A Hill of Beans

Many of you who know me or have been reading my blogs will not be surprised by the ode to beans that is about to follow. Is there anything under the sun as healthy and delicious as beans? I’m sure the answer is yes, but really and truly beans are almost as essential to a healthy diet as water. People who eat beans regularly are less susceptible to a number of illnesses including diabetes and heart disease. If you are a vegetarian, I believe beans are an especially crucial part of your diet and should not be left out. One question that’s often raised is “is there a difference between canned beans and dried?” The answer is of course, yes! It is far better for both taste and quality to buy dried beans and cook them yourself. While the cooking process is not difficult, it does take a bit of planning (and counter space.) For best taste, you should soak beans at least 10 hours (so overnight) before cooking them. This helps with taste and texture, but also releases the enzyme in beans that let’s just say has given them a bad name and might give you reservations about eating them before a big date. If you do use canned beans, be sure to rinse them really well. Similarly to anything packaged in a canning factory, you just don’t know what might have fallen into the mix. But that’s for another blog.

Here is how I prepare beans. First off you should know that I eat beans at least once a day. I could easily go through a bag or even two of beans in a week’s time. It doesn’t matter what type of beans you make, although black beans and dark red kidney beans do have the highest antioxidant content. Once you have selected and soaked your beans of choice here’s a simple prep:

• Chop 1 onion, a couple of carrots and some celery and set aside.
• Strain the soaking beans, place them in a large pot with just enough filtered water to cover them.
• Add chopped veggies (these give a nice flavor to any variety of beans.)
• Bring beans and veggies to a boil and reduce heat to a steady simmer.
• As water evaporates add more 1 cup at a time.
• When beans are done they will be soft and have absorbed the water they were cooked in. Beans on average should be cooked 1 – 1 1/2 hours.

As I said, cooking beans is not difficult, it simply requires time (which if you set aside a few hours a week to cook you will have plenty of.)

Once you have a big pot of cooked beans cooled you can store them in a large sealable container or freezer bag.

Here are some great things you can do with prepared beans:

• Mix them with chopped veggies and a whole grain. Add lime juice or balsamic vinegar for a delicious bean salad
• Heat beans and a whole grain as well as your roasted veggies and serve on a whole wheat wrap with avocado and tomato or salsa.
• Serve beans alongside eggs and toast in the morning for added fiber and fullness throughout the day.
• Serve warm over brown rice with chopped tomato, cilantro and a sprinkle of cayenne pepper for a hearty and healthy dinner. Be sure to have a scoop of veggies or salad on the side.

People think that I must spend all my time cooking, but I’m telling you I eat great, delicious, healthy food every day and I really only need to cook once a week. Yes, if I want to make a special dinner I’ll go out of my way, but my basic food groups I keep prepared and on hand to keep my life simple and stress free. The key is not time, my friends. It’s organization.

Hill of Beans

If you knew that there was a food out there that would lower your cholesterol, provide all the protein you need, help you lose weight, give you glowing skin, and protect you from cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and many more diseases would you eat it? What if it was also delicious and inexpensive? Would you eat it everyday? Well, why don’t you? What is this magical food? Where can you get it? Any place that sells food. Literally. The corner store, I’m pretty sure sells this miracle food. It’s beans, of course!  So, I know that beans are not the most popular food in this country. They have long been considered “poor folks’ food.” They should probably be considered health conscious peoples’ food instead. They are actually 2nd to grains, the most widely eaten food in the world. They are a low calorie, high fiber, source of protein. Everything about them is so nutritious. I highly encourage you to find your favorite types of beans and eat them regularly. Scratch that. Daily. You know I never recommend anything I don’t do myself. If you were to open my refrigerator at any given time you would find large amounts of cooked beans, waiting for me. I know they may not be the world’s tastiest food (although I quite enjoy them, myself.) Nutrition experts are, however, constantly discovering new health benefits to these little suckers. Many of them you may already be aware of them, but let’s review, and maybe once we’re done you’ll gain a new appreciation for this super-food.

