Motivation for your Monday Fitness: Avocados

Monday Fitness Tip:
This morning wrapped up the segments Bob & Caroline Scott of the Louisville Athletic Club have been doing regarding their favorite foods.  This morning they shared about the health benefits of Avocados.  Below, I will also give some tips on how to choose an avocado for those, like me, who may have only recently come to love them.





Benefits of Eating Avocados that Bob & Caroline Shared:

• Great for your heart.  They are full of folate, vitamin E, and monounsaturated fats (good fats).  Studies show that diets rich in these vitamins and nutrients have a much lower risk for heart disease.
• Great for lowering cholesterol.  In one study, participants dropped their cholesterol levels by 17% after eating avocados for just one week.
• Great for eye health.  They contain more of the carotenoid lutein than any other commonly eaten fruit.
• Great for stroke prevention because of the high levels of folate found in the fruit.
• Great for oral cancer defense.  Studies have shown that compounds found in avocados are able to seek out precancerous and cancerous oral cancer cells and destroy them without harming healthy cells.
• Also great for breast cancer prevention.  Avocado, like olive oil, is high in oleic acid, which has been known to prevent breast cancer.
• Great for better nutrient absorption.  Studies have shown that certain nutrients are absorbed better when eaten with avocado.
• Great for prostate cancer prevention.  They have been shown to inhibit the growth of prostate cancer.
• Great for anti-aging.  They are an excellant source of glutathione, an important anti-aging antioxidant.
• Great for adding lots of Vitamin E to your diet.  They are the best fruit source of vitamin E which is known to protect the body from disease and boost overall health.

For more great health and fitness tips from Caroline Scott of the Louisville Athletic Club, check out her fitness blog at carolinescott.org

Guide to Avocados:

Up until recently, I wasn't a fan of the taste of avocados.  Friends and family kept begging me to try guacamole, which I did.  I just didn't enjoy the flavor.  Until I tried a new restaurant with 

In Season: Avocados are available in the supermarket year-round.

What to Look For: It is covered with a pebbly, leathery skin, which changes from dark green to deep purple (almost black) as the fruit ripens.Choose heavy, undamaged fruit. An avocado that yields slightly to pressure is best for slicing and dicing; if pressure leaves a small indentation, the avocado is best mashed. Avoid very soft avocados, as they will be overripe and unusable.

How to Store:  Keep unripe avocados at room temperature. To speed ripening, place in a paper bag with an apple or banana; to stop ripening, refrigerate for up to two days.