Legumes and their Health Benefits

What is the common food between Blue Zones ie, the longest-living communities?   It is LEGUMES.

Legumes can not be matched for their nutritional quality and health benefits, they are simply one of the most nutritious foods in the world.

Traditionally known as  ‘the foods of the peasants”  and  the peasants were the ones who most often lived to one hundred and herding goats up high hills. While the lard and meat eating elite were dropping off in their 30s and 40s.

Legumes are from the Fabaceae family, and produce seed-bearing pods, these seeds can be dried ( also known as pulses) and eaten. Some examples of legumes include  lentils,  chickpeas, borlotti beans, adzuki beans,  kidney beans, black beans and white beans.

Legumes are rich in proteins and complex carbohydrates, dietary fibre, are low in fat, and low glycemic index.

They are an excellent source of fibre which is cholesterol-lowering, prevents blood sugar levels from rising rapidly after a meal,  supports a healthy gut microbiome and assist in weight loss.

Rich in phytoestrogens, beneficial in helping prevent and suppress most breast cancers. Eating legumes has been correlated with a decreased risk of cancer of the entire digestive tract and prostrate.

If you are not used to eating legumes, slowly introduce them to your diet as the gut bacteria may need time to get used to them.

 Here is a yummy plant-based recipe that combines nutritious lentils that are packed with complex carbohydrates and proteins and low in fat.