Resolution No. 6

In continuation of our Twelve resolutions today we will share Resolution No. 6.

6. Thrice a week I will have pulses like urad, Chana, Mung, Sprouts Etc., in my lunch.

Everyone can benefit from eating pulsesPulses are high in fiber, complex carbohydrates and low in fat. These nutrients make pulses an important part of any healthy diet and can help maintain a healthy weight. Also known as garbanzo beans, chickpeas are high in protein and dietary fiber, are a good source of potassiumvitamin C and folate, and are cholesterol free. The minerals such as iron, calcium, and zinc present in chickpeas contribute to maintaining healthy bones and teeth.

Pulses are a low fat source of protein, with a high fiber content and low glycemic index. Soluble fiber helps to decrease blood cholesterol levels and control blood sugar levels, and insoluble fiber helps with digestion and  regularity. Pulses provide important amounts of vitamins and mineral. Pulses are healthy, nutritious and easy to cook with.

Most national dietary guidelines recommend pulses as part of a healthy diet. Studies have shown that people who eat at least ½ cup of pulses per day have higher intakes of fiber, protein, calcium, potassium, folate, zinc, iron, and magnesium as well as lower intakes of total and saturated fat.

Many diets around the world rely on pulses as a source of protein. The amount of protein in beans, lentils, chickpeas and peas is 2-3 times the levels found in cereal grains like wheat, rice, quinoa, oats, barley, and corn. For example, eating just ½ cup of lentils provides the same amount of protein as 1 cup of quinoa or 2 cups of rice or corn.  The process of soaking, sprouting, and/or fermenting can break down many of the lectins and phytates, and if you’re fermenting, you’ll also get some bacteria in there that is very good for your gut.

One cup of cooked pulses gives you more than half the amount of fiber you need for the entire day. Pulses also contain both soluble and insoluble fiber. Soluble fiber can help manage body weight, blood sugar levels and lower cholesterol. Insoluble fiber on the other hand, assists with digestion and regularity. Pulses also contain resistant starch, a type of carbohydrate that behaves like fiber in the body; and has been shown have similar health benefits such as reduced circulating cholesterol and blood sugar levels as well as improved gut health.

Why does the U.N. care about pulses? Because they’re good for the environment and can feed the world. Pulses have a lower carbon footprint than almost any other food group, are water-efficient (using just one-tenth of the water of other proteins), and enrich the soil where they grow, reducing the need for chemical fertilizers that contribute to greenhouse gases. Pulses—grown in developing countries as well as in North America—will play a major role in meeting future food needs, since the world’s growing population is set to require a 70% increase in agricultural production by 2050.

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Here’s how pulses pack such a nutritional punch that they’re considered both a protein and a vegetable:

Protein-packed: ­They contain up to 9 grams of protein per ½ cup cooked serving—twice the protein of quinoa. And unlike many protein-rich foods, pulses are low in fat.

Beneficial for disease prevention: Pulses have been shown to improve blood sugar control and reduce blood cholesterol and blood pressure, thus reducing the risk factors for heart disease and diabetes.

Good for dietary restrictions: Being gluten-free and vegetarian makes them a good option for people with special diets, allergies or sensitivities.

Nutrients galore: Pulses deliver high levels of potassium, magnesium, zinc, B vitamins and iron. One serving of black beans has 1.5 times the amount of iron as ‑flank steak, plus three times the folate (an essential B vitamin) of kale, and as much potassium as a banana. Even more, red kidney beans are loaded with more antioxidants than blueberries or pomegranate juice.

High in fiber: Pulses are high in both soluble and insoluble fiber, helping with staying regular, losing weight, and feeling fuller longer

Smart source of folate: Pulses are excellent sources of folate, a B vitamin important during pregnancy to reduce the risk for neural tube birth defects. Folate is also essential to brain development and function.

Beans can fight cancer : Beans contain a wide range of cancer-fighting plant chemicals, specifically, isoflavones and phytosterols which are associated with reduced cancer risk.

