Discover the magic of beans and fluids

Ketogenic. Paleo. Mediterranean. Vegan. Carnivore. Low-carb. Low-fat. Grass-fed. Free-range. Organic. Gluten-free. Dairy-free. Egg-free.

There are so many diets and health advice today. What do you do with all of this? Who do you listen to? How do you decide the best path for you—especially when there are so many experts that disagree with one another?

I have struggled with my gut health for years. Not only do I have Celiac Disease (an autoimmune disease where gluten damages the small intestine when ingested), I have other difficulties with digestion, pain, and severe constipation. TMI, right? Or is it? If we don’t talk about such things, then who will, and how can we learn from one another?

It takes humility to share personal issues in such a public way. But I do it for good reason—I want to share something magical with you that I have discovered. And if I am not completely transparent right out of the gates, even about my slow bowel motility, then you wouldn’t be able to see the magic ahead.

Do you struggle with your GI health? Do you know someone who does? Perhaps as you age, things aren’t what they used to be and you want to learn how they can be better. Or maybe you just like to learn new things that can improve your overall health. No matter where you are in your GI journey, I promise that there is goodness to come!

I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease in 2007. Since then, I’ve eaten a strict gluten-free diet. Even if I ingest a minuscule piece of gluten, I have a negative reaction. Because of my sensitivity to even the smallest bit, I am very careful to avoid cross-contamination.

In the last few years, I’ve had increased GI pain and other issues not related to Celiac. I’ve been to doctors—including traditional, functional, holistic, and alternative med doctors. I’ve tried many things based on their advice but there has never been a solid solution to my troubles, nor have I gotten relief for long. 

Since I was a child, I have suffered from constipation. I’ve had to utilize all sorts of stool softeners, artificial fibers, etc. in order to stay even a little regular. After an epigastric hernia repair last year (which was probably due to my severe constipation), my physician told me that I have the bowels of a ninety-year-old and I would need to take large amounts of Citricil and Miralax for the rest of my life. This sentence has haunted me ever since the words came out of his mouth. I hate taking these things because they bulk up my gut completely and I still have troubles.

Since then, I have been on a mission to find a solution—a more natural solution.

Last fall I began a detox program that uses supplements and diet to aid in the detoxification of the body. During the program, the pain increased to a point that landed me back in the doctor’s office for more testing (likely because the toxins were starting to come out of deeper tissues but not out of my body).

The endoscopy showed severe inflammation of my stomach and small intestine. When asking “what now”? I was basically told that my regular doctor could not help and I would need a referral to a GI specialist. The problem was, after my referral to the GI specialist the previous year, I was told that I could not get in.

Later, when I shared my troubles once again with a dear friend, she suggested once again that I check into the Karen Hurd Bean Protocol. The thing is, after her advice six months previously, I had looked into it—briefly. And I had tried adding in beans—minimally. Stubbornly, I decided that the bean protocol was not for me simply because I DO NOT LIKE BEANS. They have never been any part of my diet and I would not start eating a bunch of nasty-textured legumes—no matter what! End of story.

Sometimes my “end of story” moments actually become the beginning of story moments. This was one of those times.

As I continued praying about the pain, the Lord kept putting beans on my mind. Finally, having exhausted all other avenues for help, I was desperate enough to learn more about beans and at least try the protocol to see if I might find relief.

If you have not heard about Karen Hurd, I would encourage you to Google her and read her full story. But for the sake of this article, I’m going to give you the cliff notes version.

Karen and her family moved into a house filled with carpet beetles. Her home was sprayed with toxic insecticides—though they would not know until later that the concentration used was much higher than normal. Her family began getting sick, but most severely was her 18-month-old daughter, Ruth who was crawling on the carpet. Doctors would not listen to Karen or do the things for Ruth that she asked for. So, Karen took matters into her own hands. Her solution to the problem was nutrition—namely beans.

I’ve learned a lot about toxins over the past couple of months, so here is Jeana’s toxin class 101:

Our livers do a really good job of processing toxins to be removed from our bodies. They also produce bile, a fluid that helps digest fats and takes away waste and toxins. If we do not eat the right foods that bind to the bile so that it can be fully removed from our bodies through our feces, then up to 95% of the bile will recirculate in our bodies. Say it isn’t so!

It is so! Do you know how many toxins are in our world? They are in the foods and drinks we consume, lotions/potions/makeup/perfumes/etc. we put on, chemicals we breathe in, and the list goes on and on.

Are you eating the right foods for the toxins in your body to be fully released? Though by the time I found The Bean Protocol, I was eating pretty clean and healthy, I was not eating what I needed in order to rid my body of the toxins.

Soluble fiber is what we need to take the toxins out of our bodies. The fiber acts as a net—catching the bile and removing it completely—without leaving a bunch behind to recirculate and wreak havoc on our systems.

