Blog

   Tis the season to slow down. Winter is officially on the horizon later this month. Though the holidays tend to inspire frenzy, there are plenty of cues to slow down. Colder weather, shorter days, even holiday meals tend to keep us seated for longer than the usual dinner.

    You can save a bundle of dough by buying bulk dried beans, soaking and cooking them. You may think this sounds too time consuming, but honestly it is not slave over the stove time, each step takes just a few minutes, then you can leave the scene. What this process will offer you is a more digestible bean, with more flavor and a potent nutrition profile...I believe it is worth the time to go for it your self and it spares you the BPA contaminants found in so many can liners.

    There are so many different kinds of beans to choose from, yum! It is important to combine legumes properly with other foods so you achieve the most of their nutrients. Eating beans with green or non-starchy veggies and seaweeds is best. The ol' beans-n- rice combination is good with brown rice.

    Aduki, lentils, mung, peas, pinto, kidney, navy, black-eyed peas, garbanzo, lima, black and soy are some of the most common beans found on shelves and bins.

Here are some tips on how to do it your self...

   Corn season is near its end and so far it sure has been a very tasty summer adventure. I was able to enjoy ears on both coasts. Both Oregon and my roots state, New York, have spectacularly prevalent small corn venders to source the sweet kernel from. I made many batches of corn chowder and grilled corn salsa but most evenings enjoyed it just lightly steamed as a dinner side. One ear was never enough...

   Corn is no longer just for human consumption. A large portion of corn is grown to feed animals and cars. The cost of corn (and wheat) has experienced a sharp rise this year. Harsh weather conditions in the mid-west have not provided ideal conditions for our massive domestic corn farmers. The global market and farmers speculated huge crops this year so a plethora of corn was planted and then a massive drought hit. So as a result of the way the market works consumers will pay for the over speculation. But do you want to pay for these processed products?

All food is not created equal, as we know. Not all food goes into your mouth and tours around the digestive system. Primary food nourishes us and plays a huge role in our overall health. This is not the type of food that grows in a garden, it does feed you though. There are four elements that make up Primary food: spirituality, exercise, relationships and career/job.

Each of these elements have an effect on your daily life. They are the source of experiences that make up life, nourish us and feed our souls. These elements come in all sorts of varieties and flavors. Spirituality clearly comes in many forms. Some of us are very aware of how spirituality affects our life and some of us are searching on where to begin to allow it in our lives and in what form. Exercise has so many flavors as well, each of us have very different capabilities and interests. All of us need exercise in some form or another to maintain a healthy body and mind. Relationships with co-workers, family, partners and the world are so complex. The effect of our relationships is often all day long. Whether it be in direct contact with someone, reflecting on an encounter or prospecting the future. Finally, our jobs and careers have a variety of influences on us including fulfillment and stress both physical and financial.