Chickpeas are Chock Full of Antioxidants

Chickpeas or Garbanzo Beans are a legume many of us are familiar with, in fact they are the most widely consumed legume in the world, but do you know the many nutritional benefits they have?

Originating in the Middle East, chickpeas have a firm texture with a flavor somewhere between chestnuts and walnuts. Like most beans, they are rich in fiber; both soluble fiber, which helps to eliminate cholesterol from the body, and insoluble which acts like a “broom” in the intestinal tract (more on insoluble fiber later). They are a rich source of folate, vitamin E, potassium, iron, manganese, tryptophan, copper, zinc and calcium. As a high-potassium, low-sodium food they may help reduce blood pressure.

Chickpeas are the basis for hummus, the bean spread spiked with garlic and olive oil, great for a healthy satisfying snack. They're an imperfect round, and beige in color, and give a nut-like flavor and firm texture. More on health...

Full of Fiber!
Recent studies have demonstrated that the fiber in chickpeas can be metabolized by bacteria in the colon to produce short chain fatty acids (SCFAs). SCFAs provide fuel to the cells that line your intestinal wall, helping to lower your risk of colon problems, including possibly lowering your risk of colon cancer. The soluble fiber in garbanzo beans also helps with blood fat regulation, including lower levels of LDL-cholesterol, total cholesterol, and triglycerides. Two cups provide nearly 25 grams of fiber! Introducing new fiber rich foods to your diet can cause gas and bloating, so start off slow!

Curb your appetite: a recent study reported more satisfaction with foods when garbanzo beans were included; less calories and processed foods were also consumed.

Full of Antioxidants!
Researchers have recently found that many of the antioxidants present in garbanzo beans are especially concentrated in the outer seed coat that gives the beans their distinctive color. Darker-colored "desi-type" garbanzo beans appear to have greater concentrations of antioxidants than the cream-colored garbanzos, the "kabuli-type" that are regularly found at salad bars and in canned products. Antioxidants are found in both types as well as many minerals and other health promoting nutrients mentioned above. If you have previously stayed away from darker-colored or irregularly-shaped garbanzo beans, now’s the time to try them!

Garbanzo beans can be purchased dried or canned and sometimes fresh. Always rinse canned beans before using and dried beans should be soaked for at least 4 hours before cooking. Read package specific labeling for further details. There are also chickpea snacks on the market, that will leave you feeling full and satisfied – check labels for allergens, etc.

[via Supermarket Guru]

Why You Should Never Eat Nonorganic Green Beans

For real. You definitely don't want these on your plate, Consumer Reports finds out.

Sometimes organic just isn't available. So is it safe to go the nonorganic route if there's no other feasible option? While organic is always best if you're trying to protect your family from chemicals linked to breast cancer, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, ADHD, thyroid problems, and other ills, Consumer Reports recently released a super-handy report that helps you figure out which veggies are riskier choices than others whenever you're in a position where organic isn't an option.

For instance, researchers found nonorganic green beans to be among the riskiest produce picks you could eat.

In the report, veteran researcher Charles Benbrook, PhD, a collaborator on the Consumer Reports report and leader of the Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources at Washington State University, had this to say: "Acephate, and its breakdown product methamidophos, on green beans was the No. 1 risk driver in 2013. That use accounted for around one-half of total risk across all pesticides and food."

Because of this, green beans fall into the report's "very high risk" category. And the thing about green beans is that they are consistently contaminated with toxic pesticides. Looking at the measure of both the amount of pesticide residues found on the beans and the chemicals' toxicity, green beans have landed on the very-high-risk category nearly every year since testing began in 1992.

The Consumer Reports' From Crop to Table Pesticide Use in Produce explains that the organophosphate chemical acephate is among the most concerning chemicals showing up on green beans, despite the fact that the Environmental Protection Agency canceled its use in 2009. (Organophosphate bug-killing chemicals are associated with brain damage in people. That makes sense, since they are designed to scramble a pest's nervous system.)

The Environmental Working Group recently also came out with its list of pesticide-laden produce, calling it the 2015 Dirty Dozen list. To add to this body of research, Consumer Reports' report on green beans and other high-risk produce (in terms of pesticides)—including peaches, tangerines, plums (from Chile, but not America), apples (from America, but not New Zealand), green beans, bell peppers, hot peppers, and sweet potatoes—makes it easier for you to make smarter choices while shopping for produce. (Be empowered by this knowledge; don't shy away from eating produce, since eating more veggies has consistently been shown to help you live longer.)

If you find it's difficult to get your hands on organic produce, use these 5 great tips on what to do if organic isn't available.

[via Rodale News]

The Healthful Vegan Diet

By Leo Babauta

Eat plants. Those two words are the best things I’ve learned about diet, and if you stick to that, you’re likely be pretty healthy.

That said, eating a vegan diet (no animal products) doesn’t necessarily equate to a healthy diet, despite what many believe.

Yes, vegans on average are healthier and leaner than the average person. But that’s an average — there are unhealthy vegans.

How is that possible? You can eat lots of sweets, fried foods, processed foods, foods with white flour (breads, cakes, cookies, pasta), and beer, and still be a vegan. And not super healthy.

Since going vegan, I’ve slowly transitioned my diet from the convenient vegan foods (prepared plant “meats”, pizzas, beer, delicious vegan sweets), to something much healthier.

I’d like to share that with you today.

Amazing Plant Foods

Here’s what I suggest eating:

• Green veggies: The king of healthy plant food. Kale, broccoli, darker lettuces, chard, collard greens, mustard greens, arugula, green beans. Eat as much of these as you can, every day. Several servings.
• Other veggies: Orange and red and yellow veggies like carrots and red bell peppers and squash and tomatoes and pumpkin and sweet potatoes, along with all kinds of mushrooms, onions and garlic, cauliflower. Pile these on, throw them in stir-fries, put them in soups!
• Plant proteins: Despite what many people believe, protein is easy to get on a vegan diet. Beans of all kinds (black beans, kidney beans, garbanzo beans, white beans, pinto beans), lentils, soy beans (edamame, tempeh and tofu — and no, soy isn’t dangerous). Raw nuts like almonds and walnuts. Seeds like flaxseeds, hemp, pumpkin seeds, chia seeds. I eat all these.
• Fruits: Yum. These guys are my saviors, because I don’t eat many sweets anymore. Berries and pomegranates are the king of this category, but apples, oranges, grapes, mangoes, kiwi fruit, bananas, peaches, apricots, papayas, pears and so forth are all amazing. Don’t be afraid of fruits.
• Good fats: Don’t be afraid of fats, but just go for the good ones and minimize trans and saturated fats. If you eat saturated fats, get them from plants (coconuts). My favorite fats: nuts of all kinds, avocados, ground flaxseeds, olive and canola oil. I also take a vegan EPA-DHA supplement (like fish oil, but from algae instead) for extra health — brain, joint, heart health, among other good benefits.
• Whole grains: Many people these days who try to be healthy are afraid of grains. I have not seen any good scientific evidence that they’re bad for you, but lots that they’re good. However, avoid white flour, and in fact most flour should be minimized altogether. If you’re going to eat bread, try flourless sprouted grain breads. Other good choices: quinoa (actually a seed, not a grain), brown rice, amaranth, millet, steel-cut oats. If you’re allergic or intolerant to gluten, of course avoid gluten, but most people can eat gluten just fine.
• Others: I drink a glass or two of red wine every day, along with at least a couple glasses of tea. And lots of water. Some good spices to add to your dishes: cinnamon, tumeric, cayenne.

