Post by Okwes on Oct 2, 2006 11:40:14 GMT -5
Just a Hill of Beans!
What food can give you the most protein value for your money, supply
enough fiber to meet your daily requirement, does not require
refrigeration before cooking, and tastes great too?
Why, marvelous beans , of course!
Beans have been an important part of the human diet for at least 4000
years. In every country you'll find a bean dish that makes up a large
portion of the diet; in Mexico, chili and refried beans are
favorites,India and Nepal go wild for spicy dal,
Middle Eastern countries are notorious for their love of hummus,and
in jolly ol' America, we can't say no to a bowl of Boston bakedbeans!
The beautiful thing about beans (outside of their excellent taste) is
the fact that they have less effect on blood sugar levels than any
other carbohydrate-other carb
This is because beans are digested slowly, yielding a higher satiety
value and delaying the return of hunger and over consumption of
calories.
Digesting beans can pose a problem for some people, but don't
let that deter you from eating them. To reduce digestion problems,
introduce beans into your diet slowly to allow your body time to
adjust. In addition, don't mix beans with other gaseous foods such as
broccoli or cabbage.
Over time, your body will become accustomed to beans and digestion
will
be no problem at all!
Canned or from scratch?
Try your hand at making beans from scratch. I recommend soaking all
types of beans, except for lentils and split peas, to reduce their
gas
producing qualities.
Here are the steps involved in preparing your own beans:
Pour a large amount of spring water, two to three times the volume of
the beans, into a large pot or bowl. Pour the beans into the water
and
let the beans soak for at least 8 hours in the refrigerator.
Remove the pot of beans from the refrigerator and drain them. Replace
the old water with new, fresh water and return the beans to the pot.
Bring the water to a full boil, lower the heat, cover and simmer
until
the beans are tender.
Cooking Times for Various Beans:
Black beans : 1 1/2 hours
Black eyed beans: 1 1/2 hours
Fava Beans : 2 to 3 hours
Chickpeas : 1 1/2 hours to 2 hours
Kidney Beans : 2 hours
Lentils : 45 minutes (needs no soaking)
Pinto beans : 2 hours
Soybeans : 3 hours
Split peas : 45 minutes (needs no soaking)
White beans : 2 hours
The fine art of seasoning
Beans are basically a blank canvas, the flavors added to them while
cooking make up the majority of their taste. It is possible to create
literally hundreds of different tastes using the same type of bean.
The
best way to learn the art of seasoning is to dive in and experiment!
I've listed a few ideas to help your experimenting along.
Make bean spreads. Beans mashed with other tasty ingredients somehow
seems to agree with more people.
Add beans to your favorite homemade or canned soups. Adding beans to
a soup
boosts the soup's fiber content!
Beans take especially well to Southwestern and Asian spices. For a
Southwestern flair, add salsa, hot chilies, and ground cumin to the
pot
of beans.
For an Asian twist, sprinkle in some non-gmo soy, oyster, and hoisin
sauces, along with a bit of ginger and garlic.
Add beans to your next casserole.
April is Soy Month—and deservedly so, given all the recent research
on
this legume. But many of the isoflavones and other beneficial
components of non-gmo soy are also available in a host of other
legumes, which are proportionately lower in fat than soy or that
other
popular legume, the peanut.
These slimmer cousins, with heart-friendly isoflavones and
cancer-protective powers, include black, dwarf, field, green,
haricot,
kidney, lima, mung, navy, string, scarlet runner, and even the
Biblical
fava bean, as well as chickpeas and English peas.
Some Benefits of Legumes
Most beans (Phaseolus spp.) are high in fiber and low in fat—just the
ticket for lowering cholesterol. And they contain *lecithin*, a
nutrient that also helps reduce cholesterol levels. One study found
that a daily cup and a half of dried lentils or kidney beans (about
the
amount in a bowl of bean soup) cuts "total" cholesterol by 19
percent.
