What is the most reproductive part of a tree? What is the fattiest fruit on the Earth even fattier than olives? You guessed it, Avocados.
Like olives, these odd looking fruits, called alligator pears because of their shape and bumpy green skin, are an incredibly concentrated source, of good for you, monounsaturated fat.
The dark skinned, rough textured California grown variety (Hass) is fattier than the smooth skinned, bright green Florida grown variety.
The avocado contains more soluble fiber and protein than any other fruit.
And half a medium avocado provides more potassium than a banana.
Avocadoes can lower your cholesterol despite their fat, or because of it.
You can slash your risk of a heart attack by more than one third just by replacing five per cent of your calories from saturated fat (think of butter or cheese) with monounsaturated fat.
The kind of monounsaturated fat found in avocados.
That is, according to researchers.
An added benefit, avocados are also high in beta-sitosteral, a plant sterol (also found in cholesterol lowering margarines, such as Benecol) that blocks the absorption of cholesterol from food, and the anti-cancer compound glutathione, a very powerful antioxidant.
(sorry for all of strange words but they were necessary-it is, what it is.
) Use avocados to replace other fat source in your diet, not to add to them.
How to use and what is enough? At about two hundred and twenty seven calories per Hass avocado, a little goes a long way.
Cut an avocado into five pieces and enjoy one piece for just forty five calories.
That amounts to about half the calories of a tablespoon of mayonnaise and much more healthy.