The Recipe Doctor
From low-fat recipes to recipes designed for persons with diabetes, Elaine Magee, MPH, RD, shares recipes and advice to create healthy meals that are guaranteed to please. [Editor's note: Elaine no longer contributes to Silver Planet, but we have made her archived blog entries available as a service to our readers.]
Are You Benefiting from the Power of Beans?
The beauty is in the balance
Beans offer an amazing package of nutrients—every piece is important—but the beauty is in the balance. Beans are high in protein and bursting with beneficial phytochemicals. You get good-quality carbohydrates that interact with lots of fiber to be digested slowly. Beans have been shown to result in relatively small increases in blood glucose levels following meals—in people with and without diabetes. But that’s not all they do:
- Beans help fight cancer.
- Beans are tops in antioxidant power.
- Beans may help reduce the risk for cardiovascular disease.
The general recommendation is to eat beans several times a week, possibly taking the place of red meat (which lowers intake of saturated fat and cholesterol). Here are a couple of ways to increase your bean intake:
- Keep some of your favorite canned beans around. Mine are kidney beans and fat-free or vegetarian refried beans. Rinse canned beans well in a colander to remove gas-producing substances.
- Keep some frozen beans ready to go in the freezer. My favorites are edamame (shelled) and green beans.
By Elaine Magee, MPH, RD
The Recipe
Doctor Blog
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