10 health benefits of avocado

Health benefits of avocado

Fruits have so many nutritional values for the body which justifies why doctors always advise their patients to always take one fruit per day. One of such fruits with high nutrients is avocado.

Avocado is the fruit of the avocado tree majorly found in South Central Mexico. It is also known as an alligator pear and classified as a member of the flowering plant family called Lauraceae. Avocados have a green-skinned, fleshy body, which is mostly seen in a pear shape.

Over the years, numerous studies have shown the health benefits of avocado. Below are some of these health benefits.

1. Avocado is loaded with healthy fat

Avocado is one of the fruits that contains the highest amount of fat (which is 77%). The fat in avocado is from Oleic acid which studies have shown is heart friendly (i.e. it does no harm to the heart). This acid has also been linked to helping reduce inflammation and providing a lot of beneficial value on genes linked to cancer.

2. Avocado contains fiber

A large amount of fiber can be found in avocado. Fiber is a part of plant food that is indigestible, it passes through the digestive system, absorbing water along the way and it also helps bowel movements.

Research has also shown that fiber in avocado has helped people to achieve weightloss and also maintain a healthy weight. Fibre in avocado is also useful for the following:

  • It helps to lower risk of contracting many diseases
  • Controls blood sugar level,
  • It helps to prevent a heart attack
  • It also helps to prevent acne and skin rash.

3. It prevents the risk of eyes disease

Avocado contains lutein and zeaxanthin which are good for the eyes. They protect your eyes from dangerous high-energy light waves like ultraviolet rays in sunlight. They also decrease the risk of eyes infection.

4. Avocado contains potassium

Potassium is a component that we cannot ignore its beneficial effects because it plays a key role in helping us to attain good health.

According to Lawrence Appel (MD, MPH), a professor of medicine, epidemiology, and international health at the Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, he mentioned that: “Potassium in the diet lowers blood pressure. High blood pressure is the major risk factor for stroke and heart disease.” Furthermore, potassium reduces the risk of kidney failure and heart attack.

5. It contains vitamin C and vitamin A

Vitamins C and A are essential vitamins​ for the body. “Vitamin C has received a great deal of attention, and with good reason. Higher blood levels of vitamin C may be the ideal nutrition marker for overall health,” “the more we study vitamin C, the better our understanding of how diverse it is in protecting our health, from cardiovascular, cancer, stroke, eye health [and] immunity to living longer”, says study researcher Mark Moyad, MD, MPH, of the University of Michigan.

The above statement has helped explained the benefits of vitamin C.
On the other hand, vitamin A is also as important as vitamin C because it helps to provide good sight, fights against inflammation and helps to prevent cancer amongst other benefits.

6. It is also good for pregnant women

Avocado provides a vitamin called folate, which helps to prevent birth defect as well as heart defects during pregnancy.

7. It reduce symptoms of arthritis

Avocado reduces the symptom of arthritis in the body. Avocado provides food supplements that help to treat and also suppress the symptoms of arthritis, mostly in the knee and hip area.

8. Avocado prevents liver disease

It contains glutathione, this helps to prevent chronic liver disease. Avocado is also rich in vitamin C and E, these two nutrients help to deactivate free radicals. By deactivating free radicals, you protect your liver cells from damage. Avocado provides anti-inflammatory properties which support your liver health.

9. It helps to get rid of bad breath

Studies have shown that the antibacterial and antioxidant properties of flavonoids found in avocado have helped to get rid of bad breath. This is because flavonoids have the ability to kill the bacteria in your mouth.

10. It helps to prevent oral cancer

Studies have also shown that avocado can help prevent oral cancer due to its overall nutritional contents.

With the above-listed health benefits of avocado, do yourself some good and get one today!

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How to reduce calorie intake without starving

Calories in nutrition are likened to consuming energy through eating and drinking. This implies that anything you eat as food or fluid, aside water, contains calories. You should be aware of what you eat, so as to avoid negative health implications such as:

  • Hormonal disorders
  • Weight gain
  • Overall health risk as well as elevated triglycerides,
  • Breathing problems,
  • Diabetes
  • Coronary artery disease, etc.