Beans can lower Cholesterol : Beans provide the body with soluble fiber, which plays an important role in controlling blood cholesterol levels. Studies find that about 10 grams of soluble fiber a day—the amount in 1/2 to 1 1/2 cups of navy beans—reduces LDL cholesterol by about 10 percent. Beans also contain saponins and phytosterols, which help lower cholesterol.

Beans can help you loose weight : A serving of beans will help you feel full more quickly, because the rich fiber content fills your stomach and causes a slower rise in blood sugar. That should stave off hunger longer and give you a steady supply of energy.

Beans can help manage Diabetes : Beans are a diabetes sufferer’s superfood! The balance of complex carbohydrates and protein provides a slow, steady source of glucose instead of the sudden surge that can occur after eating simple carbohydrates.

Pulses are good for Heart : It is effective in maintaining a healthy heart. Make sure to include more pulses in your diet which is good in lowering the chances of cardiovascular diseases. Pulses which are enriched in fiber help in maintaining a healthy heart as it good in lowering the cholesterol levels.

Crub the Cravings of Junk : Try to include chickpeas in your daily diet in order to get rid of cravings for junk. Chickpeas will help you filled when you add in your meal and moreover helps in curb the cravings for junk stuff during evening. This is one of the reasons to include pulses in your meal as it good in weight loss.

Boost fat burn : A pea-based diet is enriched in arginine basically an amino acid which is present in the peas. It enhances the carbohydrates and it also burns fat. So it is good to include peas in your meal for weight loss.

Pulses are anti ageing : Due to the presence of high antioxidant levels, beans and pulses are enriched with B vitamin folate, which is effective for your body in repairing the damaged cells.  For an anti-ageing lunchtime treat, try to mixed bean salad or stir fry incorporating pinto beans, black beans and aduki beans.

 

Click here for Pulses and their values

 

                                                       Pulses – Proteins /100g
Indian / Hindi name                    English name
Arhar / Rahar / Tur / Tuar

( 22.30g )

 Pigeon pea / Red gram          
Chana   ( 13.00g )  Chickpeas (Brown)             
Cholia / Hara chana ( 13.00g )  Chickpeas (Green)            
Chana Daal ( 25.40g )  Split Bengal gram            
Chawli / Lobhia ( 23.80g )  Black-eyed beans / Cowpea  
Daal ( 25.40g )  Pulses / Split beans / Beans               
Dalia ( 21.20g )  Broken wheat                          
Kabuli Chana / Chhole ( 13.00g ) Garbanzo beans / Chickpeas (White)          
Kulthi  Horse gram                         
Kurmura  Puffed rice                       
Masoor ( 26.00g )  Red lentils                         
Matar (  5.42g )  Pea                         
Moong ( 23.86g )  Green gram / Mung bean            
Motth / Matki ( 23.60g )  Turkish gram / Moth bean               
Poha ( 10.30g )  Beaten rice                         
Rajma ( 23.60g )  Kidney beans                
Til ( 26.00g ) Sesame
Urad Daal / Kaali Daal ( 24.00g )  Black gram / Black lentil (whole) /  White lentil     
Vaal ( 24.90g )  Field beans                             

All the pulses mentioned above are available either fresh or canned. Some might need to be soaked overnight and then boiled. Beans contain indigestible carbohydrates, soaking and rinsing dry beans before cooking is necessary to help digest the carbohydrates. An easier alternative would be to buy the canned version, It is recommended that reading the food labels, and picking the healthier ones with no added salt and sugar.

The major side effect of increasing pulses in your diet could be an increase in gas production in the lower colon. Researcher says this is usually temporary and advises to gradually increase your intake of pulses up to one cup a day to prevent or reduce these symptoms. Some individuals with irritable bowel syndrome may experience increased discomfort with the added gas and bloating. However, people who are required to watch their protein intake, especially those with renal disease, lupus and gout, should consult a dietitian before increasing their pulse intake.

