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Tag: Avocado

  • Eat more tomatoes!

    Eat more tomatoes!

    Did you know that tomatoes are almost as popular as potatoes in the United States? At the New York Times, Caroline Hopkins reports that they are the second-most consumed vegetable in the US. (They are technically a fruit because they contain seeds, but nutritionists treat them as vegetables.) Tomatoes are really good for your health, so eat more of them!

    Tomatoes have few calories. They are also hydrating, made up of 95 percent water. By comparison, human beings are made up of about 60 percent water.

    Tomatoes also have lots of nutrients, including the antioxidant lycopene, folate, vitamin K and potassium. Eat them straight from the vine, dried in the sun or cooked, and you will benefit.

    If you have “oxidative” stress, lycopene helps fight it and, in the process, reduces your risk of chronic inflammation and a variety of cancers.

    It’s not certain that tomatoes and other foods loaded with lycopene will prevent cancer. No one can show cause and effect. But, the data show a correlation between high levels of lycopene and lower risk of prostate and lung cancer as well as a lower likelihood of heart and liver disease.

    Redder tomatoes contain more lycopene, as do cooked tomatoes. Cooked tomatoes have less water, so have more concentrated levels of nutrients.

    It’s not clear whether yellow and orange tomatoes have similar health benefits as red tomatoes, but people assume they do. Unlike green tomatoes, which have no lycopene, yellow and orange tomatoes have lycopene, though different in kind from red tomatoes.

    It’s good to eat your tomatoes with olive oil or avocado. These healthy fats actually make it easier for your body to absorb the lycopene. Lycopene is fat-soluble.

    Wash your tomatoes before eating them. One expert advises to wash them with a little distilled white vinegar mixed with water. The vinegar and water combination works better than water alone to remove anything on the surface of the tomato.

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  • Skip the keto diet, go Mediterranean

    Skip the keto diet, go Mediterranean

    As you get older, it’s especially important to maintain a healthy weight. But, there are better and worse ways to do so. If you’re looking to lose weight, the Mediterranean diet is likely a better way to go than the ketogenic or “keto” diet. The keto diet comes with several risks.

    Harvard Health recommends that you not try the keto diet because it’s not clear that it’s safe. The idea behind the keto diet is that you will get your energy from fat rather than carbohydrates, which leads to a state of “ketosis.”

    The keto diet has you eating three-quarters of your calories from fat, including a lot of saturated fat. It does not distinguish between lean proteins and fatty ones from bacon, beef and pork. You can eat protein from meat as well as saturated fat from palm and coconut oils and butter. You can also eat unsaturated fats such as almonds, walnuts, seeds, tofu, olive oil and avocados.

    Eating too much saturated fat is linked to heart disease and high LDL cholesterol. It also reduces your fiber intake which can lead to constipation. With the keto diet, you could end up with low blood pressure and kidney stones. 

    The keto diet deprives your brain of healthy carbohydrates, such as whole grains, vegetables, and fruits, which are rich in a wide range of nutrients. Your body needs healthy carbohydrates to operate well, regulate your mood and keep you clear-headed.

    You can eat Swiss chard, spinach and other leafy vegetables. You can also eat bell peppers, mushrooms, cauliflower, garlic, onions, celery, Brussels sprouts and cucumber. But, you are not getting key micronutrients from these vegetables, such as vitamins B and C, phosphorus, selenium, and magnesium.

    The keto diet is fundamentally different from the Paleo, South Beach and Atkins diets. Eating a balanced diet is all about not having too many saturated fats and proteins in your diet or too few carbohydrates. You want to strike a healthy balance.

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  • Eating avocados offers so many health benefits

    Eating avocados offers so many health benefits

    If you’re looking to switch up your diet to eat healthy and want to continue to enjoy the foods you eat, consider eating lots of avocados. Some experts call avocados a superfood because they offer so many health benefits. And, they are so delish! What more can you ask for?

    The benefits of eating an avocado a day appear to have no bounds. Eating avocados provides you with more than 20 essential vitamins and minerals, including vitamins B6, C, E and K. Avocados also are a great source of folate, potassium, magnesium, niacin and riboflavin.

    There’s more. Avocados can be good for your eyes, providing you with beta carotene and lutein. These nutrients, in turn, have been shown to reduce people’s risk of macular degeneration and vision loss.

    Avocados also give you omega-3 fatty acids, which have been found to reduce heart disease and stroke, and lots of monounsaturated fats, which are good for your heart. Avocados can lower people’s blood pressure and bad cholesterol, LDL They can also boost people’s good cholesterol, HDL

    Avocados could help you lose weight, even though a single avocado has around 227 calories. The healthy fat in avocados keeps you feeling full much longer than other far less nutritious and equally caloric foods. Moreover, avocados’ fat and antioxidants reduce inflammation and help with weight management. One study found that women who ate one Hass avocado a day had less belly fat than women who ate the same number of calories but no avocado.

    Avocados could do wonders for your skin. A UCLA study found that people who ate one avocado a day had improved skin elasticity and firmness.

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  • Five reasons to eat avocados

    Five reasons to eat avocados

    Avocados are in season and there’s every reason to eat them. CNN reports on five health benefits of avocados that you likely did not know. And, there are so many great ways to enjoy them.

    Here are some nutritional benefits of eating avocados

    • Omega-3: You can get a good amount of omega-3 fatty acids from an avocado. Omega-3 is great for reducing your LDL cholesterol level. LDL cholesterol can cause your arteries to harden and restrict your blood flow, which in turn can lead to blood clots.
    • Potassium: Potassium is a mineral that is good for regulating nerve function. It allows for nutrients to go into cells and removes waste, including sodium. In the process, it helps fight high blood pressure.
    • Monounsaturated fats: These fats also help reduce your LDL cholesterol and does not touch your good HDL cholesterol.
    • Fiber: You don’t need to eat Grape Nuts for your fiber. Avocados deliver lots of fiber without the sugar. And, the fiber helps to fill you up, reducing your hunger level and keeping you from overeating if you’re on a diet. That said, a 3.5 ounce avocado portion is 160 calories!
    • Folate: Skip the vitamin B supplement and get the vitamin naturally from your avocado. It helps with good brain function.

    How might you enjoy the health benefits of an avocado? Slice one in half, top it with lemon juice and a little salt and pepper, then eat it straight from the skin. No muss, no fuss! Or, scoop it out and mash with a little garlic, a little lime juice, salt and some red onion for quick and easy guacamole. Use it as a mayo substitute. Dip slices in egg and breadcrumbs and fry them up. Or, add an avocado to a smoothie for a creamy healthy drink.  Avocados can also go in a soup or a dessert for extra creaminess.

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