Benefits of Avocado, Olive and Coconut Oil

*lists are not exhaustive and are one-sided in that I didn't post about the negatives of which there are some with anything in life. I posted a few of the references that I used, but, it too is not complete (I surfed too many lit reviews)

Avocado Oil

Avocados can be included in the popular Mediterranean Diet as they are high in monounsaturated fats (which have been shown to help lower incidence of major cardiovascular disease by approximately 30% over 5 years in people at high risk for Cardiovascular Disease -CVD-)

But they have a plethora of wonderful components that can help with health!
a) They're loaded with fibre (~25% insoluble; ~75% soluble)
b) They have more potassium than a banana
c) They are the richest fruit source of b-sitosterol (helps with cholesterol and prostate health)
d) They contain a unique ketosugar (Mannoheptulose) which may suppress insulin secretion and promote calorie restriction
e) Oleic acid and Linoleic Acid (improved insulin sensitivity, fasting plasma glucose, blood circulation; may be beneficial in lowering body fat, reducing risk of certain cancers, reducing inflammation, immunomodulatory, help with bone growth, lowers cholesterol respectively)
f) May help reverse liver damage by promoting liver regereration

Olive Oil (Extra virgin)

Olives are also in the Mediterranean Diet. Some people as of late have been a little suspicious of olive oil's benefits but I haven't researched enough to comment during this post. So instead let's focus on the positives (because isn't that what we should all be doing in life anyway?)

a) Extremely high Oleic Acid content (may assist in synthesizing myelin generation to assist in brain function, lowers cholesterol, may increase the expression of genes involved in fat oxidation and so may help with weight loss, reduces activation of TNF-a {an inflammatory marker), alleviates some issues with diabetes and metabolic syndrome)
b) Contributes to increasing free-radical scavengers which contribute to lowering cell damage caused by things like high blood pressure and cancer
c) Potential antithrombotics by inhibiting LDL oxidation and platelet aggregation (aka may reduce risks of vessel/blood clots)
d) May have moderate to but significant reduction in development of colon cancer (potentially attributed to arachidonic acid and PGE2 synthesis)
e) May help reduce risk of breast, ovarian, endometrium, lung, pancras, oro-pharynx cancers (studies are limited)
f) Lowers cholesterol

Coconut Oil

Coconut oil is more or less perceived as the miracle worker in fat world now a days. I'm sure there are plenty more than what I have listed, but here are a few that I found so far.

a) Contains Conjucated linoleic acid (CLA) which has been found to reduce body fat and increase lipolysis
b) Great for peripheral assistance (moisturizer for Hair, & skin due to lipophilic nature is more easily absorbed than water-soluble moisturizers)
c) May improve neuronal survival (aka: help prevent alzheimers)
d) Medium Chain Triglycerides (MCTs) - metabolized quickly (used for energy) rather than stored, may increase total energy expenditure, may reduce appetite by stimulating ketone body production
e) Contains Lauric Acid which may be helpful in preventing infection
f) Improves cholesterol profile (reduces risk of CVD)
g) ?Natural laxative, particularly those with Irritable Bowel Syndrome

So What Do You Do With Them?

These oils are very easy to incorporate into your life. Instead of butter, I use coconut oil. When cooking I use avocado oil (the smoking temperature is higher than olive oil so is better for frying or cooking things in the oven), and with salads I'll often use olive oil.
Try them out! Let me know what you think! :)






References:
-Avila et al. (2015). Avocado oil improves mitochondrial function and decreases oxidative stress in brain of diabetic rats. J Diabetes Res. doi:1155/2015/485759
-Avila et al. (2015). Protective effects of dietary avocado oil on impaired electron transport chain function and exacerbated oxidative stress in liver mitochondria from diabetic rats. J Bioenerg Biomembr, 47(40): 337-53.
-Carvajal-Zarrabel, O. et al. (2014). Effect of dietary intake of avocado oil and olive oil in biochemical markers of liver function in sucrose-fed rats. Biomed Research International, Article ID 595479
-Ippagunta, S. et al. (2011). Dietary conjugated linoleic acid induces lipolysis in adipose tissue of coconut oil-fed mice but not soy oil-fed mice. Lipids, 46(9) 821-30.
-Martin-Moreno, J. (2000). The role of olive oil in lowering cancer risk: is this real gold or simply pinchbeck? J Epidemiology Community Health, 54:726-727.
-Nafar, F, Mearow, KM. (2014). Cconut oil attenuates the effects of amyloid-b on cortical neurons in vitro. K Alzheimers Dis, 39(2): 233-7.
-Visiolo, F, Galli, C. (2000). Olive oil: More than just oleic acid, Am J Clin Nutr, 72(3), 853
-Wang, Li. et al. (2015). Effect of a moderate fat diet with and without avocados on lipoprotein particle number, size and subclasses in overweight and obese adults: a randomized, controlled trial. J Am Heart Assoc.

