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Hey Weight Loss Nation!
On Today's show...... I am highlighting the one, the only....Black Bean!
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You know the saying....... "Beans, Beans....they're good for your heart. The more you eat, the more you fart."
Black Beans are soooooo healthy for you!
Black beans are Legumes. Legumes are simply dry fruit contained inside a "pod."
Common examples of Legumes are – Peas, beans, peanuts and alfalfa.
Black beans contain good amounts of calcium & phosphorous, which play an important role in bone structure. Black beans also contain a high amount of Iron and some zinc, which play very important roles in maintaining strength of the bones and the elasticity of the joints.
Black Beans are a great food choice for those of you with High Blood Pressure and Diabetes.
Watching your sodium intake is important. Every time you add extra salt to your plate, by "shaking" the salt shaker, you are increasing your chance of being diagnosed with High Blood Pressure.
Boiling your own Black Beans is the best way to cook them. Rinse the beans well in a collander, before cooking them. They have "0 mg" of salt that way. They also contain high amounts of Calcium, Potassium & some Magnesium – which have been found to decrease blood pressure naturally.
If you prefer to use "canned" Black Beans, they do contain salt. About 400mg per cup, as a matter of fact! Before heating up canned Black Beans or adding them to your salad, you should pour the can into a strainer and rinse the beans real good. This will wash away much of the sodium content from the juices in the can.
If you have Diabetes, high-fiber foods will help lower your blood glucose levels. Black Beans do just that with a whopping 15gms of fiber in one cup!
Fiber is also known to lower the total amount of cholesterol in the blood, which helps decrease the risk of heart disease.
Black Beans have a good amount of Vitamin B6 & Folate, which prevent a large buildup of homocysteine in the blood. Homocysteine is an amino acid that is produced in the body. The body uses homocysteine and can change it for use in other amino acids, with the help of Vitamin B6, B12 & Folate (aka Folic Acid).
If you don't get enough Vitamin B6, B12 & Folate from your foods, homocysteine levels will increase because it cannot be used or changed into amino acids. The high levels of homocysteine can increase the risk of clots, which can travel to your brain and cause a stroke. The clot can also travel and get stuck in your lungs, which is called a pulmonary embolism. High levels of homocysteine can also damage the lining of arteries. People who have high homocysteine levels in their blood are also at risk for coronary artery disease.
The high level of Folate and Vitamins B6 and B12 in Black Beans, help keep the homocysteine level in the blood at normal levels, which allows the homocysteine to be used properly in the body as an effective amino acid.
Eating Black Beans, lentils and green-leafy vegetables are all high in Folate and have good sources of Vitamin B6 and B12.
Black Beans also contain quercetin & saponins, which also protect your heart. Quercetin is a "natural"anti-inflammatory, which reduces the risk of ArtheroSclerosis and Quercetin protects against the damage to your blood vessels caused by low-density-lipoprotein (LDL Cholesterol) the BAD Cholesterol.
A simple blood test can determine the level of homocysteine in your blood.
I recently had my annual exam with my Primary Physician and checking the level of homocysteine in my blood was part of a series of blood tests.
The "normal" reference range of homocysteine from the lab test I was given, is less than 10.4. My result was 8.1 Excellent…. My Doctor told me! My Vitamin B12 level was "Excellent," for the 1st time in MY LIFE! My Vitamin B6 & Folate Levels were also "Excellent."
Knowing that my homocysteine level and Vit B6, Vit B12 & Folate levels were EXCELLENT….. I KNEW my Cholesterol levels had to be good too!
In fact….. my Cholesterol results were also "EXCELLENT."
Eating Fruits & Vegetables are part of my daily meal plan. I eat an abundance of Spinach, Arugula, Kale, Lentils & Black Beans! I also eat lots of Strawberries, Blueberries, Apples & Red Grapes.
No wonder my Blood Tests were awesome! I am taking "EXCELLENT" care of MY BODY! You should too!
I have said on many episodes that reducing "inflammation" to your blood vessels organs and cell walls is sooooooo important to optimal health.
Black Beans contain the mineral "selenium" which prevents inflammation in your body….. is a mini-Pac Man! That means the selenium helps your cells go after and "attack" free radical cells in your body, that are known to cause cancer and even detoxify some cancer causing compounds in your body. I LOVE eating foods that help my body make Pac Man cells …… which are continuously protecting my cells against cancer and other illnesses!
Black Beans have an awesome amount of fiber. Fiber increases the sensation of being "Full." When you're feeling "Full," you don't eat…… because your appetite decreases!
Fiber also helps your Digestive System by "Bulking Up" the content in your intestines and helps with regularity in moving your bowls!
Finally, Black Beans contain "Starch" which is a complex carbohydrate. Complex Carbs are "slowly digested," which prevents blood sugar "spikes."
Black Beans are therefore "Low" on the Glycemic Index
There you go Nation! Black Beans are Excellent for your overall health!
Friday, I will be giving you an awesome recipe with Black Beans to help you incorporate Black Beans into your lifestyle!
Thank you for taking the time to listen to today's episode!
I know you have choices and I'm thrilled you chose Weight Loss Nation!
If you're ready to lose weight FOREVER, then take the journey with us! We are like-minded people, who have had trouble with weight loss our whole life.
We inspire and motivate each other to eat healthy, do exercise we enjoy and to get our heads on straight!
check us out online at www.TheWeightLossNation.com
See you soon!
Diane Daniels
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