Special notes for full vegans: If you’re on an all-vegan diet for long, you’ll want to ensure that you’re getting Vitamin B12, either from a vegan supplement or through fortified foods like soymilk or fortified nutritional yeast. Iron, calcium and Vitamin D are other things to look out for, but it’s not hard to figure out. I highly recommend Vegan For Life for more on these nutritional requirements, and the blogs by the two authors of that book: nutritionists Ginny Messina and Jack Norris.

Stuff to Eat Less Of

I don’t like to “villainize” any foods, because we shouldn’t be afraid of foods or develop some kind of complex. So all foods are fine in small bits, but unfortunately most people eat them all the time.

Here’s what you should keep to a minimum:

• Animal products (for health but mostly ethical reasons) – meat, poultry, eggs, dairy
• Fried foods
• White flour, white rice, white potatoes
• Trans fats of any kind
• Sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, other sweeteners, especially artificial sweeteners
• Chemicals and weird ingredients that aren’t really food

What a Healthy Vegan Diet Looks Like

So how do you put this all together into an everyday eating plan? Well, there are countless variations, but I’ll share some things I like to eat:

• Breakfast: My go-to breakfast at the moment is Ezekiel Flax Sprouted Whole Grain Cereal, with soymilk, raw almonds and walnuts, berries and ground flaxseeds. Other breakfasts I like: scrambled tofu and chock-full oatmeal.
• Lunch & Dinner: Lately I’ve been eating either cubed tempeh or black beans, cooked with garlic/onions, olive oil, diced carrots, diced tomatoes, mushrooms, and any kind of greens I can get, all stir-fried together with salt, pepper and sometimes chili powder or other spices. Other good choices: three-bean chili, lentil curry with veggies, or just a big salad with greens, nuts, fruits, seeds and a balsamic vinaigrette. The above-mentioned scrambled tofu also works. When in doubt, follow this formula: beans (including lentils, tempeh, tofu), whole grain (e.g. brown rice or quinoa or sprouted grains bread) and veggies (greens and others), along with a good fat like olive or canola oil or nuts or avocados.
• Other: I snack on nuts and fruits, or veggies with hummus. As mentioned, I also drink unsweetened tea, red wine and water.

That’s how my diet normally looks, though I will make conscious exceptions on occasion. Lately I’ve been making fewer exceptions and feeling healthier than ever!

The Incredible Benefits

Since turning vegetarian then vegan, I’ve been unbelievably healthy — I feel strong and alive, and I almost never get sick. Neither do my wife and kids, and in fact my daughter’s strong asthma-related attacks are now gone. If you do it right, a plant diet can do wonders for your health.

The benefits of a healthful vegan diet are too many to name in one post, but they are many and they’re powerful. I’ll point you to a few resources here — please do check them out:

I highly recommend the book Super Immunity by Dr. Joel Fuhrman — it spells out the science behind the micronutrients in plant food, and how they can help prevent important diseases from flu to heart disease to cancers of all kinds. It’s amazing.

I also recommend two videos: Forks Over Knives and More Than an Apple a Day: Preventing Our Most Common Diseases, which you can watch here:

How to Do It

What if your diet includes a lot of the “Stuff to Eat Less Of” right now, and you think you just can’t give it up? Try going a week without one of these. It’s not as hard as you think. Do one at a time, and if the first week isn’t bad, try two or three weeks, or a month. After a month or so, you’ll find you won’t miss it at all. Then try another.

You’d be amazed at how your taste buds can change for the better pretty quickly. The voice that says, “I could never give up …” isn’t really true.

If you’d like to try a healthful vegan diet for a week, check out my collaborative site, the 7-Day Vegan Challenge.

[via Zen Habits]

Vegan Pantry: 10 Essential Foods That Make Your Plant-Based Diet Nutritious And Healthy

Whether you are new to a plant-based vegan diet, have been plant-strong for a while, or just stumbled upon my blog out of curiosity, you’ve probably wondered how to stock your pantry and fridge with foods that are the most beneficial for your health. So what are the essentials that can be found in pantries of almost all vegans? And is it true that you’ll have to start cooking at home, even if you’ve never been a fan of it?

Yes, it’s a well-established fact: if you want ‘thy food to be thy medicine’, as Hippocrates proposed, you’ll have to cook the majority of your meals at home from whole, fresh ingredients, takeout be damned. If your average at-home cooking adventure used to include microwaving a store-bought frozen pizza, and now you’ve decided to become a vegan out of health concerns, you’ve probably noticed that there are very few options of premade plant-strong vegan dinners in grocery stores, and restaurants you used to love don’t seem to be very accommodating. As always, I can’t leave you hanging without any good news: if you find a few easy vegan recipes and try making them at home, you might find that cooking is actually a lot of fun! I’ve heard multiple stories about people who used to hardly ever cook at home, and when they switched to a vegan diet, they found cooking so awesome that they ended up creating wonderful vegan food blogs and even publishing cookbooks!

Okay, not all of us are superhuman to do all that, but we all can make an attempt to be a little healthier, right? Today I’m going to help you out a little with a list of great vegan pantry essentials. If you stock your pantry and fridge right, cooking any newly found recipe will become easier as you won’t have to run to a store to buy whatever the recipe calls for.

By the way, if you still think that cooking healthy vegan meals is too much hassle, check out this post with 10 super-easy plant-based meals that can be put together in no time.

What’s In The Vegan Pantry?

Let me clarify right away: my definition of ‘vegan’ includes consuming the healthiest plant-based foods with little to no junk of non-animal nature. The closer to their natural state the ingredients are, the better they are for us. Cooking food at home from scratch always allows you to control what you are putting in it, thus giving you a chance to make it as healthy as possible. Many people agree that it is easy to be an unhealthy vegan if you live on potato chips, soda, Oreo cookies (did you know that they are technically vegan?), and other processed store-bought foods. We have a different goal here: to make our vegan diet the healthiest it can be!

So here’s a list of pantry essentials that can do a lot of good for our health. Most of them can be found in your local health food stores, grocery stores, and online.

1.Ground Flax Seed. 

Benefits. This plant-strong pantry essential is a great addition to any diet: flax seed is full of omega-3 fatty acids, fiber and antioxidants. A tablespoon of ground flax has 1.8 grams of plant omega-3s. Flax has a very high amount of lignans that have plant antioxidant and estrogen qualities – between 75 and 800 times more than any other plant food! To reap all of the benefits of flax seed, you need to grind it up in a coffee/spice grinder (our bodies don’t break down whole seeds efficiently), or buy preground flaxseed meal, like this organic ground flaxseed by Bob’s Red Mill.

This image shows (clockwise from top) chia seeds, ground flaxseed, and whole flax seeds.

To Use It: add ground flax to dough and batters when baking; sprinkle over breakfast cereal or add to smoothies; make ‘flax egg’ – an all-natural vegan egg substitute in pancake/waffle/baking recipes – by combining equal amounts of ground flax and water (recipes usually have guidelines for that).

