“Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the Lord God is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation.”
~Isaiah 12:2
Avocado & Tomato Wrap
This is a very simple and easy to make recipe. This is the recipe for an Avocado Wrap.
You need:
Flour tortilla (I prefer whole wheat four)
One avocado
One tomato
Onion (chop a little)
Lemon (squeeze a little half a lemon or less)
Salt and pepper to taste.
Peal the avocado and press it with a fork smash a little (leave some chunky pieces on the avocado for texture. Add chop the tomato and add to the avocado, add the onion, the lemon and salt and pepper to taste and put on your tortilla and wrap it. Enjoy it!
This is a quick and easy recipe to make, yet is healthy. I can have this for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
“Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the Lord God is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation.”
“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
~Philippians 4:13
There are foods that remind me of beautiful moments in time. Ginger is one of those foods for me. Ginger always brings me good memories; the taste of it, the smell of it, the all of it. It brings me back to my childhood times when my mother used to wake up very early in the morning to go to work, and used to wake me up with her. I of course did not want to wake up, but once I had my ginger tea, I would feel it was the best morning ever…and I felt like that every time I had my ginger tea. I liked the tingling heat and the sweetness after the heat. At such age, as an early consumer, I was not aware of its health benefits.
Health Benefits of Ginger Root:
Alleviating symptoms of gastrointestinal distress – regarded as an excellent carminative
Soothes the intestinal tract
Antioxidant effects – ability to inhibit the formation of inflammatory compounds
Contains very potent anti-inflammatory compounds called gingerols
Helps prevent the symptoms of motion sickness
Has been used to treat nausea and vomiting associated with pregnancy (please check with your doctor first)
People with osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis experience reductions in their pain levels and improvement on mobility when they consume ginger regularly
This information about the health benefits of ginger is taken from: The Encyclopedia of Healing Foods by Michael Murray N.D. and Joseph Pizzorno N.D.
“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
~Romans 8:28
Cloves
As we continue the series of what to have in your pantry, clove is another spice that is always in my kitchen. I love the smell of clove, but once again the most important about this food is the health benefits.
Health Benefits of Cloves:
Cloves contain an active compound called eugenol, which shows benefits on the prevention of digestive tract cancer; and treatment for joint inflammation.
It also helps with bad breath (Chew a couple of cloves for a fresh breath instead of chewing gum which damages your teeth
It has anesthetic and antibacterial properties.
This information about cloves is taken from: The Encyclopedia of Healing Foods, by Michael Murray N.D. and Joseph Pizzorno N.D.
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
“May the Lord give strength to his people! May the Lord bless his people with peace!”
~Psalm 29:11
Anise seeds
Here is a thing about Anise. It helps expel gas (carminative effect). Anise has others health benefits such as antimicrobial properties, which help prevent the growth of fungi and bacteria.
***Very important: Anise seeds and Star Anise are not the same thing. Star Anise cannot be given to infants.
“For I know the plans I have for you, ‘declares the Lord’, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
~ Jeremiah 29:11
Yesterday I wrote about cayenne pepper. Today it’s about cinnamon. Cinnamon is one of the spices that, in my house, we cannot live without. We use it on hot chocolate and on tea as it enhances the taste. I personally love the cinnamon smell. But the best thing that cinnamon offers is not the taste or the nice aroma, it’s the health benefits that it provides.
These are some of the healthy benefits of Cinnamon:
A sedative for smooth muscle
Circulatory stimulant
Carminative (helps relive flatulence)
Digestant (aids digestion)
Anticonvulsant
Diaphoretic (helps induce perspiration)
Diuretic (helps increase the passing of urine)
Antibiotic (a natural antibiotic)
Anti-ulcerative
It’s pretty likely that you already have cinnamon in your pantry. If not, make sure you get it next time you go food shopping.
I took this information from the book that I’m currently re-studying called The Encyclopedia Of Healing Foods by Michael Murray N.D. and Joseph Pizzorno N.D. I’ve had this book for a few years and I am revisiting it as it’s full of valuable information about healthy foods. I will be sharing healthy bite size information from this book with you.
“For I know the plans I have for you, ‘declares the Lord,’ plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
This morning I woke up at five in the morning as usual. I made my veggie juice and prepared breakfast. Great! that was part of the plan. When I came home this evening, I had dinner. I did not make my veggie juice right away, as I wanted some time space between dinner and the juice.
I then started playing with my baby (he is a toddler already). He wanted mom’s attention and after not seeing him during the day, it was only fair that we had some us time before his bedtime. We had some quality time and then he asked for milk and we headed to bed. As usual I stayed by his side until he fell asleep…and then I fell asleep too.
My body did not want to get up to make the veggie juice. I did not want to get up. But then I heard my inner voice telling me “get up and make your veggie juice.” And just like that, I got up, walked myself to the kitchen and made my carrot, celery, apple and lemon juice. I am so glad I did. I almost did not make it, but my inner voice told me to and I knew it was the right thing to do. I’m glad I listened to my inner voice. When you know immediately it is the right thing to do, listen to your inner voice.
Excuse me Nike if this phrase has been trade marked. My produces were delivered from Whole Foods this morning. Immediately I got in the kitchen and cleaned my carrots, celeries, apples, etc. Right after cleaning my produces, I prepped my veggie juice and drank it. There was not much thinking; I just did it.
