Avocados for a healthy heart, healthy brain, and healthy sex life

You’ve probably eaten this rich, creamy fruit that is the avocado as a salad or polished off a bowl of it, bathed in milk and sugar (trust me, you’re not the only weirdo who eats avocado this way). Or you’ve probably applied it as a mask as it is said that avocado oil is a good treatment for dry skin. But the health benefits of this superfruit are not just skin-deep. Did you know that avocados are good for the heart, for the brain, and for your sex life (FYI, what with the month of hearts just around the proverbial corner)?

The ancient Mayans and Aztecs ate avocados to enhance their sexual desirability. Loaded with vitamins A, B, C, E (or the sex vitamin), and K, minerals, copper, iron, magnesium, potassium, calcium, and more, it was a traditional remedy for erectile dysfunction. Consumed in moderation, avocados have been proven to be heart healthy.

Probably the most hearty piece of news about the avocado is that it’s got oleic acid, a monounsaturated fat that can help lower cholesterol, blood pressure, and sugar levels. According to www.answers.com, this oleic acid (also found in olives, pecans, and almonds) forms a protective coating of insulation around the brain called myelin, the white matter in the brain that helps increase cognitive functioning.

It has no cholesterol; it may be high in fat (some saturated fat and some unsaturated fat), but these are healthy fats that we need. Experts say that an avocado a day may lower bad cholesterol. Research indicates that avocados can improve one’s lipid profile (of course, you know this; when was your last blood work?) — increasing good HDL cholesterol and decreasing bad LDL cholesterol both in healthy persons and those suffering from elevated cholesterol levels.

So that you can more efficiently absorb all these vitamins and minerals into your body, avocados are rich in phytonutrient polyphenols and flavonoids, which have been shown to inhibit inflammation in the intestines.

But how do we get the most out of this peel-good fruit? Authorities say that “the greatest concentration of beneficial carotenoids is located in the dark green fruit closest to the inside of the peel.” So you get the greatest concentration of antioxidants, it’s best that you peel the avocado with your hands (yes, like peeling a banana). You need not worry about pesticides getting into your avocado, as its thick skin protects the inner fruit from pesticides — it’s probably the safest commercial crop in terms of being pesticide-free.

So, go ahead and enjoy your avocado as a salad drizzled with vinaigrette, a creamy dreamy smoothie, a guacamole smothered in chili, or even as an indulgent, soothing treat for your skin.

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From tarps to treasures

Long after he boarded his plane back home to Rome, precious memories of Pope Francis continue to linger in people’s hearts. Each one seems to have a heartwarming story to tell of the papal visit.

The big question now being asked by environment groups is: What should we do now with all these papal tarpaulins?

“These tarpaulins used to welcome the Pope Francis should not go to the dumps and further swell the volume of garbage collected throughout the papal visit,” said Tin Vergara, zero waste campaigner, EcoWaste Coalition.??“We need to find new uses for these tarps to prevent them from going to waste and adding to the 1,271 tons of trash generated during the papal events.”

Based on published figures, the Manila City government collected 1,133 tons of garbage, while the Metro Manila Development Authority hauled 138 tons during the Pope’s activities in Manila.  ??

“We can keep these tarps out of dumps, landfills, cement kilns, and incinerators by giving them a new lease on life through appropriate recycling,” Vergara emphasized.??“Avoiding the haphazard disposal of used tarps will cut the volume of waste being disposed of, as well as curb the environmental pollution from their dumping or burning, knowing that tarps are mainly vinyl-based containing toxic chemicals.”

Those large tarps can be used as protective cover or, for the more sturdy ones, even as roofing materials for makeshift shelters of disaster victims.?

Likewise, pedicab, jeepney and tricycle drivers can use such tarps as hood or shield to protect them against the intense heat of the sun and the strong rains as these can be easily rolled up and down as needed.??

Smaller tarps can be sewn into pretty carry bags, storage sacks, shoe racks, paint drop clothes, utility aprons, multi-purpose holders, etc., as what we recently saw at the three-day Zero Waste Fair at Quezon Memorial Circle to mark the first-ever Zero Waste Month this month.??

The group collaborated with Buklod Tao, a community group in San Mateo, Rizal to show how much beauty there is to recycling.

Francis, the green, very-down-to-earth pope, would surely be pleased.