Nutrition: Drinking tart cherry juice daily could help reduce the severity of insomnia and time spent awake after going to sleep, according to a new study published in the Journal of Medicinal Food. In an experiment, adults who drank eight ounces of tart cherry juice in the morning and evening for two weeks reported significant reductions in insomnia severity and saved about 17 minutes of wake time after going to sleep on average. The researchers suspect tart cherries’ natural benefits could be due in part to their relatively high content of melatonin – a natural antioxidant in cherries with established ability to help moderate the body’s sleep-wake cycle. Melatonin is produced naturally by the body in small amounts and it plays a role in inducing sleepiness at night and wakefulness during the day. Cherries may help boost the body’s own supply of melatonin and increase sleep efficiency. Read More…
Summer Salad by HLife Photography
Summer time means beach time, high water-content fruits, lots of alkaline/ionized H2O, and, for sure, even more consumption of DELICIOUS salads!!! This has been my basic summer salad, with some variations here and there. It’s easy to make, taste-alicious, simple and nutrish, so much so that I even take this salad on the go, and savor every bite where ever I am. Read More…
H-Thai Carbonara by HLife Photography
My two fave foods are Italian and Thai. With this dish, they got married in my kitchen – with a Peruvian quinoa theme – and lived happily ever after, in my tummy (until digestion do them part). Quinoa is gluten free, the only whole grain with complete protein, has been featured as an HFood and it comes from my birth country of Peru. I created this recipe with an Italian carbonara intention and a Peruvian flavored palate, then, all of a sudden the thought of Thai food sprouted in my mind. Speaking of sprouted, I used sprouted tofu as our “carbonara egg replacer” part. Soy is not a staple or frequently consumed food in my home, but when we do eat it, whether at home or out, it has to be organic, and in its simple forms like tofu, tempeh or miso. I do not rely on it as my main protein source, but it is present in my plant-based diet in very low and balanced doses. We also make our own nut milks at home, usually from almonds and Brazil nuts, instead of drinking soy milk and we don’t consume highly processed soy foods, so, we don’t have to worry about accumulating large amounts of soy in our diet. Health and nutrition is all about being knowledgeable of how and why you eat certain things. You can read more about the pros and cons of soy in our recent three part allergens “free” series. Read More…
Lentils by HLife Photography
If you are looking for a legume that you don’t have to soak and that cooks super quickly, the amazing lentil is your guy. Legumes are delicious and very high in protein, and they are a life saver when you forgot to soak beans the night before and need to make something nutritious and fast. The trick to their ultimate taste is knowing with what spice and veggies to cook them. Growing up in Lima, Peru (now a world renown culinary destination), I was exposed to a variety of flavorful experiences (we have purple potatoes and endless spices in the forms of peppers that we call “ajis”- so much diversity!), most of which were homemade. This allowed us to enjoy various dishes that included some type of legume (there was always a “menestra del dia” (legume of the day). Because of this, we HLifers are big fans of – and have very high standards for – the flavors of beans/legumes. Lentils just happen to be the ones that transport me back to grandmas house, and so I set out to share this memorable menestra with you. Read More…
Vegan Stuffed Peppers by HLife Photography
Flavor and texture are prime in this Silvie 3.33 version of stuffed bell peppers. Why 3.33? Because I looked through a myriad of recipes to create and perfect this nutritious vegan one, and it turned out divine. If you needed healthy comfort food, look no further – this recipe will do. Healthy, made from scratch, and delicious is our specialty. Let the salivation begin! Read More…
Black Quinoa Salad by HLife Photography
Our HFood for April is quinoa, but at HLife headquarters, this wonderfood is a culinary staple. If you haven’t read this weeks HFood yet, the answer is yes, quinoa does come in black (and also in red), and that’s what we’ll be using in this week’s HKitchen recipe, along with other tints and hues in the form of bright veggies. My mother always said (and still says, even though we’ve heard it a million times) “Colors! For optimal nutrition your dish must be very colorful!” And we still say: “Thank you mommy!” (hug/kiss). The colorful idea is right – what this translates to in the world of food science is that the meal is filled with loads of antioxidants, which are the guys that give the vegetables their pigmentation. Antioxidants prevent free radicals from causing cellular damage and numerous illnesses like Alzheimer’s, diabetes, and many other ailments associated with aging. Antioxidants keep us young, strengthen our immune system, maximize our brain power, and rejuvenate our hearts (and studies have shown that they may even reverse the aging process itself). The key to great health is to maintain the right balance of antioxidants and free radicals. We do this through our food choices, and the only place to get these amazing antioxidants is: The Vegetable Kingdom (of course).
Now, WHO WANTS THIS REJUVENATING SALAD? Read More…
Quinoa by HLife Photography
Growing up in Lima, Peru, quinoa was no stranger to our home. In fact, it was a staple. Whether in soup or as an entree, this “gold of the Incas” was (and still is) for us the golden ticket to endless delicious meals, superb both in taste and nutrition. This is a perfect grain choice for vegans or anyone transitioning into a plant-based diet and worried about protein intake because, if there is one thing that everyone is getting to know about quinoa as it gains popularity in the United States is that this food is a complete protein. Read More…
Radish Sprouts by HLife Photography
The health benefits of sprouts, both medicinally and nutritionally, have been studied for centuries and it is time we made them a household name and a permanent special place in our kitchen adventures. From prevention to treatment of life-threatening diseases, the chemical/molecular composition of sprouts is so impressive, it’s been said by the medical community that sprouts are better for you then the actual full grown produce (veggie/legume/grain/etc..) This is due to people usually discarding the leaf and stem of a veggie, and just eating the flower/floret/produce (end result). In sprouts you will be benefiting from all three – the stem, the flower and the leaf – which equals a packed house full of nutrient density. It is quite possible that, with sprouts, chlorella and bee pollen, we can end world hunger. Read More…
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). Read More…
Various Protein Structures courtesy of Protein Data Bank
Everyone is always concerned with how much protein we eat daily. Through knowledge, understanding, and love we will end this ignorance which has lead to useless fear and unnecessary disease. The frequent question vegans get is: “Are you sure you are getting enough protein?” When we know and understand what protein really is (molecules, not animals), and that quality protein will always reign over quantity protein, then we can then start asking the right questions. After all, what good does it do you to take in a lot of protein if you can’t digest and absorb it or eliminate its waste products? Read More…