Ovo-Lacto Ketogenic Waffles

More or less ever since I met a certain lovely British person, I have been following a ketogenic diet. 

I haven't been doing ovo-lacto ketogenic diet for very long (probably about 2 weeks) but I am more or less over the hump that is KetoFlu (or as I call it KetoStorm because hell hath no fury like a hungry, sleep deprived carb-withdrawing woman) and have been in official ketosis for about a week (according to urine tests. yes, ew whatever get over it).

Initially I was miffed about the high fat aspect of it. Given that I tend to troll a lower calorie diet and fat is 9 calories per gram I have more or less avoided that particular macro for a very long time. But once reading a dozen peer-reviewed journals, I bit the bullet and found fat to add in to my diet so that I attain macro requirements. 

I'm a big advocate for HEALTHY fats and don't agree with the majority of the keto people I've come across - I don't agree 5lbs of bacon per day deepfried in whatever people deepfry in is necessarily the best choice long-term for your health. So I focus on coconut oil, olive oil, and avocado oil to my vegetables. I don't eat deep fried anything for that matter.

A big issue with following a ketodiet has been the fact that I'm vegetarian. I eat eggs and dairy, but I HATE eggs. With a passion. Their texture freaks me out so bad. Additionally, I have a certain detestion for protein powder ever since that incident in 2009 when I made a cottage cheese protein powder shake and left it to sit in the summer heat for like 4 hours before drinking it. Who would have thought curdled warm cheese liquid didn't mix well with protein powder (or my GI tract for that matter) ?!

Nevertheless I've been using myfitnesspal obsessively in combination Fitbit HR to ensure I'm not slacking off food and exercise wise.

I am, however, a creature of (bad) habit so calorie counting continues to be something I live by. Calorie Countins is a nightmare and I don't recommend it, particularly if you're obsessed with calculations and numbers.  I spend probably 30% of my day determining calories, net carbs, carbs, fat, protein and workouts in order to come up with some magical ratio that makes me have the feel-goodies on the inside. So... don't count calories if you can help it. Don't do what Donny Don't does.

Obligatory Simpsons reference

To appease the high fat, low carb, low calorie, high protein etc etc etc nonsense, I've scoured the internet for recipes that could make eggs more palatable and protein powder not make me urge from classical conditioning. 

I did find some, but I tend to tweak things to my liking. So without further adeu, here is my somewhat invented delicious but a bit arbitrary recipe for Keto-Waffles!

Ingredients *Makes 7 waffles*

4 eggs (with yolk!)

1 tsp vanilla

1 tbsp baking powder

1/4 cup cookies and cream flavored low-carb whey protein isolate (I use Promasil Rivalus)

3/4 cup almond flour

3 tbsp coconut oil (solid but mushy)

1 tbsp peanut butter (can substitute for any nut butter, this is just all I had in the house)

1/2 cup water (I'm not certain you even need this)

1-2 drops liquid stevia (optional)

Directions

-Using a blender/magic bullet, blend eggs with coconut oil and peanut butter.

-Add protein powder and almond flour + vanilla and stevia. Mix by hand unless you have a big blender (lucky!)

- Add water. Mix some more

- Add Baking powder last. Note that this tends to be clumpy. I'd prefer to blend it but I didn't because I'm stubborn.

- Put in waffle maker. Note if you have a shit waffle maker like me you'll need to leave them in to brown longer than the waffle maker light recommends. They won't get dry at all so leave them in as long as you want for browning purposes (I hate soggy food)

- Top with whatever you want (not added to nutrition breakdown - I like using 1/2 an avocado, OR nut butter)

Nutrition Breakdown (per waffle)

Calories: 130

Fat: 11g

Protein: 8g

Net Carb: 1g

This is the first recipe for keto waffles that I've made which doesn't get dry, and has no proteiny taste. They don't rise all that much but they do taste AMAZING (I'm kind of addicted to them right now), and they taste even better if you store them in your freezer and toaster-oven them as needed. 

