- December 2, 2023
Navy Bean Soup Recipe
Ingredients:
- 16 ounces Navy beans, sorted, rinsed, and soaked
- 1 pound smoked ham shank, rinsed and patted dry
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion, finely diced
- 2 carrots, diced
- 2 celery ribs, diced
- 3-4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon Spanish paprika
- Black pepper, to taste
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 4 cups water
- 1 bay leaf
- Salt, to taste
Method:
- Prepare the Beans:
- Sort through the beans to remove any foreign objects. Rinse well with cold water.
- Soak the beans using either the overnight or quick soak method:
- Overnight method: Cover the beans with water and let them soak overnight. Drain and rinse.
- Quick soak method: Boil the beans for 2 minutes, then let them soak for an hour. Drain and rinse.
- Prepare the Ham Shank:
- Rinse the ham shank with cold water and pat it dry.
- Cook the Vegetables:
- In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots, and celery. Cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic, tomato paste, oregano, paprika, and black pepper. Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Make the Soup:
- Add the ham shank, navy beans, chicken broth, water, and bay leaf to the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 60 minutes.
- Finish the Soup:
- Remove the ham shank, shred the meat, and return it to the pot. Continue cooking for 15 minutes, or until the beans are tender.
- Taste and adjust seasoning with salt if necessary. Remove the bay leaf before serving.
- Serve:
- Ladle the soup into bowls and serve hot. Enjoy!
10 Golden Rules for Healthy Eating and Activity
- Start the Day with Breakfast:
- Begin your day with a nutritious breakfast to fuel your body. Options like whole wheat toast, yogurt with fruit, muesli, or oatmeal with milk are great choices.
- Increase Your Movement:
- Aim for at least 30 minutes of physical activity daily. This can include walking, cycling, or any other form of exercise you enjoy.
- Don’t Skip Meals:
- Maintain energy levels and metabolism by not skipping meals. Include healthy snacks like milk and crackers, an apple, oatmeal, or yogurt with fruit.
- Balance Your Food Choices:
- Ensure a variety of foods in your diet to get essential nutrients. Enjoy your favorite foods in moderation and balance them with healthier options.
- Spend Time with Friends and Family:
- Engage in group activities with loved ones, such as cycling, walking, or playing sports. This promotes both physical and emotional well-being.
- Eat More Whole Foods, Fruits, and Vegetables:
- Choose whole grains, fruits, and vegetables for energy and essential nutrients. Opt for whole wheat bread and pasta over refined versions.
- Participate in Physical Activities:
- Join physical activities at school, work, or in your community. Activities like dancing, sports, or exercise classes can improve your overall fitness and social connections.
- Foods Aren’t Good or Bad:
- Avoid labeling foods. Balance and moderation are key. Enjoy your favorite foods in appropriate portions and complement them with healthier options.
- Make Healthy Eating and Physical Activity Fun:
- Experiment with new healthy foods and activities. Make your wellness journey enjoyable to stay motivated and consistent.
- Pay Attention to Sleep Times:
- Ensure adequate sleep for overall health. Aim to wake up around 7:00 AM and go to bed by 11:30 PM for optimal hormone function and well-being.
By following these guidelines, you can create a balanced and healthy lifestyle, improving both physical and mental health. Enjoy the journey of making healthier choices and staying active!
Navy Bean Soup
Ingredients:
- 16 ounces Navy Beans, sorted, rinsed, and soaked
- 1 pound Smoked Ham Shank, rinsed and patted dry
- 3 tablespoons Olive Oil
- 1 Medium Onion, finely diced
- 2 Carrots, diced
- 2 Celery Ribs, diced
- 3-4 Garlic Cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon Tomato Paste
- 1 teaspoon Dried Oregano
- 1 teaspoon Spanish Paprika
- Black Pepper, to taste
- 4 cups Chicken Broth
- 4 cups Water
- 1 Bay Leaf
- Salt, to taste
Method:
- Pick through the beans to remove any foreign objects and rinse them well. Use either the overnight soak or quick soak method.
- Overnight method: Cover the beans with water and let them soak overnight. Drain and rinse.
- Quick soak method: Boil the beans for 2 minutes, then let them soak for an hour. Drain and rinse.
- Rinse the ham shank and pat it dry.
