pit;
- Sprinkle with the juice of one lime;
- Grind in a blender, add oil, salt, spices to taste;
- Beat a second time.
Soup
- Cook vegetable broth: one carrot, one celery, one onion;
- Fry onion (1 piece), garlic (2-3 cloves).
- Remove the avocado from the pit and remove the skin. Grind;
- Add the fruit to the onion and garlic.
- Fill the mixture with vegetable broth. Whisk. Salt and pepper to taste;
- Scald two tomatoes with boiling water and remove the skin. Grind;
- Finely chop parsley, dill, cilantro;
- Take a plate: pour the soup, then lay out the tomatoes, sprinkle with herbs, add croutons. The soup is served cold.
Avocado and chicken soup
- Cook chicken broth;
- Then add chopped potatoes. Cook for 15-20 minutes;
- Remove the pit from the avocado, then the pulp. Sprinkle it with lemon juice and add to the soup;
- Next, you need to bring the soup until smooth using a blender, add salt and spices to taste;
- Sprinkle with herbs.
Sandwich with sour cream and cheese
- Grind avocado pulp and cheese;
- Stir;
- Add two crushed cloves of garlic;
- Sprinkle with lemon juice;
- Spread the mixture over lightly toasted rye bread.
Hot sandwich
- Grease rye bread with butter;
- Beat the avocado pulp in a blender. Place on bread;
- Distribute tomatoes on top;
- Sprinkle with grated cheese;
- Bake in the oven.
Fat burning cocktail
- Remove the fruit from the pit and remove the skin. Grind;
- Add 2 tablespoons of low-fat frozen yogurt and milk (220 ml);
- To the resulting composition add 5 grams of cane sugar, juice of ½ lime;
- Beat with a mixer or blender;
- You can add a few ice cubes, crushed grapes, mint.
Avocado-based fitness cocktail
- Remove the fruit from the pit and remove the skin. Grind;
- Add 3 tablespoons of milk, 10 grams of cocoa powder, ½ teaspoon of cinnamon, 2 teaspoons of honey;
- Beat with a mixer;
Avocado salad
Avocado salad is ideal for losing belly fat.
You will need: 2 large tomatoes, 1 avocado, 100 grams of cheese or feta, 1/2 red onion, 1-2 tbsp. spoons of lemon juice, olive or vegetable oil, black pepper to taste, salt, cilantro.
Preparation:
- Cut the tomatoes and avocado into approximately equal cubes, do not forget to immediately pour lemon juice over the avocado so that it does not darken.
- Chop the onion and cheese (feta) as desired.
- Mix everything carefully and season with oil, pepper, salt, to taste.
- It is recommended to eat immediately, as this salad does not last long.
Avocado: what to do with the pit
Avocado seed powder added to smoothies
Photo: freepik.com
Avocado seed powder is added to smoothies, shakes, muesli, salads and yogurt as it is believed to be rich in antioxidants. In addition, avocado seeds are used to prepare homemade cosmetics: scrubs, face masks, hair rinses and drying agents against skin inflammation.
First, the avocado seed needs to be dried in the oven for several hours to remove moisture; then remove the outer shell. After this, you need to grind the inside using a grater or blender.
But be careful: it is believed that the seed contains a fungicidal toxin that can cause allergies and eating disorders.
Let us remind you that we previously shared recipes for avocado and tomato salads. Today.Lifestyle also wrote how to make chocolate mousse with avocado according to Gordon Ramsay's recipe.
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Reviews
Reviews from those losing weight are mostly positive:
- People note the specific taste and smell of “alligator pear”, which takes some getting used to;
- Women noted that rapid weight loss should not be expected, but the exotic fruit allows you to follow a diet and not feel a constant feeling of hunger;
- People who are losing weight characterize avocado as a product with an abundance of beneficial properties aimed at improving health and well-being.
Possible harm
Contraindications to consuming exotic fruit:
- Allergy;
- Problems related to the gastrointestinal tract;
- Obesity;
- Overeating causes unpleasant consequences: heaviness in the stomach, discomfort, nausea, diarrhea;
- Pregnancy, lactation period;
- Children under 6 years old.
Who should abstain?
For all its beneficial properties, avocados also have clear contraindications. In these cases, it is better not to use it so as not to harm yourself.
So these are the restrictions
- a person is prone to allergies, are allergic to latex or citrus fruits;
- has acute liver disease;
- have intestinal problems and irritable bowel syndrome;
- tendency to diarrhea.
At the same time, pregnant women and even nursing mothers can eat this fruit occasionally, in moderate doses (no more than half the fruit at a time).
And yet, avocado is a fruit.
For many, a fruit must be sweet and juicy. Avocados, both in taste and chemical composition, are more like vegetables. It is also confusing that in some supermarkets it is found next to cucumbers, and in others - with apples.
In fact, there are fruits that even scientists are confused about. For example, tomatoes, eggplants and cucumbers. But this does not apply to avocados. The answer to the question, is it a fruit or a vegetable, is clear.
