Beans (4) - Soybean

Soybean has a compete protein content. They also have several anticancer compounds and have a balancing effect on male and female hormones.

Every cell needs protein. It is needed to manufacture antibodies, enzymes, hormones, for cell growth and repair, repair of muscles and bones, etc.

Beans (3) - Lentils

Lentils are a delicious part of dishes that range from hearty soups to spicy entrees. in addition, all this flavor comes in a legume that experts consider one of the world's healthiest foods. Lentils are major source or protein, fiber, folic acid and iron (making it a food for expecting mothers). Lentils have all these benefits, yet are low in calories and have almost no fat. Next time your at the market, don't forget lentils. They're a perfect part of any meal.


Benefits
Lentils are a very good source of cholesterol-lowering fiber. Not only do lentils help lower cholesterol, they are of special benefit in managing blood-sugar disorders since their high fiber content prevents blood sugar levels from rising rapidly after a meal.

Lentils also provide good to excellent amounts of six important minerals, two B-vitamins, and protein—all with virtually no fat. The calorie cost of all this nutrition? Just 230 calories for a whole cup of cooked lentils. This tiny nutritional giant fills you up--not out.

Lentils—A Fiber All Star

Check a chart of the fiber content in foods; you'll see legumes leading the pack. Lentils, like other beans, are rich in dietary fiber, both the soluble and insoluble type.

Love Your Heart—Eat Lentils

A study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine confirms that eating high fiber foods, such as lentils, helps prevent heart disease. Almost 10,000 adults participated in this study and were followed for 19 years. People eating the most fiber, 21 grams per day, had 12% less coronary heart disease (CHD) and 11% less cardiovascular disease (CVD) compared to those eating the least, 5 grams daily. Those eating the most water-soluble dietary fiber fared even better with a 15% reduction in risk of CHD and a 10% risk reduction in CVD.

Lentils' contribution to heart health lies not just in their fiber, but in the significant amounts of folate and magnesium these little wonders supply. Folate helps lower levels of homocysteine, an amino acid that is an intermediate product in an important metabolic process called the methylation cycle. When folate (as well as vitamin B6) are around, homocysteine is immediately converted into cysteine or methionine, both of which are benign. When these B vitamins are not available, levels of homocysteine increase in the bloodstream--a bad idea since homocysteine damages artery walls and is considered a serious risk factor for heart disease.

Lentils' magnesium puts yet another plus in the column of its beneficial cardiovascular effects. Magnesium is Nature's own calcium channel blocker. When enough magnesium is around, veins and arteries breathe a sigh of relief and relax, which lessens resistance and improves the flow of blood, oxygen and nutrients throughout the body.

Lentils Give You Energy to Burn While Stabilizing Blood Sugar

In addition to its beneficial effects on the digestive system and the heart, soluble fiber helps stabilize blood sugar levels. If you have insulin resistance, hypoglycemia or diabetes, legumes like lentils can really help you balance blood sugar levels while providing steady, slow-burning energy. Studies of high fiber diets and blood sugar levels have shown the dramatic benefits provided by these high fiber foods.

Iron for Energy

In addition to providing slow burning complex carbohydrates, lentils can increase your energy by replenishing your iron stores. Particularly for menstruating women, who are more at risk for iron deficiency, boosting iron stores with lentils is a good idea--especially because, unlike red meat, another source of iron, lentils are not rich in fat and calories. Iron is an integral component of hemoglobin, which transports oxygen from the lungs to all body cells, and is also part of key enzyme systems for energy production and metabolism. And remember: If you're pregnant or lactating, your needs for iron increase. Growing children and adolescents also have increased needs for iron.

Beans (2) - Green (Mung) Beans

This bean can lower high blood pressure, treat gastrointestinal ulcers and urinary problems, and cleanse the blood by introducing more oxygen.

Mung beans also called "lok tao" is a liver cleanser and good for detox.

Mung beans are a good source of Vitamins A, B, C & E, calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, and amino acids. Mung beans contain 20% protein and are a good source of foliate and dietary fiber.