2. Chia Seeds. 

This rather interesting ingredient is not just for hippies anymore! Benefits: chia seeds contain high amounts of omega-3 fatty acids, fiber, antioxidants and minerals (phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, manganese). British scientists have published a study in which consumption of chia has shown a reduction in the amounts of blood triglycerides and cholesterol levels while increasing the amounts of HDL (‘good’) cholesterol. When mixed with water, chia seeds turn into a gel-like substance. Some studies suggest that this chia jelly absorbs toxins from our intestines when going through our digestive tract, thus removing them from our system. Chia seeds are becoming a common staple in grocery stores these days, plus you can always find a good selection of chia online, including some certified organic varieties like these chia seeds from Navitas Naturals.

To Use It: chia seeds can be added to cereals, sprinkled on wraps, sandwiches, soups, salads etc. Chia is great for baking: just like ground flax seed, it can be used as an egg substitute when mixed with water. Unlike flax, chia doesn’t need to be ground up to release its nutrients inside our bodies.

3. Nutritional Yeast. 

Benefits: contains 18 essential amino acids, thus being a complete protein; has 15 minerals such as chromium, manganese, copper, vanadium, molybdenum and lithium; is rich in B vitamins, with some brands being enriched with vitamin B12 (the only vitamin that vegans might get deficient in on an otherwise balanced plant-strong diet); maintains good intestinal environment; improves liver health and function; aids in balancing cholesterol levels; promotes healthy skin. How did we ever live without this stuff?

When choosing nutritional yeast, it’s best to opt for a brand that fortifies it with vitamin B12 (some people may become deficient in B12 after following a vegan diet for a while). Both Bob’s Red Mill  and Red Star fortify their nutritional yeast with B12.

To Use It: thanks to its natural cheesy flavor, nutritional yeast is a great ingredient in vegan cheesy sauces (vegan mac’n’cheese recipes are a good example). It can be also sprinkled over just about any entrée or soup for an extra kick of flavor. Some open-minded people even mix it with blackstrap molasses and eat it by the spoonful!

4. Beans and Lentils. 

Benefits: great sources of plant protein, fiber, complex carbohydrates (the ones that don’t cause your blood sugar to spike), essential fatty acids, potassium, iron, calcium, and folic acid. Beans and lentils promote digestive health: they are a great food for the good bacteria that live in our intestines. They also prevent polyps from forming in our intestinal tract, thus reducing a possibility of developing colon and rectal cancer. Lastly, beans and lentils are very cheap and filling!

This picture shows (clockwise from top) speckled butter beans, green (brown) lentils, blackeye peas, and green split peas.

To Use Them: beans of all forms and shapes have been used in many world cuisines for thousands of years! A lot of delicious recipes from Mexican, Indian, African and Middle Eastern cuisines include beans and lentils. You can use both dried and canned beans from the store, or purchase certified non-GMO beans in bulk online, like these garbanzo beans from Palouse Brand. If using dried beans, soak them for at least 4 hours or overnight in water, then drain them, and boil until soft, 30-60 min depending on the variety, adding salt (or not) at the end. If buying canned beans, look for the low-sodium varieties; drain and rinse them in cold water and use according to a recipe you’re using them for. Also, check out this post about cooking dried beans.

5. Canned Tomatoes. 

Tomatoes are considered one of the healthiest fruits and vegetables known to us! You’ve probably heard that they are technically a fruit, not a vegetable. Using (BPA-free) canned tomatoes is easier when they are not in season. Benefits: tomatoes are a great source of lycopene – a powerful antioxidant that does wonders to our health, from fighting free radicals to promoting strong bones. Tomatoes also have a number of vitamins (C, A, and K) and minerals (potassium, folate, magnesium, copper). Their consumption has shown a decrease in cholesterol and triglyceride levels in our bodies.

To Use Them: A lot of dishes from all over the world call for tomatoes. My pantry is always stocked with diced tomatoes, tomato paste and sauce (San Marzano tomatoes are my favorite); it’s also good to have crushed and fire-roasted canned tomatoes on hand. Aim for no-salt-added varieties at the store. Of course, when tomatoes are in season, it always makes sense to use them instead of their canned versions! By the way, the levels of lycopene in cooked tomatoes are higher than in fresh ones.

6. Grains. 

Benefits: a great source of carbohydrates to provide us with lots of energy, a number of B vitamins (thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, folate), and fiber. Historically, many great civilizations used some types of grains as their staple foods: barley in Middle East, corn in Central and South America, millet and sorghum in Africa, and rice in Asia. Consuming whole, minimally processed and even sprouted grains is more beneficial to our health than eating their processed versions because more nutrients and fiber are available in whole grains. However, billions of people in Asia have been consuming mostly white rice for centuries, and have had no problems with obesity or diabetes until recently, when Western-type food became more available to them. The conclusion: aim to consume whole grains, but don’t shun white rice completely.

Pictured here (clockwise from top): millet, brown rice, kamut, barley.

To Use Them: to reap the most health benefits of grains and to fuel your body (especially if you are athletic), aim to add a variety of whole grains, such as barley, oats, brown rice, whole wheat, kamut, etc. to your diet. Bob’s Red Mill sells a large variety of grains both in stores and online. If you are gluten-intolerant, choose gluten-free grains such as rice, corn, sorghum, and millet. Experiment with sprouting: it’s very easy, but can increase the amount of available nutrients in sprouts up to 10 times compared to the same non-sprouted grains. Sprouting technically converts grains into vegetables.

7. Whole Grain Pastas. 

These pastas have similar benefits as the whole grains described above, especially when made with minimal processing techniques. A variety of pastas can add some oomph to your diet and lets you explore different world cuisines, from Italian to Thai and Japanese.

This picture (clockwise from top) multigrain penne and whole wheat linguine pasta from Italian cuisine, and rice vermicelli and Japanese buckwheat soba noodles from Asian cuisines.

To Use Them: shop for whole wheat, quinoa, amaranth, rice, and soba (buckwheat) pastas and noodles. Try sprouted pasta, like this Ezekiel 4:9 Organic Sprouted Penne pasta. Experiment with sauces and add vegetables and beans or tofu to create delicious vegan meals inspired by various cuisines of the world!

8. Nuts and Seeds. 

Benefits: contain good amounts of healthy mono- and polyunsaturated fats, plant protein, and fiber. Nuts and seeds also nourish us with a number of minerals, such as magnesium, calcium, zinc, and phosphorus. Raw pumpkin seeds are high in iron. Due to a relatively high amount of fats found in nuts, they should be consumed in moderation (a small handful, or about 1 oz a day). Aim to include a variety of nuts and seeds in your diet to provide your body with different nutrients, and pick raw/minimally processed ones with no added salt.

Pictured here (clockwise from right): raw pumpkin seeds a.k.a. pepitas, raw walnuts, roasted cashews.

To Use Them: chop them up and add to your morning cereal; add a handful to batters and dough when baking; enjoy as a snack – but watch the serving size! Experiment with making your own nut butters: homemade nut butters tend to be much healthier than store-bought ones because you know exactly what ingredients you used. Raw, unprocessed nuts and seeds can be sprouted just like grains – this technically turns them into vegetables!

9. Sea Vegetables. 

Before I hear ‘Whaaat?!’, let me introduce you to a somewhat new for us Westerners, but a very common in Asia group of these vegetables : kombu, wakame, nori, hijiki, arame, and kelp. You might be a little more familiar with them if you like sushi. Benefits: sea vegetables have one of the broadest varieties of minerals available among any foods. They are an excellent source of iodine and vitamin K, a good source of magnesium, calcium, riboflavin and folate. Sea vegetables contain the type of iron that is more bioavailable to us than the types found in other vegetables. They contain a different source of antioxidants than other vegetables, and are rich in phytonutrients.