For legumes, the highest proportion of protein content is:

  • Soybean: 33–45%
  • Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris): 21–39%
  • Winged bean (Psophocarpus tetragonolobus): 30–37%
  • Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata): 21–35%
  • Groundnut: 24–34%
  • Mung bean (Vigna radiata)
  • Pea (Pisum sativum): 21–33%
  • Moth bean (Vigna aconitifolia)
  • Urd bean (Vigna mungo): 21–31%
  • Lentil (Lens culinaris): 20–31%
  • Grass pea (Lathyrus sativus): 23–30%
  • Chickpea (Cicer arietinum): 15–30%
  • Horse gram (Macrotyloma uniflorum)
  • Pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan): 19–29%
  • Rice bean (Vigna umbellata): 18–27%

 

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Advantages of consuming Legumes ( Bean, Pea, Lentil or Peanut ) –

Legumes – for example, soybeans, lentils, dried beans and peas – and meat both supply nutrients essential to your well-being. However, they also lack specific nutrients that support your health or can diminish health by introducing detrimental food components into your body. Understanding the advantages and disadvantages of these foods can assist you in making healthy choices for day-to-day meal planning.

Protein

The protein in legumes and meat provides amino acids your body needs to build and maintain muscle, keep your immune system healthy and promote the synthesis of hormones and enzymes. Although your cells can manufacture some amino acids, other amino acids – known as essential amino acids – must come from the foods you eat. The proteins in meat are nutritionally complete and contain all the essential amino acids you need for good health. Legumes, conversely, usually lack one or more of the essential amino acids, and relying on legumes alone to meet your protein needs might result in a nutritional deficiency. Combining lentils with other plant-based foods such as grains and nuts, which supply complementary amino acids, overcomes this disadvantage of legumes.

Fat

Although dietary fat is necessary for optimal health, eating too much or the wrong kinds of fat can lead to poor nutritional status and increase your risk of disease. Meat commonly contains unhealthy saturated fats and cholesterol that can add unnecessary calories to your diet and lead to cardiovascular disorders. By contrast, legumes add little fat to your diet, and the cholesterol-free lipids they do contain supply you with heart-healthy unsaturated fats that lower your risk of developing heart disease, diabetes and cancer.

Iron

You can obtain iron from both plant foods and meat. The iron in animal-based foods exists in a form called heme iron. This type of iron enters your bloodstream from the digestive tract more readily than the non-heme iron found in legumes. Therefore, your body absorbs iron from meat more efficiently than it does that from legumes, helping you to avoid iron deficiency, which can cause fatigue and reduce mental function. Alternatively, consuming legumes with a source of vitamin C or in combination with a food rich in heme iron increases your absorption of the non-heme form of this mineral.

Fiber

Unlike meat, legumes offer dietary fiber, which not only helps prevent digestive issues such as constipation but also assists in regulating blood cholesterol. Beans, for instance, contain both insoluble fiber, which helps move food through your digestive tract, and soluble fiber, which slows the absorption of cholesterol into your bloodstream. Meat offers neither of these advantages to your digestive or cardiovascular systems. For optimal health, your daily diet should include 14 grams of fiber for each 1,000 calories you consume, according to Colorado State University Extension. Therefore, if you typically take in 2,000 calories each day, your food should supply you with 28 grams of fiber, or the amount in approximately 2 cups of lentils. Meat supplies none of this necessary dietary component.

Why are pulses underestimated ? Some common reasons people give are :-

  1. Cooking time : The length of time it takes to cook pulses is a lot longer compared to vegetables.
  2. ‘Poor Man’s Food’ :  They have the stigma of being poor man’s food – replaced by meat once people can afford it.
  3. Flatulence ; Some carbohydrates found in pulses produce gas and bloating for some people.
  4. Presence of anti-nutrients : Raw pulses contain ‘anti-nutrients’  ( phytate, tannin and phenol ) which can limit the body’s absorption of minerals.
  5. Soaking in ash Solutions : Will reduce the ‘anti-nutrients’ more effectively.