I know healthy eating is part of healthy living. I don’t have to overthink these things…making, drinking vegetable juices. I feel good when I drink them. I know my body is super happy when I drink them. If my organs could speak and make gestures, I could imagine my digestive system, my kidney, my liver, my lymphatic system, smiling and saying “yes! this is what I need!”
Then why do I sometimes overthink drinking my veggie juice? I know part of it is that my palate craves the processed foods over the whole foods. But I also know that when I have my produces ready in my fridge; when I prep my veggies in advance and they are ready to go in the blender or the juice extractor at any time, it’s much easier for me to just make the juice and drink it. If I have to clean the veggies each time I have to make a healthy veggie juice, there will be a lesser chance of me making the juice. So I’ve discovered that cleaning all the veggies before placing them in the fridge, will increase my chances of being successful on drinking, and eating my veggies. Because when I come home tired, I have less steps to take to make my healthy drink.
Planning and prepping are keys to have execution. When execution happens, success is achieved. Then just repeat the process each time.
Hello beautiful people – I hope you’ve had a beautiful day. When I opened my fridge today, I found this gorgeous green and crispy kale in it. My appetite opened up. I took the whole thing and prepared me this bowl of kale-Avocado salad. I ate the whole bowl at once. I know that my digestive system is thanking me for that; Kale has digestive enzymes which helps make digestion nice and easy.
Kale is an excellent source of carotenes, vitamin C, vitamin B6, and manganese. It is a very good source of dietary fiber, as well as many minerals, including copper, iron, and calcium. In addition it is a very good source of vitamins B1, B2 and E
Kale is an anticancer food and that makes it one of my favorite foods to eat — not because of the taste but because of what it does to your body. Remember we eat for proper nutrition, not just for taste. Kale has chlorophyl which allows the blood to transport oxygen to the cells, and brain in our body.
Oxygen is good for your body’s natural beauty. Eating foods rich in chlorophyl such as kale and breathing properly will help us obtain the oxygen we need in our body. All of your organs in your body and most of your cells need oxygen to function properly. So do yourself a favor breath in/out deeply and consume foods that are rich in chlorophyl.
Do you now have a good reason to eat your greens, and specially to eat your Kale?
I just got my Vitamix! I had wanted to get one for quite some time and I am excited that I finally got it. Good quality kitchen tools are an investment for health. I was able to prepare my smoothies in a regular blender. But the reason I got a Vitamix is so that I can take making delicious healthy foods to the next level. With my Vitamix, I will now be able to blend harder veggies like beets and carrots, which can’t be done in a regular blender. It comes with a seven-year warranty, a binder-book recipe, a manual, a dvd, and a book recipe with recipes from master chefs at the Culinary Institute of America.
I have said before that my kitchen is my laboratory where I prepare healthy foods. I also find a special enjoyment when I make my own meals. I prepare my meals with love and in addition to all the healing properties that the products I use may have, my meals also have the love I put in it. I believe love is a key ingredient on any meal.
I left work at around 11:30pm, Tuesday night, June 17th. I took my usual E train and as usual got off on 42nd and 8th Ave. As usual, I then take the bus and go straight home to West New York. But this time I did not go straight home. I was hungry and so I walked to Kodama sushi, my favorite sushi restaurant. Unfortunately (or fortunately I should say), Kodama sushi was already close. But I was hungry and determined to find a place where I could eat something healthy and delicious at the same time.
I know that as a healthy eater, eating close to your bedtime is not ideal and definitely not recomended. I regularly try to have my last meal three to four hours before my bedtime, however not tonight. Tonight I was hungry and wanted to eat. Since Kodama sushi was closed, it’s not like I had many options at this hours of the night (it was past midnight), but then again, I was in New York City—the city that never sleeps. I stepped into Iron Bar. Many times before I have passed by this place, yet I had never attempted to go in, but tonight I did. They serve food until 2 am. Yes, I know we are into healthy eating and not eating very late, but sometimes we eat late.
What was so special to me about this place, was that as soon as I walked in, Pierro, the host was so naturally hospitable. I am very critical of hospitality as it is my field of expertise. Pierro handed me a menu; I took a look at the options. I noticed that among their selection of dishes, they had some salads and gourmet pizza with smoke salmon. I wanted to eat some fish (that’s why I had originally headed to Kodama sushi), but I definitely did not want to eat pizza, especially at this late hours. So I asked Pierro if they could do a salad for me with the smoke salmon. Pierro very kindly asked me which salad did I want and he even suggested one of the options—the beet salad.
Once I decided to go with his suggestion, he then introduced me to Jason, the restaurant manager. He asked Jason if they could make a special order for me. Jason shared this was the first time they were making this change (the salmon is only used on the pizza with smoked salmon), however, he did not hesitate and immediately sought to make the special order—the beet salad with the smoked Salmon. Jason then had a server assist me to a table. When I received my salad, I was not disappointed. They exceeded my expectations. This is one of the best salads I’ve ever eaten. I also enjoyed the ambience of Iron bar; it is very inviting. The décor is an open floor plan with tall windows; wide doors that make you feel the outdoor is part of the indoor, and high ceiling. On the bar side, it has a series of TVs aligned for sports fans.
Thank you to the team at Iron Bar for accommodating my needs, to Pierro in particular for giving me such a warm welcome when I walked into the place. I for sure will be back.