Avocado is a fruit. It grows on an evergreen fruit tree with the wonderful name Perseus (from the name of the ancient Greek mythological hero). The fruit contains a seed, with the help of which the tree reproduces. Everything is like other fruits.
Hero of prints and fiery songs
Many people know avocados from the cheerful images on T-shirts and the song that sounded a couple of years ago on every corner: “Avo-avocado, avo-avocado, it’s just between you and me...”
But what exactly is the mystery fruit?
- View. It resembles a large pear with a huge pit inside. Avocado peel is dense, green, and often lumpy. A sort of mixture of pear and crocodile. The fruit is called “alligator pear.” If you cut it, you will find pulp with an oily consistency and a delicate yellow-green color.
- Taste. Avocado cannot be confused with anything else. It contains a lot of fat. Its taste can be compared to sweetish butter mixed with pureed greens. In some varieties you can clearly hear notes of nuts, pears, mushrooms, sausages, yogurt, and processed cheese. And if the fruit is unripe, then its flesh is bitter.
- Smell. The aroma of fresh avocado is subtle, unsweetened, exotic, buttery and nutty.
Few people know that these fruits are very ancient. They were cultivated by the Aztecs and were called huacatl, which means “forest oil.”
Chemical composition
The benefits of avocado for the body are due to its chemical composition. A person often eats certain foods without thinking about what needs he satisfies during their consumption. So, in order to understand how this tropical fruit affects a person, you should find out what vitamins are contained in avocados and what vital elements the product is filled with. The table below will help you figure this out.
| Name of vitamin or element | Content per 100 grams of product | Percentage of daily value (averages shown) |
| Vitamin C | 10 mg | 11,0 % |
| Vitamin B1 | 0.06 mg | 4,5 % |
| Vitamin B2 | 0.13 mg | 7,2 % |
| Vitamin B4 | 14.2 mg | 2,8 % |
| Vitamin B5 | 1.38 mg | 27,8 % |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.25 mg | 12,9 % |
| Folic acid | 0.08 mg | 20,3 % |
| Vitamin K | 0.02 mg | 17,5 % |
| Vitamin PP | 1.73 mg | 8,7 % |
| Vitamin A | 7 mcg | 0,8 % |
| Potassium | 485 mg | 19,4 % |
| Calcium | 12 mg | 1,2 % |
| Magnesium | 29 mg | 7,3 % |
| Sodium | 7 mg | 0,5 % |
| Phosphorus | 52 mg | 6,5 % |
| Iron | 0.55 mg | 3,1 % |
| Manganese | 0.14 mg | 7,1 % |
| Copper | 0.19 mcg | 19,0 % |
| Selenium | 0.4 mcg | 0,7 % |
| Fluorine | 7 mcg | 0,2 % |
| Zinc | 0.64 mg | 5,3 % |
This composition of vitamins and microelements of avocado allows you to fill the body with benefits. Based on the data provided, you can now understand how much you can consume of one or another substance along with this tasty and original fruit.
Eating Avocados Can Help You Lose Weight
There is some evidence that avocados may help with weight loss.
In one study, people who consumed avocados with meals felt 23% more full and had 28% less desire to eat over the next 5 hours compared to people who did not consume the fruit ().
Including this fruit in your diet can help you naturally consume fewer calories and make it easier to stick to a healthy diet.
Avocados are also high in fiber and very low in carbohydrates, two things that should also contribute to weight loss, at least in the context of a healthy diet based on whole, natural foods.
Conclusion:
Avocados can help you lose weight by keeping you fuller longer and causing you to consume fewer calories. This fruit is also high in fiber and low in carbohydrates, which may help promote weight loss.
Rules for choosing ripe fruit
Only ripe fruit has a pleasant, delicate taste. Unripe fruits contain fewer valuable substances. To choose the right ripe avocado, it is carefully inspected. Attention is drawn to three features.
- Softness. Lightly press on the peel. A ripe fruit will have a small dent from your finger and will immediately disappear. An unripe avocado is hard and dense. The overripe one will have a dent.
- The sound of a bone. If you shake an avocado, you will hear the characteristic sound of the pit. This means the fruit is ripe.
- Integrity. The peel of the fruit should be without damage, stains, and uniform in color.
If the avocado turns out to be unripe, it is kept warm for two to four days. To ripen quickly, the fruit is wrapped in paper and several bananas are placed nearby.
Calorie content per 100 g
The nutritional properties of avocados are unique. 100 g of product contains 231 kcal or 968 kJ. In addition, they contain:
- water-64g;
- carbohydrates-1.8g;
- protein-4.4g;
- fat-23g:
- of which saturated - 2.13 g;
- polyunsaturated fatty acids - 1.8 mg;
- monounsaturated fatty acids - 10 mg;
- fiber-3.3;
- sugar - 1.8 g.
Cholesterol-0
Glycemic index low-10
Avocados are a rich source of heart-healthy monounsaturated fats and fiber. High fat content promotes satiety, helps regulate blood sugar, promotes hormone regulation and the absorption of essential fat-soluble vitamins.