Cooking and eating dried beans has been linked to reduced risk of
*diabetes* and *obesity*, thanks to their effect on blood sugar and
insulin response.
New research from the Canadian Department of Agriculture finds that
dried beans also contain antioxidants, particularly *phenols*, which
are potent free radical scavengers.
Even without the phyto-estrogens or Cox-2 inhibitors in beans, they
protect against breast, cervical, colon, liver, skin, and stomach
cancers.
Pinto beans have almost as much antioxidant genistein and daidzein as
non-gmo soybeans. And others—
anasazi beans, black turtle beans, lima beans, red kidney beans, and
yellow split peas—may have even more.
Also quite high in genistein are adzuki beans, black-eyed peas, fava,
and mung beans.
Favor the Fava
The fava bean may possibly be superior to the currently heralded drug
Tamoxifen for the prevention of breast and prostate cancers. These
beans may possibly contain even more anticancer compounds
(specifically, Bowman Birk inhibitors, estrogenic isoflavones, phytic
acid, phytoesterols, and saponins) than soy.
Certain varieties of fava bean possess remarkably high levels of
natural L-dopa, which has been used successfully in anti-aging
therapy.
The L-dopa in these beans increases levels of dopamine in the brain,
which may quell cravings for alcohol and other addictive drugs that
reward the brain with dopamine.
Parkinson's disease, caused by an imbalance between dopamine and
acetylcholine, is medically treated with drugs like levodopa (or
Laradopa).
A more natural approach when the brain is no longer able to generate
dopamine on its own? Eat more fava beans, which can take over and do
what the body cannot do for itself.
Medicinal Power of Beans
The lowly black bean contains countless healing substances, including
many benefits found in pharmaceutical drugs. Here are only a few:
Alpha linolenic acid-
, an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory, prevents abnormal blood
clumping and helps lower blood pressure, while supporting the immune
system.
Apigenin-
, a Cox-2 inhibitor and sunscreen, also protects against cancer and
toxins in foods
Beta-sitosterol-
, an antiviral plant sterol, protects against breast cancer and
leukemia, while inhibiting inflammatory prostagladins.
Daidzein-
, an antioxidant, antimicrobial, and antiviral, protects against
irregular heart rhythm and, as a plant estrogen, may prevent
osteoporosis.
GABA-
fights high blood pressure and stress.
Genistein-
, another estrogenic isoflavone with antioxidant, antimicrobial, and
antiviral properties, prevents abnormal blood clotting and
atherosclerosis, while inhibiting osteoporosis and tumor promotion.
Phytic acid-
prevents abnormal blood clumping and fights cancer.
Stigmasterol, a plant sterol, helps protect the liver and prevent
cancer.
Tryptophan-
, an amino acid that produces the "happy" neurotransmitter serotonin,
relieves anxiety and helps you sleep.
7 Bean Salad
In an experimental mood (for a crowd), I open seven cans of different
bean varieties, and drain off the juice. Steep the beans together in
vinegar with a shake of olive oil (beans should not be floating but
close to it). Add finely diced garlic and onion to steep overnight.
Before the crowd arrives, pour off some of the vinegar, add more
olive
oil, and mix with chili powder, curry, and red pepper flakes. If
that's
not exact enough for you, pick up multiple bean salad from the deli
section at your favorite natural products store.
Editorial advisor James A. Duke, PhD, draws from the botanical
database
he helped create for the US Department of Agriculture, his own books
(including The Green Pharmacy and Herbs of the Bible), and the latest
research for this column.
SELECTED SOURCES
Agricultural Research Service, www.ars-grin.Agricultu
"Antioxidant Activity in Common Beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.)" by
Anaberta Cardodor-MartííAnaberta Cardodor-Martíí<WBR>nez et
"A Comparative Survey of Leguminous Plants as Sources of the
Isoflavones Genistein and Daidzein…" by P. B. Kaufman, J. A. Duke et
al., Journal of Alternative & Complementary Medicine, 1997
What food can give you the most protein value for your money, supply
enough fiber to meet your daily requirement, does not require
refrigeration before cooking, and tastes great too?
