BLACK BEANS –SUPERFOOD FOR WEIGHT LOSS

Black beans may be known mostly for their unpleasant odoriferous side effect when eaten, but beans are one of the best foods for your health, your budget and your waistline. If you want to reap these weight-loss benefits, plating-up with black beans will be a wise choice.

Lose weight with black beans

Black beans are high in nutrients and a powerful weight-loss super food. It is calculated that one cup of prepared black beans contains 227 calories and 15 grams of fiber, equivalent to 60% of recommended daily minimum fiber intake. Research has shown that every gram of fiber we eat helps eliminate about seven calories. And a study of Brazilian dieters found that over a six-month period, each additional gram of fiber consumed resulted in an extra quarter pound of weight loss.

With very low calorie count, black beans are must-have food for anyone who is working to lose and maintain a healthy weight. Those who are controlling calorie intake and avoid overeating or processed junk foods will feel the need of consuming black beans since rich amount of fiber and protein contained in this healthy food keep you feeling full and energetic for hours until the next meal.

Benefits of black beans – nutritious little gems

Being considered as nature’s health food, black beans are packed with fiber and protein, as well as magnesium, selenium, manganese and phosphorus.

While the fiber content in beans helps keep things moving, it also satisfies your hunger. Fiber in black beans is in both soluble and insoluble types. Soluble fiber helps cut down low-density lipoprotein or “bad” cholesterol in your body and reduce cholesterol absorption into your bloodstream. This is very beneficial for your heart health. The insoluble fiber is good for keeping a healthy digestive system, thanks to its prevention of constipation, diverticulosis and irritable bowel syndrome.

Black beans nutrition also provides a high amount of plant-based protein and a number of fat burning protein. High-protein beans help keep energy and blood-sugar levels stable, which helps prevent cravings for high calorie food and void of nutrition while you can still maintain energetic, strong, and youthful.

Black beans have antioxidants levels equivalent even to some fruits. The levels of the particular antioxidant that is particularly high in black beans are 10 times higher than oranges – and are equivalent to grapes, apples, and cranberries. Antioxidants fight something called free radicals which are associated with heart disease and other diseases.

Besides heart health benefits, they also contain lignans, a photochemical that may be protective against breast and prostate cancer.

Without saturated fat found in other protein sources, black beans allow also regular bean eaters to have smaller waistlines and a 22 % lower risk of obesity.

Nutrion facts of a serving of one cup cooked

Some suggestions to use black beans

Black beans seem to become more popular in culinary circles, and there are 1001 ways to enjoy them including both sweet and savory dishes. Most people may think of eating beans in soups or dishes seasoned with garlic and herbs, but there are plenty of healthy ways to enjoy beans in desserts, smoothie too.

However, when you add black beans to your regular diet, be sure to drink plenty of water. The extra fiber in your body requires water as it plumps up and make up high volume. If you are not familiar with eating high amounts of fiber, gradually use a small portion of fiber-rich beans into your diet instead of consuming a large amount at once. This will help ease digestion and avoid unwanted symptoms.

Some suggestions:

Healthy soup and salad

Combine black beans with other ingredients to make soup in daily meal. Soup is a great food to fill the stomach before a meal or can even be a main dish for lunch or dinner.

Mix black beans with quinoa, onion, chili, pepper and other herbs to create exquisite taste. Or just simply add them to eggs with mixed vegetables. All ingredients are low in calories, rich in fiber and protein.

Smart side dish

Combine suitably cooked black beans with main dishes such as beef, chicken, omelet to increase the flavor and the energy for the body without adding many calories. This is a great way to help simplify anti-fat, poor fiber foods.

Low carb desserts and smoothies

Try making chocolate black bean smoothie that uses frozen bananas as a natural sweetener and some addition of spinach or leafy greens. By adding beans to smoothies, you hardly taste them at all.

Black beans brownies, cookies, muffins, etc…, all can be worth another try. The use of dark chocolate cocoa or chocolate chips greatly enhances the flavor of these tasty desserts. Almost gluten free and low carb, these desserts absolutely can be a wise choice for those watching their calorie consumption but still enjoying delicious food.