We're doing something different this week. We're giving you a bit on the value of beans in our diet and why we love them. And we're including a piece on authenticity, on sharing and expressing who we really are with others and how that can relate to our eating habits.
First, we love beans. There are so many delicious ways to eat them and there are so many wonderful health benefits that come with these tasty legumes.
Besides being a great source of protein (as much as a steak actually) they're loaded with fiber (which steak doesn't have) that feeds a healthy microbiome. We can't say enough about the importance of that.
They're also anti-inflammatory (can't say that about steak) and full of antioxidants to protect our cells and keep us healthy.
And our final comparison to an animal source of protein like steak is that 6 oz. of steak has about 430 calories whereas 6 oz. of beans is around 170. So, pound for pound, you can see why we favor beans as our source of protein and healthy nutrients over steak or other animal sources.
We also talked on this video about authenticity. We chose this subject because it's often the source of discomfort for people, feeling like they can't be authentic or honest about how they feel in some situations, and this discomfort can lead to reaching for food to feel better, to find relief. Join us to hear more:
In this video we make a distinction between expressing our feelings and being authentic to who we are. Often in the heat of the moment, we can express ourselves in ways that may be authentic to how we feel, but are not productive and not really true to our deeper nature of love and understanding.
When we're talking about being authentic, we're talking about coming from that place in us that is aligned with our deepest desire to connect and share who we are.
If you want to learn more about how our thoughts and feelings can be a detriment to our being authentic and affect our eating when we aren't hungry, just post in the "Comment" section below and we'll chat.
The recipe this week is a Navy Bean Vegetable Soup. It's yummy. Enjoy!
To Your Amazing Health,
Connie and Bill
Navy Bean Vegetable Soup (Serves 4-6)
- 2 cups dry navy beans sorted and soaked for 8 hours
- 4¼ cups low sodium vegetable stock or filtered water
- 1 large onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 celery stalks, diced
- 3 carrots, cut in ½ inch rounds
- 1 large red pepper, diced
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
- ground black pepper to taste
- 5 to 6 kale leaves torn in small pieces away from stem
- 1 cup cooked whole grain, add just before serving.
- Optional (non-SOS-Free): 1 tablespoon miso, dissolved in ¼ cup filtered water
Drain the navy beans and add to Instant Pot with 4 cups of vegetable broth or filtered water. Reserve the extra ¼ cup for cooking the vegetables.
Pressure cook for 10 minutes and let pressure release naturally.
In a separate large pan add the remaining ¼ cup vegetable stock or filtered water. Add onion, garlic and celery. Cook until onion is soft.
Add carrots, red pepper, turmeric, oregano and marjoram and ground black pepper. Cook until vegetables are just turning soft.
Add cooked beans, including the cooking stock, and the kale. Cook until kale wilts (approximately 5 minutes.) Then add the cooked whole grain.
Optional, if using miso: Mix miso in ¼ cup of filtered water. Stir until it dissolves. Turn soup off and add miso. Stir well and serve