The Avocado You Didn't Know You Needed Is Here

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Was anyone actually looking for a low-fat avocado? Even if not, the option is now here—well, in Spain, anyway.

Eurobanon's Isla Bonita has released a "light" avocado that has 30% less fat than the regular kind. According to the company, it's also milder in flavor with a juicier and lighter pulp. Additionally, it has a slower oxidation rate, gets ripe faster than traditional varieties, and is available year-round.

If you're looking for details on how (and maybe why) this fruit was developed, you're out of luck. Isla Bonita has said they won't release the exact location of the avocados' cultivation, though they do admit that they're grown somewhere other than Latin America, where most avocados on the market today come from.

While a low-fat food can be a great thing, particularly for those wanting to eat healthy, nutritionists are already questioning this development. After all, avocados, though high in calories and fat (322 calories and 30 grams of fat), also contain vitamins B, C, and E, as well as minerals like potassium and folate. They're low in sugar, high in fiber, and contain monosaturated "good" fat that can help lower cholesterol. You want to eat them in moderation, but they can easily be part of a healthy diet.

While it's pretty common for people to look for low-fat alternatives, professionals say this "light" avocado may not be the best route. 

"Being that fresh avocados are pretty much a perfect, creamy, dreamy, and delicious produce pick, I'm a tad skeptical about fussing with something that's not broken," said Joy Bauer, founder of Nourish Snacks. However, she admits a potential upside: "If this new product has all of the same nutrient attributes—without any suspect add-ons needed to reduce some of the fat—perhaps this will be a new way for those looking to lose a few pounds to enjoy avocado."

Other nutritionists are far more negative. 

"This sounds like an awful idea to me!" said Keri Glassman, MS, RD, CDN. "It reminds me of low-fat peanut butter, which I say is about as good as eating vitamin-free vegetables! Foods should be eaten in their whole real form."

The "light" avocado will be launched at the October Fruit Attraction trade fair in Madrid and is already being sold in supermarkets and specialist stores in Spain. Its nutritional make-up has been verified in lab tests, and it's received the Spanish Health Foundation's Food Health Programme approval.

We'll have to wait a bit for it to be released in the US, as it's only available in Spain right now. But when the time comes, it will be interesting to see how quickly American consumers pick up on it.

The Nose Knows: Detecting Fat in Food

Our bodies are amazing organisms. Did you know that our noses might actually b able to smell differences in dietary fat levels in foods—as in, we can smell which milk is skim, 2% and whole?

New research out of the Monell Chemical Sences Center recently conducted a small study, in which participants smelled different samples of milk and tried to distinguish between them. PLoS ONE published the study in January, which found that the participants really could distinguish the milk based on smell.

Can you smell the difference between full fat ice cream and fat-free? Lunström's study says yes.
Image: Shutterstock

How is that even possible? The study’s lead author, psychologist Johan Lunström, says that he believes it comes down to evolution. We “need energy to survive,” he says. And, back when we didn’t have those helpful nutritional charts available, “detecting fat would have been very valuable to us.”

Fat, though it’s gotten a bad reputation over the years, is actually an essential part of the human diet. We need energy to survive, and foods that are naturally fatty (like nuts and fresh milk) are perfect for sating that appetite. One reason I actually prefer whole milk over skim is because the fat keeps me feeling full longer—so even though it has more calories, I don’t get hungry again as soon.

The study isolated the fat in milk by using powdered milk, and all the samples had the same concentration of powder. “The only thing that these powders differed in was the amount of fat,” Lundström says. “Otherwise, the samples are identical.”  

Previous studies had found that humans could smell fatty acids in their purest form. Next, Lundström says he hopes to find out how we can smell the fat, if we can recognize it in more complex foods, and in what ways this ability affects human behavior.

Recognizing Anorexia Nervosa

I read an article today that made me incredibly sad. It was about a six-year-old little girl named Sophie, who developed anorexia in kindergarten. Kindergarten. She started restricting her portions of food more and more, exercised compulsively on the monkey bars, and even began throwing away her lunch and snacks at school.

And because the beginning stages of anorexia nervosa are not immediately physically apparent, no one knew. “She was slim, but not skeletal,” recalls her mother.

Be kind to your body. You'll only have one.

One night, Sophie told her mother about her problem, telling her, “Mommy, I have a problem… I am hungry all the time and I can’t eat. A voice in my head is telling me not to eat.” She was diagnosed with anorexia nervosa in the first grade, after not gaining weight for ten months straight and dropping from the 60^th percentile to the 19^th percentile for her weight.

Sophie is eight now, and is doing well. Her parents got her treatment from a specialty center and continually monitor her eating at home and school. Sophie was also diagnosed with mild obsessive-compulsive disorder and anxiety.

