Guest guest Posted October 1, 2006 Report Share Posted October 1, 2006 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-rich food. 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.gov/duke/ " Antioxidant Activity in Common Beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) " by Anaberta Cardodor-Martíínez et al., J Agric Food Chem, 2002 " 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 http://allrecipes.com/advice/coll/all/articles/114P1.asp http://www.tasteforlife.com/feature.magicbeans.tfl JoAnn Guest mrsjoguest http://lists.topica.com/lists/AlternativeOptions/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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