Cilantro accelerates the excretion of toxic metals from your body. Excess toxic metals in the body can create a breeding ground for viral infections, so using cilantro on a daily basis in your cooking is a very smart choice for staying healthy. All you need is a handful in a salad or a couple of tablespoons in a cooked dish to reap the benefits of this medicinal plant. This herb—and its cousin, parsley—is used throughout the Americas and is said to contain antibiotic properties.

Cilantro adds great flavor and a healthy kick to the classic Latin American dish, ceviche!

This refreshing lunchtime treat is chef Xiomara Ardolina’s interpretation of a classic Peruvian-born dish, which can be found in many variations throughout the Americas. She likes to serve her ceviche in martini glasses, topped with fresh chunks of avocado. This particular recipe contains several Latin powerfoods: chiles, cilantro, and avocado. It also has shrimp, limes, and tomatoes.

Here’s what you will need:

2 jalapeno chiles
1 pound rock shrimp, peeled, devined, and cut into 1/4-inch dice
3/4 pound sea scallops (preferably diver)
3/4 cup fresh-squeezed lime juice
1/2 cup fresh-squeezed orange juice
1 cup fresh-squeezed lemon juice
1 large tomato, roasted, peeled, seeded, and chopped
1/2 cup red onion, chopped
1/4 cup canned tomato juice
sugar to taste
1 small bunch cilantro, finely chopped
1/2 avocado, peeled and seeded, quartered for garnish
salt and pepper to taste

Roast jalapenos over a flame or in a pan until the skin blackens and blisters; place in a bag or sealed container. When peppers have cooled, remove the skin with a paper towel, do not rinse. Seed and chop them.

Combine the shrimp and scallops with the three citrus juices and marinate overnight. Taste for sweetness; add sugar as needed. Add the jalapeno, tomato, red onion, and tomato juice. Season with salt and pepper. Add the cilantro, and garnish with avocado just before serving.

One of the reasons I came up with the Hot Latin Diet has a lot to do with being an ob-gyn for over 30 years. Throughout my career, I’ve had hundreds of mommies—and soon-to-be-moms—coming through my office door. What I’ve noticed is that over the past few decades, moms have been gaining significant weight during their pregnancies, and then they haven’t lost the weight—in fact, they have gotten heavier after just two years. We’ve seen an epidemic of obesity in children and type 2 diabetes in females.

I am disturbed by the alarming growth (yes, literally!!) of the entire American population. The statistics speak for themselves: chronic diseases (cardiovascular disease, cancer, and diabetes) are now among the most prevalent, costly, and preventable of all health problems, et they affect the lives of more than 90 million Americans (not to mention the cost of health care); 1.7 million people die annually as a result of chronic disease, which translates into the deaths of seven out of ten people. And despite the fact that chronic diseases are perhaps the most common and costly of health problems, they are also among the most preventable. They can simply be prevented by the food we put in our mouths.

In our quest for balance, it’s interesting to me that everyone—myself included—may have a different reason for getting in shape. Ironically, the main reason, being healthy, doesn’t seem to be in the forefront. But whatever your reasons are, the seven Latin powerfoods can help you get there.

The important thing to remember is that The Hot Latin Diet is not just a diet, but rather a lifestyle change. And by employing the benefits of the seven Latin powerfoods, you can change your life for the better.

Each day for the next week, I’ll be discussing one item from the list of powerfoods, and providing tips on how to live a healthier life; Latino style!