These days people are very stressed out about the economy and seek for ways to cut expenses. They most important commodity you have is your body. Keeping it healthy will not only prevent medical expenses but will help you endure tough times ahead. "Mente Sani in Corpore Sani" is latin for "healthy mind in a healthy body". An article on Natural Solutions magazine had a great article on COOL BEANS written by Wendy McMillan. As you all know beans are good for you and they are also affordable in tough times. So here are seven beans and reasons for eating them during this economy and beyond:
1. Black Beans: They are loaded with those all-important free radical fighters known as anti-oxidants. Studies show that the darker the seed coat the higher the level of antioxidants. According to the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry, black beans carry approximate 10 times the amount of antioxidants per gram as oranges.
2. Garbanzo Beans: (main ingredient in hummus) are high in fiber, protein, calcium, and iron. They are also loaded with manganese which is important for bone development and maintenance of strong bones.
3. Kidney Beans: They top most bean containing of iron. They are also of the few beans to contain Vitamin K, important for bone health.
4. Lima Beans: They are important source of potassium and molybdenum, a trace mineral responsible for detoxifying sulfites, which are unhealthy preservatives added to processed foods and wine. These sulfites can cause allergy symptoms, headaches and even seizures.
5. Edamame (Green soybeans): These beans contain all the essential amino-acids, they are also high in omega-3s oils, carrying nearly half the recommended daily value in one cup.
6. Navy Beans: These beans are a great source of iron, folate, calcium and vitamin B1 (thiamin)which has been shown to help strengthen memory and cognotive function
7. Pinto Beans: Although all beans have been shown also to have cholesterol lowering powers, this type of bean stood up on a study conducted at the University of Arizona by Donna Winham, a nutrition professor. They are rich in antioxidants and fiber. One cup will give you up to 73% of the recommended daily value of folate which has shown in studies to reduce the risk of heart disease and prevent birth defects.
A side note, it is better to consume the above beans dried versus canned as they do not contain sodium, but cooking dry beans requires pre-soaking, so if in a rush, canned (salt free preferably) will do the trick.