The Lost Legume, Beans in the Diet
Written by Sky Taylor, Diet Bites
Beans make an excellent, healthy choice for any weight loss plan...
You're on a diet and you're sick and tired of feeling hungry. Want to feel so full that you feel like you're going to explode? Then eat a bait of beans!
Beans are one of the special foods that you can eat while on a weight loss plan that will keep you feeling full for hours after you've eaten them.
Protein Power for Healthy Body & Weight Loss Benefits
By now everyone and their little doggy too has heard about the healthy benefits of a daily dose of dietary fiber and protein - and oh boy, beans are loaded.
Navy beans contain a healthy 19.73 protein grams per cup and 13.4 grams of dietary fiber. That's about half the recommended dietary fiber daily recommendation. And one cup of pinto beans provides about 15 grams of both protein and fiber.
Beans & the Gas Factor
The thing that puts most dieters off from beans is that they are notorious for creating gas. A bag of beans is like having a sack of tiny weapons of mass destruction stuck inside of you - an arsenal of Bean Power.
But eating beans doesn't need to make you feel like you're from the windy city. Beano is just one of the marvelous products at your local market that will clear out gas problems before they blow out of proportion.
Here are a few more reasons why you should plant the beautiful legume in your Diet Garden.
Dietary Fiber in Beans
That dietary fiber contained in the healthy bean assists in keeping the digestive track moving smoothly along. Because beans are about as close to their natural state as food can get - they are easily recognized and process by the body in a much more rapid and easy manner when compared to heavily processed proteins - such as fried battered chicken or fish.
Beans Fight Cancer, Digestive Related Diseases
They also assist in warding off some types of cancer, in particular those related to the digestive system. Because they are masters at sweeping out toxins, the result is a cleaner, healthier digestive track.
Packed With Essential Vitamins, Minerals
These babies are a good source for folate and B vitamins. And oddly enough, many species even contain a blast of Vitamin C. A one cup serving of pintos contains 1.4 mg of Vitamin C - which can assist in fighting-off illness while dieting.
Like it or not, most dieters have a higher risk of infection and becoming ill while dieting because more often than not they trim foods from their daily diet which are necessary in combating bacteria in order to trim calories. Foods such as beans can assist in boosting immunity.
Excellent Vegetable Protein
Beans are considered a vegetable protein and can take the place of a meat dish in your diet.
Try a little experience where animal and vegetable proteins are concerned. For a couple of days, enjoy vegetable proteins over animal proteins.
Rather than a piece of red meat, opt for that cup of prepared beans. Rather than fried chicken or battered and fried pork chops - opt for a couple of eggs instead - or a peanut butter sandwich on whole grain bread. Enjoy a meal of chickpeas, low fat cottage cheese and a serving of carrots. Or a bowl of black-eyed peas and a wedge of golden cornbread.
Note how you feel the day after your dining experiment. What should you expect? You may feel lighter - less weighed down. You may even have more energy than you know what to do with.
Keep in mind that not all vegetable proteins are complete proteins - lacking all of the essential amino acids required by the body, thus they will need to be paired with other foods to create a complete protein. More information is located at this Diet Bites link on complete proteins.
Available in a Variety of Colors, Species
Beans are available in so many colors! Pink beans, green beans, black, brown, white and even taupe - all tasty, all nutritious, all diet friendly. They add variety and color to the dieter's plate, making an eye-appealing meal plate.
Purine Caveat for Individuals With Gout, Kidney or Urinary Tract Issues
Do take note, however, that beans are also high in purines so individuals with gout should take avoid.
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