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During my undergraduate degree I was fortunate enough to write my dissertation while living with a lovely family in Heredia, Costa Rica. I remember Maria, the host mother, making fresh black frijoles (beans) almost daily. The process appeared exhausting: Hours of rinsing, soaking, rinsing again and boiling – careful not to over or under cook them. I was truly thankful to incorporate this lovely food into my diet at the time, but never learned the process for preparing them myself. Once I moved out of that lovely haven of home-cooked food, it was back to canned beans for ease and convenience (but certainly not taste). Until recently…

I’ve been reading about all the important nutrients lost in the canning process, and how cooking beans at home is actually not all that complicated or time consuming. And, probably the most encouraging news of all, in addition to being better for you and a more cost-effective option – they taste WAY better. So here is what I’ve learned over the past month about cooking beans from scratch, enjoy after the jump.

Incredible Powerful Food

Legumes, or beans, are an important part to any diet – wheather vegan to carnivore – as they supply an array of trace minerals, folate, vitamins, fiber, protein and carbohydrates. They are nearly a complete food in and of themselves, and can be prepared in a multitude of ways – such as boiling into soup, pureed into spreads, sauteed into stir-fry, chilled into salad or simply scooped onto the plate as a healthy side dish. In Chinese nutritional therapy, beans are deeply nourishing to the kidneys and a great way to supplement essential nutrition from a vegetable source.

However you choose to enjoy them, the preparation in the beginning is the same. Dried beans in their unaltered state are inedible – much like brown rice or other grains. Begin preparing your beans in the format below, and adjust the final cooking time as appropriate for your desired dish. You’ll notice that unlike the soggy counterpart often found in canned beans, home-cooked beans retain their texture and flavor better. They are also easier to digest as the soaking process reduces gas and increased nutritional availability.

Step One: Soaking The Beans

No matter what type of bean you choose, they will need to be soaked for 8-12 hours before cooking. On a very basic level, this will help to soften the hard bean and reduce cooking time and also deeply clean any debris or tannins from the food. More importantly, this step increases nutritional absorption by breaking down anti-nutrients such as phytic acid and indigestible complex sugars (oligosaccharides). Phytic Acid is found in the hulls of seeds, nuts and grains. It is not harmful in and of itself, but is binds with essential minerals in foods such as zinc and iron rendering those unavailable to the body that consumes them. Soaking, cooking and fermenting foods containing phytic acid neutralizes its binding effect so the minerals are left available to the body.

1)  Pour 2 Cups of Beans into a large mixing bowl

2)  Add enough filtered water to cover the beans by 3-4 inches

3)  Add 2 Tbsp of Cider (or other) Vinegar, Lemon Juice or fresh Whey to the liquid and briefly stir

4)  Let the beans soak on the counter overnight (8-12 hours) – add more water if needed (this will depend on the type of bean your using)

Cooking The Beans

Once the beans have soaked, you’ll notice that they have expanded in size and left a murky color to the water. At this time, it is important to drain the beans thoroughly and rinse them – clearing away all the junk. Once well rinsed, place the beans in a large pot and cover with clean filtered water by about an inch. Add salt, seaweed, or other spice as desired. Bring to a low boil and cook for an hour to an hour and a half. Cooking time will vary depending on the type of bean and quantity. Once your beans have reached your desired tenderness, store and prepare them as you choose. I like to strain them and fry in a little coconut oil, garlic and fresh vegetable. To save time and enjoy your beans later, store a portion of the cooked beans in the freezer for a later recipe.

Beans truly aren’t as putsy as I thought – they can soak while I sleep and cook while I answer emails. And there are leftovers for all week long. Enjoy!

From breast pain to nausea to mood swings and back aches, such discomforts are more than just a nuisance, but signals from your body that something is out of balance and needs to be addressed. The only physiological components to a menstrual cycle should be moderate blood flow with the same number of days between cycles. Taking the time to address these symptoms now won’t only improve a woman’s quality of life, but also may prevent future reproductive problems. If you would like to take control of your menstrual cycle, understand it (and your fertility – to either prevent or promote pregnancy), Chinese Medicine has a variety of ways to alleviate common discomforts associated with menstruation.

The main cause of PMS according to Chinese medicine in liver qi stagnation, which is a pattern most commonly caused by stress. Some women are more susceptible to developing this pattern than others, and likewise the severity can also vary greatly.  Although the foundation for this pattern is based on a relative excess, or stagnation, in the body, it usually pairs itself with a relative deficiency that needs to be nourished.  The delicate balancing act of simultaneously nourishing and draining can be accomplished through the advice and treatment of a licensed practitioner.  Acupuncture, herbal medicine and dietary changes can help treat the root of cause of many common complaints associated with PMS.

Key Points to Consider when Trying to Reduce PMS

1)  Get plenty of Essential Fatty Acids (EFA’s)

• Fish Oil, Fish, Flaxseeds, Whole Eggs, Raw Nuts, Evening Primrose Oil

• Smooths hormonal function and facilitates ovulation

2)  Eat Organic Produce and Hormone Free Meats

• Meat is necessary for a healthy cycle, but the added hormones can interfere with your body’s natural endocrine rhythm.