Calories are essential to human health but the key is taking the right amount of it. If you consume just the number of calories your body needs each day, you will enjoy a good and healthy life. Health authorities have come up with calories requirement for men and women. They are around 2700 and 2000 per day for men and women respectively.

The fact remains that high calorie intake poses some health risk, and people undeniably are making efforts to control it which have resulted into starving for some individuals. Starving on its own is not good for the body system.

Here are some healthy ways you can reduce calorie intake without starving

Eat fewer carbohydrates

This category of nutrient is the main source of added calories in a typical diet. It is a good place to start cutting calories. Cut down carbohydrates filled foods such as yam, garri, bread, pasta and trans fat from your diet. The body stores excess calories from these foods as fats which leads to weight gain and subsequently, weight gain related ailments. Endeavour to replace them with oily fish, nuts, seeds, vegetables, plant based oil and sesame.

Always drink plenty of water

Drinking water before you eat is a trick that will make you feel full, resulting in the consmuption of little food when you eat. Water also increases the amount of calories you burn. It is more impressive to note that cold water intake makes the body use extra calories to warm the water up to body temperature and this can drastically help in calories reduction.

Eat more protein

Eating more protein filled food than carbohydrates is the way to go in calorie reduction. If you replace carbs and fat with protein, you can actually reduce the hormones which boost hunger and cravings for more food and calories. So a maximum boost of satiety hormones, will lead to a major reduction in hunger, which means less intake of calories.

Workout

Exercise is the best bet to help you cut down on calories. If you eat excess calories, you should expend them with exercise. You may feel lazy to do aerobics and other strenuous exercises but simple movements such as cleaning the house, walking around your neighbourhood, and taking the stairs can go a long way in helping you expend energy. The most important thing is to get your heart pumping and breaking a sweat to burn significant amount of calories.

If you like this article, you will also like our weightloss challenge where we encourage you to lose 5kg in 15 days through healthy lifestyle modifications. Join us here.

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The concept of mindful eating for weightloss

Aside quenching hunger, eating plays a great role in your life but
most of you are not aware of this fact because eating is a routine activity.

There are some eating abnormalies you exhibit without plans to curb them. Some of this habit include:

  • Not eating at the right time: for one reason or the other, breakfast becomes brunch, lunch becomed dinner.
  • Finding it difficult to cook your own foods at times, instead you resort to eating fast food, junk or even skipping meals.

All of these habits summed up greatly affect the nutrition in your body. When trying to lose weight, it is pertinent to be mindful of what you eat, how and when you eat.

Mindful eating is learning to pay attention. Instead of eating mindlessly, putting food into your mouth almost unconsciously, not really tasting the food you’re eating … you notice your thoughts, feelings, and sensations.

In mindful eating, you learn to pay attention to:

  • Why you feel like eating, and what emotions or needs might be triggering the eating.
  • What you’re eating, and whether it is healthy or not.
  • The look, smell, taste, feel of the food you’re eating.
  • How it makes you feel as you taste it, as you digest it, and throughout the day.
  • How full (or sated) you are before, during and after eating.
  • Your emotions during and after eating.
  • Where the food came from, who might have grown it, how much it might have suffered before it was killed, whether it was grown organically, how much it was processed, how much it was fried or overcooked, etc.

If you adopt this technique to your weightloss routine, you will lose fat once and for all, and all your subsequent activities will be geared towards remaining fit. Mastering this technique takes practice. However, learning it is worth the time and effort.

At Slim Fit U, we will help you become conscious of your food consumption process as part of your weightloss routine.

We believe in the 80/20 rule, that is, 80% diet and 20% exercise. So when it comes to diet, and eating generally for weightloss, you can trust us to give you the best coaching, encouragement, group support and gentle nudges.