Give it a try and let me know what you think! :)

The BodyHoliday - Castries, St. Lucia

The BodyHoliday, Castries St. Lucia

(View of the building where my room was)

When: March of this year (2016)

With: My First Solo Expedition!

Endorsement: None. This blog is just the unpaid me here with my opinions (though if anyone ever wants to pay me to go somewhere and review I will take you up on it SO FAST your head will spin)


St. Lucia has always been on my bucket list as a tropical place way out of my reach/price range. I always thought either there or Turks and Caicos would be somewhere I'd like to go maybe on my honeymoon or something. But given that I'm 28 and not engaged this shit was taking too long, so instead I used the epic stress that is Carms (aka: the Sorting Hat) Residency Release Date as my excuse to spend way too much money on a solo luxury vacation.
I'm a very cautious person when it comes to travel (believe it or not), and so I have never traveled anywhere outside the country on my own with the exception of one rebellious trip to Detroit when I was 15.
After much searching online about which locations and resorts were best for a solo female traveler who was interested in peace and tranquility while also having the option of staying active and eating properly (I'm lacto-ovo vegetarian), and wasn't looking for partying/late nights/getting hit on I determined that BodyHoliday in St. Lucia was the best resort for me. (note: BodyHoliday is an "all-inclusive" resort with options you can buy in addition once you get there).
I think it was an amazing resort to do just that. Basically never did I feel that people were wondering 'oh what's this weird girl doing here alone like a loser'. It's pretty common for them to get solo visitors. I met a whole bunch of them while I was there! The BodyGuard (staff) even facilitate people hanging out and being friends by having get togethers and dinners etc together if that's something you want to do to change things up. And no, it doesn't feel like a night of icebreakers and AA or anything "Hi my name is Angie and I'm a big loser" *Hi Angie*. Its a truly welcoming environment that at the very least is a great opportunity for people watching.

The Location:

It's a long-ass journey from Newfoundland to Castries, St. Lucia. NL -3 1/2hrs-> Toronto -5 1/2hrs->St. Lucia -(12min helicopter or 90min drive)->Castries/BodyHoliday.

The helicopter is extra but after a full day of airports, I really couldn't handle the drive. The roads are very narrow and windy and depending on the time of day traffic can be insane. There's an external company that does helicopters back and forth as long as at least 4 people are registered to be on it, and i strongly recommend it even at least one way so that you can get a mini tour of the island which is something like 95% protected rainforest. The pilots are charming and happy to volunteer information throughout the ride.

The resort itself is breathtaking and just as picturesque in real life as it is in the pictures you'll see on their website Very colonial build and, indeed, the majority of people visiting were from the UK. I was close to alone in my butchering-english accent that comes with living in eastern Canada. The british accents made it all the more charming - who doesn't love that accent??

The age demographic of visitors was surprisingly high... probably an average of 60 years old. The resort apparently has different months for different groups (Solo September for example), and so I'm not sure if this was part of the reason. Regardless, I was happy enough to see that because it meant less people gawking at me on parade in bathing suits, and less insecurities with respect to trying to not party all night with people my own age.
Though there is a Piano Bar open late at night and regardless of what age you think 'old' is, these people can keep you up all hours if you let them! haha

The Spa: 

BodyHoliday has been rated one of the top luxury/spa resorts in the world, and their spa definitely lives up to the expectations. You have one free 50 minute spa trip per day included in your prices, and there are a million others to choose from. I think everyone should do the Deluxe Coconut & Spice Combo... like every day for the rest of their lives. Oh. My God. Better than any of the ones that I paid for. I'm serious. I would live at this spa if I was allowed.

The spa is up a hike of ~75 steps which is engulfed in greenery and passes one of the gyms as well as portions of the Wellfit trail (which, when done with one of the trainers aka BodyGuards is WAY more intense than you expect it will be I don't care how fit you are). There are many steps at this resort so If you are physically unable to do stairs I would be pretty hesitant to recommend this resort.

The staff is marvelous! The women at the front desk of the spa ... well by the end of my week stay I actually hugged one goodbye because she was just the best. She remembered every little thing I said (she even asked me about my residency results when they came out days after I mentioned that was the reason I was there in the first place)!