3)  Increase Cruciferous Vegetable Consumption

• Broccoli, Cauliflower, Beets, Carrots, Kale, Cabbage, Collards

• Increases the body’s ability to metabolize Estradial, therefore decreasing breast tenderness, weight gain, moodiness, and low libido

4)  Take a High Potency Multi-Vitamin

• Increases bio-available nutrition, strengthening the whole system

5)  Dairy

• Avoid completely for scanty, painful or clotted menstruation

• If consuming, only take in moderation and of high quality (hormone free)

6)  Avoid Coffee, Alcohol, Nicotine

• Depletes nutrients in the body

• Green tea is OK in moderation while trying to alleviate PMS

7) Acupuncture & Herbs

• Regular acupuncture treatments can effectively regulation a woman’s cycle and reduce uncomfortable symptoms

• Herbal formulas safely and effectively address the root cause of imbalance

**Please note that the above suggestions should be tried over the course of 3-6 months before significant and permanent results can be expected. Likewise these are not meant to diagnose or treat any specific condition(s).

The leaves have turned color in New York City, the clocks turned back and the slight chill of winter lurks around the corner.  As our internal thermostats adjust to accommodate the external environmental changes during the fall, we often find ourselves fighting colds or catching the flu (beyond the hullabaloo of H1N1, there are many strains of simple colds out there – remember those?).  Much to my loving outdoor-hockey-playing boyfriend‘s approval, these “natural alternatives” deliver potent relief when the time is right.  Don’t get me wrong, I am certainly a fan of the occasional Advil or Tylenol PM (also harbored in my medicine cabinet), but sometimes these other things get the job done better.  Yup, that’s right, better.

Chinese medicine offers great remedies to knock out that bug that hasn’t quite become full-blown illness, or strengthen the system to prevent an attack.  Acupuncture works to detoxify the body, and tonify the immune system.  Herbal medicine can do the same and work at a very deep level to re-balance during seasonal shifts and either treat or prevent common ailments. The following are some remedies you can try at home to stay healthy and out of the doctor’s office as winter gingerly approaches.

Gan Mao Ling

A very common patent-herbal remedy for knocking out an on-coming cold before it has the chance to set in is Gan Mao Ling. It is most effective when you feel just on the brink of getting sick.  Take 8-10 pills (they are small, if you are used to taking Chinese herbs, you know what I mean) 3 times daily to nip a cold in the bud.  Take until you feel better, up to a week. If the illness has already sunken in to produce specific symptoms like headache, nasal congestion or cough, this formula is no longer the right one, but it certainly will not make anything worse if you are unsure.  If symptoms do not improve or begin to incorporate chills, try the next step.

Immune Tea

Prepare this tea while taking the Gan Mao Ling, and especially if you are starting to feel fatigued and a slight chill. The warm water will help to clean out bacteria in the mouth and throat, and the herbs will help strengthen the immune system. If you are feeling a chill, drink this and wrap up in a warm blanket - in an effort to break a small sweat, venting the pathogen.

In 4 C water, Boil Together for 10 min:

4-5 Slices Fresh Ginger

The Rind of 1 Tangerine, Cut in Slices

2 Green Onions, Sliced (using both the white & green parts)

Steep for 5min in either 1 peppermint teabag or in chopped fresh peppermint leaves

Pour into a mug with 1 Tbsp honey.  Enjoy several cups.

Other Patents

If your generalized-think-you’re-getting-sick symptoms begin to get more specific, Chinese herbs may still be able to help.  There is a wide variety of time-tested formulas for chest congestion, runny nose, headaches, foggy-headiness, muscle-aches, queasy stomach, sore throat and cough.  It may be too late to avoid getting sick, but such formulas can help your body fight it faster, and reduce the uncomfortable symptoms you feel in the process. Any Certified Chinese herbalist would be able to recommend the right formula for you, which can be purchased in a chinatown pharmacy or herb shop – usually at minimal cost.

If you have the opportunity to speak with a Certified Herbalist for a consultation, they may even combine formulas, or give you something more individualized for your symptoms. Although many Chinese herbs have anti-microbial, anti-bacterial & anti-fungal effects, it is always important to check with your doctor to see if something more serious is going on.

Stay Covered

It is the same as grandma said, and ironically enough it is the same in Chinese medical literature from thousands of years ago: stay covered! On windy days and as the outside temperature fluctuates, it is important to keep vulnerable areas like your neck, the top of your head, abdomen & feet covered.  When exposed, these areas are likely to ‘trap’ external factors in the superficial layer of the body’s defense, thus making you more susceptible to other ailments.

Sleep

In preparation for the hibernation of winter, your body may need more sleep than it did in the hot summer months.  This is actually a healthy sign, and it is important to listen to.  During sleep is when our bodies repair and strengthen, an important part to staying healthy.  It is the easiest prevention technique, so try and make time for a good-nights sleep as part of your health care regime.

Eat Warm Food

There is a reason behind mother-natures seasonal vegetables this time of year, and their need to be cooked (raw sweet-potato or butternut squash is not a delicacy that I know of). Eating cold or raw food causes your digestive system to work harder. Rather than immediately absorbing the nutrition just taken in, it must “cook” the ingested food first, then break it down for energy and nourishment. This takes vital energy away from other parts of your body -like your immune system that is working overtime as the days waver between a chilly 40 and a balmy 65 degrees Fahrenheit- trying to prevent you from getting sick. Help your immune system by giving your digestive system a break.  Eat easy to digest, seasonal, cooked foods.

This post is proudly a part of Prevention Not Prescriptions Tuesday @ The Kathleen Show.  For more information and to check out some other great health blogs, check this site.