Lentils And Legumes – The Benefits Of Beans
We’ve been eating pulses – an ancient name for lentils, legumes or beans – for a long time. Somewhere between 30,000 – 50,000 years, we don’t know for sure. Before people settled in the fertile crescent (Mesopotamia) and started cooking grains in pots of water, lentils and legumes were foraged by nomads. They pounded or ‘pulsed’ lentils, legumes, seeds and grains into flours. Theses flours were mixed with a little water and oil then spread out on rocks by the campfire. Voila – flatbread! Tasty.
The legume family is huge! Currently, there are more than 40,000 varieties of beans in the gene-banks, however only a few 100 varieties are produced for mass consumption. Fortunately, this is changing and small crop and heirloom farming is helping make more varieties available. A client of mine recently gave me a calendar for Rancho Gordo in Mexico. Beside having a hilarious logo, they have a humble offering of dozens of varieties of beans and a ton of recipes. Locally, we have a number of farmers and heirlooms seed providers like the Snake River Seed Cooperative that are bringing back beans.
Lentils and legumes still make up huge portions of classical cuisines, in fact there isn’t a traditional cuisine that does not have lentils or legumes as a part of their staple diet. We have the lovely 3 Sisters tradition (beans, corn and squash) of Indigenous Native American communities, the daals of India, cassoulets in France, and delicious hummus and lentil soups from the Middle Eastern nations. There are likely as many recipes for lentils and legumes as there are varieties. A quick waltz around the internet and you will find thousands of recipes.
Clearing up the carbohydrate conundrum.
Before we go further — let’s tackle a few fad ideas that have vilified our precious lentils and legumes.
Besides digestibility (which we will get to) the biggest reason that I hear from clients as to why they don’t eat lentils or legumes is that they are carbohydrates. Mis-characterization and misinformation about carbohydrates have been the bane of nutritionists for a number of reason. It is true, beans are technically a carbohydrate. You need carbohydrates for energy. That’s how our bodies work. Short chain carbs (or simple carbs) like breads and pastries and pastas, break down too quickly and spike insulin in the body. You get a short burst of unsustainable energy. Long chain carbohydrates (complex carbohydrates, slow carbs, resistant carbs) breakdown slowly, mostly in the small intestines and large intestines. These carbohydrates are high in fiber and they slowly release energy and do not spike the insulin.
They regulate blood sugar.
Complex carbohydrates found in whole grains, roots, squashes, lentils, legumes and whole vegetables. Unfortunately, some people have cut beans and lentils out of their diets because they are trying to follow a specific trendy diet. I am a firm believer that most diets have some truth in them. They may be beneficial for short periods of times based on the intention of the person, their health and other concerns, but they are often not sustainable. I am always concerned when any one whole category of real food is vilified or eliminated for an extended lengthen of time. They are better for our digestive systems than large quantities of animal protein and they are far more sustainable for our body and planet. In fact, cover crops like peas and barley are crucial in helping us regenerate our planet’s health, and they cost less to produce and bring to market.
Please consider if you are on a diet that eliminates a whole group of whole foods if it is actually ideal. When it comes to beans, you need to do a little exploration and have a little patience as introduce or reintroduce them to your system. I’ll use a personal example. I don’t do well with some of the bigger kidney and navy beans, but I do very well with all lentils, peas, beluga, mung and aduki beans. I do better with beans recipes that are from Asian or European traditions vs Mexican style recipes. Some of it is herbs, some of it is the style — whatever. Just don’t give up and explore.
Bean basics
Let’s look at western nutritional profile of beans – this is the part where we break down the food (fragmentation) to look at its components.
Beans are high in fiber — Fiber doesn’t offer energy to the body and it is sometimes cut out or eliminated from people’s diets because they are focusing on one area – I need energy, I need more muscle, etc. However, fiber is essential to health. It regulates bowel movement and structure, it reduces cholesterol, regulates blood sugar and overall colon health. Considering the huge spike in colon cancers in our nation you want to really look at your intake of fiber.
Beans are both a protein and a complex carbohydrate— Lentils and legumes wear dual hats, being both a protein and a complex carbohydrate – something the body loves and needs. This means they build and provide energy – it’s the complex carbohydrates that provide for slow steady release of energy without spiking the sugars like simple or refined sugars do. Yes, beans are an incomplete protein, but if you are eating a well rounded diet this won’t really be a problem. You can also pair your beans with the right grain to get the full amino acid profile. Read more here.
Check it out.
Beans are high in iron and build Blood — If you have blood deficiency or anemia, add beans into your diet! Find out more about building blood. They are tremendously beneficial for women at all ages and stages of life, and they are very stabilizing during the peri-menopausal years. If you are younger and not eating them yet — start eating them. If you haven’t eaten them in years but need their benefits — read on and start weaving them in - 1 tablespoon at a time.
