Last night I made black beans in the crockpot that were probably the best beans I’ve ever made – and I’ve made a lot of beans.  Even my husband, who of course thinks everything I make is delicious, commented on how good they tasted and how the texture was so nice. 

The secret which I read about in the Weston Price Foundation’s journal “Wise Traditions” a while back was to not add salt until the beans were already cooked.  Apparently salt can make the skins of the beans tougher, so adding it at the very end of the process provides flavor while allowing the skins to cook to a tender and delicious texture.

The following link takes you to a great article on the nutritional benefits of beans which also provides detailed instructions for soaking and cooking beans. 

http://www.westonaprice.org/foodfeatures/cooking-legumes.html

If you don’t have time to read the article, I’ll give you the quick version of what I did last night so you too can make the most delicious beans in the world!  This recipe makes 4 cups cooked beans, which is enough for a side dish for 4 people or a main dish for 2 people.  I am giving you instructions for black beans, because that is what I made, but this is a basic recipe that should work for most varieties of dry beans.

• Soak 2 cups of black beans in 4 cups of water for at least 2 hours, but preferably overnight.
• Drain off water and rinse beans a couple of times.
• Place beans in the crockpot (if you don’t have a crockpot, put them in a pot and simmer on medium-low heat on the stove) and cover with water until the water level is about 2” above the level of the beans.
• Add any non-salt spices you would like to use.  I usually add 2 or 3 dry japone chili peppers, but you could add onions, garlic, cumin, or anything else you like.
• Crockpot temperatures and cooking times vary, but you should generally plan to cook on high for 4 hours, or low for 8 hours.  Just cook them until they are to desired softness – some people like them totally mushy, others like them cooked only until the beans are soft but still retain their individuality.
• Add salt to taste and serve.  For this quantity I usually start with a teaspoon of Celtic salt, and then taste from there.

Below is a testimonial written by Wendy, one of our favorite customers here at Marilyn Farms!  She recently discovered the Master Cleanse (also known as the lemonade diet) and was kind enough to share her experience with us.  Thanks Wendy!

The first time that I heard about The Master Cleanse was years ago when my sister used to do it. I thought that she was crazy!!! The next time I heard about it was last fall on a visit to Maryland. I spoke at length with someone who had done it for 21 days and it sparked my interest. I went and bought the book (The Master Cleanse by Stanley Burroughs), read about it, and it took 6 months of thinking and wrestling and praying about it and then one day I decided that it was time to stop thinking about it and just do it.

It had become quite apparent to me that I needed to do something rather drastic as I had not been feeling well for some time, my eating was out of control, and I was the heaviest I had ever been in my life. Much to my dismay I discovered that after menopause my metabolism did not work quite the same way to drop extra pounds!! So began my experience with doing the Master Cleanse. I chose the time period and followed the instructions in the book very carefully.

For 3 days I ate less and only fruits and vegetables and cut down on the coffee that I drank. The first 5 days of the cleanse were a bit rough.  I had a very bad headache that left me feeling nauseated and not a great amount of energy. It was still possible to do everything that I had to and I was not hungry. A lot of the headache was likely due to coffee withdrawal and also the tension in my neck. On the 5th day I received a neck massage which greatly helped in getting rid of the headache and then throughout the rest of the cleanse I did an infared sauna and an ionic footbath 3 times and that made a big difference with how I felt.

The next 5 days I had more energy and felt pretty good. One of the things that you do during the 10 days is a salt water cleanse in the morning.  I only did it 3 times the first time and 4 times the second time and that is something that you can be more flexible about. If you don’t do that you need to make sure that you take an herbal laxative tea or a colon cleanse capsule of some sort that does not have too much fiber in it.

I followed the book’s instructions on how to break the cleanse and come off of it gradually and allow my system to accept food again. I have to tell you that on the evening of the second day of breaking the cleanse the vegetable soup that I made tasted like heaven and I savored every mouthful.  This cleanse for me was an answer.  I have tried to do cleanses before, but because my system is very sensitive to many medications, herbs and vitamins I have always reacted badly and not been able to continue. This one being only fresh lemon juice, cayenne pepper and maple syrup was simple and my system could handle all those things.

