Beans, beans, they're good for your heart, the more you eat them, the more you ----. We all remember that beautiful piece of poetry from grade school, don't we?!We've been eating a lot of beans in our house as of late. They are low cost, high in nutrients and quite filling. Beans, or legumes, including peas and lentils, are an excellent source of plant-based protein. Beans are found in most traditional cultures as a staple food. They offer grounding and strengthening properties that help increase endurance. They have a highly absorbable source of calcium for the body and are a fantastically inexpensive source of nutrition.
The only reason beans have a bad rap is from the gas they cause. Digestive distress is the politically correct term... The reason for this is usually from undercooking or being improperly prepared. Soaking beans overnight prior to cooking, increasing cooking time and/or adding spices like bay leaf, oregano or cumin can help. Adding kombu, a sea vegetable, when cooking is a great way of adding more minerals to the meal and helping digestion.
Look at the shape of the bean. Does it remind you of any body organs? Maybe the adrenal glands or kidneys? If you subscribe to the theory of food energetics, you can see how eating beans can help restore vital energy to an overtaxed body. Because of this, they can help restore sexual energy... just thought I'd throw that one in there!
Here's one of my husband's favorite recipes:
1 can of organic black beans
1 can of organic kidney beans
1/2 lb. of grass fed beef
1 28oz can of diced tomatoes
Brown the beef, drain and rinse the beans. Combine all in a crock pot and cook on high 4-6 hours.
I like to add onions, a pinch of salt and garlic, but he doesn't. He likes it plain. So do the kids. Experiment and see what you come up with!
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