Eat beans, say the smart ones at my fitness center. Just got another e-mail health tip from them, and it's all about, yep, beans.

Beans are inexpensive and delicious and easy to keep stocked in your pantry. Best of all, they're packed with protein, complex carbohydrates, and fiber. They're also cholesterol-free, almost fat-free, and if the health experts of the world are right, they'll even lower your cholesterol. The best when it comes to cholesterol-lowering beans: Pinto, navy, and garbanzo beans all have similar lowering effects. Researchers think it's phytochemicals, the compounds that gives plants their color, that may be responsible.

Time to add beans to your soups, casseroles, salads, dips, and more. Think about making them the focal part of your next meal and see what you think.