1. Protect Your Heart by Eating Legumes
Beans, beans are good for you heart as the saying goes. All legumes will help stave off cardiovascular disease. Like oatmeal and similar bran products, legumes lower cholesterol when eaten regularly. With the plentiful variety of legumes available, it's easy to include them in meals, and they're a great source of protein, especially if you're trying to replace fatty foods, such as meat. Beans and brown rice, for example, make a perfect protein. Try beans on nachos, in soups, mixed with salads and even as a main course with Parmesan cheese and a dollop of low fat sour cream. Find that legumes are a much healthier choice all around when it comes to eating right.
2. Control Stress and Get Rid of Tummy Fat
Eating legumes regularly helps with stress. Being stressed out for too long can hurt you, especially negative stress. This is typically caused by something we are forced to deal with that we feel we can't control or fix. When we're in a stressful situation, our bodies produce cortisol to help us cope with the stress. However, remaining in a fight-or-flight mode for too long can make people sick, causing everything from a lowered immune system to dangerously unhealthy weight gain--like excess belly fat. People with more tummy fat as opposed to excess fat in other areas, are more susceptible to heart attacks and strokes. Stress, itself, adds to risk of cardiovascular problems as it strains heart muscles and blood vessels. Legumes help to normalize blood glucose levels and cortisol, thereby helping bodies to cope better with stress and weight regulation.
3. Avoid Brain Fog While Maintaining Digestive Health
Legumes are just as healthy for the brain as they are for the digestive system. As we learn more about foods and the effects they have on us, we begin to see that we truly are what we eat. Check out the connection between your brain and your bowel next time you're not feeling good. Think about what you've been eating recently, and you'll have some clue as to why you're not feeling 100 percent. Legumes help keep the stomach and digestive system healthy and functioning properly as they promote good bacteria, enhance absorption of minerals and strengthen immunity. As legumes are a complex carbohydrate and help with maintaining glucose levels in the blood, brains function at an optimal level as well.
4. Bean-eaters Have Plenty of Choices
Don't like pinto beans? Hate green peas? he good news is legumes come in many shapes, sizes, textures and flavors, and they're all relatively inexpensive. Experiment and try different recipes. Many cultures around the world use beans in their traditional dishes, and some of them, such as your favorite Mexican dish, are downright mouth watering. Legumes include a variety of beans and peas like kidney beans, black beans, soy beans, green beans, lentils, black-eyed peas and chickpeas. Mix it up to get inimitable tastes and consistencies found in gourmet appetizers and entrees.
5. Shop 'til You Drop for Your Favorite Legumes
When shopping for food, usually it's not difficult to find a variety of legumes. Find organic beans at natural foods stores and in some traditional grocery stores, as many of them are now carrying more organic foods. Also, find common and exotic legumes at foreign markets, such as Asian or import foods markets.
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