July 2 Weekly Challenge: Bean Counters
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themedalist
Posts: 3,215 Member
Theme: Healthy Eating
Challenge: Bean Counters
This week’s challenge is the first in a series of challenges we’ll be having periodically. I’m dubbing them, “Blue Zone Challenges”. If you are not familiar with the term Blue Zones, these are specific regions in the world where residents are healthier and live longer than residents outside of these areas. The Blue Zones have been identified as these 5 regions: Okinawa, Japan; Sardinia, Italy; Nicoya, Costa Rica; Ikaria, Greece, and Loma Linda, California.
These Blue Zones have been the subject of intense study to better understand the characteristics, habits, and practices of their residents that may explain their robust health and longevity. Common characteristics across all Blue Zones have emerged. We may not be able to move to a Blue Zone, but we can emulate their healthy habits!
Our first Blue Zone Challenge is a focus on beans. As Dan Buettner writes in The Blue Zones Solution: Eating and Living Like the Worlds Healthiest People:
It’s hard to beat beans. A nutritional powerhouse, they’re an excellent source of B vitamins, iron, potassium, and fiber. They are also packed with cancer-fighting anti-oxidants, help regulate blood sugar, and can lower bad cholesterol. Versatile too! They work well as an appetizer, salad, side dish, main course, or even dessert. Plus, they’re budget friendly and an inexpensive source of protein. There’s a lot to like about these legumes.
Beans can easily fit into any July 4th picnic or BBQ plans you may have. Got a favorite recipe? Please share!
This Week’s Challenge: Whether it’s a side dish or the star attraction, let’s all enjoy more beans this week. Let’s set a goal of a half a cup of beans daily!
Make it a great week!
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Suggested Resources:
11 Health Benefits of Beans:
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/16/beans-health-benefits_n_1792504.html
55 Bean Recipes You'll Be Making All Year Long
https://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/family-meals/slideshow/bean-recipes
35 Bean Recipes for All Your Plant-Protein (and High-Fiber)
https://greatist.com/eat/healthy-bean-recipes
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Challenge: Bean Counters
This week’s challenge is the first in a series of challenges we’ll be having periodically. I’m dubbing them, “Blue Zone Challenges”. If you are not familiar with the term Blue Zones, these are specific regions in the world where residents are healthier and live longer than residents outside of these areas. The Blue Zones have been identified as these 5 regions: Okinawa, Japan; Sardinia, Italy; Nicoya, Costa Rica; Ikaria, Greece, and Loma Linda, California.
These Blue Zones have been the subject of intense study to better understand the characteristics, habits, and practices of their residents that may explain their robust health and longevity. Common characteristics across all Blue Zones have emerged. We may not be able to move to a Blue Zone, but we can emulate their healthy habits!
Our first Blue Zone Challenge is a focus on beans. As Dan Buettner writes in The Blue Zones Solution: Eating and Living Like the Worlds Healthiest People:
Beans are the cornerstone of every Blue Zones diet in the world: black beans in Nicoya; lentils, garbanzo, and white beans in the Mediterranean; and soybeans in Okinawa. The long-lived populations in these Blue Zones eat at least four times as many beans as we do, on average. One five-country study, financed by the World Health Organization, found that eating 20 grams of beans daily reduced a person’s risk of dying in any given year by about 8 percent.
It’s hard to beat beans. A nutritional powerhouse, they’re an excellent source of B vitamins, iron, potassium, and fiber. They are also packed with cancer-fighting anti-oxidants, help regulate blood sugar, and can lower bad cholesterol. Versatile too! They work well as an appetizer, salad, side dish, main course, or even dessert. Plus, they’re budget friendly and an inexpensive source of protein. There’s a lot to like about these legumes.
Beans can easily fit into any July 4th picnic or BBQ plans you may have. Got a favorite recipe? Please share!
This Week’s Challenge: Whether it’s a side dish or the star attraction, let’s all enjoy more beans this week. Let’s set a goal of a half a cup of beans daily!
Make it a great week!
...............................................................................................
Suggested Resources:
11 Health Benefits of Beans:
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/16/beans-health-benefits_n_1792504.html
55 Bean Recipes You'll Be Making All Year Long
https://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/family-meals/slideshow/bean-recipes
35 Bean Recipes for All Your Plant-Protein (and High-Fiber)
https://greatist.com/eat/healthy-bean-recipes
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And since it's Monday, let's MOVE!
