Are Avocados the New Wonder Fruit?

My Mom bought a ton of Avocados the other day with the hopes that I would make my famous guacamole. Four days have passed and I keep walking past them, still in their skins. I can’t help but think about our amazing moisturizer, WAKE UP CALL, every time I see an avocado, which got me thinking about other uses for the fruit. Yes, avocados are fruits.

With a little googling I discovered a wealth of uses and benefits of avocados. They’re not just for Mexican food anymore.

Health Benefits:

  • Avocados lower cholesterol because they contain high levels of beta-sitosterol.
  • They also contain high levels of folate which aids in stroke prevention and heart attacks.
  • High levels of vitamin E, monounsaturated fats, and glutathione will keep your heart healthy.
  • Avocados also have carotenoid lutein, which help to prevent macular degeneration and cataracts.
  • Similar to Olive Oil, avocados have Oleic Acid, which can be beneficial in warding off cancer, specifically breast and oral cancers.

Skin & Hair Benefits:

  • Highest level of sterolins, which is wonderful for dry or dehydrated skin
  • Avocado oil increases collagen in the skin
  • Avocado can help repair damaged hair and mimics our own oil secretions.

Don’t be shy-eat them or mash them up for your skin and hair. The avocado is a wonder fruit!

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A Few Ways to Try and Stay Healthy….

Since it is cold and flu season, I thought I would continue on with a few tricks to keep yourself healthy. Although, I am writing this holed up in the guest room at my parent’s house. My Dad has been coughing and sneezing and I am fighting something yucky off….

The truth is you can be as careful as possible and follow all the rules on how ‘not to get sick’, but if you’re due for it-you’re going to get it. That being said there are still a few tips that may help you. Wash your hands after everything! Don’t touch your face, nose or mouth, this is the quickest way to get germs. Stay hydrated and limit your sugar intake. If it is cold outside cover your nose and mouth. If you start to feel like you’re getting sick, pop some vitamin D and C. I’ve been loading up and I think i’m winning the war.

Yesterday my Dad told me that the most common way germs are passed around a restaurant are through the water pitcher.  Apparently most pitchers are cleaned in the PM after the restaurant has closed-that means the same pitcher is used throughout the entire day and night. When waiters go around and fill your glass up they are also unknowingly giving you everyone else’s germs. Every time a pitcher touches a glass it can pick up other people’s saliva which carries germs and ends up on your glass….yuck. Your best bet in a restaurant is bottled water or skip it all together.  Another scary restaurant fact is that when you take something home in a doggy bag, you should always ask to box it yourself at the table.  Once you send your food away, it can come into contact with numerous hands (germs), not to mention anything airborne.

Stay healthy friends!

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Eat Smart

Thanksgiving is fast approaching and the average American will consumes over 4500 calories on this celebratory day….. If you slept through math class that is almost two pounds! If you don’t want to end up looking like a stuffed turkey, here are some things to try: choose healthy options when baking and cooking, exercise and eat wisely!

Try waking up really early Thanksgiving morning and go for a walk or a run. If you have family or guests in town take them along. This is a great time to chat and catch up and also to get the metabolism going. This is also a wonderful opportunity to give your pets some exercise too, dogs and cats can get very sick and fat during the holidays if they are fed human food or find dropped scraps on the floor.

While deciding and preparing what you will cook or bake this year think about healthier options, for example a low fat alternative to mashed potatoes. Instead of using tons of heavy cream and butter, opt for regular milk and low fat/non fat sour cream or a butter substitute. Pay particular attention to this rule when baking. Use brown sugar where allowed and ease up on the cream and butter if possible. Pumpkin pie is lower in calories than Pecan pie and you can serve it with low fat ice cream or frozen yogurt.

Most importantly practice portion control. Make sure you eat breakfast so you aren’t starving by the time Thanksgiving dinner rolls around or you may be rolling home. Start with one small portion of all your favorite foods and enjoy them slowly. Wishing everyone a happy and healthy Thanksgiving!

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