To Use Them: the above named sea vegetables are widely used in Asian (especially Japanese) cuisines. At home, we can use nori sheets to make sushi rolls, or sprinkle powdered kelp on entrees for a boost of nutrients. Kombu strips are great for cooking beans: a 1-2 inch strip added to a pot of beans (or a soup) reduces their cooking time, enhances flavors, thickens the broth, and even makes beans more digestible to prevent gas!

10. A Variety of Spices. 

Using spices in cooking is a great low-calorie way to add lots of flavor to any dish! Spices allow you to explore cuisines from all over the world without leaving your house! A lot of spices have numerous health benefits, especially when it comes to delivering antioxidants! Cinnamon, for example, is known for its ability to prevent blood sugar spikes if you consume it with sugar and carbohydrate-rich food. Capsaicin in hot chilies and cayenne pepper promotes heart health, pain relief, and may aid in cancer prevention. Indian cuisine is hard to imagine without turmeric: it helps with digestion of fiber-rich foods (especially with beans in them), and also aids in reducing inflammation, especially in arthritis patients.

To Use Them: it’s hard for me to imagine my pantry without cumin, cinnamon, turmeric, chili powder, paprika, thyme and oregano! I also have a few pots of fresh herbs on my balcony (currently I’ve got basil, sage, rosemary, and dill). Italian and Indian dishes are especially big on using certain spices. My advice: get a good variety of spices in a bulk section of your local health food store, and include both ground and whole-seed versions (the latter is for cumin, celery, and fennel seeds). Avoid pre-mixed spice bottles that contain salt and other additives, and always stay away from mixes that contain monosodium glutamate (MSG)!

To make a conclusion, I’d like to emphasize that it’s very important to use lots of fresh or minimally processed fruits and vegetables in addition to all the foods listed above. My other refrigerated vegan staples include non-dairy milk, tofu, and tempeh; my pantry also has dried fruit, brown sugar, blackstrap molasses, maple syrup, and agave nectar. As you find more and more vegan recipes, you’ll discover even more healthy and delicious ingredients to add to this list!

[via Vegan Runner Eats]

Plant- Based Protein Chart

The following is a chart is adapted from the USDA Nutrient Database that displays the protein content of vegetarian foods, it does not include any dairy or soy.  Please note that in order to determine the amount of protein that is optimal for your body, use the following formula that is based on a vegetarian recommendation:

Convert weight to kg (pounds/2.2)
Multiply kg by .9 = Protein recommendation in grams

Nut/Seed (1/4 Cup; 4 tbs)	Protein (g)
Chia Seed	12
Hemp Seed	10
Flax Seed	8
Sunflower Seed	8
Salba	7.4
Almond	7
Pumpkin Seed	7
Sesame Seed	7
Pistachio	6
Walnut	5
Brazil Nut	5
Hazelnut	5
Pine Nut	4
Cashew	4
Beans (1 Cup cooked)	Protein (g)
Lentil	18
Adzuki	17
Cannellini (white beans)	17
Cranberry bean	17
Navy Bean	16
Split Peas	16
Anasazi	15
Black Bean	15
Garbanzos (chick peas)	15
Kidney Bean	15
Great Northern Beans	15
Lima Beans	15
Pink Beans	15
Black-eyed Peas	14
Mung Beans	14
Pinto Beans	14
Green Peas	9
Grains (1 Cup cooked)	Protein (g)
Triticale	25
Millet	8.4
Amaranth	7
Oat, bran	7
Wild Rice	7
Rye Berries	7
Whole Wheat Couscous	6
Bulgar Wheat	6
Buckwheat	6
Teff	6
Oat Groats	6
Barley	5
Quinoa	5
Brown Rice	5
Spelt	5
Vegetables (cooked)	Protein (g)
Corn (1 large cob)	5
Potato (with skin)	5
Mushroom, Oyster (1 cup)	5
Collard Greens (1 cup)	4
Peas (1/2 cup)	4
Artichoke (medium)	4
Broccoli (1 cup)	4
Brussel Sprouts (1 cup)	4
Mushroom,Shitake (1 cup)	3.5
Fennel (1 medium bulb)	3
Swiss Chard (1 cup)	3
Kale (1 cup)	2.5
Asparagus (5 spears)	2
String Beans (1 cup)	2
Beets (1 cup)	2
Sweet Potato (1 cup)	3
Cabbage (1 cup)	2
Carrot (1 cup)	2
Cauliflower (1 cup)	2
Rutabaga	2
Squash	2
Celery (1 cup)	1
Spinach (1 cup)	1
Bell Peppers (1 cup)	1
Cucumber (1 cup)	1
Eggplant (1 cup)	1
Leeks (1 cup)	1
Lettuce (1 cup)	1
Okra (1/2 cup)	1
Onion (1/2 cup)	1
Other Sources	Protein (g)
Egg	6
Sunwarrior Rice Protein (scoop)	17
Avocado (1 medium)	4
Cherimoya	7
Durian (1 cup)	4
Sapote (1 medium)	5

[via The Holy Kale]

25 Healthiest, Nutrient-Dense Foods

In an ideal world, we wouldn’t go first to a pharmacist to address maladies ranging from the common cold to cancer; instead, we’d create grocery shopping lists aimed at fostering optimal health. Good nutrition may not cure disease, but a growing body of research shows it could do something even more powerful: help prevent disease. “By choosing foods wisely, we can control our health destiny,” says Joel Fuhrman, MD, author of Eat for Health (Gift of Health, 2008). “But we can’t make small, moderate changes to the average diet and expect prevention; we need to make aggressive, radical changes.”

Fuhrman developed a comprehensive nutrient-per-calorie ranking system, which he calls the Aggregate Nutrient Density Index (ANDI). The charts on the following pages list the top ANDI-ranked foods by category. Use them as guides to make the healthiest eating choices for you and your family.

~ Top 6 Vegetables ~

Vegetables are low in calories and loaded with fiber and micronutrients—vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals— so eat them in unlimited quantities (exceptions: starches such as potatoes, yams, and corn).

Smart tip: Start lunch and dinner with a serving of raw vegetables, such as a large salad or crudités, to increase nutrient intake and help control appetite.

