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Today's the Day: Blog

The Avocado

Posted: Tuesday, March 31st, 2009

My skin is starting to peel and the tan already fading but I have a week of heaven stamped in my memory. A week at a beautiful all inclusive resort in the Mayan Riviera can do wonders for the soul. In fact, I highly recommend the Excellence Riviera, it was our second time back and just as amazing as the first time. Here was the daily rundown: 7am wake up, no need for an alarm, after the 4am wake up calls during the past few months, 7 am felt like mid day. Dropped off the books and lotion on the chairs and headed to the gym. An hour later I was making up for the calories burned and adding another 2 thousand or so with the buffet breakfast. By week's end, 4 trips up to load the plate was not uncommon and I ate more bacon last week than I have in my entire lifetime.  Breakfast was followed by a walk on the beach (in an effort to burn off one plate) and then a few hours lounging on my chair. Lunch was next, followed by a walk on the beach… and more time to soak in the rays and the books. For those looking for a great read, might I suggest "The Book Of Negroes." It was captivating and inspiring.

Once the sun started to set, Tony and I were back in the room, cuddled up for a movie-- Yes, we rented movies from back home and caught up on some of the 'must sees'. Instead of popcorn, we ordered French fries from the 24-hour room service. Quite pathetic I know!!!! A drink before dinner, a dinner by the ocean and it was back to bed in hopes of repeating the exact same thing the very next day. Oops I forgot to mention the daily phone calls home to check in on the little ones… I missed them terribly and the phone bill proved that!!!! It was nice to catch up with the hubbie especially when deadlines and work, groceries and kid pick ups and life gets in the way. Hopefully many of you are lucky enough to be able to step away from the grind every now and then and take the opportunity to breath!

Ok…So hopefully over the course of last week, all of the Today's The Day made it to air without any problems and you found the information useful.

Today on the show we had Teri Gentes who has been a regular on the show since we launched this segment. Teri is a natural foods and dietary coach. When I meet up with her I feel like I am on information overload. Today we discussed the benefits of the avocado. She calls it the perfect food. Plenty of healthy fats, protein, carbs and fiber. In fact, Teri even says that if you are in a pinch, the avocado is a perfect quick breakfast or snack on the go.

Here are a few other benefits of the fruit:

Prostate Cancer Prevention
Avocados have been shown to inhibit the growth of prostate cancer. (reference)

Oral Cancer Defense
Research has shown that certain compounds in avocados are able to seek out pre-cancerous and cancerous oral cancer cells and destroy them without harming healthy cells. (ref)

Breast Cancer Protection
Avocado, like olive oil, is high in oleic acid, which has been shown to prevent breast cancer in numerous studies. (ref)

Eye Health
Avocados have more of the carotenoid lutein than any other commonly consumed fruit. Lutein protects against macular degeneration and cataracts, two disabling age-related eye diseases. (ref)

Lower Cholesterol
Avocados are high in beta-sitosterol, a compound that has been shown to lower cholesterol levels. In one study, 45 volunteers experienced an average drop in cholesterol of 17% after eating avocados for only one week. (ref)

Heart Health
One cup of avocado has 23% of the recommended daily value of folate. Studies show that people who eat diets rich in folate have a much lower incidence of heart disease than those who don't. The vitamin E, monounsaturated fats, and glutathione in avocado are also great for your heart. (ref)

Stroke Prevention
The high levels of folate in avocado are also protective against strokes. People who eat diets rich in folate have a much lower risk of stroke than those who don't. (ref)

Better Nutrient Absorption
Research has found that certain nutrients are absorbed better when eaten with avocado. In one study, when participants ate a salad containing avocados, they absorbed five times the amount of carotenoids (a group of nutrients that includes lycopene and beta carotene) than those who didn't include avocados. (ref)

Glutathione Source
Avocados are an excellent source of glutathione, an important antioxidant that researchers say is important in preventing aging, cancer, and heart disease. (ref)

Vitamin E Powerhouse
Avocados are the best fruit source of vitamin E, an essential vitamin that protects against many diseases and helps maintains overall health. (ref)

http://www.healthdiaries.com/eatthis/10-health-benefits-of-avocados.html

For more information on Teri, you can check out her website at:

www.terigentes.com

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