For today’s 100th episode of Liz’s Healthy Table, I chose a topic that’s near and dear to my heart: Healthy Aging: From Your Head to Your Toes. The Fountain of Youth does not exist, but as you’ll learn on this week’s show, by placing certain foods at the center of our tables and living an active and vibrant life, we can help to set ourselves up for aging gracefully with a spring in our step and a twinkle in our eye.

Today’s episode is sponsored by Fresh Avocados – Love One Today®, a leading source of the healthiest reasons and tastiest ways to enjoy fresh avocados. A science-based resource, it provides recipes and articles to help make it easy for consumers and health professionals to learn more about the nutritional benefits of fresh avocados and ways to include them in everyday menus.

Show Highlights: 

• A discussion on nutrient density (a food that provides substantial amounts of vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber, and other nutrients with relatively few calories.)
• Avocados are nutrient dense. One serving (1/3 of a medium avocado) has 80 calories and contributes nearly 20 vitamins and minerals.
• Avocados contain 6 grams naturally good unsaturated fats per serving, and that fat acts as a nutrient booster in the body helping to increase the absorption of fat-soluble nutrients like vitamins A, D, K, and E.
• An explanation of cognitive health and how diet and physical activity can play a role.
• Why the antioxidant, lutein, may play a role in cognition and eye health, plus food sources (kale, spinach, eggs, avocados).
• A 2019 study of 40 healthy, older adults that looked at how consuming one avocado a day for 6 months impacted cognition.
• How following certain lifestyle habits, including the MIND Diet, can influence health.
• Two recipes shared: Avocado and Tuna Niçoise Salad (hyperlink to be added when available) and Avocado Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies.
• The best way to pick, ripen, and store fresh avocados.
• How I’ve been adding more physical activity into my daily life… and why!