Please post your Monday workout here:
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10637806/move-it-monday-weekly-challenge1 -
Hmm, a half cup of beans each day will be a challenge although I'm a bean lover. I'll try to have some hummus today. I'm guessing that a quarter cup of hummus would be equivalent to a half cup of beans.
It is interesting to me that Loma Linda, California is a Blue Zone. Of course, I know why. Loma Linda was a settlement of Seventh Day Adventists, who are vegetarians. Loma Linda University and Medical Center are pretty much world famous and continue to promote and research the vegetarian lifestyle.5 -
This challenge is an easy one for me this week as I made a huge pot of 3 bean chili for us to enjoy for dinner for the next few days. I am looking forward to checking out the link to the recipes you shared. My husband and I have decided to go vegan on week 3 so looking for helpful recipes that keep us getting all we need nutritionally.3
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Didn't have hummus, opted for lima beans with dinner. They are my husband's favorite.3
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I made pesto penne with chick peas, favs beans, and portobello mushrooms tonight. It was delicious and because the beans are hearty and filling, I used less pasta.4
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I've been eating refried beans with some cheese on top. i'll have to do some planning to incorporate more beans this week.2
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I will be sitting this challenge out. I have IBS and beans are a BIG no no. I do not like hummus. Good luck to everyone.1
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Learned something new everyday.
Sometime ago I did an elimination diet since I was suffering from re flux and stomach pain. Turns out beans were heavy on my digestive system. I do have them every now and then. I will pass on this one too.1 -
Completely understandable that some people need to sit this challenge out.
I’m having bean burgers today at our family’s Fourth of July BBQ. I haven’t had meat in over ten years and I don’t miss it. But I do eat seafood.
Have a good fourth everyone!3 -
I made a big pot of Potato Bean Soup. It's not exactly soup weather,but we eat it with the A.C. on high.
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I haven't done well with this, as my husband will not eat beans and he cooks dinner every night. (He is retired and I work full-time.) I love beans, however, so I will be checking out the recipes for dishes to make ahead of time and maybe store in serving-sized containers. It's always humbling when you come up with challenges like this and then I find myself thinking to myself "huh...beans are filling and really good for me, and I really don't like meat that much, so maybe I SHOULD find ways to eat more beans"...it's like a light bulb goes on over something I should have thought of years ago myself!
Thanks again, Denise! 2 -
Ate a couple of single serve red pepper hummus containers this week. It’s not my favorite (beans), but I do like this hummus & chili based bean dishes. I think the best method for me is a little here & there! And blending/mashing them LOL
Thank you!1 -
@themedalist
A HUGE Thank You to you & whoever suggested this week’s challenge!
I had been casting about for a”routine” lunch that I would look forward to & this challenge helped me craft it!!!
I am now eating 4 oz of hummus most days (sometimes leftover lean meat with some hummus) on a large fresh salad each day for lunch (with kalamata olives, lettuce, lots of fresh basil, tomatoes, cucumber, peppers, other veggies, string cheese, etc). No dressing needed as the hummus is creamy & the olives are like olive oil!!
Thank you! Thank you!3 -
@MadisonMolly2017, your enthusiasm is just WONDERFUL and so motivating to me!
I understand that beans are problematic for some people and other people simply don’t care for them. But to me, the variety of beans means there’s something for almost everyone. And coming back to the initial post, a staple in the diets of Blue Zone residents is beans. They eat meat sparingly.1 -
These Chilli Lime Roasted Chickpeas are delicious and a family favorite:
https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/chili-lime-roasted-chickpeas/
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@themedalist I’m glad; you are helping so many people!!
Also beans have been shown to prevent Alzheimer’s and dementia
Thank you for the chili-lime toasted chickpeas recipe!! I think my gripe with beans is their texture, so hummus or similar blends and roasted will definitely help me with that!
Thanks again!!3 -
themedalist wrote: »These Chilli Lime Roasted Chickpeas are delicious and a family favorite:
https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/chili-lime-roasted-chickpeas/
I cannot WAIT to try this! I have a feeling I will really like them and have a new healthier snack! Thank you for sharing, @themedalist
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