Adzuki Bean Pumpkin Vegetable Stew

recipe serves 4

Adzuki beans (soaked 2-3 hours)  1 cup
Wakame or dulse sea vegetable     8cm strip
Herbs-oregano, thyme to taste
bay leaf                          1
garlic                              2 cloves
onions                            2 large
carrots                           2 large
pumpkin                        2 cups diced
celery                             1 cup diced
sea salt or tamari to taste
2 tablespoons of Kuzu starch dissolved in 1/4 cup of water

Soak beans for 2-3 hours
Stir fry onions and garlic in a large saucepan until golden brown, add wakame or dulse, aduki beans (after draining and washing them) and cover with water.
Bring to boil and simmer for 30 minutes adding water occasionally to keep beans covered.
Cut vegetables in chunky pieces and add to beans. Add herbs and bay leaf as well as enough water to fill 1/3 saucepan. Let simmer for another 40 minutes.
Add sea salt or tamari to taste and then simmer for an additional 10 minutes.
Add dissolved kuzu to pot and stir until it becomes transparent.
Serve with brown rice, hulled millet, quinoa, buckwheat.

BEANS
Beans and legumes strengthen the kidneys and adrenals glands and therefore promote physical growth and development. Beans are  a high fiber vegetarian protein
The protein (17-25%)builds body mass but not cholesterol, saturated fat or toxic nitrogen byproducts as in meat.
The phytochemical diosgenin, which appears to inhibit cancer cells from multiplying, is found in beans. As beans reduce the level of serum cholesterol and offer some protection against heart disease.
Beans are slowly digested and cause only a gradual rise in blood sugar levels so are a superior carbohydrate for diabetes or blood sugar imbalances.
Beans are low in fat, good sources of calcium, potassium, iron, zinc, and several B vitamins, including folate. The isoflavones in beans help prevent cancer and heart disease.

ADUKI (ADZUKI) BEANS are native to China and Korea but now grown organically in Europe and America.
In Japan the small red bean is called the ‘king of beans’ and is said to be good for the liver and kidneys.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine adzuki beans detoxifies the body; removes heat conditions; disperses stagnant blood; reduces swelling; acts as a diuretic and so is drying to those with damp conditions so can promote weight loss

KUZU (KUDZU)
Root of a tree, in Chinese Medicine the root and flowers are used to relieve acute pain, stiff neck and shoulders, intestinal and digestive disorders, headaches, fever, colds and hangovers.
A cooling tonic herb, Kudzu induces perspiration.
It prevents the eruption of rashes and clears the skin.
Harvard studies show that a dose of kudzu made alcoholic hamsters cut their imbibing by 50% (1993)
Use a as thickener in soups, stir fries and sauces instead of cornstarch or arrowroot
Kudzu originated in China and was brought to the United States from Japan in the late 1800s. It is distributed throughout much of the eastern United States and is most common in the southern part of the continent.
Kudzu has traditionally been used in China to treat alcoholism, diabetes (high blood sugar), gastroenteritis (inflamed stomach or intestine), and deafness.
Evidence suggests kudzu may improve signs and symptoms of unstable angina (chest pain), improve insulin resistance, and have a positive effect on cognitive function in postmenopausal women.
However, most studies have suffered from methodological weaknesses and small sample sizes.
Chinese healers have used kudzu to treat high blood pressure and chest pain and to minimize alcohol cravings.
Research indicates that puerarin (a constituent of kudzu) may increase blood flow to the heart and brain which helps explain certain traditional uses