On the day, God created avocados he must have thought, “Let us create a fruit that can powerfully help prevent and combat disease, endless in its uses, and that tastes awesome!” Voila, the avocado was made, and it was good, really good.
I bet you knew that avocados are good for you but I wonder if you had any clue of HOW GOOD they are for you and your family? They are so good, basically the only thing they cannot do is watch your kids for you. Okay, and also, they will not do your dishes either. But everything else, they can do.
One whole large avocado can have 400 calories. Usually the serving size is 1/3 of an avocado, which amounts to about 80 calories. But I am not going to lie to you, sometimes I eat a whole avocado in one sitting and don’t shed one tear. A little Himalayan Salt sprinkled on top, it makes the kind of snack or treat (or meal) that hits the nutritional spot for me like no other food can.
Since they are mostly made of incredibly healthful monounsaturated fats, adding avocado to a dish will keep you feeling satisfied longer: "Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats play a vital role in maintaining optimal health as well. Unsaturated fats reduce inflammation, balance cholesterol levels, lower blood pressure, stabilize heart rhythms, and help stabilize blood sugar, which keeps your body feeling full and satisfied after a meal or snack. Approximately 30–45 percent (some researchers even suggest up to 50 percent) of your daily calories should come from fat" (Living Wellness for Growth Groups, p. 151). That could practically result in eating less of other foods that will not satisfy you as efficiently and are not as nutrient-dense. That can easily result in weight loss!
In Living Wellness for Growth Groups, Ashley explains that certain foods can turn on the metaphorical "red light" of burning fat for fuel thus limiting you from burning fat/loosing weight but other foods, such as avocado's may instead turn on the "green light"
It’s easy to blame weight gain on a slow metabolism as a result of age or genetics, but in reality, the speed or rate that you burn calories has more to do with what you eat and how often you exercise. Your metabolism is a chemistry lab, not a drag race. Unless you have a metabolic disorder, weight gain is a result of consuming more and/or the wrong kind of calories than your body needs—usually because the calories we consume are void of nutritional value, causing you to eat more.
We may feel like our metabolisms keep us looking to sugar for energy to get up and go, but usually the sugar we eat damages the inner workings of our metabolisms. Consuming added sugar turns on the red light for burning fat as fuel. But healthy fats, like avocados, turn on the green light for burning fat as fuel. The foods we eat, how often we eat, how much water we drink, how much muscle we have, how much sleep we get, and how often we exercise affect the flow of our metabolisms (p. 69).
Adding eating an avocado to your daily routine should be accompanied by mindfully cutting out other sources of potent caloric intake to prevent over-consumption of energy (which will lead to weight gain), such as; sweetened beverages (sweet “coffee” drinks as well), chips, candy (-bars), desserts, or grain-based products such as pasta, pizza, or pretzels.
Lesser known facts about avocados include that they are
- high in folate (take note; mom’s to be)
- cancer preventing and fighting,
- heart-health + brain-health promoting,
- loaded with fiber
- very high in antioxidants
- promotes natural beauty of skin, eyes, and hair!
- aids in balancing hormones
Awesome, huh?? I love using avocados in everything. Savory, salad, or sweet. Here my homemade hamburger recipe:
Ingredients:
- 1 lb. pastured ground beef
- 1 large avocado
- 4-5 pastured eggs
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
Mix the ingredients together. Make small patties and fry or bake in medium to low-medium heat until both sides are done in lard, EVO, ghee, avocado oil, or butter (no butter for a Whole 30 approved meal). Will have a tendency to fall apart, smaller patties are key!
Another delicious option is to make your favorite style burger and mash avocado to place on top! Delicious especially when paired with a Mexican-themed burger. Danielle Walker has a mouthwatering Mexican burger in her book Meals Made Simple.
Be encouraged to enjoy every future avocado that you get a chance to eat or put on your skin or hair and thank God for his love for you, revealed, amongst many other ways, in creating the avocado!
Christina Zaczkowski
© 2018 Living Wellness, LLC Revolutionizing health, one community at a time.
Disclaimer: This article is not intended to diagnose or treat any illnesses or disease. Please always check with your doctor before beginning any new nutritional or fitness program or before making any nutritional/fitness changes.