Chickpeas: Many reasons to include these little legumes in your diet

chickpeasCultivated for as many as 7500 years, chickpeas or garbanzo beans are a staple in Mediterranean diets. In the past few decades they have become widely known in North Americans’ diets, invading 17% of kitchens.

Chickpeas are prized for their high protein content, having nearly 9% protein. They are good sources of calcium, zinc, magnesium, and several B vitamins. In fact a 100 gram serving contains 43% of the RDA of folate, a precursor to folic acid, vital for many functions, including fetal development.

Chickpeas can be cooked and eaten cold in salads, ground into flour, cooked in stews, ground, formed into balls and deep fried as falafel. Chickpeas are prevalent in Indian cuisine where the leaves are also eaten as green salads.

Hummus is the Arabic word for chickpeas, which are cooked, ground and mixed with tahini (ground sesame seeds) to form hummus, the dip/spread. Chickpeas are also roasted, spiced and eaten as snacks. Some varieties can even be popped like popcorn.

Chickpeas are high in fibre, low in fat and have very little taste of their own, making them ideal for “carrying” other flavours. Their high protein content makes them ideal for vegans, vegetarians, and even omnivores.

Recent studies have shown that garbanzo bean fiber can be metabolized by bacteria in the colon to produce relatively large amounts of short chain fatty acids (SCFAs), which provide fuel to the cells that line the intestinal wall.

Chickpeas contain antioxidants and are known to support the digestive system, reduce cardiovascular risks, regulate blood sugar, (preventing diabetes), and increase satiety and reduce overeating.

In short, finding ways to incorporate chickpeas into your diet is a smart way to bolster your health.

 

Here is my recipe for Hummus

Here is a recipe for Roasted Chickpeas: http://www.steamykitchen.com/10725-crispy-roasted-chickpeas-garbanzo-beans.html

Other chickpea recipes:

http://www.canadianliving.com/recipe-directory/main_ingredient/chickpeas.php

 

Sources for this article include:

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=58

Wikipedia

Natural News

Amazing Avocado

Avocado sliced in half

Avocados are considered a superfood but mainstream media has vilified avocados because of their high fat, and therefore high calorie, content. Denmark included avocados on their list of high-fat, therefore highly taxed, foods. They might have a point if food were only about calories but it’s not.

Avocado sliced in half

Avocados can boost your health in numerous ways.

Sure avocados are high in fat but all fats are not equal. Like olive oil, the fat in avocados boosts levels of HDL (“good” cholesterol).  HDL’s help regulate triglycerides, preventing diabetes. A recent study found that avocados can reduce LDL’s (bad cholesterol) as effectively as statin drugs.

Avocados provide all 18 essential amino acids necessary for the body to form a complete protein, making avocado a perfect vegetarian/vegan source of protein. The protein in an avocado is more easily digestible than a steak.

Avocados contain a diverse range of carotenoids including, beta-carotene, alpha carotene and lutein, and numerous lesser-known but still important phytonutrients. Carotenoids deliver high-quality vitamin A to your body and enhance immune-system and reproductive system function.

Avocados can help prevent osteo and rheumatoid arthritis because of the powerful ant-inflammatory benefits of the combination of Vitamins C and E, carotenoids, selenium, zinc, and omega 3 fatty acids.

Oleic acid is the primary fatty acid in avocados. Studies have shown that oleic acid improves cardiovascular health.

Avocados have 35% more potassium than bananas. They are rich in folic acid and vitamin K, and are good dietary sources of vitamin B6, vitamin C, vitamin E and pantothenic acid. Avocados have a high fiber content of 75% insoluble and 25% soluble fiber.

One of the most famous iterations of avocado is in guacamole, which is easy to prepare. Mash a ripe avocado with the juice of half a lemon, a chopped green onion, a clove of minced garlic, salt, pepper and cumin to taste. Use as a sandwich spread or as a dip for raw veggies.

Two of my avocado recipes include: Nasturtium Salad and Chocomole.

I urge you to include avocado in your diet.

www.naturalnews.com

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avocado

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=5