Wellness Wednesday~BEANS!

Today is all about BEANS! That's right! Beans, beans, the magical fruit! (Except I'm fairly sure they're not considered a fruit...but, oh well.)  I'm finding that beans really are good for your heart and the more you eat...well...it's not true. The gas actually diminishes the more you eat. Why? Because the beans help get rid of the nasty junk in your system. They clean you out! The more you eat, the cleaner your body is and the less you have to get rid of!

Let me be frank. I have a daughter with some pretty serious bowel issues. She was born with a hernia and had to have surgery. They took out all her intestines during the surgery and rearranged them in her belly. I'm convinced that she has these problems because of it. We have had to be very vigilant about what she eats. I've stocked up on certain yogurts, made sure we always have fiber bars on hand, and even tried out the Miralax. They work, don't get me wrong. She's fairly regular. But, recently, after talking to a friend who's on a bean diet, I've discovered that there's nothing better than LOTS OF BEANS!

The medical reasons for eating beans are numerous. Read the following reports and see for yourself:
http://www.healthandgoodness.com/article/eating-beans.html
http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/beans-protein-rich-superfoods

Top of the list benefits are antioxidants, cancer fighting agents*, vitamins, help with cholesterol levels and heart diseases*, and loads of fiber!

People that have cancer should eat lots of beans. Cancers feed on meat*, sugar, and lots of food additives.

I was surprised at the value of beans. No wonder they give them to people in their WIC checks! My problem isn't so much why to eat them, but HOW? Like some of you, I'm not much of a bean lover. Never fear. I've got some cookbook options for you! I've even added them to my bookstore section so you can find them easily. Look under Wellness Wednesdays.

The Bean Book by Rose Elliot
The Bean Queen's Cookbook by Karen R. Hurd (my friend has this one...great recipes!)
The Bean Book: Over Seventy Incredible Recipes by Lyons Press

My last little tidbit of advice for today is to find great friends.

I have wonderful friends. It's so much easier to work toward a healthier future if you have good friends that are on that path with you. We send lots of emails back and forth with our latest finds. I hope that you find some good friends that are willing to take this journey as well. You'll find lots of encouragement and support if you surround yourself with a few health minded people.

*Studies have shown that eating a lot of red meat could be a contributor to heart diseases and cancers. Beans are an excellent meat alternative. ARTICLE LINK