Bee Pollen by HLife Photography
There are so many different ways of verbally glorifying bee pollen because its just that holistically amazing. It’s a complete food famous since ancient times due to its nutritional properties and medicinal benefits. Throughout centuries, bee pollen has been referred to via a variety of names, among these “the semen of the plant kingdom,” “the original treasure house of nutrition and medicine,” “the ultimate superfood,” and “the proactive life force of the plant world.” My family and I like to refer to bee pollen as “the real gold nuggets.” In Spanish we called them “las pepitas de oro” (seeds of gold). more …
Red Kale by HLife Photography
If you appreciate beauty inside and out, behold…The Kale. Personally, I find it so sexy and graceful-looking. I’ve often though about doing photo-shot wearing kale as a gown. Its external beauty is just the tip of the iceberg, though. It’s a superstar vegetable because, on the inside, its a definite nutritional powerhouse. more …
Ahh, the famous apple. From bringing down the Garden of Eden to keeping the doctor away…pretty powerful little fruit, wouldn’t you say? Today, let’s explore the apple’s micro-universe to see why it is so great for our own micro-universe. From reducing risks of some cancers, cardiovascular disease, asthma and diabetes overall to lowering risk of heart attack by 32% by eating one a day, studies find apples’s benefits are plentiful. Personally, with a particular apple derivative, I’m like the dad in the movie Big Fat Greek Wedding: Apple cider vinegar (and aloe vera) is my “Windex” – I apply it to all kinds of things and, let me tell you, it works. more …
Chlorella, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways. Seriously… totally in love, with this green algae. Chlorella is a truly amazing natural superfood – whole, pure, and complete. I have to say it again and shout out to the world: I AM IN LOVE, IN LOVE, IN LOVE…”Chlorella, you had me at richest-source-of-chlorophyll-of-any-other-plant-on-the-planet-and-available-for-human-consumption.” more …
Image by Jesse Wight
We’ve noticed that cashews have kind of a bad rep (”too much fat”,) but it is only because no one knows its components and the great benefits these can provide. We also had a misconception about them until we researched and learned about their health benefits. In vegan and raw cuisine, cashews are a must. They gives food a dairy-like texture, and sometimes taste, when mixed with the right ingredients. When we make vegan cheese, the best one is made out of cashews. OK, so we all know they taste great, but lets learn more about this cream kidney-shaped nut.
History: The cashew tree is native to the coastal areas of Northeastern Brazil. From South America, cashews were brought to India by the Portuguese in the late 16th century. From there, they were introduced to Asia, Africa, and later to Australia. The Tupi name acaju became caju in Portuguese and cashew in English. Commercial cashew plantations in tropical America didn’t start until the 20th century. more …
Pumpkins are the talk of the town during the holidays…at least in my mind. We love this deep orange fall vegetable for so many reasons. Pumpkins have what we call: “the whole package”. This festive vegetable is decorative (external features/looks) and cooked (internal features/substance) in a variety of tasty and healthy ways for everyone to enjoy and make all sorts of weird noises from pumpkin-induced pleasure for, because – its just that great! more …
Whoever created spinach in the vegetable kingdom was not kidding around. Those beautiful green leaves mean serious health business. Whichever way you eat them, they are tasty, nutritious, and versatile. I love me some spinach daily! And for Maryl, they have replaced lettuce in salads. In fact, here at HLife we’d like to dedicate Aretha Franklin’s song “Respect” to this amazing veggie! more …
If there is a tomato to glorify, look no further: the brandywine heirloom tomato is it, folks! This explosion of rich tomato flavor will put your taste buds into overdrive. It is the sweetest of the heirloom family of tomatoes, and I have been buying it every week at my local organic farmers market.
History: This variety dates back to the late 1800s and is regarded as one of the world’s finest flavored ‘beefsteak’ tomatoes ever offered and a fine representative of the heirloom family. The Brandywine’s thin skin prevented it from being shipped long distances, thus it was not widely grown commercially. Check with your local organic farmer for availability. Delivering 50 percent of the domestic crop, Florida supplies the marketplace with Brandywines from October through June. California Brandywines are available May through December and Mexico contributes to the supply January through April. more …
