Avocados – a blend of taste and nutrition

When we hear the name Avocado, terms like healthy food, superfood, and powerhouse of nutrients come to our mind. All these terms hold true for this soft, creamy textured, food, which is considered by some as fruit and by others as a vegetable.

Avocado or Persea Americana, belongs to the same plant family as cinnamon. Although a native to Mexico and Central America, this food has become a kitchen staple in many homes around the world. These countries introduced this food to the world by bringing out their traditional recipes, like guacamole, salads and many more.

Health benefits

Powerhouse of nutrients - It is packed with healthy fats, mainly monounsaturated fats, vitamins E, C, B6, folate, potassium, magnesium, and fibre. Taking it regularly can improve the quality of our diet.

Keeps gut healthy - As it promotes the growth of healthy bacteria, it keeps our gut healthy, improves digestion plus helps in giving protection against anti-inflammatory bowel syndrome.

Keeps heart healthy - The nutrients present in avocados, be it healthy fats, fibre or vitamin E, C, and others, all are heart-friendly. Studies have also indicated that consuming avocados regularly can help increase good cholesterol (HDL) and decrease bad cholesterol (LDL).

Protects against metabolic syndrome - Owing to the presence of nutrients, like, vitamin E, C, and carotenoid lutein, avocados possess antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. These, in turn, help in providing protection against metabolic syndrome, which is a cluster of conditions that occur together and increase the risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. Supplement for weight loss - As it is rich in healthy fats and fibre, it provides satiety or a feeling of fullness. This can help in controlling one’s food intake and food cravings. Avocados, when part of a healthy diet plan, along with a healthy lifestyle, is a great booster for any weight-loss programme.

Keeps pregnant and breastfeeding mothers healthy and active - During these stages, the requirement for calories, and nutrients like folate, magnesium, potassium, and vitamin C increases. Avocados work as a wonder food in meeting these increased needs in a healthy way.

Diet tips

Swap it with butter or cheese on your morning toast.

Add it to your salads

Guacamole works as a great dip to satisfy mid-meal hunger pangs.

Add it to smoothies or milkshakes to make them thick, creamy, and healthy.

Add it to sushi platters to make it healthier.

Consumption quantum

Looking at the health benefits, one may think of eating it more to get more benefits. As they are high in healthy fats and it fills you up easily, it is harder to overdo the intake of avocados.

An average avocado provides 200300kcal. If you are on a weight loss programme, then the best is to take ½¼ or avocado daily. Also, it contains carbohydrates that may not be digested well by some. Hence, taking smaller amounts daily or taking 2-3 times a week will be a wiser choice.

To conclude, avocados are a healthy food which can be added to a variety of recipes because of its mild taste. So, add variety and nutrition to your table.

Anew way of enhancing your lower-body workout is the use of resistance bands which provide the same benefits as using costly equipment in gyms or at home. “The resistance of the bands helps burn out the muscles quicker so you can work more in less time,” explains Sara Haley, an American Council on Exercise (Ace)-certified personal trainer and pre and postnatal exercise specialist in Santa Monica, California.

“Resistance bands provide a specific form of mechanical stress unlike other exercise modalities like dumbbells and bodyweight exercises,” says Marty Miller, a doctor of health sciences, a National Athletic Trainers Association-certified athletic trainer, and the vice president of education and training at Technogym North America in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.

Free weights like dumbbells provide constant resistance, meaning the amount of resistance your muscles must overcome doesn’t change throughout the exercise - the weight stays the same whether you’re lowering into a squat or pushing back up to standing.

Meanwhile, resistance bands provide variable resistance, which means that the resistance level changes at different phases of an exercise.

The more you stretch the band, the more tension you’ll encounter and the harder your muscles will have to work, which enables you to strengthen the leg muscles through their full range of motion.

SEVEN RESISTANCE BAND EXERCISES FOR STRONGER LEGS

The following routine from Haley uses a mini loop band to target all of your lower body muscles, including the quadriceps (the muscles in front of the thighs), hamstrings (the muscles in the back of the thighs), glutes (buttocks), inner and outer thighs, and calves.

Choose the lightest band available to start. Increase the resistance with heavier bands when you’re ready. Perform the exercises one right after the other, resting as needed. Once you finish the last exercise, return to the start. Complete two rounds in total.

If you’re doing this as a standalone routine or your muscles are cold, start with this brief warm-up using the mini band.

Haley recommends doing the following workout two to three times a week.