Otis Adzuki Bean Soup

What are the leading causes of cancer?  Smoking, diet, lack of exercise and then of course obesity which comes from diet and lack of exercise.  I watched a very informative video on youtube this morning that talks about cancer and the American Health Care System  Please spend and hour and watch this video, it's worth it! http://youtu.be/3ho_LMBiHVg   The Doctor who gives this lecture and rips on the health care system is Otis Brawley, M.D., chief medical and scientific officer, American Cancer Society, and the keynote speaker at Health Journalism 2012.

What caught my attention was of course that he spoke about diet in the beginning of his speech and then again mentioned it several times later.  He is very critical of the health care system and points out numerous times that Americans are 50th in life expectancy.  He also mentions, "We are Americans and we leave a lot of people behind in the American Health Care System".  So many Americans I know always say that "America has the highest standard of living in the world".  If America did have the highest standard of living in the world shouldn't our life expectancy be higher than 50th?  This gentleman goes on to explain various problems with the system that is in place now.  He gives specific cases of procedures that have been implemented into the system and that have become accepted by the public but which have more negative effects than positive results.

In the end, you will be dumbfounded and flabbergasted by what this brave man points out and that he has the guts to come forward and deliver his message to a room full of health care journalists that undoubtedly will publish what this new hero of mine has so eloquently presented.  But for me, because I blog about diet and cancer, I found it so important that he mentioned diet in the beginning of his speech.

So I present to you today a soup named after my new hero  "The Otis Adzuki Bean Soup"
Oh, by the way, he has just published a book called, "How We Do Harm".

The Otis Adzuki Bean Soup

• 2 cups adzuki beans
• 1 liter water
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 onions diced
• 4 carrots sliced
• 1 celery stick diced
• 1 leek sliced
• 1/2 red pepper diced
• 2 garlic minced
• 1 shallot minced
• 1 tbsp cumin
• 1 tbsp caraway
• 1 tbsp turmeric
• 1 tbsp sweet paprika
• 1 tbsp hot paprika
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 large can whole tomatoes
• 2 liters water/vegi stock
• 1 bay leaf
• some fresh thyme
• salt and pepper

• Soak the bean in the water overnight
• Place a large pot over medium heat for 2 minutes
• Then add the olive and heat for another 2 minutes
• Then add the onions, carrots and celery and cook for 10 minutes
• Then add the leeks, red pepper, garlic and shallots and cook for 5 minutes
• Then add cumin, caraway, turmeric and paprika and cook 5 minutes more
• Then add tomato paste and cook 2-3 minutes stirring mucho
• Then add the rest of the ingredients including the soaked beans
• Cook for 1-2 hours depending on beans
• Don't add the salt and pepper until the beans are soft.

Enjoy this tasty soup with a little rice and it taste nice.
 Adzuki Beans are the healthiest beans in the world.  When combined with brown rice they produce a high quality protein along with plenty of vitamins and minerals.