Aside for weightloss, some other benefits of mindful eating include:

  • Learning to eat when you’re hungry, and stop when you’re sated.
  • Really tasting food, and to enjoy the taste of healthy food.
  • You slowly start to realize that unhealthy food isn’t as tasty as you thought, nor does it make you feel very good.
  • As a result of the above three points, you will often lose weight if you’re overweight.
  • You learn how food affects your mood and energy throughout the day.
  • You learn what food best fuels your exercise and work and play.

Stop eating for eating sake. Eating is not supposed to be a mindless routine activity. Instead, eating is a well planned activity that should take extra care because, you are what you eat. And you know what? The saying, garbage in garbage out, is as real as tomorrow being Wednesday.

Our door is always open for questions, your weightloss concerns, and suggestions. If you are interested in joining our weightloss group on WhatsApp register here for a free starter session.

Reference: zen habits

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Seven spices that fight obesity in the body

Spices are easily the most overlooked category of food. Meanwhile, they do not only add flavor and taste to meals, spices also fight obesity in the body. A spice, as described on Wikipedia, may be a seed, fruit, root, berry, bud or vegetable. Common spices include, nutmeg, cinnamon, black pepper etc.

Spices are basically underestimated because most people believe they are of no value other than to add attractive aromas to meals. They are majorly used in cosmetics, medicine and religious rituals.

However, a fact unknown to many people is that spices tend to add to the calorie composition of the body, despite the fact that many spices contain high portions of fat, protein, and carbohydrate by weight. They are ingredients that not only add flavor to your favorite dishes but help fight obesity in your body.

Here are a few of the spices that helps enhance your well being.

root-617409_640Ginger

Ginger, a flowering plant that originated from China is popularly known for its cooking usefulness and its medicinal properties. It improves movement and flow in the intestine. It is useful in easy digestion.

It contains several oils, which gingerol happens to be the most important. Not only is ginger useful in guarding against obesity, it drastically lowers blood sugar and it may significantly reduce menstrual pain.

spice-991101_640Black Pepper

Also known as piperine, research shows that black pepper reduces fat levels in the bloodstream and is also an antioxidant. It has been known to combat gastrointestinal problems, inflammation, and other problems. Black pepper is not of medicinal benefit alone. Athletes and bodybuilders also benefit from the fat-burning benefit of black pepper.

Cinnamon

This is a spice that is not so popular in Nigeria. It is a spice that boosts metabolism and is also regulates blood sugar. It makes an ideal recipe for diabetic patients, particularly people with type 2 diabetes. There are two major types of cinnamon, ceylon cinnamon and cassia cinnamon. 

Since high blood sugar level can develop to increased fat storage, cinnamon guards against this by improving insulin function, in turn causing weightloss.

ginseng-641890_640Ginseng

Also known for its use in boosting energy level and metabolism. A common type of ginseng, known as panax ginseng has been linked to weightloss.

Cumin

Cumin is a medicinal spice that has been discovered to enhance memory. It is useful for digestion and energy production and also a major recipe in improving glycemic control in people with type 2 diabetes.

Garlic and onions

These spices are surplus in Nigeria. They contain phytochemicals that are capable of breaking down fatty deposits in the body at the same time breaking down cholesterol, killing viruses and bacteria, and also guarding against heart disease.garlic-1144921_640

Cayenne pepper

It boost metabolism just like other spices and can aid the body in burning excess fats. It is a good a appetite suppressant, and it also helps to reduce calorie intake.

Which of these spices are you adding to your dish today? Tell us in the comments section.

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Five secrets to dieting compliance

Dieting

‘Okay, please serve me some full cup of ice cream; and my favorite is vanilla flavor. Don’t forget to add enough cheese in the stuffing of that hamburger. And you know what? I’m just going to spoil myself with all the pizza I can get from Domino’s tonight. After all, it is only for today, and then I will continue with my dieting tomorrow.’ But, that is just how cheating starts and before you know it, you are off your dieting.

Okay, could you cut yourself some slack? No! Statistics have it that 30% of all dieters fail in the first 5-10 days. But you do not want to be among those. A whopping 70% makes it this far, and that is where you belong! Instead of quitting, you could encourage yourself to compliance. So, how do you do this?