- In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions, carrots, and celery, and cook until softened.
- Add garlic, tomato paste, oregano, paprika, and black pepper. Cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Add the ham shank, navy beans, chicken broth, water, and bay leaf to the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 60 minutes.
- Remove the ham shank, shred the meat, and return it to the pot. Continue cooking for 15 minutes, or until beans are tender.
- Taste and adjust seasoning with salt if necessary. Remove bay leaf before serving. Enjoy!
Golden Rules for Healthy Eating and Activity:
- Start your day with a nutritious breakfast to fuel your body for the day ahead.
- Incorporate movement into your daily routine, aiming for at least 30 minutes of physical activity.
- Don’t skip meals, including healthy snacks to maintain energy levels and metabolism.
- Balance your food choices, enjoying a variety of foods to ensure you get essential nutrients.
- Spend quality time with friends and family, engaging in physical activities together.
- Choose whole foods, fruits, and vegetables for energy and vital nutrients.
- Participate in physical activities at school, work, or in your community for overall wellness.
- Avoid labeling foods as “good” or “bad” but aim for balance and moderation.
- Make healthy eating and physical activity enjoyable by trying new foods and activities.
- Prioritize adequate sleep for overall well-being and hormone regulation.
By following these guidelines, you can promote a healthy lifestyle and enhance your well-being.
10 Golden Rules for Healthy Eating and Activity
1. Start the Day with Breakfast
Starting the day with a good breakfast after a long sleep period gives our body the energy it needs throughout the day. A toast made of whole wheat flour, yogurt-fruit, muesli, oatmeal with milk or recommended by your dietitian is a good breakfast menu.
2. Increase Your Movement
30 minutes between your daily physical activities. Making time for exercise is not difficult at all. 10 minutes every hour while watching TV or doing your homework. You can separate and exercise. Instead of using a minibus or taxi to see your friend, you can complete a certain distance by walking, cycling or running. You can take the stairs instead of using the elevator.
3. Don’t Skip Meals
Snack is one of the meals that should not be skipped in order to maintain blood sugar balance and increase the metabolic rate. You can choose different foods from different food groups. A glass of semi-skimmed milk and a couple of crackers, an apple, oatmeal, or a yoghurt with a small fruit would be a healthy choice.
4. Balance Your Food Choices
If you can’t give up on hamburgers, french fries and ice cream, check how often you eat these foods. Because your body also needs to get protein, carbohydrate, fat and various vitamins and minerals from various foods such as Vitamin A-C, iron and calcium.
5. Spend Time With Your Friends and Family
Group activities with friends or family can be a lot of fun. Encourage your friends to do group exercise with you on the weekend. These can be activities such as cycling, basketball, walking together, volleyball.
6. Eat More Whole Foods, Fruits and Vegetables
While these foods give you energy, they also contain vitamins, minerals and fiber. Prefer whole wheat flour bread to white bread. Pasta belongs to the whole wheat rice grain group.
7. Participate in Physical Activities at School or Around You
Participate in physical activities practiced at school, at work, and in your community. Folklore can be group activities. These exercises increase both your school success and business success and make your body look better.
8. Foods Aren’t Good or Bad.
Organizing healthy eating is like playing a puzzle. Each food has different characteristics. Some foods may contain more fat, sugar or salt. Some do not have vitamins or fiber. It’s how you choose these foods that makes a diet good or bad. The balance in selection is very important.
For example; You can take care of consuming a menu of fatty foods at lunch and pass other meals lighter. However, be sure to stay within the recommended amount. If two slices of pizza are recommended, avoid the third slice.
9. Make Healthy Eating and Physical Activity Fun
You can make it an adventure by choosing healthy foods and doing physical activities that are right for you.
You can try new physical activities as well as new foods. Believe me, you will realize that you are stronger, you look better and you feel better. Have good goals in your life and never give up on them.
10. Pay Attention to Sleep Times
In order for the hormones to work correctly in your body, it is necessary to pay attention to the sleep hours. Sleep is one of the most important functions of human life. Good sleep improves one’s quality of life during the day. We should get up at 07:00 at the earliest and go to bed at 23:30 at the latest. If we wake up late, our digestive system will not work well and we will feel bad because the hormones of depression kick in.