1. Dark Leafy Greens

Nutrients: Vitamins A, C, and K, folate, manganese, magnesium, calcium, fiber
Health Boosts: May promote eye health (thanks to carotenoids, a group of pigments found mainly in green leafy vegetables, carrots, and tomatoes), fight cancer, and reduce diabetes risk (vitamin K improves insulin sensitivity and blood glucose control).
Recipes:
Garlicky Mustard Greens with Garbanzos
Dandelion and Watercress Salad with Ginger Dressing
Kale with Sesame Seed Dressing

2. Bok Choy

Nutrients: Vitamin C, folate, calcium, fiber
Health Boosts: May help promote bone health and support immunity.
Recipes:
Braised Baby Bok Choy with Ginger and Garlic
Bok Choy Stir-Fry with Shrimp
Baby Bok Choy

3. Brussels Sprouts

Nutrients: Vitamins A, C, and K, folate, manganese, fiber, potassium, vitamin B6
Health Boosts: Linked to reduced cancer risk, especially breast and colon cancers.
Recipes:
Mustard-Glazed Brussels Sprouts with Hazelnuts
Brussels Sprouts in Sage Butter
Stir-Fried Brussels Sprouts with Shallots

4. Radishes

Nutrients: Vitamin C, fiber, folate
Health Boosts: Help with weight control; may boost the immune system.
Recipes:
Radish, Fennel & Dandelion Salad
Black-Eyed Pea, Corn, and Radish Salad

5. Bean Sprouts

Nutrients: Vitamins C and K, folate, protein, potassium
Health Boosts: May boost satiety and assist in weight management.
Recipes:
Seaweed Salad with Bean Sprouts and Tofu
Chilled Tofu with Bean Sprouts

6. Red Bell Peppers

Nutrients: Vitamin C (three times as much as green bell peppers), vitamins A, B6, and K, fiber, manganese, folate
Health Boosts: May promote heart health. Vitamin C supports immunity; carotenoids may decrease risk of certain types of cancer, including lung cancer.
Recipes:
Grilled Red Peppers and Tomato

 

~ Top 5 Fruits ~

Eat at least four fresh fruits daily for the maximum variety of phytochemicals. Frozen fruit is a fine substitute, but avoid canned, which often contains added sweeteners. For weight loss and diabetes or prediabetes management, eat just two fruits daily, focusing on lower-sugar options such as berries, green or Granny Smith apples, melons, grapefruit, oranges, kiwifruit, and papaya.

1. Strawberries

Nutrients: Vitamin C, potassium, fiber, folate, flavonoids
Health Boost: May have anti-inflammatory, anticancer effects and promote brain health; may lower cholesterol and improve the effectiveness of cholesterol-lowering diets.
Recipes:
Fresh Strawberries with Balsamic Vinegar
Strawberry Sunrise Shake

2. Pomegranate Juice

Nutrients: Antioxidants, flavonoids, potassium, fiber, calcium
Health Boost: Studies indicate that pomegranate juice has antiatherogenic (protects against plaque in the arteries), antioxidant, antihypertensive, and anti-inflammatory effects that help fight heart disease, certain types of cancer, and brain degeneration.
Recipes:
Squash Tart with Fresh Pomegranate Juice

3. Tomatoes

Nutrients: Vitamins A, B, and C, potassium, iron, folic acid, phosphorus, carotenoids, fiber
Health Boost: Lycopene, a potent antioxidant in tomatoes, may prevent certain cancers, protect skin from UV rays, and promote overall prostate health.
Recipes:
Indian-Seasoned Tofu with Tomatoes
Quinoa and Salmon Stew with Tomatoes

4. Plums

Nutrients: Fiber, vitamins A and C
Health Boost: Plums help support immunity and may help slow development of artherosclerosis. Polyphenols from dried plums may promote bone strength and density by regulating growth factors linked to bone formation.
Recipes:
Curried Chicken with Dried Plums
One-Pan Baked Chicken with Peaches and Plums
Lettuce Wraps with Chicken in Plum Sauce

5. Raspberries

Nutrients: Manganese, vitamin C, fiber
Health Boost: Anthocyanins—red plant pigments—may protect eyes and improve heart health by preventing artery hardening and reducing blood pressure; ellagic acid, a phytochemical, helps kill certain types of cancer cells.
Recipes:
Raspberry Soup
Apple, Raspberry, and Frisée Salad
Melon and Berry Salad

 

~ Top 4 Beans and Legumes ~

Eat at least 1⁄2 cup of beans daily. Try adding them to soups, stews, and salads. Dried beans are the most economical; if you’re buying canned, look for unsalted and BPA-free varieties. To avoid gas or bloating, soak dried beans for 8 to 12 hours and slow cook with a piece of sea vegetable, such as wakame.

1. Lentils

Nutrients: Protein, fiber, folate, iron, manganese, magnesium
Health Boost: Folate may improve colon, breast, and brain health and lower blood pressure.
Recipes:
Green Lentils and Seasoned Walnuts
Curried Lentils
Grilled Salmon with Lentils and Curried Mint Yogurt

2. Black Beans

Nutrients: Iron, fiber, protein, folate, manganese, magnesium
Health Boost: Some of the best sources of antioxidants, as indicated by their dark color; may protect against colorectal cancer and slow tumor growth.
Recipes:
Cuban Black Bean & Rice Soup
Tex-Mex Bean Salad
Black Beans Cakes with Orange Basil Salsa

3. Adzuki Beans

Nutrients: Protein, fiber, iron, magnesium, potassium, zinc, folate
Health Boost: Promote heart health; help manage weight.
Recipes:
Oriental Bean Cakes

4. Red Kidney Beans

Nutrients: Folate, fiber, manganese, protein, iron, tryptophan, phosphorus
Health Boost: Promote heart health; may help prevent diabetes.
Recipes:
Kidney Bean & Butternut Squash Soup
Baked Winter Squash with Heirloom Beans and Hominy

 

~ Top 5 Grains ~

Not all whole-grain products are good foods, says Fuhrman. Breakfast cereals and some breads, for example, lose much of their fiber and micronutrients during processing. Choose coarsely ground grains, which the bloodstream absorbs more slowly, and always look for “whole” on the package (or the Whole Grains Council’s 100 Percent Whole Grain stamp). Whole grains should appear among the first items in the ingredient list. 

1. Oats

Nutrients: Fiber, protein, calcium, iron
Health Boost: Beta-glucan, a soluble fiber, can slow the release of sugar into the bloodstream to help fight diabetes. Oats also lower cholesterol and may reduce risk of heart disease and cancer.
Recipes:
Quick Apple-Cranberry Oatmeal
Mixed Whole-Grain Breakfast

2. Brown Rice

Nutrients: Fiber, manganese, selenium, magnesium, phosphorus
Health Boost: May improve blood glucose control; helps control weight and manage cholesterol, and may decrease asthma risk.
Recipes:
Puffed Brown Rice Tabbouleh with Red Cabbage

3. Sprouted Grain Bread

Nutrients: Fiber, protein, vitamin B1
Health Boost: When grain seedlings sprout, enzymes convert some of the fats and carbohydrates into vitamins, minerals, and amino acids; sprouted-seed breads are more filling and have less of a spiking impact on blood sugar than other breads.
Recipes:
Sprouted Spelt and Seed Bread

4. Barley

Nutrients: Fiber, folic acid, iron, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, vitamin E
Health Boost: Look for hulled barley, which contains more nutrients than pearl barley. The FDA recently confirmed the qualified health claim linking whole-grain barley to a reduced risk of coronary heart disease; soluble fiber lowers cholesterol and stabilizes blood glucose levels.
Recipes:
Barley and Spinach-Stuffed Bell Peppers
Lima Bean, Mushroom and Barley Soup

5. Quinoa

Nutrients: Protein, calcium, lysine, iron, magnesium, vitamin E, potassium, phosphorus, fiber
Health Boost: Bolsters heart health; may protect against certain types of cancer, including breast cancer.
Recipes:
Quinoa and Wild Rice
Quinoa & Pecan Salad with Dried Cranberries
Quinoa with Mixed Vegetables

 

~ Top 5 Nuts and Seeds ~

Despite being high in calories, nuts and seeds are rich in essential fatty acids, which promote brain and heart health. Most women should limit intake to 1 ounce per day and men to 2 ounces (about a handful), especially when trying to lose weight. Increase servings if you need to fuel athletic efforts.

