AVOCADO: Do not let the “high” fat content of avocados deter you from eating this fantastic fruit. In fact, the healthy monounsaturated oil in avocado will help you feel satiated after a meal and signal your body to burn more fat stores, as well as lower your bad cholesterol and raise your good cholesterol! Avocado also helps lubricate your intestines and assists in regulating your elimination cycles. Avocados are grown, and consumed, throughout the Americas

The fruit bowl is a beautiful thing, especially when it’s laden with some of my favorites—pineapples, papayas, and the supersexy mango, or the intoxicatingly wonderful passion fruit. We are so lucky to now have access practically year-round to tropical fruit like the kind I grew up with in my native Cuba. There’s a whole wide world of fruit, all with different medicinal and tasty powers. Take cherimoya (the custard apple), for example. This tropical, heart-shaped, dinosaur-skinned fruit has a flesh—and texture reminiscent of honey, pineapple, and banana. It’s an excellent source of vitamin C, a good source of vitamin B₆ (which has nerve calming benefits), as well as calcium, iron, manganese—which helps activate some enzymes—and potassium, which helps regulate blood pressure. Compare that with a bowl of chips! Seriously, as in the case of any kind of eating, variety is key; don’t be afraid to try some of those tropical fruit treats.