Soaking dried pulses for several hours brings them back to life and activate their enzymes. 4-8 hours of soaking for most pulses reduces the cooking time and ensures that they can be more easily digested and their nutrients better absorbed by the body.

 

Click here for Disadvantages of eating Beans –

Gastrointestinal Problems

The high amount of non digestible fiber in beans may cause gastrointestinal problems if you aren’t used to eating them. Reduce intestinal discomfort by changing the water several times while soaking beans. In addition, drink plenty of fluids and get regular physical activity to help your body move your bowels. Gradually adding beans to your diet can also help you avoid unpleasant intestinal effects. If you still experience gas, abdominal cramping or other symptoms after eating beans, consider sprinkling an over-the-counter digestive enzyme on the beans before eating them.

Iron Absorption

Many types of beans contain high levels of iron, such as kidney beans, lima beans, soybeans and white beans. However, beans provide non-heme iron, which isn’t as easy to absorb as heme, or meat sources of iron. Improve your absorption of iron by eating beans along with meat, seafood or poultry or by eating beans with a source of vitamin C, such as oranges or bell peppers, recommends the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Incomplete Protein

Beans don’t contain complete proteins, which means they don’t provide all the essential amino acids your body needs. Eat other protein-rich legumes and grains, such as rice, to ensure you consume all of the essential amino acids. You don’t have to eat other proteins at the same meal as beans as long as you eat them on the same day, says the CDC.

Cereals and Pulses are considered to be one of the most nutritious food to live a healthy life but the fact has been neglected that the intake of these cereals is not raw. Before it goes into the stomach it has been changed into the delicious and spicy dishes, which lost all the nutritional value after being processed and cooked.

Cereals are the food of earthy elements depending exclusively on these foods creates acid  residues, develops hardening  & stiffening of arteries & joints making body heavy & stiff. Then to break down this stiffness we have to take help of yoga & other exercises. Lesser the cereal intake, more flexible the body. People are severely addicted to cereals.

     Reasons to avoid legumes –

  1. Legumes are Low in Nutritional Value – legumes have some nutritional value, but they are
    not providing you anything that you can’t get more easily and better from other foods.
  2. Legumes contain Phytates – For the most part – just prevent minerals in a particular food from being absorbed. So don’t expect to be absorbing all the nutrients that are in legumes.
  3. Legume Contains Lectins – The 2 main effects of lectins are that they cause “Leaky Gut” and they lead to increased inflammation in your gut. However, if you cook legumes well enough, this may not be a major issue for you.
  4. Legumes are high in protease inhibitors – Protease inhibitors keep proteins from being properly broken down and absorbed, your body starts producing too much of certain enzymes. When this happens, it can lead to all sorts of problems like Leaky Gut, chronic inflammation, and allergic reactions.
  5. Legumes have carbs and can stall weight loss – This is probably one of the last reasons that most people should avoid legumes (after all, they’re not really doing very much for you to begin with), but if you need to lose weight or control your blood sugar, then cutting legumes out of your diet can help immensely.
  6. Legumes can contain PhytoEstrogens – phytoestrogens can cause your body to over-produce estrogen, which will disrupt your entire hormonal system.
  7. Cans of Legumes contain BPA – While there is still debate about whether BPA is harmful or not, if you are looking to avoid it, then the best to avoid cans of legumes.
  8. Legumes have some protein and Fiber – While Legumes can be good source of Protein if your are vegetarian, the amount and quality of the protein in legumes is generally not as good as in meat.
  9. Legumes contain saponins – These can cause leaky gut.
  10. Legumes contains Foodmaps – Pretty much all legumes contain Galactins, which are a particular type of FODMAP. They are not a problem for everyone, but for many people, they cause a variety of digestive problems.