Indeed, virtually all the staff that work directly with clients (eg., BodyGuards - oh my god I love them all) were the nicest most enthusiastic people that seemed to genuinely love what they did. A lot of them when you ask if theyve ever traveled anywhere they answer "No because why leave paradise when I'm already there?".

The (pretty much unlimited) Activities:

During my week at BodyHoliday I went scuba diving (including my first night dive!), waterfall abseiling,  yoga, taichi, pool volleyball, swimming, Wellfit trail, personal training, as well as lead-and-solo-singing at the piano bar. I by no means even made a dent in the activities available.
Every morning someone writes up a list of all the options for you to do (all-included in your stay). It's almost intimidating how many things there are to keep busy if that's your thing.

Tai Chi!

Before I went, I figured oh it's an all inclusive all these workouts will be niche semi-workouts for hungover people. Wrong. So wrong. These people train olympians. No really.  Don't believe me? Go do the wellfit trail with one of the "bodyguards" (fitness trainers). I have never, since mountain climbing in Peru, felt SO AWARE that I have exercise asthma (and didn't bring my inhaler because I'm an idiot who thinks she's invincible until the moment she's not) after about 2 minutes of this 35-45min workout around the entire grounds where you climb walls made of rope, burpees, balancing acts and high rise tightropes (to name a few of the many things you do). Holy sweet sweaty expletive deleted. And the BodyGuard was SO supportive the whole time. I have never had someone push me and believe in me like that (even if she was probably thinking oh my god why is this unfit lazy girl doing this what is her life). That woman was truly born to be a personal trainer.

At the same time nobody is forcing you or pushing you to do anything. If you want to laze on the beach go for it. Nobody's judging. Though to be honest if that's all you wanted to do on your vacation I don't think I would recommend BodyHoliday. It's easily doable but sort of feels as though it defeats the purpose of attending this particular resort.

Waterfall Rappel/Abseil

Waterfall Rappel/Abseil

The Food:

Deli sample menu
(you can stray all you want from the ingredients, just ask!)

BodyHoliday is known to be a 5-star resort and the food lives up to the name 100%.
Particularly in the buffet for breakfast and lunch, there are SO many vegetarian options and all food is kept indoors in an air conditioned place so I had no discomfort or concerns about getting the dreaded travellers' diarrhea. Indeed this (and Maldives) is the only time I have just eaten whatever I wanted without absolute paranoia. If anyone's going to get sick, it'll be me. And I DIDNT GET SICK!

If you're the super healthy type there is a beachside deli/smoothie/latte bar that custom makes salads, smoothies, juices, wraps, and other amazing delectables pretty much all morning and afternoon. I'm pretty sure the best wrap I've ever had in my life was there. They also have more or less a wall full of freshly baked desserts like cookies, fudge, etc. Ridiculous. And the absolute best part? If you're on the beach or by the pool and you're just that comfortable you can't be bothered to get up, you put up your little red flag and a lovely individual comes and takes your order then delivers it to you. You are seriously treated like royalty. And keep in mind all of that is included in the price of your stay. I'm salivating just thinking about it I'm not even kidding. If I had to pick one thing to go back to St Lucia for it would be for the Beach Side Deli in combination with the beach bed thingy I lid on all damn day like a queen.

Beach Bed Thing.
Heads up - ants are waiting to take your food if you let them.

If that doesn't make you happy then right next to the deli is a guy who custom makes you pizza in a pizza oven. What.

OR if you want a little of a million things you go to the buffet. When I say buffet its not like a buffet at some random mass resort where everyones pushing and shoving like pigs to troughs to get the next deep fried whatever basking in salmonella. The buffets were beautiful in their own presentation. There were chefs available right in front of you to make you whatever you wanted more or less. Personalized omelettes, pancakes and waffles for example.

oh god the breakfast buffet get in me

There is a lot of hype about one particular restaurant at the resort (TAO) and to be honest I wasn't blown away by it. Yes, the food was amazing and tastefully delivered just as you'd expect in a 5-star restaurant (tiny portions, healthy, amazingly delicious, artfully presented, wonderful wine pairing) but it's selection was limited for non-flesh eaters. It did, however have the most wonderful music soundtrack... by that which I mean the sound of the ocean just below. Amazing.

