Spice It Up!

Hey guys

Now that the weather’s heating up, I think it’s a good time to spice up your diet. A dash of ground chili pepper will not only add flavor to your meal but could also improve your health.

Used medicinally for thousands of years, chili peppers get their “heat” from a resinous and pungent substance called capsaicin. The hotter the pepper, the more capsaicin it contains. Acting on the pain receptors and not tastes buds in our mouths, it is this substance that provides many of its health benefits, like:

• Reducing platelet stickiness and relieving chronic pain
• Decreasing blood cholesterol and triglycerides
• Improving digestion by stimulating the flow of stomach secretions and saliva
• Treating poor circulation
• Helping with sore throats, headaches and toothache
• Boosting immunity
• Soothing the digestive tract and reducing the risk of stomach ulcers

According to a report in The Washington Times, it even has the ability to drive prostate cancer cells to kills themselves. A team from the University of California at Los Angeles and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center found that capsaicin caused 80% of active prostate cancer cells growing in mice to “follow the molecular pathways leading to apoptosis,” or cell death — they literally committed suicide!

So, isn’t it time to spice things up!

Keep active, stay healthy and let’s get HOT this summer!

AlejandroQ.

Easy Three-Step Fruit Salad

Hey guys

Here’s a simple and quick salad that you can prepare for your family and yourself. The most important point to note in this recipe is that you can use whatever you have in your fridge. In this case, here’s what I had in my fridge.

Ingredients
1 box Strawberries
1 Cantaloupe
2 Bananas
8 tablespoon of lemon
Splenda to taste

Preparation

Chopping
Just chop the fruit like you see it

Mixing
Add the lemon to keep the fruit fresh especially the banana. Add Splenda and mix.

Serving
Serves 8-12

Enjoy and have fun this spring. Stay tuned for more easy recipes.

God bless
AlejandroQ.

Happy Easter

Hey guys

Spring is here...well almost...and I want to wish all of you a very Happy Easter. May this season of renewal bring you positive life changes and exciting opportunities in the year ahead.

HAPPY EASTER!

God Bless!

AlejandroQ.

Seasonal Eating — Spinach

Hey guys

Lets talk about spinach...

Calorie for calorie, leafy green vegetables like spinach with its delicate texture and jade green color provide more nutrients than any other food. Although spinach is available throughout the year, its season runs from March through May and from September through October. It is during this period when it is the freshest and has the best flavor – and is most readily available.

Spinach originated in the Middle East and was brought to Spain in the eighth century. It became very popular throughout Europe where the English used to call it the Spanish vegetable. It is sold in either bunches or prewashed in plastic bags. As a precaution, always inspect spinach before you buy it. The leaves should be deep green and healthy looking, not yellow, wilted, or slimy.

This nutritious vegetable is good in many forms; raw in salads, cooked in soups and side dishes and is even a healthy pizza topping. About one pound of raw spinach will yield one cup cooked; count on two servings per bunch. However, buy only as much spinach as you need, since it wilts fairly quickly.

How to Store
Spinach can be kept in the refrigerator for two or three days. Do not wash it until you're ready to use it. Whether you buy spinach in sealed bags or in bunches, always pick through it first and remove any tough stems. Rinse the spinach from the bag once; spinach that came in bunches should be washed with several changes of cold water until there's no grit at the bottom of the bowl. Do not let spinach stand in water too long or it will wilt.

Cooking
Spinach takes very little time to cook. Blanch it in boiling water or steam it for a few seconds. You can then squeeze the moisture out and sauté it or mix it with other ingredients.

We all know that Popeye made himself super strong by eating spinach, but you may be surprised to learn that he may also have been protecting himself against osteoporosis, heart disease, colon cancer, arthritis and other diseases at the same time.

Stay tuned; the Spinach Salad recipe is coming!

Thank you guys again.

GOD BLESS
AlejandroQ