You hear constantly: Canadians and Americans need to eat more fruits and vegetables; teens are eating less fruits and vegetables than at any other time in history; heart disease is at its highest levels, etc…

Why do you really need all those fruits anyway? Fruits and veggies are plentiful sources of vitamins and minerals (and water), but, more importantly, they are phytonutrient powerhouses. Phytonutrient rich foods offer essential antioxidant and detoxifying benefits to you. Because your body can easily digest fruits and veggies, you’re better able to assimilate those vitamins and minerals. The easier you are able to assimilate those vitamins and minerals, the quicker they will benefit your skin and add a boost to your anti-aging skincare regime.

Ok, so you’re on vacation in Italy (my personal Mecca) or the south of France or Barcelona (Spain) or on the Greek Island of Mykonos or on the Coast of Portugal and you stop a few people and ask them (in their respective language) about their intake of lycopene. Chances are, you’ll get a weird look. Now if you take out your bilingual dictionary and look up the words “tomato” and “cooked tomatoes” and ask these same people about local dishes prepared with fresh tomatoes and cooked/baked tomatoes, you’ll be greeted with a warm smile and possibly an invitation to a nice home cooked meal.

In Canada, the media has recently been talking about the importance of including lycopene-rich foods in your anti-aging regime. But ask any European who eats a Mediterranean diet and they’ll tell you that lycopene is as much a part of their day to day as extra virgin olive oil.

I’m not even going to start suggesting the thousands of different ways you can increase your weekly intake of lycopene-rich foods because there has to be at least 10,000 different tomato base dishes out there. Lycopene might just be the easiest anti-aging power food to add to your anti-aging regime. If you’re not partial to tomatoes, you’ll be happy to know that lycopene can also be found in guava, grapefruit, watermelon and red oranges (who knew a glass of sangria could be that good for you?).

On a more serious note, a number of studies suggest that lycopene can cut the risk of gastrointestinal tract cancers by 30 to 60 per cent. Research also shows that lycopene can decrease men’s risk of prostate cancer by 21 per cent.

Don’t skimp on your tomatoes, they’re good for you!

More on lycopene. Here’s another good read on lycopene.

Did you know that an avocado is a fruit and not a vegetable?

In Canada and in America, we can buy a few different types of avocados. The Fuerte variety of avocados produces larger, smooth, pear-shaped, glossy green fruits with a skin that remains green even when ripped. You cannot find the Fuerte type year round, but you’ll have most chances of finding it in West Indian markets, Brazilian and Latino markets in major cities. The Haas is the type of avocado most commonly found in North America. The Haas is easily recognized by its small to medium pear-shaped, pebbled green fruits that turn blackish-green when ripe.

Avocados are bursting with Anti-Aging Power!

Avocadoes are high in monosaturates (good fats!). The oil content of avocados is second only to olives among fruits, and sometimes greater. A number of clinical studies in humans have shown that avocado oil can reduce blood cholesterol.

A few other reasons to make avocado part of your diet: This rich and tasty fruit provides more than 25 essential nutrients such as protein, potassium (in fact avocados contain 60 per cent more potassium per ounce than bananas), vitamin E, C, B-vitamins, folic acid, iron, copper, phosphorus and magnesium, just to name a few. Avocados also provide calories for energy and beneficial phytochemicals such as beta-sitosterol, glutathione and lutein.

The best way to eat an avocado in my opinion is to slice it, sprinkle salt, pepper and a drizzle of olive oil. If you pair that with a nice baguette…it makes for an enjoyable and light lunch. You can also add avocados to your mesclun mix salads.

Guacamole (Mexican avocado dip) is surely the most popular way to eat avocadoes in Canada and in America. For a more adventurous take on the avocado, I’ll borrow a recipe from a Moroccan friend of Muslim faith. He would always break his Ramadan fast with a fruity shake to prepare his stomach for his first meal of the day, which usually came after sunset. I have to confess, the first time he presented me with a glass of avocado shake, I was almost insulted by the idea of pureeing and adding milk to such a noble fruit, but one sip and I was sold. The avocado shake is a rich, creamy, sugary and delicious way of including avocados to your anti-aging regime. If you’re interested in trying an avocado shake, simply choose your favourite shake recipe and substitute the banana for an avocado!

Click here to find out more information on the health benefits of the avocado fruit.

Click here to read more on the nutritional breakdown of the avocado.

Read more on the different varieties of avocado.