Avocado Doesn't Just Taste Great — It Can Also Help You Get in Shape

Whether it's spread on a piece of toast, cut up and put into a salad or sandwich, or mashed into guacamole, avocado is both versatile and delicious. And not only does it taste great, it also has many health benefits — which is a nice perk, given that its creamy texture is downright decadent. Avocados are a staple of the low-carb, high-fat keto diet because they're rich in nutrients like potassium, calcium, magnesium, and B vitamins and are also an excellent source of the healthy fats that the keto lifestyle prioritizes. Even if you're not on the keto diet, avocado is still worth adding to your kitchen.

This green, pitted fruit (yes, avocados are technically considered berries!) which is native to Mexico and Central America but is also grown around the US, can enhance many different meals. Because of its richness, it doesn't have the bland taste you might associate with typical healthy foods. Read on to learn more about how avocado can help you achieve your weight loss goals. Avocado may be trendy (avocado toast in particular is a favorite of millennials on social media), but its health benefits are scientifically proven. Here are some of the many ways avocado can potentially help you lose weight.

Avocado can curb your appetite.

Avocado’s unique blend of fiber, good fat, and antioxidants is a powerful trigger for "stop-eating" hormones. Replacing one serving of your usual refined carbs with the creamy fruit slashes hunger by a whopping 40 percent, according to a Nutrition Journal study.

Avocado can boost your fat-burning abilities.

Compounds in avocado help us absorb up to 15 times more fat-burning nutrients from other fruit and vegetables, speeding weight loss, says Michael Greger, MD, a doctor who specializes in clinical nutrition.

Avocado can help decrease belly fat.

There’s fascinating research from Canada on a fat molecule unique to avocados called avocatin-B. Avocatin-B blocks cellular processes linked to both diabetes and stubborn belly fat. The discovery helps explain why a University of Illinois team found that daily avocado seems to “reprogram” a woman’s body to help get rid of belly fat.

A Satisfying Smoothie To Try

Ingredients (Serves 1):

• ? cup walnuts

• Flesh of ? avocado

• 1 scoop vanilla protein powder

• 1 tablespoon keto pancake syrup, or to taste

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• ? teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions:

1. Soak nuts in water until softened, around 2 hours, then drain (or swap in 2 tablespoons nut butter).

2. In blender, blitz all ingredients plus 1 cup water, 3 ice cubes and a pinch of salt. Blitz well.

This article originally appeared in our print magazine, Woman's World.