Why, marvelous beans , of course!
Beans have been an important part of the human diet for at least 4000
years. In every country you'll find a bean dish that makes up a large
portion of the diet; in Mexico, chili and refried beans are
favorites,India and Nepal go wild for spicy dal,
Middle Eastern countries are notorious for their love of hummus,and
in jolly ol' America, we can't say no to a bowl of Boston bakedbeans!
The beautiful thing about beans (outside of their excellent taste) is
the fact that they have less effect on blood sugar levels than any
other carbohydrate-other carb
This is because beans are digested slowly, yielding a higher satiety
value and delaying the return of hunger and over consumption of
calories.
Digesting beans can pose a problem for some people, but don't
let that deter you from eating them. To reduce digestion problems,
introduce beans into your diet slowly to allow your body time to
adjust. In addition, don't mix beans with other gaseous foods such as
broccoli or cabbage.
Over time, your body will become accustomed to beans and digestion
will
be no problem at all!
Canned or from scratch?
Try your hand at making beans from scratch. I recommend soaking all
types of beans, except for lentils and split peas, to reduce their
gas
producing qualities.
Here are the steps involved in preparing your own beans:
Pour a large amount of spring water, two to three times the volume of
the beans, into a large pot or bowl. Pour the beans into the water
and
let the beans soak for at least 8 hours in the refrigerator.
Remove the pot of beans from the refrigerator and drain them. Replace
the old water with new, fresh water and return the beans to the pot.
Bring the water to a full boil, lower the heat, cover and simmer
until
the beans are tender.
Cooking Times for Various Beans:
Black beans : 1 1/2 hours
Black eyed beans: 1 1/2 hours
Fava Beans : 2 to 3 hours
Chickpeas : 1 1/2 hours to 2 hours
Kidney Beans : 2 hours
Lentils : 45 minutes (needs no soaking)
Pinto beans : 2 hours
Soybeans : 3 hours
Split peas : 45 minutes (needs no soaking)
White beans : 2 hours
The fine art of seasoning
Beans are basically a blank canvas, the flavors added to them while
cooking make up the majority of their taste. It is possible to create
literally hundreds of different tastes using the same type of bean.
The
best way to learn the art of seasoning is to dive in and experiment!
I've listed a few ideas to help your experimenting along.
Make bean spreads. Beans mashed with other tasty ingredients somehow
seems to agree with more people.
Add beans to your favorite homemade or canned soups. Adding beans to
a soup
boosts the soup's fiber content!
Beans take especially well to Southwestern and Asian spices. For a
Southwestern flair, add salsa, hot chilies, and ground cumin to the
pot
of beans.
For an Asian twist, sprinkle in some non-gmo soy, oyster, and hoisin
sauces, along with a bit of ginger and garlic.
Add beans to your next casserole.
April is Soy Month—and deservedly so, given all the recent research
on
this legume. But many of the isoflavones and other beneficial
components of non-gmo soy are also available in a host of other
legumes, which are proportionately lower in fat than soy or that
other
popular legume, the peanut.
These slimmer cousins, with heart-friendly isoflavones and
cancer-protective powers, include black, dwarf, field, green,
haricot,
kidney, lima, mung, navy, string, scarlet runner, and even the
Biblical
fava bean, as well as chickpeas and English peas.
Some Benefits of Legumes
Most beans (Phaseolus spp.) are high in fiber and low in fat—just the
ticket for lowering cholesterol. And they contain *lecithin*, a
nutrient that also helps reduce cholesterol levels. One study found
that a daily cup and a half of dried lentils or kidney beans (about
the
amount in a bowl of bean soup) cuts "total" cholesterol by 19
percent.