Be disciplined

Call it self-will, willpower, resolve, or determination. It all boils down to discipline. Without self-discipline, absolutely nothing can be achieved. You have to understand that you could either be your own worst enemy, or figure out that your strength lies within you first. It is all a choice you have to make. Your success depends largely on you.

Keep company of other dieters

You need the company of other dieters. There is a synergy that this brings. It is just like a group of birds flying in unison; they gain more speed and altitude. A company of fellow dieters gives you support and cheers you on at every achievement. You should find one in your neighborhood or online. Both will be useful for your cause.

poached-eggs-on-toast-739401_1280Use a meal planner

You need a meal planner to achieve your dieting goal. We eat food for a number of reasons which include palatability and the need to satiate hunger. Your choice of meal must not only be palatable, but also filling. Anything short of this, you would just be setting yourself up for spells of cheating in your dieting. Any needless to say that you cannot achieve your goals that way.

Add garnishing to your meal

The beautiful thing about colors is that they appeal to us beyond our conscious realization. Garnish your food; make them colorful and attractive. There is no end to the beauty you can achieve with fruits and vegetables. Present your food to yourself in style. This should help you cope with acquiring some new but needed tastes along your dieting journey.

Do not skip meals

Yes, you want to keep the calories down, and it may seem logical that by skipping meals, you can achieve this. Wrong move! In fact as a rule, do not wait till you are hungry before eating, but rather stick to a consistent meal schedule. By this, the temptation to over stuff yourself due to hunger pangs is avoided.

Are you on a diet? Share your compliance secrets with me, I will not tell 🙂

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Get fit with soy milk

Soy milk popularly known as ‘Soya Milk’ in Nigerian parlance is derived from soy beans.

It is a great alternative over dairy milk because it has a high level of protein, essential fatty acid, vitamins and minerals with exception to the cholesterol and extra saturated fat that is synonymous with dairy milk.

The content of sugar and calories in it is reduced, the lactose level is lower in soy milk than dairy milk because dairy milk has about 12g of sugar per cup as opposed to 7g. It also has high dietary fibre. A cup of soy milk is equivalent to 3 grams of fibre which gives you 12% of your dietary fibre need. It is highly recommended by doctors for diabetic patients.

Fibre is a vital part of our diet and it helps to speed up the transit of food through the body system and also suppresses your appetite making you feel full for a longer time.

Soy milk is the go-to drink for people who have high blood pressure and other heart related diseases because it helps to improve the lipid profile of the blood.

Soy milk fat is unsaturated with zero cholesterol. The mono and poly unsaturated fatty acid in the beans helps to inhibit the transport of fat into the blood unlike dairy milk which is high in saturated fat and cholesterol.

Research has shown that regular consumption of soy milk can reduce the blood concentration of triglycerides and increase the level of high density lipoprotein (HDL).

Do you know that soy milk has some fat burning vitamins? Riboflavin and Vitamin B12. These vitamins are involved in energy production and are important for the metabolism of fatty acids.

Mono unsaturated fatty acid in soy milk also inhibits the intestinal fats and absorption of cholesterol which is a plus for losing weight. Increased daily intake of this milk lowers your exposure to dietary fat.

Soy milk is a key source of protein which helps in development of the body and provides all-round nutrition for all your functional systems.

It also maintains a healthy amount of body muscle which contributes to weight maintenance and nourishes the bones with calcium and phosphorus.

Also regular intake of soy milk plus regular exercise can lead to reduced body fat and higher percentage of lean muscles.

It is beneficial to the men because of phytoestrogen, a unique plant hormone which inhibits the production of testosterone in men.

When the level of testosterone is reduced, the risk of having prostate cancer is minimal and this makes it the best dietary option for the prevention of prostate cancer.

Soy milk is also a great diet supplement because it has a high concentration of isoflavones which promotes bone health and helps to fight against osteoporosis.

Do you need expert help on how to incorporate soy milk into your diet? Contact us for assistance.

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