When you hear about people eating beans, do you envision a lone cowpoke, sitting by the campfire, a destitute person, scraping the bottom of the can for just a little more to eat or a grand dinner with beans as its main entry. Most people don’t envision the last one. That’s because beans are so inexpensive and also a good reason to add them to your diet, particularly if you’re suffering from diabetes. Not only are they packed with protein, they also contain many other nutrients necessary for good health.
Beans keep your blood sugar level low.
Are you trying to manage your blood sugar levels? You need protein to not only help you feel fuller, but also keep them level. It should be low in saturated fat, yet have healthy omega-3 fatty acids. The fiber in beans aids with not only digestion and a healthy gut microbiome, contain complex carbohydrates that digest more slowly to keep blood sugar levels more sable. There’s a wide variety of beans that include garbanzo beans, navy beans, black beans, kidney and Lima beans, among others. You’ll never get bored with them, even if you ate a different type every day for a few weeks.
The fiber in beans slows the digestion and delivery of sugar into the blood stream.
Whether you’re diabetic or not, increasing your fiber can help you live healthier. It aids digestion and feeds the good bacteria that help deliver nutrients and fight off disease. It also lowers the impact of food that has a high-glycemic index, which is how quickly the sugar gets into the blood. It helps relieve those sugar highs that are followed by the deep valleys of low sugar levels. Fiber does even more. It offers heart healthy benefits. It improves cholesterol levels, while lowering the risk of stroke, heart disease and obesity, which often are complications of diabetes.
There are benefits from the protein in beans.
The body can use the protein you eat for energy, but it’s a slower process than eating simple carbohydrates is. That’s why you feel fuller for longer after you eat protein, which can help a great deal in weight loss and appetite control. You’ll get the protein from beans without the saturated fat. However, plants don’t contain complete proteins, which is why you need to combine them. If you combine beans with rice, you have a complete protein, since they’re complementary proteins.
- Check out all the nutrients beans contain. There’s a wealth of essential vitamins and minerals. Folate, iron, magnesium, calcium and potassium are delivered when you eat beans.
- The top healthiest beans include soybeans, chickpeas, navy beans, kidney beans, black beans and pinto beans.
- Soybeans, often called edamame, can be eaten raw, cooked or as tofu. One cup provides 31.32 grams of protein. Navy beans contain 14.98 grams of protein per cup and kidney beans contain 15.35 grams.
- Kidney beans and rice form the basis for many dishes and supplies a complete protein combination. It also can be a way to lower your grocery bill, while eating nourishing healthy meals.
For more information, contact us today at Next Level Fitness