One of my favorite foods is green beans (aka string beans). The Asian variety is known as long beans; these are my absolute favorite, as they have no strings to speak of, are easy to clean and prepare, and are very tender. These are excellent in stir-fries. Green beans can be used for stir-fries if they are young, or for soups or stews if they are a little tougher and stringy. For ultimate cleansing, they can be eaten raw, juiced or blended with other vegetables into a cleansing drink.

Green beans are the ultimate liver food. They have the wonderful quality of detoxifying the liver. There are carbohydrates/starches in green beans so that blood sugar doesn’t bottom out. And, they are an excellent source of fiber to help sweep out debris from the colon. For a Fall cleanse, green beans can make up an important part of the cleansing process.

According to the principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), green beans are warming and have a sweet taste. In addition to cleansing the liver, they can be used to help alleviate fullness in the chest, burping, cough, hernia, chronic diarrhea and back pain due to kidney weakness. Green beans are also very energizing and tonifying to the body, addressing fatigue and weakness due to deficiency.

The accompanying recipe is very adaptable. It can be used during a cleanse, as a side dish, or as a main entrée with added cubes of tofu, tempeh, chicken or other meat. It is delicious for any occasion. Enjoy!

Stir-Fried Long Beans:

1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
¼ pound mushrooms, sliced. Shiitake, Portobello or brown button mushrooms are all good.
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
½ medium onion, sliced thin
2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
1 bunch Long Beans, rinsed and cut into 3-inch pieces (or one pound Blue Lake or French green beans, ends snapped)
2 Tablespoons Bragg’s Liquid Aminos, Tamari or Soy Sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil

1. Heat olive oil in wok or skillet. Add the mushrooms and the ginger; stir-fry for 3-4 minutes.
2. Add onion; stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add garlic and long beans. Stir-fry to mix ingredients.
3. Add Aminos and sesame oil. Cover, lower flame, and simmer for 5 minutes. Serve immediately.