I’ve always thought of anorexia as a mostly society driven problem; I knew that there was a psychological component to eating disorders, but I never realized that sometimes they can manifest without the individual even really understanding what’s going on. Sophie, at six, didn’t know why she felt she couldn’t eat.

Many people believe that eating disorders are a choice for individuals… but the truth is, I think it’s less of a choice than we realize. Anorexics can realize what’s going on, can fear for their life, can see that what they’re doing to themselves is wrong—but they can’t always stop doing it. And as a society, I think we could be a lot better at understanding that and being more supportive to those who suffer from eating disorders.

The girl with the eating disorder is often the last to know she is ill.
Becoming the new feminine ideal requires just the right combination of insecurity, exercise and anorexia.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, over 10 million Americans suffer from eating disorders, which have the highest mortality rate of any other psychiatric illness. But despite this, the thinspiration movement continues to grow online, promoting eating disorders as a way of life.

Anorexia isn’t always immediately visible to us, especially at the beginning. Many individuals who suffer from anorexia may never look like that skeletal image we hold in our minds, but that doesn’t mean it’s not there. Here are some of the behavioral signs and symptoms of anorexia:

• Obsession with food, weight, calories, dieting, or exercise
• Constant anxiety of gaining weight or being fat even when healthy or losing weight
• Refusal to eat with or around others
• Extremely self critical, anxious, depressed, or irritable. Is a perfectionist
• Self worth is determined by appearance and weight, loss of desire to engage in social relationships or activities

"You are imperfect, permanently and inevitably flawed.
And you are beautiful."
Image from Tumblr.com

I am certainly someone that values eating healthy, exercising, and generally being aware of overall health—but I hope that I’ve never given the impression that thinner is better, no matter the cost. Because it isn’t. We were all made differently, and more important than being “thin” or “skinny” is being healthy and happy.

Love yourself. Love your body—and be nice to it. You only get one.

Why I Eat Whole Fats Over Sugar

I have a confession to make: I don’t buy “low fat” foods. Like, ever. I order my lattes with whole milk and I buy Greek yogurt at the store. When I read the labels on the back of my food, I look for one thing above all else—and unlike many people, it’s not the amount of fat or calories. It’s the sugar content.

Low-fat options often contain more sugar.
Image: Shutterstock

Certainly, I look at other things besides the sugar content (ingredients list and sodium come next), but that’s where I start. As someone who tries to be conscientious about my health and what I feed my body, I find that my main concern when choosing food is how much sugar I’m putting into my body.

Why? Fat has for a considerable amount of time been labeled as the culprit for making people… well, fat. That claim certainly has some basis to it. Fat contains more calories per gram than sugar does and it’s very nutrient dense, which means that large amounts of it can reside in small amounts of food.

That can be both good and bad. “Good” fats reside in many natural foods, like nuts, avocados, seeds, and dairy products. Our bodies need fat to function properly because it helps protect our hearts and organs, feeds our metabolism, and gives us energy. These natural fats also help sustain our bodies for longer and fill us up faster, which means that we can eat smaller portion sizes and last longer on them.

Nuts contain natural "good" fats that our bodies need.
Image: Shutterstock

Sugars can also occur naturally, but that’s not usually what I’m looking for when I read labels. I’m looking for added sugars, like high fructose corn syrup. It’s in an astounding amount of foods (Did you know ketchup has it? How about most Chinese foods?). Unfortunately, the more sweet foods we eat, the more we seem to crave sugar—and unlike natural fats, these calories are empty.

It’s not just a little sugar, either. An Arizona Raspberry Iced Tea contains 66 grams of sugar in a single can. Most sodas have similar amounts. These things often don’t fill us up, either, which means we eat several hundred calories’ worth of sugar only to get hungry again shortly.

Furthermore, daily consumption of sugar forces our bodies to constantly release insulin to manage blood-sugar levels and the storage of sugar. Besides having excess sugar turned into stored (bad) fat, sugar also causes a number of other health problems like tooth decay, iron and magnesium deficiencies, arthritis, sleep problems, digestive problems, and weight gain.

Of course, fat isn’t all good. If you gorge yourself on avocados, nuts, or coconut oil, you’ll probably gain some weight. But the point is, you’re less likely to do that than to overindulge on sugary foods.

Image from sugarstacks.com
Sugar is packed into sweet snacks like soda

One last thought: fat often helps give our foods flavor and substance. For example, I don’t like skim milk in part because it just tastes like water with a tiny bit of milk flavor mixed in. When you take that fat out, most of the time it ends up being replaced with something. Any guesses what that might be?

Bingo. It’s sugar, all right. Low-fat varieties of coffee creamers, flavored milk, and even yogurt often have higher sugar content than whole-fat ones. In my mind, I figure that while one may be higher in fat (and even calories), if it keeps me full for longer, I’ll be less likely to get hungry and have to snack before my next meal.

