Many Native American farming systems grew corn, squash, and beans together, calling them the three sisters because they grew harmoniously and provided well-rounded nourishment. They planted beans right next to the corn, so that the corn could act as a beanstalk, and the space between each cornstalk/beanstalk would be used for squash planting. In terms of most effective space utilization, this process makes absolute sense. But the logic extends further. Growing corn depletes nitrogen in the soil, and growing beans replenishes it. Some farmers practice crop rotation in order to balance the soil’s fertility over time. This process of growing the three sisters in conjunction, though, automatically balances and nourishes the earth, which in turn nourishes the plants. This is a sustainable and nutritious farming method.
Industrial agriculture right now really encourage single-crop growing, which is not only highly detrimental to the earth – depleting soil fertility, encouraging pesticide overuse, and contaminating water – but also diminishes the quality of our food. This happens in several ways, including diminished soil and water quality leading to depleted nutrient content, as well as overproduction leading to cheap and abundant food commodities being used in a variety of processed forms. It is estimated that somewhere between eighty and ninety percent of the foods available in grocery stores contain some processed form of either corn or soy. These may be obvious (soy lecithin or high fructose corn syrup) or hidden (maltodextrin, caramel color, MSG, and xanthan gum to name a few).
So while the American diet still largely consists of corn and bean (soy in particular) products, they are most often in their derivative forms and not consumed as whole foods. Government subsidization of commodity crops, such as soy and corn, lead to their overproduction, which creates incredible competition in the food market. Food industries spend billions of dollars trying to create and market new food products, which ultimately could feed the nation almost twice over. We have so many food products that we are tricked into an illusion of variety, but so many include corn or soy products (or both) that our bodies are becoming resistant to them. Soy is also a fairly new food to the Western world, and in excess, its phytoestrogens can wreak havoc on the body. We’re not only doing a considerable amount of damage to the earth, we’re hurting our bodies.
Some people have begun to vilify corn and soy, blaming the poor little foods themselves and insisting that they should not be consumed at all. While it is true that the average American consumes too much of both, it is only their by-products. Consuming the foods themselves is not dangerous. Returning to the three sisters, in agriculture and in eating, can actually be very beneficial to our health.
Traditional Chinese Medicine tells us that winter is the time to focus on our kidneys, which filter our blood and turn the waste products and excess water into urine to be excreted. They are also closely linked to your adrenals literally – the adrenals are located right atop the kidneys – and in their functions – kidneys regulate adrenal function by increasing sodium reabsorption and potassium secretion, and the adrenals regulate fluid tonicity. In winter months, or any time when we experience some fatigue, in order to support our adrenals, we must also support our kidneys, and vice versa.
In order to support these vital, bean-shaped, detoxifying little organs – our kidneys – TCM encourages eating (surprise!) beans. Also, if you’d like to bring it back to Western medicine for a moment, in order to support our kidneys detoxifying abilities, maintaining fluid and electrolyte balance is very helpful. Almost all Americans consume too much sodium and not enough of its counterpart, potassium. Winter squash and beans both have good amounts of potassium, and will help restore balance. Pantothenic acid is also really important for your adrenals, because a deficiency can lead to adrenal atrophy. Pantothenic acid is abundant in several foods that are just plain good for you, like whole grains, salmon, broccoli, and sweet potatoes. It is also rich in – you guessed it – legumes. Nuts, peas and beans.
Native American tradition, Chinese philosophy, and Western science all in some way encourage eating squash, beans and corn (especially together), either for general health or to specifically support your kidneys.
Looks like we might be on to something.
So here is one blogger’s little effort to get back to the three sisters, both philosophically by encouraging sustainable living and eating, and nutritionally by eating kidney-supporting beans, potassium-rich squash, and energy-dense good old corn.
I encourage you all to try buying as many of the following ingredients as possible from your local farmers market. The food is likely to have been grown using less pesticides (although not always – you should ask the vendor) and not as a monoculture crop (as in, it grows in rotation with or alongside other foods). Also, it probably hasn’t traveled as far, meaning far less greenhouse gases emitted by the transportation vehicles, fresher food, and therefore more nutrients! Also, buying organic usually means less pesticide use, and sometimes more sustainable land use (although, again, not always, so do some research if you’re interested).
And, of course, the recipes!
You might be wondering how in the heck squash, corn, and beans can be interesting. Well, I think I’ve come up with something pretty good here, so give it a try!
Roasted Winter Squash with Corn and Black Bean Relish:
Relish:
4 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup cooked fresh or thawed frozen corn kernels
1/3 cup cooked black beans
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon honey
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Heat oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add corn and black beans, stirring mixture frequently until the corn is cooked through. Remove from heat and add remaining ingredients. Mix well and set aside at room temperature.
Squash:
1 medium winter squash (acorn or butternut work well)
2 cloves garlic
3 Tbsp olive oil
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp ginger
½ tsp cumin
Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Peel squash and cut into 1” cubes. Mince garlic cloves. Toss squash, garlic, and all other ingredients in a large glass pan. Roast in oven for 30-45 minutes (varies depending on desired texture, oven temperatures, and glassware), turning every 10 minutes or so.
Top the warm squash with the corn and black bean relish and enjoy! Your kidneys will thank you.
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