January. The starting month of A Year of Healing and Health. This month’s focus is on whole foods and simple body movement. I like to think of whole foods as those that remember where they came from. If you can look at something and “see” what it started as, you’re doing pretty well. I don’t mean those things that have been chopped, pressed, and reformed to look like the source, but those that actually are; whole fruits, grains, legumes, vegetables, and meats. There are countless lists of all these items out there. Here is a listing of the ones that we use in my house on a regular basis.
Grains: Brown Rice, Quinoa, Whole Wheat Flour, Pop Corn, Rye Berries, Millet, Wheat Berries
Fruits: Apples, Bananas, Citrus, Berries, Plums, Pears, and Mangos
Legumes: Pinto beans, Black beans, Green lentils, Red Lentils, Garbanzo beans, and Peas
Vegetables: Lettuce, Tomatoes, Carrots, Celery, Onions, Cabbage, Zucchini, Broccoli, Green beans, Garlic, and Potatoes of various types.
Meats: Chicken(whole or parts, and Eggs), Beef(Ground, or steak or roasts with or without bones), Fish(usually boneless skinless filets), Occasional Pork(usually , Sometimes Bacon
Extras: Real Butter(unsalted), Olive Oil, Coconut Oil, Coconut milk, Real Cream, Half and Half, Whole milk Yogurt, Evaporated Cane Juice, Sea Salt, Black Peppercorns, herbs, and spices(real spices not sugar or salt added blends).
In our exploration of whole foods this week, we found chicken soft tacos, with pinto beans and rice with lettuce, salsa, and cheese. The chicken was poached (slowly boiled) with onions, celery, carrot, dried Ancho chili peppers, salt and pepper. The pinto beans were ones that we grew in our community garden plot earlier this year and then dehydrated on trays on our kitchen table for a week or so. We soaked these overnight, then pressure cooked them with onion, carrot, pepper, and bay leaf. The beans turned out fresh and creamy and full of flavor, and it was fun to know we grew these. The meal itself was spectacular. The depth of flavor was astounding, and the simplicity of the meal was refreshing. We used the leftovers to make chicken enchiladas one night, and chicken tortilla soup the next.
Our exploration of movement was simply walking. We drove out to the beach on Saturday and walked along the shore. We were fortunate it didn’t rain while we were there. My kids made a sand castle, had some imaginary swordplay with imaginary monsters, and ended up playing “chicken” with the waves, which added in a few short stints of sprinting, but it was mostly walking. We could see and hear the waves, smell and taste the salt in the air, and listen to and watch the seagulls and other marine life while we meandered along the shoreline. It was simple, easy, and enjoyable. I realize it’s not possible for everyone to have that same experience, but one of the easiest forms of movement free and available to almost everyone is walking. Walking carries great benefits for your overall health, your cardiovascular health, as well as your sense of well being. You don’t have to be able to walk long distances either due to time constraints or fitness level, because it all adds up, and every little bit counts. Start with five minutes, and go from there. If you can safely walk outside all the better, otherwise walking safely indoors is a fine option, too. You can walk on a treadmill, or even in the store. Many malls open up early for walkers to make their rounds in a safe and weather protected environment. Another option is to find a group of walkers in your area. Community centers and online searches can help you find others interested in walking. Just get out there and move.

Pinto Beans
2 cups pinto beans, rinsed, picked through
2 carrots, cut into 1 inch chunks
1 small onion sliced into rounds
1 bay leaf
Fresh ground pepper (I do several turns about ½ tsp)
Salt(added AFTER cooking is complete)
Soak beans overnight. Place all ingredients into pressure cooker, except salt, and add water until it just covers the beans by just under an inch.(I usually do enough water to cover by about the depth of my middle finger first knuckle.) Bring this up to pressure on medium high heat as per your manufacturers directions. (My pot is a Fagor and I bring it up to pressure level 2.) Bring the heat down to medium, maintaining pressure, and cook these at pressure for 8 minutes, remove from heat, and let them come down naturally and slowly, about 30 minutes, until the pressure is released and the safety mechanisms release the lid locks. Adjust water level by pouring off excess fluid, and add salt to taste. You can either mash these up, or serve them whole. If you don’t have a pressure cooker, cover with liquid as before and cook on medium/medium low heat for a couple hours until tender to your liking, adding water as necessary to keep the beans from drying out. It is important not to add the salt too soon, or the skins of the bean will be tough. Enjoy!