Health Tip #9 – Eat Avocado

Some diets will caution against eating avocados because they are high in fat. But what these diets don’t understand is that eating fat does not necessarily lead to fat. In fact, if you eat the right kind of fat, it actually helps you lose weight!

Avocados are packed with exactly the kind of fat you need to lose weight: unsaturated fat. Understanding the difference between good and bad fat is key to weight loss. Think of unsaturated fats as the unprocessed, raw fats. Because it’s unsaturated, your body works harder to digest it.

This is also the fat that your body needs in order to absorb nutrients more effectively. Many of the nutrients you need are “fat soluble” which means they can only be broken down and absorbed if they are coated in unsaturated fats.

This is exactly why more and more studies are showing that taking vitamin supplements is not as effective as just eating healthy foods that naturally contain those vitamins. You body can’t break down a tablet full of vitamins unless those vitamins are diluted with either unsaturated fat or water (depending on which kind of vitamin we are talking about).

A single avocado contains 20 grams of unsaturated fat. This high content of good fats will not only help you absorb nutrients better, it will help you feel full and satisfied longer. Both of these facts will lead to weight loss.

So whenever you find yourself with a serious craving for fatty foods, reach for an avocado (or another food with unsaturated fats). At the same time, avoid the other kinds of fat: saturated fats and Trans fats.

Trans fats are your biggest enemy if you’re trying to lose weight and should be completely cut out of your diet. Saturated fats are safe as long as you keep them to a minimum.