AIR + WATER + FOOD = LIFE

 

My partner Chef HC Choi and I are partner/owners of Healthful Habits Inc. We teach people of all ages the benefits of living a healthy lifestyle through the power of a plant based, organic diet. We conduct healthy lifestyle demos for companies, organizations and non-for profits.

The first thing we ask when conducting a program, whether to a group of fortune 500 executives, or to a class of at risk youth, is  “what are the three most important things in life, in order of importance.”  We get some surprising responses from executives. Some get it right, some get one or two. Others are not thinking in terms of “basic needs.” They might respond with “my family, a good job, my home” etc. On the other hand, the at risk kids hit it right on the button..and even in order of importance. Probably because they have been in more of a survival mode than most people ever will be in their lives. 

So here it is: The 3 basic essential elements that your body needs: air, water, and food.  Think how you would feel if your air was cut off or if you could not drink water, ….not giving your body nourishing food has the same effect.  Eating a plant-based diet is the best way to give your body what it needs to be healthy.

We eat food that has chemicals, preservatives, and caffeine, which our bodies can’t use.  It takes a lot of energy for your body to break those things down so you can digest them.  For example, on Thanksgiving, we eat so much food….we should have a lot of energy, right?  But after we eat, instead of playing football, all we can do is watch football on TV.  The food we are eating is not giving us what our body needs for energy.

So remember, no matter who you are, how much money you make, or what you do, the foundation of life for every person is to first and foremost, be grateful for three things:  the fresh air you breathe, the water you drink and clean plant based foods that you eat.

We would like to share one of our simple, clean plant based recipes that you can make in less than 10 minutes! So take a breath, grab a big glass of water, and get cooking!

  

Creamy No Oil Mushroom And Kale Pasta

 

Ingredients – serves 2-4

• 1 pound of pasta (Gluten free or whole wheat preferred)
• 1 pound of Mushrooms sliced (Any kind, like button, Portobello, oyster mushroom etc)
• 1/4 of a cup of dried mushrooms roughly chopped, soaked in 1/2 cup of hot water (save water for recipe)
• 1/2 cup of hummus
• 1 head of garlic that has been roasted
• 1 cup of vegetable stock
• 1 bunch of kale, cleaned and leaves picked and chopped
• salt and pepper to taste
• Hot pepper flakes (optional)

Instructions

1. Boil a pot of water and cook pasta according to manufacturer’s instructions (al dente preferred)
2. Preheat non stick pan on high heat
3. Add fresh and dried mushrooms, roasted garlic, and stock to the pan.  (can add hot peppers here for more spice)
4. Reduce heat to medium and cook for about 4-5 minutes.  Taste and check for seasoning.
5. Add hummus and stir.  Add more stock or hummus to desired consistency. Cook for 1-2 minutes
6. Add pasta and kale to pan and cook for 1-2 minutes
7. Taste and season, and serve immediately. 

 

Healthful Habits Inc. (HHI), educates and feeds people to a healthier way of living by promoting plant based foods and other healthy life style choices. Partners Chef HC Choi and Gloria K. Athanis run the company out of their Chicago offices. HHI draws from the Choi family’s 30 years of success with three well-known Chicago based vegan restaurants. What matters most to Healthful Habits and its owners is to share their passion for health and wellness. They are on a mission to share their knowledge about feeding each person or body in a healthful way so we can live a happy and balanced life. Clients include Fortune 500 Companies, schools, churches, and non for profit organizations that support at risk children such as Mercy Home for Boys and Girls and Boys Hope Girls Hope. 

Chef HC Choi: Schooled by his father, Chef David Choi, and raised in a vegan family, Chef HC brings a fresh perspective to the already successful business. Chef HC’s ability to broaden the offerings of their plant based Korean diet by adding a variety of ethnic tastes such as Mexican, Italian, and Middle Eastern has allowed HHI to reach and help more people than ever before. Chef HC has nine years of experience serving the residents of The Greater Chicago-land area. He earned his degree in Accounting at the University of Illinois and was the head restaurant chef at Amitabul, the family’s well-known establishment in the city.

Gloria K Athanis: Partner Gloria Athanis, a life-long health enthusiast and athlete, attributes her healthy being and that of her teenage son, to all she has learned from Master Chefs Dave & HC Choi. Gloria, a 30 year media and marketing executive, has led a series of healthy life style programs that include seminars and demos with Master Vegan Chefs Dave and HC Choi and New York Times best selling author Doctor T. Colin Campbell (THE CHINA STUDY). Gloria is passionate about teaching people the benefits of a healthy plant based diet and sharing all she knows about the benefits of leading a healthy lifestyle. Gloria was part of Dr. Mehmet Oz’s staff when his Health Festival came to Chicago.