By Dr. Brianna Sinatra ND

And you’ve been working like a dog…the last thing you want to do after you get home is to spend more hours working in your kitchen to prepare a nutritious meal. Lucky for you, you can have that nutritious meal without the extra hours of work – enter the Crockpot – an invention designed to spend long hours cooking your meal to perfection, so you don’t have to.

Check out the website Crockpot 360 for some tasty suggestions. They also have dairy-free and gluten-free options available.

Try packing your Crockpot recipes full of nutrient rich BEANS.  Why, beans?

BEANS are:

1. Packed with PROTEIN - Providing around 15 grams of protein per cooked cup, beans are the best source of plant protein in the grocery store. By adding beans to a grain, like brown rice, or nuts and seeds, you get an additional protein boost by creating a “complete” protein (containing all 9 essential amino acids, the building blocks of proteins).

2. High in FIBRE - In that same cup of cooked beans, you also receive up to 10-15 grams of fibre. With the current recommended daily intake being 25-30 grams, by adding one cup of beans to your diet per day you are almost half way there!

 

3. High in IRON - In one serving of beans, you can get around 20% of your body’s daily requirement of iron. Remember though, compared to the iron found in animal meats, your body has a harder time absorbing the iron from beans and other plant foods. Give your body a hand by preparing beans with vitamin C-rich foods such as vegetables and fruits, to help boost your absorption.

4. High in ANTIOXIDANTS - It is common knowledge that oranges are high in the antioxidant Vitamin C, but did you know that black beans carry approximately 10 times the amount of antioxidants per gram as oranges!

5.   Rich in minerals such as MAGNESIUM AND POTASSIUM - Magnesium is a vital nutrient as it is utilized in more than 300 metabolic reactions in our body. Since 3 out of 4 people are low in magnesium, you’ll be relieved to know that you can meet 30 percent of your daily requirement through just a single cup of beans. Having enough magnesium in your system can help control blood sugar, blood pressure, heart rate, nerve transmission, muscle contraction, bone formation and even lower levels of stress hormones.

Beans and Blood Pressure

A study in the Journal of Clinical Hypertension concluded that people could lower their BLOOD PRESSURE by more than 10% if they increased their intake of potassium-rich foods, such as beans, fruits and veggies to a recommended daily amount of 4,700mg.  As a reference, one cup of banana contains 594 mg of potassium, whereas 1 cup of lentils, kidney beans or pinto beans each contain over 700mg of potassium. Lima beans and soybeans contain over 950mg of potassium per cup!

A key DISEASE PREVENTION food

Legume intake was found to be protective against a number of different CANCERS, including colon, kidney, oral, esophagus, and stomach cancers.

The Harvard School of Public Health, in a review of dietary data from 90,630 woman, found that those who ate beans and lentils at least twice a week had a 24% lower risk of breast cancer than woman who ate them just once a month.

A 19-year study, by Tulane University scientists, of 9,632 individuals found that people who consumed legumes 4 or more times per week were 22% less likely to develop HEART DISEASE than those who ate them less than once a week.

A 2007 study in the Journal of Nutrition found that healthy adults who consumed a half-cup of soluble fibre-rich pinto beans daily experienced an 8% reduction in CHOLESTEROL levels after three months. Soluble fibre binds to excess cholesterol in our digestive tract and lowers cholesterol levels by flushing it out of our system.

Furthermore, the gel-like consistency formed by soluble fibre in the digestive tract helps to slow the release of dietary sugar into the bloodstream, decreasing high spikes in BLOOD SUGAR levels.  Eating beans and other low glycemic load foods (foods that provide a more gradual release of glucose into the bloodstream) are helpful for maintaining healthy blood sugar control and preventing TYPE 2 DIABETES.

Do you avoid beans because of digestive upset?

Remember to add beans gradually to your diet to give your system time to adjust.  In addition, try these simple tricks to help decrease any GAS or BLOATING:

• If using canned beans, drain and rinse them well.

• If using dried beans; soak dried beans for several hours before cooking, changing the water frequently; cook for at least 60 minutes or until tender.

• Cook beans with a piece of Kombu seaweed (which also adds important minerals) to help predigest the beans, easing the strain on your system.

 

Two Recipes to try for yourself:

Tasty Bean Hummus:

Ingredients: 1 (15-ounce) can of beans (white or black)

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 clove garlic

½ tsp salt

Combine in food processor. Blend and enjoy with fresh veggies as a protein-rich snack.

Yummy Black Bean Brownies:

Don’t feel guilty about serving this fibre-packed dessert…

Ingredients:

1 (15-ounce) can of black beans, drained and rinsed, or ¾ cup dried black beans, soaked for several hours and cooked for 60 minutes or until tender

3 eggs

5 tbsp neutral-tasting oil, like grape seed oil or walnut oil

1 cup sugar

½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

½ cup bean flour or other gluten-free flour

1 tsp xanthan or guar gum

1 tsp vanilla

½ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon cayenne or chili powder (optional)

¼ cup dark chocolate chips (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan and set aside.

2. In food processor: add black beans and process until a paste forms. Add eggs, oil, sugar, cocoa, flour, xanthan gum, vanilla, baking powder and chili powder, if using. Process until smooth and well combined. Add walnuts, if using and process until walnuts are mixed in.

3. Spread batter evenly into prepared pan. Top with chocolate chips if using.

4. Bake in preheated oven for about 30 minutes or until an inserted tester comes out clean.

ENJOY: Each brownie contains 4 grams of fibre and 5 grams of protein!