Beans (1) - Red (Aduki) Beans

RED BEAN: THE WEIGHT LOSS BEAN

Red beans are high in nutrients but low in calories. This bean, with its exceptionally high levels of fiber, vitamin B complex, and minerals (iron, manganese & zinc), acts as a natural diuretic to relieve the body of excess fluids. It also removes unwanted mucus, congestion and stools, burns fat and balances protein metabolism for weight management.

If you want to lose weight, this is the bean for you.

There are many ways to eat red bean - red bean salad, red bean casserole, pancake, red bean stew red bean soup, red bean porridge (Korean) ,etc, etc.

Nutrient Profile
ONE CUP of cooked red (aduki) beans has as much iron as 4 ounces of lean steak, more folate than a cup of cooked spinach, and about as much protein as 4 tablespoons of peanut butter.

CALORIES 294
PROTEIN 17 G
FAT 0 G
FIBER 12 G
IRON 4.6 MG
POTASSIUM 1,224 MG
ZINC 4 MG
VITAMIN [B.sub.1] (THIAMIN) .26 MG
FOLATE 278 MCG

Beloved Beans

Beans are basically seeds from a pod of specific plants. Most of them are packed with complete protein and almost no fat.

Beans are great for weight loss. They also lower cholesterol, prevent heart disease and rid the body of toxins. Importantly they are a good source of complex carbohydrates.

Carbohydrates is important for the body for fuel. If you stop eating carbohydrates, you will feel weak and depressed. Instead of eating high GI refined carbohydrates, eat high GI complex carbohydrates like beans. Remember beans are essential for good health. Eat them regularly!

Wheat & Noodles

When I was young I thought only Westerners ate wheat (cereals etc). But a lot of noodles are actually made of refined wheat. Of course people will tell you that you are better of eating unrefined wheat bla!bla!bla!


Udon = Japanese thick noodles Udon noodles are white, Japanese wheat flour noodles, that are round or flat.


Chinese Wheat noodles= Chinese wheat starch noodles Made from strong plain wheat flour and water. These delicate noodles are mostly used in soups.


Chow mein noodles These egg and wheat flour noodles are used to make chow mein, in which the cooked noodles are formed in to a pancake and fried on both side.



Miswa = misua These wheat noodles are very slender. The dried noodles can be deep-fried to make a crunchy nest, or boiled for 2-3 minutes to make a salad, or added directly to soup.

Pancit Canton = flour sticks = pancit mian These dried yellow noodles are used to make a dish called pancit. They're made with wheat flour, coconut oil, and yellow food coloring.

Shanghai noodles Shanghai noodles are fresh, white wheat flour noodles that need to be cooked in boiling water before use.



Hokkien noodles Hokkien noodles are egg and wheat-flour noodles that have been cooked and lightly oiled before before packaging. They need no preparation before use - simply stir-fry or add to soup or salads.

Of course there are other noodles like wanton mee that is made from eggs etc, etc.

Good Grains (6) - Wheat

Bread, pasta, bagels, crackers, cakes, and muffins just begin to describe the list of foods made with this grain. A lot of Chinese noodles are actually made from wheat (not rice).



Wheat, in its natural unrefined state, features a host of important nutrients. Therefore, to receive benefit from the wholesomeness of wheat it is important to choose wheat products made from whole wheat flour rather than those that are refined and stripped of their natural goodness.

BENEFITS

The health benefits of wheat depend entirely on the form in which you eat it. These benefits will be few if you select wheat that has been processed into 60% extraction, bleached white flour. 60% extraction-the standard for most wheat products, including breads, noodles and pastas, baked goods like rolls or biscuits, and cookies-means that 40% of the original wheat grain was removed, and only 60% is left. Unfortunately, the 40% that gets removed includes the bran and the germ of the wheat grain-its most nutrient-rich parts. In the process of making 60% extraction flour, over half of the vitamin B1, B2, B3, E, folic acid, calcium, phosphorus, zinc, copper, iron, and fiber are lost.

Good Grains (5) - Oats

Oats contain more good fats than any other grains. Although oats are then hulled, this process does not strip away their bran and germ allowing them to retain a concentrated source of their fiber and nutrients. It is also rich in B-vitamins.




