By David Blyweiss, M.D., Advanced Natural Wellness

June 15, 2020

Last summer, I faced the dilemma everyone going to a potluck event runs into at some time or another.

What kind of dish should I bring?

I knew I wanted it to be different, appetizing, delicious and healthy. So I settled on an avocado salad.

The salad itself was beautiful. It was a bright mix of avocado, arugula, cherry tomatoes, walnuts, pine nuts and feta cheese. I had tossed in extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice with a little sea salt and pepper.

It was a great feeling when I unwrapped my creation and everyone “oohed” and “aahed” over it.

But that feeling didn’t last long.

A few people were piling their plates with my dazzling salad and enjoying every bite. But others were ignoring it completely! It wasn’t disappearing nearly as fast as the plain green salad, the cold broccoli pasta salad or the potato salad.

And then I overheard a snippet of conversation…

“OMG did you see that yummy looking salad with the avocado, nuts and feta cheese in it? I think I gained five pounds just looking at it.”

I suddenly understood the problem.

The Modern-Day Fat Dogma Sabotaged my Salad!

I’ll tell you this. Fats are one of the most misunderstood food groups when it comes to health and weight. These days, anything that isn’t “no fat” or “low fat” is considered unhealthy and fattening.

But despite popular belief, eating the right fats is extremely healthy… and can actually help prevent the distribution of fat to your belly.

Avocados are a great example. Sure, they contain more fat than any other fruit. But it isn’t bad fat. It’s incredibly healthy monounsaturated fat.

• Eating just half of an avocado with your lunch can improve insulin response and lower your blood sugar. These are two of the biggest factors when it comes to storing – or not storing – fat.
• The monounsaturated fats in avocadoes have an influence on the hormone that tells you you’re full. It works so well that, after eating just half of an avocado, it can reduce your desire to eat by about 40% over the next three to five hours.
• The odds of developing metabolic syndrome are reduced by about 50% in people who regularly eat avocados.
• Eating a single avocado daily reduces your burden of small dense LDL particles. These are the ones that tend to slip through the lining of your blood vessels where they create blockages that can result in heart attack or stroke.

Much of the same can be said for nuts.

Eating nuts does NOT lead to weight gain. Actually, it appears to help with weight control. People who enjoy nuts regularly tend to have lower body mass, better waist to hip ratios and greater weight loss than those who don’t eat them.

Plus, nuts come with a huge number of health benefits. They are actually a very important food group.

In particular, tree nuts like Brazil nuts, walnuts, pecans, pistachios are a great source of protein. They’re loaded with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and other compounds that fuel your body and protect against disease.

These nuts can have a profound effect on your gut microbiome, endothelial function, blood pressure and inflammation markers. They are also a great weapon against metabolic disorders, like metabolic syndrome and diabetes.

And as a regular Advanced Natural Wellness reader, you already know how vital extra virgin olive oil is to your health. It slashes inflammation, reduces your chance of a stroke or heart attack, protects against diabetes, counters obesity and shields against dementia.

So go ahead. Make your own avocado salad. Top it with whatever fruits and veggies you want. Throw in some walnuts or pecans. Toss it all in extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice. Season it with a little sea salt and pepper.

And enjoy it without guilt!

SOURCES:

Paniagua JA, et al. Monounsaturated fat-rich diet prevents central body fat distribution and decreases postprandial adiponectin expression induced by a carbohydrate-rich diet in insulin-resistant subjects. Diabetes Care. 2007 Jul;30(7):1717-23.

Wien M, et al. A randomized 3×3 crossover study to evaluate the effect of Hass avocado intake on post-ingestive satiety, glucose and insulin levels, and subsequent energy intake in overweight adults. Nutr J. 2013 Nov 27;12:155.

Fulgoni VL 3rd, et al. Avocado consumption is associated with better diet quality and nutrient intake, and lower metabolic syndrome risk in US adults: results from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2001-2008. Nutr J. 2013 Jan 2;12:1.

Li Wang, et al. Effect of a Moderate Fat Diet With and Without Avocados on Lipoprotein Particle Number, Size and Subclasses in Overweight and Obese Adults: A Randomized, Controlled Trial. J Am Heart Assoc. 2015;4:e001355

Jackson CL, et al. Long-term associations of nut consumption with body weight and obesity. Am J Clin Nutr. 2014 Jul; 100(1): 408S–411S.

Relja A, et al. Nut Consumption and Cardiovascular Risk Factors: A Cross-Sectional Study in a Mediterranean Population. Nutrients. 2017 Dec; 9(12): 1296.

Graziany R, et al. Nuts and Human Health Outcomes: A Systematic Review. Nutrients. 2017 Dec; 9(12): 1311.

Foscolou A, et al. The Effect of Exclusive Olive Oil Consumption on Successful Aging: A Combined Analysis of the ATTICA and MEDIS Epidemiological Studies. Foods. 2019 Jan; 8(1): 25.