Cooking and eating dried beans has been linked to reduced risk of
*diabetes* and *obesity*, thanks to their effect on blood sugar and
insulin response.
New research from the Canadian Department of Agriculture finds that
dried beans also contain antioxidants, particularly *phenols*, which
are potent free radical scavengers.
Even without the phyto-estrogens or Cox-2 inhibitors in beans, they
protect against breast, cervical, colon, liver, skin, and stomach
cancers.
Pinto beans have almost as much antioxidant genistein and daidzein as
non-gmo soybeans. And others—
anasazi beans, black turtle beans, lima beans, red kidney beans, and
yellow split peas—may have even more.
Also quite high in genistein are adzuki beans, black-eyed peas, fava,
and mung beans.
Favor the Fava
The fava bean may possibly be superior to the currently heralded drug
Tamoxifen for the prevention of breast and prostate cancers. These
beans may possibly contain even more anticancer compounds
(specifically, Bowman Birk inhibitors, estrogenic isoflavones, phytic
acid, phytoesterols, and saponins) than soy.
Certain varieties of fava bean possess remarkably high levels of
natural L-dopa, which has been used successfully in anti-aging
therapy.
The L-dopa in these beans increases levels of dopamine in the brain,
which may quell cravings for alcohol and other addictive drugs that
reward the brain with dopamine.
Parkinson's disease, caused by an imbalance between dopamine and
acetylcholine, is medically treated with drugs like levodopa (or
Laradopa).
A more natural approach when the brain is no longer able to generate
dopamine on its own? Eat more fava beans, which can take over and do
what the body cannot do for itself.
Medicinal Power of Beans
The lowly black bean contains countless healing substances, including
many benefits found in pharmaceutical drugs. Here are only a few:
Alpha linolenic acid-
, an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory, prevents abnormal blood
clumping and helps lower blood pressure, while supporting the immune
system.
Apigenin-
, a Cox-2 inhibitor and sunscreen, also protects against cancer and
toxins in foods
Beta-sitosterol-
, an antiviral plant sterol, protects against breast cancer and
leukemia, while inhibiting inflammatory prostagladins.
Daidzein-
, an antioxidant, antimicrobial, and antiviral, protects against
irregular heart rhythm and, as a plant estrogen, may prevent
osteoporosis.
GABA-
fights high blood pressure and stress.
Genistein-
, another estrogenic isoflavone with antioxidant, antimicrobial, and
antiviral properties, prevents abnormal blood clotting and
atherosclerosis, while inhibiting osteoporosis and tumor promotion.
Phytic acid-
prevents abnormal blood clumping and fights cancer.
Stigmasterol, a plant sterol, helps protect the liver and prevent
cancer.
Tryptophan-
, an amino acid that produces the "happy" neurotransmitter serotonin,
relieves anxiety and helps you sleep.
7 Bean Salad
In an experimental mood (for a crowd), I open seven cans of different
bean varieties, and drain off the juice. Steep the beans together in
vinegar with a shake of olive oil (beans should not be floating but
close to it). Add finely diced garlic and onion to steep overnight.
Before the crowd arrives, pour off some of the vinegar, add more
olive
oil, and mix with chili powder, curry, and red pepper flakes. If
that's
not exact enough for you, pick up multiple bean salad from the deli
section at your favorite natural products store.
Editorial advisor James A. Duke, PhD, draws from the botanical
database
he helped create for the US Department of Agriculture, his own books
(including The Green Pharmacy and Herbs of the Bible), and the latest
research for this column.
SELECTED SOURCES
Agricultural Research Service, www.ars-grin.Agricultu
"Antioxidant Activity in Common Beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.)" by
Anaberta Cardodor-MartííAnaberta Cardodor-Martíí<WBR>nez et
"A Comparative Survey of Leguminous Plants as Sources of the
Isoflavones Genistein and Daidzein…" by P. B. Kaufman, J. A. Duke et
al., Journal of Alternative & Complementary Medicine, 1997