Food equals medicine MUNG BEANS

The only beans i ever really liked were Boston Baked Beans.  Delicious but probably not good for you. With my hotdog and some potato salad.  On my old sailboat in eel pond in woods hole.

I digress…
This stuff you can get the bean or also in vermicelli noodles.
These guys are packed with lots of protein and very easy to cook. I like that it helps to lower cholesterol. As nurses we should be encouraging our patients to eat better.  A total plus that these little guys contain phytoestrogens which aid in the production of collagen and elastin which improve skin tone.

In the Compendium of Materia Medica, Li Shizen (a pharmacologist in the Ming Dynasty 1368-1644) recorded that cooked mung beans could:
•    Dispel internal heat
•    Dispel toxins
•    Relieve edema
•    Relieve heat stroke and thirst
•    Calm nerves
•    Reinforce quan qi (original energy)
•    Harmonize organs
•    Nourish the skin
•    Promote urination

Western Herbal Green Mung Bean Health Benefits
Green mung beans have been shown to have the following health benefits:
•    Constipation: The high fiber content of mung beans moves improves intestinal motility.
•    Hair and Nails: Mung beans are high in protein and zinc which improve the strength of hair and nails.
•    Hangover: Mung beans quickly detoxify the body and remove the symptoms of hangover
•    Heart Disease: Mung beans have been shown reduce heart disease when consumed several times per week
•    High Blood Pressure: Consuming a small amount of green mung beans daily has shown to reduce high blood pressure
•    Liver Health: Mung beans contain a large amount of lecithin which reduces liver fat and regulates the normal functioning of the liver.
•    Lowers Cholesterol
•    Skin/Anti-Aging: Mung beans contain phytoestrogens which aid in the production of collagen and elastin which improve skin tone.
•    Toxin Removal: According to TCM, mung beans expel toxins from the body
•    Weight Loss: Mung beans are low in calories and rich in proteins and fiber

here is my recipe for mung bean soup
boil three cups of vegetable stock.
put in one cup of washed mung beans.
cook for 40 minutes but check every ten minutes or so and add water as needed.
Add two to three tablespoons of coconut milk.
saute in oil 1/2 onion , a few cloves of garlic and 2 tablespoons of ginger.
you can also add some celery, scallions and shitake mushrooms (or any mushrooms you like)
add to soup
Throw in some greens- i use baby spinach.
cook for a few minutes and enjoy.

anyone else have any good suggestions for food equals medicine?

(1)http://www.luminearth.com/2013/07/06/green-mung-bean-health-benefits/