Sunday, February 18, 2007

On Avocado and the right workout routine

Lately I've discovered the Avocado goodness. It's not that I didn't try it before, though. I did, from time to time, and loved it, but since it was loaded with fat, I didn't eat it often. But now, when research tells us most fat in Avocado is the monosaturated type - it can get back into the menu.

Few nutrition facts for 100 gr. raw Avocado, from CalorieKing.com: Calories = 160, Fat = 14.7 g, Carbohydrates = 8.5 g, Protein = 2 g, Dietary Fiber = 6.7 g, Sodium = 7 mg, Calcium = 12 mg, Potassium = 485 mg. The World's Healthiest Foods site also mentions that Avocado has vitamins B6, C & K, Folate & Copper.

Avocado is suspected to have some great health benefits: It contains oleic acid, a monounsaturated fat that may help to lower cholesterol. It's a good source of potassium, a mineral that helps regulate blood pressure and helps to guard against diseases like high blood pressure, heart disease or stroke. It contains folate, a nutrient important for heart health. It also increases the body's ability to absorb the health-promoting carotenoids that vegetables provide. It's a fruit full of goodness and is highly recommended for consumption.

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Oh... yes... Just to make sure no big damage was done on V Day, I hopped on the scale in the morning after, only to find out my weight stayed the same. Valentine's Day - with the wine and 2 small oat cookies - went by without leaving a trace. No damage control was needed. I was very pleased indeed! *s*.

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The more I read about workouts and routine, the more I become confused. I don't know enough to decide what to believe to. What many experts say that strikes me important to what I'm doing is, that longer cardio workouts won't bring more benefits in terms of weight loss. It's the interval cardio workouts with short boosts of strain that burn more fat. I also heard Rob Poulos say that when we have longer cardio sessions, the body knows what's coming and preserve energy for the next session, and therefore burns less fat. Many others say that the combination cardio + strength training is the way to go, because the body burns more fat when it has more muscle.

That makes sense to me, and though I know dumbbells workout will bore me - I've to finish the planning, start doing it, and observe my body in the process. I'm sure I'll have the right answers after a while - after all, by body is doing a damn good job letting me know when I do things right or when I screw up...

... I just have to listen closely and carefully... and not to be afraid to try new things.

Lorien @ 11:00 am MT

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