The Real Meal Salad By HLife Photography
When a salad is 80% of your meal – a portion from which we are expected to get loads of vitamins, minerals, complex carbs, phytonutrients, a variety of amino acids and good fats – a few leaves with two wheels of veggies on top just won’t cut it. My expectations are higher, and I aim to succeed in nourishing my body with the proper nutrients in order to maintain my optimal physical health. One of my pet peeves is what I call “petty” salads. This is the salad that is mostly made up of some leaves (for fluff), a couple of tomato wheels (if we are lucky to get more than one), a cucumber slice and one thin ring of onion chopped in half, or maybe a couple of carrot shavings. Not only is this a weak attempt at a salad, it is unfortunately a sad reality that most of us get served when out to dinner at a restaurant (or let’s be honest, at many persons’ dining tables). That needs to change. Although my salads are always nutrient dense, in this hearty, real meal salad, I decided to focus on antioxidant count, protein density and iron absorption in particular. Let’s do this. more …
Smoothie by HLife Photography
When we talk about a powerful nutrient-dense meal to start out your day energy-fueled and mentally prepared, we call upon: Our ultimate smoothie. And, yes, this smoothie is also the perfect replenish-and-repair drink to have after a great workout, filled with nourishment for your body and mind. Because breakfast is the most important meal of the day, the one that will kick start, support and carry out the performance of your mind and body, this ultimate smoothie is the perfect candidate for the job. In the morning, we must be sure to provide our mind and body with enough of the right nutrients to generate cellular energy, handle stress, and ensure efficient work performance, communication and understanding with the external and your own internal world. So, the focus of this smoothie is cellular and brain (mind) nutrition. Let’s get started: more …
Raw Granola by HLife Photography
Breakfast is the most important meal that get your day started. We always have a very nutrient-dense vegan-raw smoothie in the morning, but we also need variety. Cereal in a box with “fortified” synthetic stuff (or granola with added sugar) makes me think of Soilent Green. Has anyone seen that movie? Well, not on my clock will I ever consider breakfast, something that hasn’t been freshly prepared by my hands or feed my unborn children jokes like sugar-coated breakfast from a cardboard container.
I can live without the cereal and milk combo for breakfast forever because I believe the body needs more nutrients than the few contained in that to create cellular energy for the day. That is also why I don’t drink – or need – coffee. But my husband, from time to time, has these mental associations of cereal/milk breakfast (from childhood, I guess, and he doesn’t drink cow’s milk, ’cause he is a human, not a calf) and I have to give him a nutritionally dense alternative to prevent him from coming home with some box of cereal and vegan milk (also from a box). Box, box, box… CRAZY. SAY “YES” TO WHOLE, FRESH FOODS. The best foods for human consumption hands down are living foods. In the morning, we need a balanced blend of complex carbohydrates, quality protein, and good fats in order to make cellular energy, combined with plenty of minerals, vitamins, antioxidants, etc. So I came up with a Rawnola (raw granola) that meets our nutritional requirements optimally, and that also happens to be gluten-free and delicious. It’s very easy to make, as long as you have a dehydrator and food processor (standard equipment for a vegan-raw kitchen). more …
Vegan Raw Yam Nut Burger by HLife Photography
The all-American favorite: The burger. In Peru, I was brought up eating meals that almost always consisted of soup, salad, and some sort of entree (usually accompanied by rice) that was not encased in bread – and I loved it. I married an amazing American man who is not into grilling (one of the reasons why he is perfect for me), but he does like a mean ole sandwich (or vegan burger) with the works from time to time. He used to want to buy those veggie burgers that come in a box, but after tasting these raw yam-nut burgers, his answer to boxed burgers was: “Never again.” more …
Fruit Salad by HLife Photography
In the detoxing spirit of January, we thought we would remind you of a great breakfast option and its benefits: fruit salad. Fruits are always best in the morning because of their fructose (natural sugar) content that gives us the energy we need (instead of getting a quick pick-me-up from acid-forming caffeinated coffee) slowly, because their fiber makes the breakdown process slow down. Fruits are rich in antioxidants, water, vitamins, and minerals. Their high water and fiber content makes them very cleansing for the body. The difference between fruit salads depends on the fruit combination, how well it is mixed, and if the produce is organic. I’m 150% convinced that organic produce tastes way better then conventional, and since the purpose of eating is NUTRITION, we definitely prefer the organic stuff rich in nutrients versus the nutrient-depleted conventional produce. (Refer to our Why Organic? post) more …
Image by Jesse Wight
This year and from here on, HKitchen will be featuring more RAW recipes to keep our cells nourished and young with antioxidant-rich veggies and our bodies slim from the intestine-cleansing veggie fiber! When we are making raw meals, it is extremely important that your veggies are organic. Because of the guidelines by which it is farmed, organic produce has a huge amount of nutrients, as nature intended, unlike the nutrient-depleted conventional produce filled with pesticides and the even worse genetically modified fossil fuel-based produce, like conventional corn and soy. So, be sure to support organic farmers as much as you can. Also when eating raw foods, always remember to chew your foods thoroughly. The purpose of chewing is to break down the cell walls of the veggies, which contain their own enzymes for better digestion, solar/photon energy captured by photosynthesis, and all the amazing nutrients needed on a molecular level – all ready. We can have access to all this amazing nutrition (in the true meaning of the word) by chewing very well and using our teeth as a powerful tool for breaking food down. As you chew, your will also release your own enzyme in your saliva, called amylase. Amylase stars digestion of carbohydrates (it only breaks down carbohydrates, not proteins or fats) and converts starch and glycogen into simple sugars. So chew lots and buy organic. Now, let’s go experience some nutrition and great flavor!! more …