Lower Cholesterol Levels

A steaming bowl of fresh cooked oatmeal is the perfect way to start off your day, especially if you are trying to prevent or are currently dealing with heart disease or diabetes. Oats, oat bran, and oatmeal contain a specific type of fiber known as beta-glucan.

Studies show that in individuals with high cholesterol (above 220 mg/dl), consuming just 3 grams of soluble oat fiber per day (an amount found in one bowl of oatmeal) typically lowers total cholesterol by 8-23%. This is highly significant since each 1% drop in serum cholesterol translates to a 2% decrease in the risk of developing heart disease.

A study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine confirms that eating high fiber foods, such as oats, helps prevent heart disease. Almost 10,000 American adults participated in this study and were followed for 19 years. People eating the most fiber, 21 grams per day, had 12% less coronary heart disease (CHD) and 11% less cardiovascular disease (CVD) compared to those eating the least, 5 grams daily. Those eating the most water-soluble dietary fiber fared even better with a 15% reduction in risk of CHD and a 10% risk reduction in CVD.

Unique Oat Antioxidants Reduce Risk of Cardiovascular Disease

Oats, via their high fiber content, are already known to help remove cholesterol from the digestive system that would otherwise end up in the bloodstream. Now, the latest research suggests they may have another cardio-protective mechanism.

Antioxidant compounds unique to oats, called avenanthramides, help prevent free radicals from damaging LDL cholesterol, thus reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease, suggests a study conducted at Tufts University and published in The Journal of Nutrition.


Stabilize Blood Sugar

Studies also show that beta-glucan has beneficial effects in diabetes as well. Type 2 diabetes patients given foods high in this type of oat fiber or given oatmeal or oat bran rich foods experienced much lower rises in blood sugar compared to those who were given white rice or bread. Starting out your day with a blood sugar stabilizing food such as oats may make it easier to keep blood sugar levels under control the rest of the day, especially when the rest of your day is also supported with nourishing fiber-rich foods.

Oats and Other Whole Grains Substantially Lower Type 2 Diabetes Risk

Oats and other whole grains are a rich source of magnesium, a mineral that acts as a co-factor for more than 300 enzymes, including enzymes involved in the body's use of glucose and insulin secretion.



Antioxidant Benefits

In addition to its fiber benefits, oats are also a very good source of selenium. A necessary cofactor of the important antioxidant, glutathione peroxidase, selenium works with vitamin E in numerous vital antioxidant systems throughout the body. These powerful antioxidant actions make selenium helpful in decreasing asthma symptoms and in the prevention of heart disease. In addition, selenium is involved in DNA repair and is associated with a reduced risk for cancer, especially colon cancer.

Fiber from Whole Grains and Fruit Protective against Breast Cancer

When researchers looked at how much fiber 35,972 participants in the UK Women's Cohort Study ate, they found a diet rich in fiber from whole grains, such as oats, and fruit offered significant protection against breast cancer for pre-menopausal women. (Cade JE, Burley VJ, et al., International Journal of Epidemiology).

Pre-menopausal women eating the most fiber (>30 grams daily) more than halved their risk of developing breast cancer, enjoying a 52% lower risk of breast cancer compared to women whose diets supplied the least fiber (<20 grams/day).

Fiber supplied by whole grains offered the most protection. Pre-menopausal women eating the most whole grain fiber (at least 13 g/day) had a 41% reduced risk of breast cancer, compared to those with the lowest whole grain fiber intake (4 g or less per day). Fiber from fruit was also protective. Pre-menopausal women whose diets supplied the most fiber from fruit (at least 6 g/day) had a 29% reduced risk of breast cancer, compared to those with the lowest fruit fiber intake (2 g or less per day).

Good Grains (4) - Corn

Corn is a good source of many nutrients including thiamin (vitamin B1), pantothenic acid (vitamin B5), folate, dietary fiber, vitamin C, phosphorous and manganese.


HEART
Corn's contribution to heart health lies not just in its fiber, but in the significant amounts of folate that corn supplies.