1. Brazil Nuts

Nutrients: Selenium, calcium, magnesium, omega-3 fatty acids, protein, vitamin A, iron
Health Boost: One of the richest sources of selenium, Brazil nuts may bolster immunity, reduce the risk of cancer, and promote liver health.
Recipes:
Fresh Vegetable Rolls with Mango and Tamarind Sauce

2. Sunflower Seeds

Nutrients: Vitamins B1, B5, and E, manganese, magnesium, selenium, phosphorus, folate
Health Boost: May help prevent cardiovascular disease and alleviate arthritis symptoms.
Recipes:
Soy Nut Trail Mix

3. Flaxseeds

Nutrients: Lignans (phytoestrogens), fiber, omega-3s, alpha-linolenic acid (ALA)
Health Boost: May prevent colon, breast, skin, and lung cancers; can help treat rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory diseases; may decrease cholesterol levels, arterial plaque formation, and diabetes risk.
Recipes:
Fresh Ricotta with Arugula and Flaxseed Pizza
Buckwheat-Flaxseed Blueberry Pancakes

4. Sesame Seeds

Nutrients: Protein, calcium, vitamin B3, iron, zinc
Health Boost: May decrease breast cancer risk.
Recipes:
Carrot Salad with Sesame Seeds

5. Pumpkin Seeds

Nutrients: Protein, iron, zinc, omega-3s, manganese, magnesium, phosphorus
Health Boost: Help reduce cholesterol; may promote prostate health.
Recipes:
Luscious Beet Salad with Toasted Pumpkin Seeds
Butternut Squash Soup with Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

[via Delicious Living]

Wilderness Dining: Healthy Food for Camping or Hiking

There's something special about eating outside. I don't know what it is, but food just tastes better in the great outdoors, whether that's in the back garden, on a picnic, or during a camping trip.  Packing healthy food for a camping or hiking trip can be tricky and even more so when you're vegetarian or vegan. You want the convenience of pre-made food, but not at the expense of your health. While you may spend several hours prepping all the food to ensure healthy eating on the trails, it's the necessary step to ensure you and your family have fresh, organic foods on the trails.

Staple foods and buy fresh ingredients as needed:

• Small bottle of olive oil
• Small jar of Marmite, jam or Nutella in a small pot
• Tins of beans/chopped tomatoes/sweetcorn
• Packet of microwave rice
• Packet of tortilla wraps
• Bread rolls
• Small bottle of organic tomato ketchup
• Small portions of dried herbs/spices in little bags  
• Tea bags
• Liter carton of fruit juice, frozen to use as ice pack in the cool box
• Packet of vegetarian dried burger/sausage mix or frozen burgers/sausages/veggie bacon

Cooking equipment with us:

• Camping kettle
• 2 x 1 ring gas stoves
• Small frying pan
• Small saucepan
• Small sharp vegetable knife
• Vegetable peeler
• Can/bottle opener
• Tongs/spatula/spoon
• Skewers
• Foil 
• Plastic cutlery/picnic set
• Small chopping board

All of the recipes/ideas below either require no cooking, or can be cooked on a one/two ring camping stove.

Breakfasts

• Fried eggs/omelette/baked beans/veggie bacon/veggie sausages/hash browns/tinned spaghetti with fresh bread.
• Warmed croissants/crumpets/mini pancakes/waffles/pastries.
• Scones with jam.
• Cereal with or without milk/non-dairy milk.
• Cereal/flapjack bar.
• Fresh/tinned fruit.

Lunches

• Filled sandwiches/baguettes/bagels.
• Tinned/packet soup and bread.
• Baked beans/tinned spaghetti and crusty bread.
• Instant noodles.
• Crudites, breads and dips - Buy tubs of dips (hummus, tzatziki, salsa etc), bread-sticks, pitta bread etc. Make cucumber, pepper and carrot crudites.
• Pittas stuffed with ready-made felafels and salad.
• Veggie burgers, hot dogs or sausages in bread rolls.
• Ready-made onion bhajis/vegetable pakoras/samosas with naan.

One Pan Camping Meals

Garlic mushrooms - heat a drop of oil/butter in a pan. Add sliced mushrooms, a chopped red pepper and a large clove of crushed garlic. Cook until most of the liquid has evaporated. Serve on warm ciabatta or garlic bread.

Quick veggie chilli/curry - Fry a chopped onion in a drop of oil. Add either 2-3 tsp mild chilli powder/fajita seasoning OR 1 tbsp curry powder/paste. Add a tin of ratatouille (or some chopped veg and a tin of chopped tomatoes) and a drained tin of beans/chickpeas/lentils. Bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes.  Serve with wraps/nachos or naan bread.

Macaroni cheese - Buy a pot of 'fresh' cheese sauce and a bag of fresh pasta. Cook the pasta and drain. Pour the sauce over and heat through.
(Vegan option - use a tub of 'fresh' tomato and basil sauce and egg-free pasta.)

Quorn & vegetable pilaf - Make a simplified version using packet rice: Fry a chopped onion in a little oil, add some chopped veggie sausages or meat-free pieces and cook for 5 minutes. Add 1-2 packets of flavored microwave rice and a drained tin of sweetcorn. Heat until piping hot, stirring regularly.

Vegetable fajitas - Make these with paneer/halloumi cheese, or Quorn pieces. Simplify spices by just using mild chilli powder or fajita seasoning.
(Vegan option - omit the cheese and add extra beans.)

Veggie couscous - a drop of oil in a pan. Fry 1 chopped onion until soft. Add a drained tin of chickpeas and heat through. Stir in 1 or 2 packets of instant Moroccan flavored couscous. Add the required amount of boiling water, cover and leave to heat through as directed.

Sloppy Joes - Make using ready-made bbq sauce.

Quick Mexican quesadillas/burritos - Heat a tortilla wrap in a pan, spread with some tinned refried beans a dollop of tomato salsa and a sprinkle of mozzarella cheese. Roll up the wrap and flip over to warm through. Or try these green vegetable burritos or the very tasty Hawaiian quesadillas  (vegan option - use vegan melting cheese.)

Middle Eastern pittas -  Heat a wholemeal pitta in a pan, split open and spread the inside with some olive paste. Fill with a few ready-made falafels, a chopped tomato and some crumbled feta cheese. Pop back in the pan to heat through. (Vegan option - omit the feta.)

Pesto spaghetti - Don't panic, I realise that pesto generally contains Parmesan or Grana Padano cheese, which contain rennet, but I've found that the cheaper supermarket brands contain vegetarian 'hard cheese' instead (eg: ASDA smart price pesto.) Cook some fresh or dried spaghetti. Drain and add a good dollop of pesto. Stir through and serve.
(Vegan option - use vegan pesto or sun dried tomato paste.)

Cheese fondue - Add a glug of dry white wine and a handful of Gruyere cheese to a tub of fresh cheese sauce. Heat until bubbling gently. Alternatively, double wrap a whole Camembert cheese (plus box) in foil and cook on the bbq or stove for around 15 minutes, turning once or twice. Serve with chunks of ciabatta or breadsticks to dip in. 

Frittata - Fry a chopped onion and a pepper in some oil. Add a drained tin of sweetcorn and break in 4 eggs. Mix well and cook for a few minutes until the eggs are cooked through. Serve with crusty bread.


Patatas bravas - Heat 2 tbsp oil in a large pan/frying pan. Shallow fry some (partially-defrosted) frozen potato chunks until cooked. Throw in 1 jar of tomato and chilli sauce and heat through.

