Cucumber in the Sea

Hey guys

Nothing is better than fresh seafood and in Singapore, if you're able to rise early, there are "wet" markets just for you. These "wet" markets are basically markets that sell fresh produce. Meat, vegetable, seafood and many other things. As the produce are all fresh, by 9 am most of the items are sold and the market starts to wrap up.

One such item is the Sea Cucumber. It is shaped like a cucumber (hence the name) and is an animal (not a vegetable) found in all seas of the world, at all depths and usually lying on the bottom on one flattened side. Their tubular bodies are rubbery without bony skeletons. Some of the larger species are delicacies in this part of the world. When cooked, it is soft, cartilaginous, almost transparent and absorbs the flavors of the sauces it is cooked with.

The Chinese name Hai Shen translates roughly into "Sea Ginseng" and it has been used for years as a treatment for arthritis. Sea Cucumbers contain substances known as mucopolysaccharides and chondroitins, which are often lacking in people with arthritis and connective tissue disorders. In addition, they provide vitamins A, B1 (thiamine), B2 (riboflavin), and B3 (niacin), and C, as well as minerals calcium, iron, magnesium, and zinc.

Western medicine is successfully using Sea Cucumber to treat Rheumatoid Arthritis, Osteoarthritis, Ankylosing Spondylitis, and connective tissue disorders. Australia has approved the use of sea cucumber as an over-the-counter treatment for arthritis and the Japanese have a patent using sea cucumber chondroitin sulfate for HIV therapy.

Isn't it amazing what a little animal lying on the bottom of the ocean can offer.

AlejandroQ.

Coming to you from Singapore

Hey guys

Over the next couple of weeks, I will be blogging to you from sunny Singapore. My friend will be there and has kindly agreed to write from the little island in South-East Asia.

Singapore is country with a diverse population, 77% Chinese, 14% Malay, 8% Indians and 1% Eurasians and people of other descent. Hence, the language and cuisine is a mixture of the different people and culture. The official languages are Malay, Mandarin, Tamil and English.

In the coming days, I hope to share with you some of the foods and activities that the people enjoy and engage in.

AlejandroQ

Memorial Day

Hey guys

I would like to offer my prayers and best wishes to all the men and women serving in the military, as well as to their families, this Memorial Day.

God bless and protect all of you!

AlejandroQ

Beef Jerky

Hey guys

When it comes to beef jerky, it seems that this snack may not be as bad as most of us believe it to be. This was recently highlighted in a Men’s Health article “Genius Junk Food”. Here’s what they say.

Why you think it's bad: It's unhealthy meat that's loaded with preservatives.

Why it's not: Beef jerky is high in protein and doesn't raise your level of insulin – a hormone that signals your body to store fat. That makes it an ideal between-meals snack, especially when you're trying to lose weight. And while some beef-jerky brands are packed with high-sodium ingredients, such as MSG and sodium nitrate, chemical-free products are available. If you have high blood pressure, check the label for brands that are made from all-natural ingredients, which reduce the total sodium content.

Eat this: Gourmet Natural Beef Jerky (available at americangrassfedbeef.com). It has no preservatives and is made from lean, grass-fed beef. Research shows that, unlike grain-fed products, grass-fed beef contains the same healthy omega-3 fats found in fish.

So, maybe it’s time to pick up those sticks and chew away!

AlejandroQ

Decaffeinate Your Workout

Hey guys

I read an interesting article recently in Men's Health about caffeine and working out. Here's what they say.

Coffee could deliver more of a jolt than you'd expect. Swiss scientists recently determined that caffeine decreases bloodflow to the heart during exercise by as much as 39 percent. Normally, as a person's activity level increases, coronary arteries expand to let in more oxygen-carrying blood.

But that process was inhibited when study participants consumed 200 milligrams of caffeine — the amount in 2 cups of coffee — about an hour before working out. Although the caffeine didn't harm the healthy study participants, lead researcher Philipp Kaufmann, M.D., suggests avoiding it for 4 to 5 hours before exercise if you have a family history of heart disease.