Anti-oxidants: Yes, beans have protein, but anti-oxidants? You can’t imagine how much anti-oxidant power these little guys have. In fact, dried red kidney beans are the number one source of anti-oxidants (ahead of blueberries) among commonly eaten foods in the US. So the next time you’re reaching for some pomegranate juice thinking it’s the best way to get anti-oxidants, think beans instead. As you probably know, high levels of anti-oxidants have been shown to decrease the risks and reverse the effects of many types of cancer, as well as diabetes, heart disease and Alzheimer’s.

Protein: People who eat more beans than meat weigh on average much less than people who eat more meat, and they’re getting plenty of protein. Animal fat and animal protein should really only be consumed by people who do rigorous exercise. Otherwise the excess protein and fat can and usually do lead to obesity as well as a number of other problems including cancer. If you have a busy life that doesn’t involve more than 7 hours a week in exercise, I highly suggest that you stick to mainly beans as a source of protein. It is often said that beans should be consumed with a grain in order to form a complete protein. So be sure to get plenty of whole grains in your diet (something you should be doing anyway.)

Fiber: Ok, if you’re not convinced already that beans are one of the greatest (if not the greatest) food out there for you, than think about this. What regular meat eater can say that they’re getting plenty of fiber from their chicken or steak? In general, western diets are severely lacking in fiber. This deficiency leads to heart disease and hypertension, colon cancer, irregularity, obesity, insulin intolerance, and more of the diseases that are much more rare in parts of the world which eat more beans than meat. We may have better health care in the western world, but believe it or not there are more centenarians in developing countries than there are in the US, the UK and many other of the more affluent nations. This is likely because they experience the benefits of a plant based diet, rich in the beans and grains we gave up long ago in exchange for meat.

Iron: Iron is necessary for healthy muscle development as well as good circulatory health. For many years people thought the best way to get iron was from beef. While beef does contain a good amount of iron, it is important to note that iron is not easily digested without vitamin C (found in most beans.) Beans and leafy greens are therefore ideal sources of iron.

So are you convinced yet?

Oh, and just so you know, soaking dried beans for 12-15 hours and then rinsing will help to eliminate any -ahem- issues you may have had with eating beans in the past. Don’t think I don’t know why you avoid them. But really, if it’s as simple as letting them sit on the counter in some water for a while, well I encourage you to make a big pot of beans this week and eat them daily! They really are a super-food. In fact, guess what I had for dinner last evening? Sauteed onions, garlic spinach parsley and tomatoes atop red kidney beans on a bed of faro, and it was delicious!

Money Saving Tips

So you want to find a couple extra bucks a month to do something fun with?  Times are tough, unemployment is high.  Now seriously, let’s think for a moment, do we really need to stop at Starbuck’s or Dunkin’ Donuts every morning?  You see my point.  There are so many ways to make small changes in our everyday lives that will pay off in a big way when you add them all up.  Here are some of my thoughts:

