Legumes and beans should be a healthy staple of any natural weight loss diet. Here are several reasons why legumes are so healthy and can help contribute to weight loss:
1. Legumes contain a lot of healthy fibers
Eating more fiber is a key to natural weight loss. Fiber helps your body cleanse itself, removing waste and cleaning out your digestive system. Since the average person has over 10 pounds of feces stuck in their digestive system, a lot of people will notice rapid weight loss just simply by increasing their fiber. As they become more regular, the eliminate this excess waste, giving them more energy, better digestion, natural weight loss and many other benefits.
Eating extra fiber also helps reduce your risk for colon cancer and other digestive disorders. So eating more legumes and beans is a great way to improve your health naturally and lose weight at the same time.
2. Legumes are high in healthy proteins
Legumes are high in healthy proteins which burn less efficiently than fat or carbohydrates, so you can consume more of these healthy proteins and lose weight compared to eating lots of carbs or fats. The key of course, is balance, combined with eating healthy, natural foods. Beans are missing an essential amino acid so that's why most people combine beans with rice (whole brown rice preferably - you'll want to avoid all white and processed grains and starches to avoid weight gain).
3. Legumes are a great substitute for meat
Legumes and beans high in protein and are a great substitute for meats. Instead of eating a steak burrito for dinner, just make a healthy bean burrito instead. Instead of a roast beef, try making a healthy, delicious bean salad with chickpeas and a variety of vegetables and spices. If you do a quick Google search online, you can find thousands of healthy and delicious bean recipes.
Substituting beans for meat will give you more of these healthy plant-based proteins, reduce your unhealthy saturated fat intake, and reduce your exposure to the toxins, pesticides, antibiotics and hormones found in conventional meats. This is a huge key for weight loss! Fat is the body's natural defense system for many of these toxins and pesticides (which are concentrated in meats due to bioconcentration). Fat is where the body stores these toxins that it can't break down, away from your vital organs where they do less damage. The problem is that with so much of these toxins, your body cannot release the fat without simultaneously releasing these toxins. So it's vital that you reduce your toxin intake as well as eat the healthy fruits, vegetables, berries and legumes which are the right antioxidants and enzymes to help your body eliminate these toxins.
Here's a list of some of the most commonly known legumes:
Alfalfa
Clover
Chickpeas (also called Garbanzo beans)
Peas
Beans (kidney beans, adzuki beans, etc.)
Lentils
Lupins
Mesquite
Carob
Soy
Peanuts
Start adding more of these healthy legumes to your diet and you'll be able to maintain a healthy weight by eating a healthy, natural diet.
Tom Corson-Knowles is a top Health Coach with a no-nonsense approach to creating health and wellness.
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