So it seems if you have a family history of heart disease, it may be a good idea to avoid coffee or other caffeinated drinks before you exercise.

AlejandroQ

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY

To all mothers out there (and especially my mom)

HAPPY AND BLESSED MOTHERS DAY!

Thank you for your love and support all these years!

AlejandroQ

Molto Pesto

Hey guys

Pesto is an Italian sauce, generally attributed to the Liguria region of Northern Italy, specifically the city of Genoa (pesto alla Genovese). It has been known, in various forms, since Roman times, and probably originated in North Africa.

Today, pesto is commonly prepared with basil (Pra’s Basil for the original pesto alla Genovese), garlic, salt, pine nuts, olive oil and Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. The sauce did not originally contain basil, however. Instead, cheese and olive oil were the main constituents. It is commonly used on breads and pasta, though its use is not restricted to these; the sauce is highly versatile. In commercial pesto, cashew nuts are often used instead of pine nuts, as they are cheaper and have a similar texture. In addition, the Parmigiano is often replaced by cheaper varieties of cheese, such as Grana Padano or Pecorino Romano.

It can also be used in salads too. Have you ever tried it with egg whites? It’s really yummy! It also tastes good with chicken breast and on hamburgers. My light pesto sauce is really low in calories and I have created several variations of it. These include my spinach pesto, my green collard pesto and of course, my famous sun-dried tomato pesto. On my JOE DIANGELO SALAD, I use my light basil pesto. You can read more about that here.

It's amazing how a simple sauce has so many possibilities and applications.

AlejandroQ

Hot Healthy Bell Peppers

Hey guys

Have you ever watched the Iron Chef and see the host take a bite out of a fresh pepper just like it was an apple?
A wonderful combination of tangy taste and crunchy texture, bell peppers are the Christmas ornaments of the vegetable world. With their beautifully shaped exterior, they come in a wide array of vivid colors.

So, want to add some color to your healthy lifestyle? Brightly colored bell peppers, whether green, red, orange or yellow, are rich sources of some of the best nutrients available. To start, peppers are excellent sources of vitamin C and vitamin A (through its concentration of carotenoids such as beta-carotene), two very powerful antioxidants. These antioxidants work together to effectively neutralize free radicals which can travel through the body causing huge amounts of damage to cells.

Free radicals are also major players in the build up of cholesterol in the arteries that leads to atherosclerosis and heart disease, the nerve and blood vessel damage seen in diabetes, the cloudy lenses of cataracts, the joint pain and damage seen in osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, and the wheezing and airway tightening of asthma. By providing these two potent free radical destroyers, bell peppers may help prevent or reduce some of the symptoms of these conditions by shutting down the source of the problem.

Some other health benefits of the bell pepper are the
1. Protection against rheumatoid arthritis
2. Reduce risk of cardiovascular disease and several cancers
3. Protection against emphysema

In the photo above, you can see how beautiful they look on a plate. But now you also know that they are not just for decoration. Sometimes, I will grill them for about 4 to 5 min, each side, and then serve them atop a chicken breast. Awesome taste…and looks great, too!

My apologies for the slight delay in getting this article up, I’ve been really busy recently.

Thank you all and God bless you

AlejandroQ.

Say No to Steroids

Hey guys

Although this is a very controversial topic, my friend and I decided to come out with this T-shirt to make a clear statement:

Say No To Steroids T-shirt

Anabolic steroids (AS) no doubt are effective in enhancing athletic performance. However, there are trade-offs, BIG TRADE-OFFS, such as the occurrence of adverse side effects that can jeopardize one's health. AS have effects on several organ systems and these include:

1. the Liver
2. Male and Female Reproductive Systems
3. Serum Lipoproteins
4. Cardiovascular System.

It can also have psychological effects that affect one's behavior. For more on this, you can check out Anabolic Steroids: Side Effects.

Say "No" to Steroids and "Yes" to a Natural, Healthy Body!

AlejandroQ.