Q: Are avocados healthy? Or if they will they help with weight loss or liver health?
A: The short answers are: Sorta, no and no.
Healthy?
To be fair, it’s hard to call foods healthy or unhealthy. This is because no one food, or meal determines your health – it is the sum total of all that you eat, don’t eat, how much you eat, genetics, activity levels, etc.
Do avocados help weight loss?
No. Avocados are 85% fat by calories. This means it is higher in fat than the yummiest of all steaks, the ribeye, which is only 75% fat. Fat has more than double the calories per gram than either protein or carbohydrate. This means that each bite of avocado packs more than double the calories of fat-free Greek yogurt. So, you’d have to figure out how to feel full eating even less than half the total food volume you do now. This sounds like some version of hell.
To lose weight you want to do the opposite of what avocados (or butter, cheese and bacon) do, and that is cut calories. We’ve got some easy ways to cut 100’s of calories out of your diet.
Healthy Fat?
There’s no such thing. Fat is fat, with the exception of bad fat. So, there are some bad fats, and plain fat, but there’s no such thing as a good fat. “Good” would indicate something to do more of, and this would be reserved for things like fiber, exercise and sex. More = good. Increasing your fat intake, not good. (Unless you are one of the few humans who has a life long struggle with gaining weight. If this is you, I am jealous, and go for the avocado.)
For the most part, bad fats are Hydrogenated vegetable oils and saturated fat. (I am so retro.) These “bad” fats raise your bad cholesterol and/or lower your good cholesterol. (BTW, most of the cholesterol in your blood work was made by your body in response to poor quality, and/or excess quantity of dietary fat.) The hydrogenated oils are worse because they will mess up your blood work (and more) even if you are in a calorie balance. Saturated fats, however, seem to require overeating (aka calorie surplus) to be their most harmful. In other words, small amounts of saturated fat seem to be ok.
Liver?
I won’t get into the liver too much, but, generally speaking your liver health will be improved by reducing the fat content of it. It is easier to drain your liver of excess fat if your diet is lower in fat because there is only so much fat your body can burn in a day. If your body has 2 rich sources of fat – diet and liver, then the rate of reduction of liver fat will be slower.
Retro?
While we are taking it back to 1980’s nutrition, we’re excited to announce our first 80’s Day – February 23rd!! Please bring Snackwells and leg warmers.
Bottom Line
Keto is popular, and keto is bullshit. High fat diets are horrible for your health, and make losing weight even harder than it already is. Keto diets are one of the few diets that can cancel out the heart benefits of weight loss. If you love avocados, and it’s worth the calories for you, then figure out how to enjoy it.
But I love my Guacamole
A quick tip on having your guacamole and eating it too, is to cut the calories with fat-free yogurt.