The Joy of Avocados

I cannot get enough of avocados. I consider them the chocolate of the vegetable (oh! I mean fruit) world, not only because of the enjoyment I derive from both foods, but because their textures and flavors suggest each other. Apparently, I'm not the only one who sees a connection between chocolate and avocados, as I just found a recipe for a chocolate-avocado shake and avocado-chocolate truffles.

As I child, I disliked them immensely, but somewhere along the way, my taste buds changed, and I came to appreciate the subtlety of the flavor, and I adore the texture.

As previously documented, I enjoy them halved and pitted, filling the divot with lemon juice and olive oil and topping it off with a sprinkling of salt.

We now know that "green gold" is rife with health benefits.

I'm starting to witness some beauty benefits too.

I read an amusing anecdote a few months ago that dogs that live on avocado farms have bright and shiny coats. I am now finding that my hair, which is thin and used to break all the time even though I never ever styled it, now survives the most robust styling - blowdrying on hot followed by the flat iron - with nary a split end in sight. I'm starting to think it might be the four avocados I eat per week.

And they say that the fat in avocados contributes to elasticity of the skin.

Eating avocadoes as the fountain of youth? I'm all for it.