1. Make your own darn coffee!  No, really, do you like Starbuck’s, so buy a couple of pounds and make it at home.  Do you like Dunkin’ Donuts, buy a couple of pounds and make it at home.  Add cinnamon and honey to it at home, why not spice up your life?
2. Make your own darn beans!  Do you really need to buy canned beans?  Now this has nothing to do with my feelings related to cans.  Quite frankly, do  you have any idea how much money you would save if you, let’s say opened a bag, threw them in a pot and boiled?  Can it be any easier?  Alright, here’s where I should tell you, please make sure you wash your beans first.
3. Breakfast sandwich?  Really!  Besides the extra money, do you have any idea how many extra calories you are wasting?  Fry up your own darn eggs, add a piece of cheese (real cheese mind you) and place it in your own bread.  So it took you an extra five minutes did it?  Let’s think money and calories folks.
4. Buy a case of water, take a couple of bottles with you in the morning.  No need to purchase bottled water for 10 times what it should really cost you.  But remember, I have told you in the past, filtered water is usually better than bottled water!
5. Stop buying mints and gum.  Besides the money you are spending, you will usually be chewing on little sticks of poison.  What’s my answer…nosh on a little parsley, it will last far longer and be far less expensive.
6. Make your own darn lunch!  Alright, I’m sure you knew I was going to go here.  Money and calories folks, it matters.
7. Well I simply can’t do a list about saving money without bringing this up.  Sorry folks, if you smoke, just simply give it up.  Think of what  you can do with all that extra cash!  A little teeth whitening perhaps?
8. Make your own trail mix.  Store bought trail mix is so pricey and usually full of poison.
9. Stop getting those pricey injections to plump up your lips.  Guys and gals all you need is a tooth-brush.  For what you may ask?  Why to brush your lips of course.  Here’s a great trick I have used.  Take a tooth-brush and brush your lips, they will certainly be a little plump for a little while.  Great to do before taking that family portrait.
10. Botox anyone?  Well, here’s my super inexpensive alternative.  Surgical tape…yes, I said surgical tape.  Take a small piece, place in between your eyebrows, right there where many people get those two funky lines.  No, not during the day, at night silly.
11. Spend lots of money at pop corn at the movies?  Well stop!  Calories and money my friends.  Place in your pocket, or your bag, a bag of sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds (raw unsalted of course).  Oh, and for goodness sake bring a bag for the residuals, be kind.

Well I have so much more to say, gee what a surprise!  I shall save more of my money-saving tips for another blog and bid you farewell.  I hope some of these help you.

Who says you have to live with Colitis or Crohn’s Disease?

An ode to oatmeal, veggies, beans.

I received a testimonial a few days ago that was quite moving and extraordinary.  I cannot share the full email as most of it was very personal.  I decided to pull the first paragraph and share this incredible news.

“I was diagnosed with Colitis and Crohn’s in college.  I am 35 years old and have been in and out of the hospital for many years – at times, with quite a bit of pain.  I have even had to have a couple of surgeries.  My wife joined your program in November and she was sort of like a lunatic throwing things out of the kitchen and insisting we had to change the way we ate.  Now, I am a guy who has been very into health and fitness.  In fact, I work out every day and have always listened to my doctors about eating a certain way.  It made me really nervous because my wife decided to do your Fit and Fast menu and she insisted that I try it.  I have been very careful by eating a certain way because of the Colitis.  The doctors have warned me for years about certain foods.  I’m not really sure what made me try this.  I guess it was my wife giving me a hard time about it but I sure am glad.  I have to tell you.  I had a routine colonoscopy on Friday and my doctor told me that if he had not been my doctor for years and did not know about the Colitis, he would have had to say that I never had Colitis.”

This gentleman goes on in his email to tell us how grateful he is and how much our program has changed his life and, quite frankly, reduced his pain and suffering.  I could not share all of his email but I will tell you that it goes on to discuss the changes he has made in his life.  Some of those changes seem to be, for instance, eating oatmeal for breakfast instead of what he thought was very healthy cereal and removing lunchmeats from his lunch and snacks.  He shared with me that his wife now purchases nitrate free lunchmeat.  The most significant change to his diet seems to be his dinners.  He shared that he now eats more vegetables and beans than he ever has.  This gentleman thinks he has transformed his life based on changing the foods that he is eating.  I would like to take it a step further and suggest, perhaps, the chemicals that he may have been consuming may have been negatively impacting his Colitis and Crohn’s.
I’m sure you all have gathered what my feelings are relating to preservatives and additives to food and probably deduced that I think they are the root of all evil.  But here is a man who has seen a significant change in his life in just six months.  So, for goodness sake, if you are battling something, whether it is something minor or quite significant, toss out the garbage with the garbage and bring in nature’s goodness.
Make it a wonderful, healthful day,
Vicky.