I don’t deny that there’s merit in watching our fat intake, and I do so especially with processed fats. But I do think that the mentality that “fat” is the main culprit for weight gain is a false one. In our sweet-toothed country, I point my finger at sugar.

5 Healthy Eating Fallacies

Since I started actually doing my research about healthy eating, I’ve found out that a lot of the things I initially thought were nothing but common misconceptions or fallacies. I thought “low fat” was a synonym for “healthy” for a long time, but that’s not necessarily true. I also always just equated calories as the main cause of weight gain. Basically, I had part of the truth but not the actual facts or science.

"All-Natural" does NOT mean organic. In fact,
it doesn't mean much at all.
Image: Shutterstock

These days, I walk through the supermarket knowing better; but it’s painfully clear how seduced our society is by labels like “low fat,” “organic” and (my favorite) “all-natural.” Sure, there’s some merit in those things, but it’s not an excuse to ignore the label. And it doesn’t always mean what you think it means. Here are some common fallacies about healthy eating:

If it’s all-natural, it must be good for me. That’s the same as “organic,” right? Wrong. The FDA’s definition of “all-natural” is extremely loose. Basically, any food that doesn’t contain added color, artificial flavors, or synthetic substances can be labeled as all-natural. However, these foods can still contain processed sweeteners, lab-produced flavors and colors, and other additives and preservatives.

If I exercise, I can eat all the junk food I want. Definitely not true. My three-mile runs burn just over 300 calories, yet s medium sized Chocolate Cookie Dough Blizzard from Dairy Queen contains almost 1,000 calories, 36 grams of fat, and 157 grams of carbs. Ouch!

Image from dairyqueen.com
A medium Cookies & Cream Blizzard has 980 calories.

Buying organic is a must for all produce. While I prefer organic produce when I can afford it, I certainly don’t prescribe to the notion that all food should be bought organic. It’s most important when avoiding the EWG’s “Dirty Dozen,” or most contaminated foods. However, many foods are unlikely to contain contaminants even when you buy the non-organic option. Of course, locally grown can be a healthy medium here, since many local farmers follow organic practices but can’t afford official certification.

Energy drinks and protein bars are really healthy. Unfortunately, no. Check the back label of a bottle of Gatorade or a high protein energy bar and you’re likely to see that they’re full of sugar, often high in calories, and have lots of carbs (plus a TON of strange ingredients you can’t pronounce). These products are some of nutritionists’ biggest pet peeves. If you’re working out, you will burn off many of those calories, but if you’re not, eating an energy bar is just like eating a candy bar—just with more protein.

Image from bigsisterdiaries.wordpress.com
Bingeing on the weekends isn't healthy.

Eating healthy means never eating junk food. Prescribing to this view often ends up being self-destructive in the end. Never allowing yourself to enjoy your favorite “junk” foods can make us feel socially alienated at times and sometimes makes the cravings even worse. The key to healthy eating is to be in control of our cravings and indulge sensibly and in moderation. Eating healthy M-F only to break and binge on the weekend isn’t healthy for our bodies or our minds. Instead, don’t feel so guilty about the occasional slice of cake—just make sure “occasional” treats stay that way.

Vegetarians Have Healthier Hearts

Eating meat could affect your heart health.
Image: Shutterstock

It’s easy to assume that a diet full of lots of meat (protein) is healthy. In fact, many people feel a meal isn’t quite complete without at least a small serving of meat. But the truth is, meat’s not all it’s cracked up to be. No question about it, meat is a great source of protein—but it’s also a big source of saturated fat and sodium.

When it comes to ischemic heart disease, two of the main risk factors are high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Saturated fat is the biggest dietary factor that contributes to the production of cholesterol. As for sodium, it’s the biggest dietary determinant of high blood pressure, according to Dr. Peter McCullough, cardiologist for St. John Providence Health System.

Vegetarian diets had a lower risk of heart disease.
Image: Shutterstock

Because a vegetarian diet leaves out meat, which can be full of sodium and saturated fat, vegetarians are 32% less likely to develop heart disease than meat eaters. This is according to a British study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The study surveyed over 44,000 people, 34% of which were vegetarians.

Of course, one doesn’t necessarily need to become a vegetarian to cut saturated fat and sodium from their diets. It certainly makes it easier, but vegetarianism can also come with problems like not getting enough protein and consuming too many sugars. Cheese, which vegetarians tend to consume in larger amounts, is also a big source of saturated fat.

Image from acanaturalmeats.com
Beef is the unhealthiest source of protein.

Being choosy about meat products can go a long way in lowering the chance of heart disease. Fish is the healthiest source of protein, followed by beans and nuts. The least healthy source of protein is beef, since it’s usually quite fatty. McCullough recommends staying away from the “three s-es:” sugars, starches, and saturated fats to lower health risks.

I generally eat about half my main courses vegetarian and the other half with a serving of meat. Do you eat meat, or are you a vegetarian? I’d love to hear your input in the comments below!