Beans, or more accurately legumes, including peas and lentils, are an excellent source of plant-based protein. Beans are found in most traditional cultures as a staple food, offering grounding and strengthening properties that can enhance endurance. They offer a highly usable, highly absorbable source of calcium for the body. A very inexpensive source of high nutrition, beans can be rich, delicious and satisfying.

Lack of sexual energy is often due to over-taxed adrenal glands and kidneys. Beans are notorious for strengthening these organs (ever noticed the shape of a bean?) and can help restore vital energy as well as sexual energy.

Beans have a reputation for causing digestive distress, but this is usually because they have been undercooked or improperly prepared. To help reduce gas-forming properties, soak beans overnight prior to cooking, cook beans for a long time, and add spices like bay leaf, fennel, oregano or cumin. In addition, adding kombu, a sea vegetable, not only helps with digestion but improves flavor, adds minerals and nutrients, and speeds up the cooking process. And a word about salt…it’s best to add salt at the end of the cooking process once beans are tender, otherwise it will cause them to toughen up.

Filed under: Cooking, Digestion, Energy, Legumes, Protein, Salt and Sodium, Spices