Folate, helps to lower levels of homocysteine, an amino acid that is an intermediate product in an important metabolic process called the methylation cycle. Homocysteine can directly damage blood vessels, so elevated blood levels of this dangerous molecule are an independent risk factor for heart attack, stroke, or peripheral vascular disease, and are found in between 20-40% of patients with heart disease.

It has been estimated that consumption of 100% of the daily value (DV) of folate would, by itself, reduce the number of heart attacks suffered each year by 10%. Folate-rich diets are also associated with a reduced risk of colon cancer. A cup of corn supplies 19.0% of the DV for folate


LUNGS
Consuming foods rich in beta-cryptoxanthin, an orange-red carotenoid found in highest amounts in corn, pumpkin, papaya, red bell peppers, tangerines, oranges and peaches, may significantly lower one's risk of developing lung cancer.

MEMORY

Corn is a good source of thiamin, providing about one-quarter (24.0%) of the daily value for this nutrient in a single cup. Thiamin is an integral participant in enzymatic reactions central to energy production and is also critical for brain cell/cognitive function.

Health-Promoting Activity Equal to or Even Higher than that of Vegetables and Fruits

Research shows that whole grains, such as corn, contain many powerful phytonutrients whose activity has gone unrecognized because research methods have overlooked them.

Good Grains (3) - Brown Rice

The difference between brown rice and white rice is not just color!

A whole grain of rice has several layers. Only the outermost layer, the hull, is removed to produce what we call brown rice. This process is the least damaging to the nutritional value of the rice and avoids the unnecessary loss of nutrients that occurs with further processing.

If brown rice is further milled to remove the bran and most of the germ layer, the result is a whiter rice, but also a rice that has lost many more nutrients. At this point, however, the rice is still unpolished, and it takes polishing to produce the white rice we are used to seeing. Polishing removes the aleurone layer of the grain-a layer filled with health-supportive, essential fats. Because these fats, once exposed to air by the refining process, are highly susceptible to oxidation, this layer is removed to extend the shelf life of the product. The resulting white rice is simply a refined starch that is largely without its original nutrients.





Brown rice as an excellent source of manganese, and a good source of the minerals selenium and magnesium.

The complete milling and polishing that converts brown rice into white rice destroys 67% of the vitamin B3, 80% of the vitamin B1, 90% of the vitamin B6, half of the manganese, half of the phosphorus, 60% of the iron, and all of the dietary fiber and essential fatty acids.

Good Grains (2) - Barley

Barley must have its fibrous outer hull removed before it can be eaten. Barley grains with their hulls still on are called covered barley. Once the grain has had the inedible hull removed, it is called hulled barley. At this stage, the grain still has its bran and germ, which are nutritious. it is good for your stomach and digestion. Hulled barley is considered a whole grain, and is a popular health food. Go for this kind of barley - ie. wholegrain barley.

Pearl barley or pearled barley is hulled barley which has been processed further to remove the bran. It may be polished, a process known as "pearling".

Hulled or pearl barley may be processed into a variety of barley products, including flour, flakes similar to oatmeal, and grits. It may be malted and used in the production of alcoholic beverages.

Good Grains (1) - Amaranth

Amaranth is a good grain. It contains even more calcium and magnesium than cow's milk. it is used for making chapatti.

In Malaysia, we eat the leaf of the amaranth - bayam.

Good Grains

Good "unrefined" grains are rich in nutrients and good for the body. Generally the darker the color the more unrefined the grain i.e amaranth, barley, millet, corn, rye etc.

Refined grain such as white rice, white bread and white pasta are devoid of most nutrients and fiber due to the refining process. These processed grains behave like sugar when eaten, rushing into the blood system and causing havoc (high glycemic index). This results in sugar imbalances, weight gain, mood swings and sugar cravings.

Body Signs (14) - Always Yawning

You are probably hypoglycemic (low blood sugar).

Solutions:
1).Try some spirulina to balance your blood - liquid or tablets.
2).Try some ginseng tincture (or go to a ginseng shop and get them to grind it to a powder for you in a jar; I then mix tiny amounts with hot water to drink). It will help regulate your blood sugar plus give you alertness.