I was getting some soluble fiber through my diet but not enough and so I was having to rely on supplemental forms that were not agreeing with my body (and actually adding more toxins in!).

Through educating myself in the world of beans (which are packed full of nutrients and protein on top of their toxin-catching qualities), I decided that it all made so much sense that I had nothing to lose (except my appetite when I ate those nasty little legumes). I committed to adding one and a half cups of beans (a half cup three times daily) to my diet every single day to see what would happen.

What happened was musical … I mean magical. Let’s pause for a moment and sing the little song we all know so well.

Beans, beans, the magical fruit
The more you eat, the more you toot,
The more you toot, the better you feel
So let’s have beans for every meal!

I don’t know who wrote this little ditty but it sure has a nice beat and it’s true (partly anyhow)!

Here’s the scoop about the toot part: When our bodies are not used to this soluble fiber and we begin eating it in substantial quantities, the bacteria feed on it in our large intestines and this fermentation process produces excess gas that makes us toot. However, after a short period of time of consuming beans regularly our bacteria happily do their job and get used to the extra work without making excess gas. So instead of hearing music, we experience magic.

What I have learned is that the magic is three-fold. Beans naturally detoxify our bodies. Beans make our GI bacteria happy and enhance our gut health. And, get ready for this, beans turn our once-per-week bowel movements into epic daily regularity (as long as we are drinking lots of water too)! If that’s not magical, I don’t know what is … or maybe I do.

There’s not only magic for our bodies, but there’s magic for our vehicles – clean fluids!

I recently gave a shuttle ride to a customer and during our conversation, she said that she brought her vehicle to our shop for transmission issues. She told me that after inspecting her vehicle and finding the condition of the transmission fluid to be extremely dark and dirty, our service advisor asked her when her last transmission fluid exchange was. Her answer was “never”.

She went on to explain to me that when the dealership sold the brand new vehicle to her, they told her that the fluids were “lifetime” and would never need to be changed. I had never heard of this and so I did some research. 

Come to find out, there are some dealerships who are actually using the benefit of “lifetime fluids” to sell vehicles. By doing this, they are inferring that cost of ownership will be low because technology is so great that fluids don’t need to be changed.

Being in the automotive industry for so many years and knowing the importance of fluid exchanges, I wondered, “How can this be? How have fluids changed so drastically? Can it possibly be true?”

As we’ve all heard, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Fluids have not changed so much that they stay clean for a lifetime. It seems that “lifetime” is a pretty loose term and doesn’t specify whose lifetime. One would assume that they are referring to the vehicle’s lifetime. But if this is the case, then what is the lifespan of that vehicle?

I can tell you this, if its fluids are not getting replaced as a part of regular maintenance, the vehicle will have a shortened “lifetime”.

I have learned much about the fluids in our vehicles over the years. So here is Jeana’s fluid class 101:

The fluids in our vehicles protect the different systems of our vehicles. They break down, lose viscosity, and become dirty over time. When this happens, it becomes like the bile in our bodies—dirty fluids (like toxins) recirculate and wreak havoc—causing other problems in our vehicles. So, if they are not exchanged based on industry standards of time and mileage, they will not protect our vehicle’s systems properly and they will age prematurely. Say it isn’t so!

Again, it is so. And now we need to start going forth and get educated on what is true and what is not true—for both our bodies and our vehicles. We then need to apply our knowledge and reap the benefits of our new ways.

For your vehicle

Are you getting regular fluid exchanges for all the systems in your vehicle for the best health and function? Do you know what the schedule is and how important it is to change it before it starts to wreak havoc on the system it should be protecting? Do you consider the quality of fluids being used and know about warranties that they may come with?

The fact is fluids are designed to protect the intricate systems of our vehicles. They need to be changed so that they can continue to do their jobs well. And certainly, fluids can be “lifetime”—just make sure you understand that its lifetime will be a shortened one. 

I would encourage you to check with a trusted auto repair facility that believes in the importance of quality fluid exchanges for assistance in keeping your vehicle in its best health.

For your body

Are you eating a healthy diet with a variety of good food for the best health and function? Do you eat soluble fiber—like magical beans, to rid your body of toxins? 

I am not a health expert, doctor, nutritionist, or the like. I am simply a woman who has had a difficult GI journey with suffering along the way. In all honesty, I think I wanted a magical pill or powder or procedure that would fix my body. Instead, God has brought me on a path of healing with magical beans. Though I am not fully healed, I have definitely experienced considerable healing with these little legumes. And I am even learning ways to eat them that don’t make me gag!

I hope that my candor about my personal struggles and what I have discovered might bless you or someone you know. And as you get ready to apply or share this new knowledge, I wonder if we might make that little old bean song a new one we can sing happily together:



Beans, beans are magical legumes
God made beans for us to consume
The more we consume the better we feel
So let’s all consume beans—at every meal!