Beans are high in minerals – Calcium, zinc, magnesium and potassium all of these help calm, soothe and sedate overworked and tired muscles and nervous systems. Just what Americans need.
Beans are very high in the B vitamins — This is an important area to focus on as I see a huge increase in supplementation of B vitamins, especially in older women of the peri-menopause and menopausal years. What is feeding this increase in recommendations and prescriptions I don’t know exactly, but what I am seeing is clients who are on the B-vitamin supplements tend to become more wound up, anxious or worried. To explain why I don’t love B vitamin supplementation alone, I have to go into Chinese medicine a bit. It’s a Yin and Yang thing. B-Vitamins by themselves are very Yang (activity, movement) in nature. Women with blood deficiency are Yin deficient, they lack the grounding and anchoring to hold the Qi generated by the B vitamins which can make them ungrounded, nervous and tense. Generally, the symptoms of B vitamin deficiencies go away as soon as I get a client to add beans to their diets. What are those symptoms? They look like blood deficiency – fatigue, weakness, slow hair and nail growth, low energy, sighing, tightness in the diaphragm, anxiety and nervousness. Bean’s nature as a whole food is anchoring and calming. A few beans or lentils with a bit of oil (Yin) and salt (descends and calms) and they settle down and feel energy and strength come back. Slow and steady - it takes a bit of time to recover from depleted stores of Yin.
Beans are low in fat —They are low in fat, low in calories and low in cholesterol. In fact, they are well known to reduce cholesterol in high fat diets.
Lentils and legumes — Contain properties that counter cancer causing compounds in the intestines, they help relieve depression and fortify the body overall.
The Energetics of Lentils & Legumes
Like all foods, lentils and legumes create a post-metabolic phenomenon in the body. This is simply the affect they they have in the body once they are ingested. Do they heat, do they cool, move the energy inward, outward, what organs to they enter? Though each legume and lentil has its own specialties and nature they all share similar broad properties. Let’s look.
Nourish Kidneys, thyroid, and adrenal glands — Tired, exhausted, fatigued, or have Yang collapse? You want beans in your diet as they deeply nourish the Kidney and replenish the adrenal glands. A word of warning here, thyroid and adrenal exhaustion take time to recover from and indicate a deep deficiency – you have literally exhausted all your reserves in your savings account. As you start to rebuild, don’t over do it and continue to drain your accounts.
They encourage growth and stimulate the brain, spine and bone marrow — All of these functions are ruled by the Kidneys in Chinese/Asian Medicine.
They drain damp— Making them beneficial in treating excess conditions like edema, phlegm, yeast, obesity and diabetes. Part of this action is due to their highly fibrous nature which helps pull out phlegm and excess mucus through the bowels, cleaning the bowels along the way. Loofah for your intestines.
They calm the mind — Wound up? Beans all settle the nerves and build muscles and they anchor and build stability.
They help us adapt — Beans help to influence our personalities by making us adaptable and tolerant to stress and change in our lives. How can you go wrong?
Tips to make lentils and legumes more digestible
Start slow — If you haven’t been eating beans for a while your body needs time and help to adjust. Have a small amount in a soup or little bean dip - don’t start with a bowl of 13 bean soup.
Find your matches — Know your body’s propensities and your likes and dislikes. Growing up I thought I hated beans, I didn’t like their taste, texture or flavor, except for a few chili and baked beans. A big bowl of navy beans would make my stomach turn. As I started working in nutrition, I knew I needed beans in my diet - I started to crave them - but I had to find out what would work for me. I started with the ones I knew I liked and could digest. Peas and lentils, aduki and mung beans, black beans and chick peas. It took some time, but I now have a large range of beans and I always feel better when they are in my diet. Beans for breakfast are beautiful.
Soak and wash your beans —If you cook from scratch, rinse your beans and soak them overnight to wake them up. Drain off the soaking liquid and cook them in fresh water. Same goes for cooking with whole grains.
Chew, chew, chew — Digestion of complex carbohydrates begins in the mouth. If you haven’t been chewing or eating foods that use salivary amylase for digestion, you won’t be making as much of it. Chewing will not only mix the beans with the enzyme but start increasing your enzyme production…and so much more.
Use fermented foods — Sauerkraut, kimchi, kefir, or kombucha, oh my… A little helps a lot. Fermented foods are a part of most traditional cultures - thank goodness they are cropping up in American’s diets. Find the ferment that works for you.
Use a digestive enzyme when you eat lentils or legumes — There are many great brands on the market. Beano, Swedish Bitters, Urban Moonshine, heck, have a shot of apple cider vinegar (sour moves digestive stagnation).
Use a variety — Peas, lentils, aduki and mung beans are often the easiest to digest. If kidney beans disagree with you, try black beans, etc.
With a little creativity, lentils and legumes can become a healthy welcome habit in your diet.
Be well,
April