Two Pan Camping Meals

Noodles and stir fried vegetables - Buy a pack of stir fry vegetables, a sachet/jar of black bean or sweet and sour sauce and 2 small packs of 'quick noodles'. Boil a pan of water. Add the noodles, bring back to the boil, cover and remove from the heat.  Meanwhile, heat a drop of oil in a pan. Fry the veg for 2-3 minutes. Add the sauce and heat through. Drain the noodles and top with the veg and sauce.

Sausage and bean stew -  Chop an onion and fry in a drop of oil. Add some chopped veggie sausages and brown for a few minutes. Add a tin of tomatoes, a tin of baked beans, a small tin of sweetcorn and some mixed herbs. Cook for 10-15 minutes. Meanwhile make up some instant mash, or cook some pasta, new potatoes or rice.

Mexican rice burritos - Fill wraps with a combination of Mexican rice, refried beans and grated cheese.

[via We Don't Eat Anything With A Face]

The Health Benefits and Drawbacks of Coffee

One of the reasons we love Care2 so much is their consistency in producing informative, balanced content that focuses just as much on the benefits as it does the drawbacks. That being said, we were very interested to learn about the health benefits and drawbacks of something that millions of us enjoy and at times depend on to get us through our day.

Coffee is the cattle prod of beverages. The very aroma is enough to coax most people out of bed in the morning, and millions of Americans rely on java’s jolt to ramp up their energy and propel them through the workday. Collectively, we drink an astounding 350 million cups of coffee a day in this country.

Coffee presents a conundrum for the body, however.

On one hand, the brew brims with free-radical-fighting antioxidants, which helps explain its protective, anti-inflammatory effect against everything from type 2 diabetes to heart disease. Caffeine itself, which is a nervous-system stimulant, leads to sharper focus and enhanced concentration, and it can brighten a bad mood.

“For some individuals, caffeine is something of a miracle drug,” says Daniel Evatt, PhD, a researcher in the department of psychiatry at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore. “These individuals report several benefits with minimal negative effects. However, other caffeine users can develop a bad relationship with it, consisting of unpleasant withdrawal symptoms and other problems, such as sleep difficulties and anxiety.”

That’s the catch. Coffee came by the nickname “jitter juice” honestly. Ingest too much caffeine and a pleasant buzz can nosedive into restlessness, nervousness, insomnia and even muscle twitching. The effect is so reliable, says Laura Juliano, PhD, a caffeine researcher at American University in Washington, D.C., that researchers who study anxiety use caffeinated coffee to incite feelings of anxiousness in study participants.

But not everyone responds the same. A small cup of coffee leaves some people feeling twitchy while others can down a pot without batting an eye. Body weight, age, gender and even genetics may factor in to how the body metabolizes caffeine, says Evatt. Which is why coffee’s vice-and-virtue story is comparable with red wine and chocolate — satisfying substances that are healthy and that attract enthusiasts, but require sensible consumption.

Here’s what the experts say about squeezing the health benefits from the bean without getting burned:

Antioxidant Elixir

Coffee is the single greatest source of antioxidants in the American diet. Ounce-for-ounce, other foods, such as blueberries, pecans and even cinnamon, pack more antioxidants than coffee, but they aren’t nearly as popular.

On average, coffee drinkers down 3.4 cups a day, gleaning 40 percent of their daily antioxidants from the brew. (In comparison, fruits and vegetables account for just 23 percent.) The number is high partly because people drink so much coffee, but it’s also because the beverage is brimming with polyphenols, a type of antioxidant found in many vegetables and berries.

Polyphenols confer some serious health benefits. In particular, they destroy free radicals, which are rogue molecules that create inflammation. Unchecked inflammation underlies many chronic illnesses, such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

The more antioxidants in the diet, the less inflammation in the body, says John Hibbs, ND, a senior clinician at Bastyr University in Kenmore, Wash. “A cell that can control intracellular inflammatory processes is going to survive better under the duress of daily living.” (For people who prefer “unleaded” java, the good news is that decaf coffee has just as many antioxidants as the “leaded” version.)

Deter Diabetes

New data reveals that one of coffee’s unexpected benefits may be helping to prevent type 2 diabetes, a disease predicted to affect one in three Americans by 2050, according to estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Rob van Dam, PhD, a nutritionist at the Harvard School of Public Health, led one of the largest research projects to date — a meta-analysis of nine cohort studies with nearly 200,000 participants — and found that subjects who drank six or more cups of coffee a day lowered their risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 35 percent. Granted, that’s a lot of coffee, potentially enough to trigger negative side effects in some. But those who drank between four and six cups daily still had a 28 percent risk reduction, and other studies have shown a significant benefit with just one cup a day. “The important point is that when all the evidence is weighed, the benefit isn’t restricted to those who drink the most,” van Dam says.

It’s worth noting that caffeine is not the magic ingredient here, since decaf drinkers enjoy the same diabetes-thwarting benefit. At this point, the mechanism of that benefit isn’t clear. Some think a substance in coffee called chlorogenic acid slows the release of glucose into the bloodstream. Others hypothesize that it’s the beverage’s antioxidants that help regulate the body’s sensitivity to insulin. “It’s all a bit speculative at this point,” says van Dam.

Keep in mind, too, that studies showing health benefits for type 2 diabetes and beyond are based on coffee that’s black or with only a little milk or sugar — a far cry from the frothy, milky, super-sweet concoctions sold in many cafés today. “People may not realize that having a beverage like that could lead to weight gain,” says van Dam, “which could in turn increase the risk of type 2 diabetes, and that’s a major concern.”

Rustproof Your Heart

Like wine, coffee confers heart benefits. When researchers looked at more than 27,000 women in the Iowa Women’s Health Study, they found that coffee drinkers (one to three cups a day) lowered their risk of heart disease by 24 percent compared with their non-coffee-drinking peers. Women who drank four to five cups a day were 33 percent less likely to die from any inflammatory disease.

Again, the beneficial ingredient is most likely the antioxidants. The foundation of heart disease is inflammation of the blood vessels, which is instigated and propagated by free radicals. And nothing combats free radicals better than antioxidants.

“Coffee delivers a whole host of antioxidants that essentially prevent you from rusting from the inside out,” says James O’Keefe, MD, a cardiologist at Saint Luke’s Hospital in Kansas City, Mo.

For people with high cholesterol, however, there is a caveat. Coffee contains two oily substances — cafestol and kahweol — that can raise blood levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL, the “bad” cholesterol). The oils are released when beans are brewed, and they easily pass through the metal filters used in French press and stovetop espresso pots. Paper filters, on the other hand, which are used in drip coffee machines, trap the substances before they hit the cup, virtually eliminating any risk of an uptick in cholesterol.

Buffer Your Brain

The caffeine in coffee could also safeguard your noggin. Consider coffee’s impact on depression — a scourge that affects millions of Americans. Data from the Nurses’ Health Study shows that rates of depression lower in lockstep with the amount of coffee consumed. Compared with those who drank no more than one cup of coffee a week, women who drank four or more daily cups experienced depression 20 percent less often.

Since drinkers of decaf suffered from the blues just as often as people who didn’t drink coffee at all, scientists suspect caffeine is the blues buster.

