Manga who? Manganese is a lesser-known but essential micromineral that is often confused with magnesium because of their proximity in pronunciation. Manganese comes from the Latin word magnes, which means magnet. This mineral is so special some researchers called it “the love element”. This is not because it is also found in the lining of the heart, but because animals deficient in manganese do not have a connection with their offspring. Manganese is involved in many enzyme systems as an enzyme activator and a component of metalloenzymes (enzymes that contain a metal ion in their structure). It is mostly located in our bones, kidneys, liver, as well as the pituitary and adrenal glands. Did you know that manganese can actually convert into iron? It also helps carry oxygen from the lungs to the cells. Read More…
Antioxidants are a group of unique vitamins and minerals, some manufactured by our body and found in a variety of foods (especially abundant in the Plant Kingdom) that are intimately involved in the prevention of cellular damage from free radicals. Tufts University researchers found that antioxidants can rejuvenate an aging immune system, while other studies suggest their prevention and even reversal of age-related memory loss and mental problems, and they have even been found to aid those suffering from ADHD. In charge of maintaining a healthy balance in our body, antioxidants work in synergy with one another, providing us with a strong defense network against degenerative diseases like heart disease, skin cancer, arthritis, and other inflammatory conditions. Read More…
Did you know that your personal natural medicine cabinet is right in your kitchen? Culinary herbs and spices not only act as added flavor to foods, they can aid in digestion, healing, and health prevention. They can be used to treat problems ranging from bleeding, diarrhea, and headache to heart attacks and acute infections. Some are used to relieve nervousness, spasms and coldness. Most are carminative (prevent and relieve gas), stimulants, and digestive aids. Herbs also have tons of vitamins and minerals, and they actually help improve assimilation of vital nutrients. Mineral-dense herbs are seaweeds (kelp, Irish moss), the docks, and dandelion. Herbs and spices that provide high-content vitamins are parsley leaves, dandelion leaves and alfalfa. Herbs have a huge medicinal value, and they are all sitting in your very kitchen. In the book The Way Of Herbs, Michael Tierra L.Ac., O.M.D. talks about the some of the star culinary herbs that we love and that are usually found in a spice rack or condiment drawer, as well as their commonly known properties and applications: Read More…
Magnesium is an intracellular nutrient and metabolic electrolyte. It’s a very important essential macro-mineral, not only the fourth most abundant mineral in the body, but also involved in several hundred enzymatic reactions, with cardiovascular functions being one of them. Known as the “relaxer” mineral, magnesium is an alkaline earth metal, involved in more the 300 biochemical reactions in the body such as energy production, synthesis of essential molecules, cell signaling and ion transport across cell membranes. This anti-stress mineral is the central component in the “blood” of the plant world just like iron is to our own human blood, because the central atom of the chlorophyll structure is magnesium. I’m in love with it already – aren’t you? Some highlights: Read More…
If you read our Traveling Veg Part 1 article, you got a few tips on how to stay healthy by taking delicious and nutritious meals and snacks on the road. Here, we’re taking travel a step further (or a lot of miles farther) and offering you some tips for when you have to get on a plane. Going abroad means you have to be extra practical when packing as well as extra careful, conscious and creative when you get to your destination. Traveling internationally means being exposed to perhaps entirely different food and climate – which can be both wonderful and exciting, as well as tricky and dangerous. When I visit family in Peru, for example, I have to watch what I eat because, as the family doctor says, “You now have American flora.” This refers to the fact that our bodies encounter a host of new bacteria in foreign foods, microorganisms that we’re not used to in our own foods at home, and we have to take precautions because we definitely don’t want a stomach infection to spoil a great trip.
With all this in mind, here are a few tips for staying healthy while traveling internationally: Read More…
Traveling nationally via car is the most perfect situation when one is a demanding plant-based foodie like me. I can plan and pack all my meals for the next couple of days to ensure pure nutrition and great taste. It’s a win-win situation: We get real cellular nourishment, quality meals, avoid spending money on restaurants that don’t meet my standards, and my husband doesn’t have to endure my complaining about how the majority of restaurants suck. Am I a high-maintenance plant-based foodie? No. I just demand quality, great flavor and real nutrition for my physical body wherever I go. To me, that should be standard. I believe that we all deserve at least that. We just have to demand it, and until it becomes the actual standard, we have to provide it for ourselves. Read More…
Dear HLife: What are the different diets or plant-based food styles?
Dear HLifer: There are many plant-based food styles, with various health benefits. Some of them indicate what you should eat, others what you shouldn’t, others when to eat what, and even others what to eat with what. Let’s explore some of the most popular ones. Read More…
This is the last of our three-part “free” series exploring potential allergens like soy, gluten and dairy. The first part discussed the pros and cons of including in or cutting soy from the diet, the second one was about going gluten-free, and this last article explains why you should/shouldn’t consider cutting eggs, cheese, milk and other dairy products from your nutritional regime. Read More…
This is the second of our ‘free’ series, where we discuss what people are always asking us about: the health safety and allergens of soy, gluten and dairy, and the benefits (or not) of going “free” of them. We covered the pros and cons of eating soy last week, and today, we’re taking a close look at gluten. Next week, we will publish the final part of the series: dairy. Like we said before, there is a lot of information supporting both sides of the coin, and what we have to do is keep in mind how this food will behave in our bodies once we ingest it.
Let’s explore gluten. Read More…
People are always asking questions regarding the health safety and allergens of soy, gluten and dairy. There are lots of information supporting both sides but what we have to pay attention to the details of who said what and why. When it comes to life in general, but specially the foods we choose to put in our bodies, we have to ask ourselves these questions: 1) Do I need this and, if so, for what? 2) Where did it come from and what are its components? 3) What are its benefits (how does it affect me? Will it harm me or benefit me?) And, what happens once its in my body? Read More…