Tao custom made vegetarian meal

Similarly with Cariblou windows. A lovely young gentleman and I visited the second-most fancy a la carte restaurant for my last supper there, and while the food was again beautiful in every way, it really wasn't like... OH MY GOD MY LIFE DEPENDS ON EATING THERE AGAIN.
Give me a series of cold cheeses to choose from on the other hand and I'll be there with bells on (as I was with buffet).

I'm by no means a fancy-food connoisseur so take my opinion with a grain of salt.

The Accommodations (Grand Luxury Ocean Front Room)

(Is that a banana on your bench or are you just happy to see me?

I'll be the first to admit I probably over-splurged with my room. The one that I choice was a very recently renovated, expansive and beautiful room overlooking the ocean (just one story up) with a MASSIVE bathroom big enough for at least two people where you could look out and watch the sunset in your own sea of bubbles if you so desired.
The bed was SO comfortable and (get this) they have a menu for pillows. Do you like foam pillows? Done! Feather? sure! Lying in a sea of puppies? Maybe not... but then again, I didn't ask and the resort was always very quick to politely accommodate any requests.
Since I went alone, I really didn't need all the room! I actually requested stepping down to the next level in order to save some money and use that money to buy more days there, but that unfortunately isn't a thing you can do in the real world. Womp womp.
But the view and the balcony were huge and amazing. Seriously. I used to sit out on my balcony with a glass of cold white wine and watch the sailboats in the mid afternoon when it was too hot for me to want to do anything other than be a beluga whale basking in the world of Castries.

Big enough for two
(if that's what youre into, no judging!)

I did, however, visit the Garden View room (the 'base room', if you will) which was also nice (I personally think the bathroom in Garden View is better than the one that I had). The garden views are more mahogany-based and small-ish but I didn't feel cramped like I was going to get claustrophobic or something. The bathroom is huge. Everything is tastefully decorated throughout. I spent a fair amount of time in my room (relatively speaking) because I enjoy the solitude and the view. But if you plan on spending not that much time in your room really there is nothing wrong with the Garden view. It's not like you're staying in doors to watch tv (there are no tv's in any of the rooms - what are you doing going to st. lucia trying to watch tv, come on man) so who cares? The bed is super comfy, the bathroom is marble-y and everything is kept immaculate by the room cleaning staff. Yolo. One note though is there is no room service in any of the rooms on the resort. So, if that's your thing... it aint gonna happen. Trust me, I asked lol.






Alright, well that's surely long enough to put anyone on the internet to sleep or onward to 9gag, so I'll stop here. But hopefully some of this was of help if you're considering going to BodyHoliday! I think its a wonderful once-in-a-lifetime trip if you like to mix healthy living with cheesecake, and beachside lazing with adventure training all enraptured with a daily free massage.

It would be beautiful to go on solo or with friends or as a couple, but it's definitely NOT the place you go to get wasted and dance to techno.

It's what I would call a 'mature-feeling' resort that appeals to both younger and older individuals who like to appreciate life for what it is, and strive to push yourself to do more and be better.

So I suppose in a weird summary, If you're looking for a potential husband/wife/companion - this is a great place to theoretically find one. But if you're looking for a series of random flings and mornings of "oh god what did I even do last night" than no, this is not the best choice for you.
Different strokes for different folks!

Have you ever been? What did you think? Yay Holidays! I can't wait until my next one :)

Guess Who's Back...

Hi world!

Indie photobomb selfie

Very quick blog before work and then I swear I'll write a catchup one but I wanted to give a heads up this blog might go another way for a bit.
I've been doing some/a lot of traveling with some/a lot more to go this year and I wanted to do some travel blogs.
I've also been following a low-calorie ketogenic ovo-lacto vegetarian diet (yes, that's a thing now) and I wanted to address that as well potentially with some recipes I've been slowly coming up with.

I did, however, finally buy a new stylus for my tablet since my dogs ate my original one so there may be comics in the future.

Right now I'm a bit limited on time for comics because I'm studying for my qualifying exam to graduate med school and start my residency!

Hopefully you guys don't mind the shift from the comedian + gif world (can't say that world is gone completely though because really who are we trying to kid) to Traveling, Food, Medicine and other things wonderful and mature... and I hope to hear from you soon!


xoxoxoxo

-A.

Also, follow me on instagram where I put pics of traveling and food and (obviously) my dogs @p76acw ! (link below and above!)

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