Exactly how the substance fights depression is not well understood, but it is known that when it enters the brain, caffeine changes levels of chemical messengers such as serotonin and dopamine, which are linked to feelings of joy and enthusiasm, says Michel Lucas, PhD, RD, a research fellow at Harvard School of Public Health. “Caffeine increases your energy levels and feelings of wellness, two things that can have an impact on depression.”

Studies also show a 30 percent reduced risk of developing Parkinson’s disease among coffee drinkers, for similar reasons. That’s because Parkinson’s is caused by the loss of brain cells that make dopamine, a chemical instrumental in movement and fine motor control.

Caffeine Overload

Regardless of the benefits, of course, you can drink too much of a good thing. Caffeine, like nicotine and amphetamines, can be highly addictive. Regularly drinking 100 milligrams (the amount in 6 ounces of drip coffee) is enough to create a physical dependence. “It acts on the motivational brain mechanisms that make you want to use more, regardless of how it makes you feel,” says Evatt.

If you’ve ever overindulged in caffeine, you know that it can make you feel pretty crummy. That’s because excess caffeine goads the adrenal glands into releasing stress hormones, like adrenaline and cortisol, that can put the brain and body into a panic-like state.

That’s not just unpleasant, it’s unhealthy. “The more caffeine you have onboard, the more often you trigger the body’s emergency response system,” says Jacob Teitelbaum, MD, a board-certified internist and author of Beat Sugar Addiction Now! (Fairwinds Press, 2010). “And, if I keep setting off the siren every 10 minutes, I’m going to burn out.”

Caffeine’s artificial energy boost can also distance people from their natural energy rhythms, says Elson Haas, MD, founder and director of the Preventive Medical Center Marin in San Rafael, Calif., and coauthor of The Detox Diet, Third Edition (Ten Speed Press, 2012). Caffeine’s false-energy effect can encourage people to overdo, and dissuade them from taking recovery breaks when they should. “Pretty soon you’re both wired and tired,” he says.

Over time, the adrenal glands may not make enough cortisol to maintain a baseline of energy, a condition referred to as adrenal fatigue. “You are pushing on an organ that doesn’t have the reserves to respond to the stimulant anymore,” Haas says. (For more on adrenal fatigue, see ELmag.com/adrenal2011.)

Decaf seems like an obvious way to deal with jitters, but the safety of the standard decaffeination process worries some health-conscious consumers. To strip the caffeine from the bean, most coffee companies use chemical solvents, such as methylene chloride or ethyl acetate. The solvents are rinsed away at the end of the process, but if you are concerned about chemical residue, look for companies selling coffee decaffeinated via the Swiss Water Process, which uses water instead of chemicals. (For more on decaf, see “Pass the Decaf,” below.)

The best way to avoid long-term complications is to experiment with how you can enjoy caffeine without overdoing it. People metabolize caffeine differently, notes Hibbs. “Constitutionally, we are all different,” he says, “and certain people are more susceptible to the negative effects than others.”

So, if you’re not a fan of the brew, don’t feel compelled to join the coffee club. Although their exact compounds vary, green and black teas also have high levels of antioxidants.

If you really enjoy your java, though, don’t fret. In tandem with healthy sources of energy, such as nutritious food, regular exercise and restful sleep, you can enjoy that caffeine boost.

“Feed your body, use your body, rest your body and do things you love” is Teitelbaum’s mantra. “And, if you need a little boost,” he adds, “a cup of coffee is perfectly reasonable.”

One Hot Energy Drink

In athletes, caffeine is one of the few legal drugs scientifically proven to boost performance. It mobilizes fat stores, freeing up energy for hard-working muscles. It also draws more calcium into muscles, thereby strengthening their contraction. And it triggers the brain to release endorphins, which raises a person’s pain threshold. If you’re worried about dehydration, don’t be. The notion that caffeine causes the body to lose precious water stores has been widely refuted by studies showing caffeine has no negative impact on hydration.

Coffee Bean Primer

Coffee drinkers used to have one decision to make: regular or decaf. But the rise in gourmet and specialty coffees demands that we all become coffee connoisseurs. When faced with a choice of beans, here are a few basics to keep in mind:

• Bean: The two most commonly used coffee-plant varieties are arabica and robusta. Arabica beans are considered by many to be more flavorful; hence they are more expensive and often used in gourmet coffees. The less expensive robusta beans are used primarily to make instant coffee and have roughly twice the caffeine as arabica.
• Roast: Darker roasts, like French, contain less caffeine than lighter roasts because some of the caffeine burns off during the roasting process. Roasting also degrades the polyphenol antioxidants. So, if you are looking for a bigger kick, choose a lighter roast.
• Grind: Generally, the finer the grind, the more caffeine you will extract. Whether you want a fine or coarse grind, though, depends on how long the water will be in contact with the beans. If it’s just a few seconds, like espresso, a finer grind maximizes contact between water and the surface area of the beans. If it’s a few minutes, like a French press, a coarser grind ensures a smooth, mellow cup. Espresso packs less caffeine per serving than drip coffee, but espresso will give you a quicker buzz if you drink it in one or two gulps, like many do.
• Aroma: Coffee’s aroma is both distinctive and alluring. In one study, just the smell of coffee was enough to increase people’s typing speed. Roasted coffee beans contain roughly 800 aromatic compounds. As with wine, coffee’s aromatic compounds — and, therefore, its flavor — are heavily influenced by geography. Elevation, moisture and temperature are just three examples of what makes coffee grown in Central America taste different from coffee grown in East Africa.
• 
  

Pass the Decaf

Not everyone can tolerate caffeine. The jolt to the central nervous system can exacerbate stress, anxiety and insomnia. Caffeine also amps up the stomach’s production of gastric juices, so coffee can cause heartburn or worsen symptoms of irritable bowel disease. Babies lack an enzyme needed to metabolize caffeine, so lactating women are advised to nix the habit.

Some research even links caffeine to an increased risk of miscarriage, so pregnant women are also advised to take a pass. The good news is that decaf coffee contains most of the same health properties as regular. The bad news is that it’s not completely caffeine-free. In the United States, 97 percent of the caffeine must be eliminated for coffee beans to be labeled decaffeinated. Drink enough decaf, and you’ll still get a little buzz. If you do choose decaf, be sure to opt for one that has been decaffeinated without chemical solvents.

One Cup at a Time 

Health benefits notwithstanding, it’s important to remember that coffee can be addictive. Most coffee drinkers ingest an average of 300 to 400 mg. of caffeine a day. “For many people, the daily use of caffeine is fueled by a desire to avoid withdrawal,” says Laura Juliano, PhD, a caffeine expert at American University in Washington, D.C. “Once you are dependent on it, you may be in pretty bad shape without it.”

The most common complaint of caffeine withdrawal is headaches. Inside the brain, caffeine plugs into receptors meant for the neurotransmitter adenosine. When adenosine is unfettered, the body relaxes, as widening blood vessels up the flow of oxygen to cells. When caffeine elbows adenosine out of the way, blood vessels constrict and you feel wired. Worse, once you are addicted, if you deprive your brain of caffeine, the blood vessels in your head will dilate and the rush of blood to the brain causes a pounding headache. The misery can last anywhere from 24 hours to nine days.

Other signs of caffeine withdrawal include fatigue, irritability, trouble concentrating and flulike symptoms. To lower the likelihood and severity of withdrawal symptoms, cut back gradually by curbing your intake 10 to 25 percent every few days.