The most amazing thing that it did for me, was that it took away all the food cravings that I was struggling with before I began. Also as an added benefit I was able to lose 14lbs that I did not put back on after I was finished. The weight loss was not my primary purpose for doing it, but I was happy with what happened. If you don’t want to lose weight or if you need to gain weight then you can adjust the amount of the maple syrup to accomplish whatever you need to do.

This cleanse gave me the kick start that I needed to begin a healthier lifestyle. I have just finished doing it for the second time and during this one felt much better throughout it than I did the first time. There were some different things that I experienced throughout the 10 days, but nothing that stopped me from doing all the things that I had to. Also I did the ionic footbath and infared sauna 4 times during the 10 days and that was a big help.

In total I have lost 20 lbs since the first cleanse and have been able to keep my eating in check and do not feel deprived. People have told me that my skin looks really good and that my whole being just looks different. I can eat pretty much anything, but just much much less of it, especially sweets and junk food. Also, I am trying to eat as little wheat as possible.

For me this was an answer and something that was pretty easy to do both time wise for the preparation and cost and not feeling deprived of food. If anyone is thinking of doing it, I would strongly encourage you to follow the instructions very closely for going into it, while you are on it, and also coming off of it.

If you’ve been reading the news, you’ve probably seen the results of a recent study by the National Academy of Science that falls under such headlines as “Taking showers can make you ill‘” or “Study: Showerheads may deliver blast of bacteria”

While this study found interesting information and confirmed that yes, bacteria live in the warm, moist areas that are known as showerheads, I think the spin on the study found in these articles encourages modern day germ phobia. 

Some exposure to dirt and bacteria (if your immune system is healthy) is actually good because it keeps the immune system sharp and focused.  If you are never exposed to dirt or bacteria then it may put you at higher risk for your immune system to either turn inward (autoimmune disease) or become hyperactive and lead to issues such as allergies.

Here is a link to a New York Times article which discusses the “hygiene hypothesis” – the theory that “dirt is good” and that living in an overly hygienic environment may put people at risk for immune system disorders such as allergies and autoimmune disease.  

With all that said, it is good to be aware of the results of the showerhead study – especially if your immune system is compromised.  In any case, I think the best way to make sure you’re not being unnecessarily exposed to harmful bacteria from a showerhead is to either keep it clean (if you’re at home) or if you are showering at a public place such as a gym, just turn the water on and let it run for a few seconds before you step into the water. I would think most people would do this anyway to get the temperature right except for the very few who don’t care if the water is freezing at first.  Of course, some people believe that cold showers are good for the immune system, but that’s a whole different blog!

As we head out of summer and into the cooler months, the attention on cold and flu season starts to set in.  That attention has definitely been amplified this year with all the press surrounding different strains of the flu!  There is a lot you can do to prevent the flu including diet, lifestyle, and in some cases medication, but I thought to take this blog entry to provide info on zinc.  

Zinc is one of the most important nutrients for immunity, and can usually be obtained from the diet if attention is given to eating protein rich foods (although extra may be needed in supplement form if you are around people who are sick with a cold or flu or if you are starting to show symptoms). 

Below is a link to an in-depth entry on zinc from the Linus Pauling Micronutrient Center that also includes a table listing amounts of the mineral found in several zinc-rich foods.  Happy eating!

http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/minerals/zinc/

I received the following question this week in regards to our Basic Cleanse program:

“What’s a good way to cleanse without losing too much weight? When I cleanse, I often lose too much weight too fast. I’m a skinny enough person already, it doesn’t quite feel right.”

Many people cleanse for weight loss, but there are definitely those who are underweight or at the correct weight who want to detoxify without changing their body composition. A simple answer to this question is to just eat more food from within the recommended cleanse foods (listed in the cleanse booklet).

The best foods to increase would be the beans or the vegetables, as these are lower in starch compared to brown rice and will favor the preservation of muscle mass. You can also double the amount of essential oils used on the cleanse to add a healthy source of calories. If you try both of these measures and still feel that you’re losing too much weight, add up to 2 additional protein shakes throughout the day according to the recipe in the cleanse booklet.

Thanks for your question! Keep them coming!