Searching for healthy, inexpensive and versatile ways to add more protein into your diet? Why not think about dried beans? Dried beans, also recognized as legumes and pulses, aren’t only an excellent source of protein, but are low in fat, packed with vitamins, minerals and both soluble and insoluble fiber. Ask any vegetarian how they get sufficient protein in their diet plan and they most likely will say “I eat a lot of beans”.

I decided to become a vegetarian as a tiny child and my parents (who were not vegetarians by the way) worried that I could be lacking inside the protein essential for growth. So, following consulting with my pediatrician and many books on raising vegetarian kids, they added beans and lentils to the family table. Not only did I grow, but I am the tallest woman in my family, an enormous 5 feet five inches tall. Yea, nicely, my family is not famous for its tall women?

Protein, Fiber, Vitamins and Minerals

Ok, ok, back to the beans. Beans are an superb, non-fat source of protein. Just one cup of beans has about 16 grams, about the exact same as 3 ounces (audio cassette size) piece of chicken, fish or beef.

Simply because they’re a plant, they contain fiber, vitamins and minerals like vegetables. Nutritionists refer to them as “crossover foods” which means they can be employed in a meal as a protein or vegetable item. Take a take a look at the cuisines of various countries and cultures. You will notice that most cultures contain beans, prepared in numerous different ways. Such a versatile food!

Yet another distinctive top quality of beans is the fiber. Beans contain both soluble and insoluble fiber. Huh? What does this mean?

Insoluble fiber is the technical term for what my Mom often referred to as “roughage”. You know.. the stuff that makes food move via your body a lot more easily. Insoluble fiber has received plenty of publicity in recent years because of the link to a high fiber diet and lowered risk of numerous forms of cancer.

Soluble fiber forms a “gooey” substance in the digestive procedure that helps with processing of fats, cholesterol and slows the release of carbohydrates into the bloodstream. The American Diabetic Association loves beans!

Beans are rich in antioxidants, folic acid, vitamin B-6 and magnesium. Folic Acid and B-6 are identified for their ability to lower homocysteine levels inside the blood.

Elevated blood levels of homocysteine inside the blood are related to risk for heart attack, stroke and peripheral vascular illness. 20-40 percent of patients with heart disease have elevated homocysteine levels.

So, whats the downside of this wonderful food? In case you are not utilized to a high fiber diet flatulence. As with the introduction of any high fiber food, go easy with the amounts the first few days until your body adjusts. Then any uncomfortable feeling will possibly pass.

The best way to Cook

You can use canned beans which are nutritionally similar to dried ones. It is a great thought to rinse the beans just before eating them to get rid of the salt and preservatives used in canning.

I tend to attempt and stay away from processed foods where achievable so I buy dried beans and cook them following the directions on the package. Typically, beans are not complicated to cook, but need time. Most beans, except lentils, need an overnight soak in water to soften them up. Then they could be simmered until soft on the stove or in a slow cooker. Generally, the larger the bean, the longer they take to cook. One factor to note: following soaking, rinse the beans and cook them in new water. This will aid prevent flatulence!

Beans could be frozen right after cooking and employed in sauces, soups, salads or anywhere your imagination takes you. Where I live, red bean ice cream is well-liked. Delicious!

The term “organic” is cropping up more and more when it comes to food and drink production in the 21st Century. It demands a cleaner and a non-chemically grown product. But how does this affect wine production and can there be such a thing as a wine company who can produce truly organic wine and stay in business?

As the organic movement grows, there is pressure from environmentalists and increasingly choosy customers to know exactly what goes into their food and drink before they purchase it. Organic wines have previously been accused of being dull, and most of the worlds “best” wines have long been produced in a far from organic way.

The place to start when talking about organic wine is to decide exactly what the term “organic” means to you.

Organic wine is made without the use of synthetic fertilisers, herbicides, pesticides or fungicides. It is also vacant of artificial preservatives or colourings, which may be added to non-organic varieties.

But why go organic? It is thought that many of our foodstuffs have been tainted with chemical build up through the use of non-natural pesticides or fertilisers on the plants they grow and that your body could be affected by consuming them. The build-up of these chemicals, it is claimed by environmentalists, have the potential to cause long-term health problems or could contribute to developing allergies. There is also the question of chemicals from treated crops going into the ground and ending up in drinking water, an issue that has already led to many changes in general crop production and water treatment.

Most commercial crops are grown with the use of fertilisers and other chemicals who kill things that can harm the crop. Continued use of these chemicals can weaken the soil and start to upset the eco-system in the ground. They also lead to some pests developing a tolerance to them which encourages the further development and use of stronger chemicals and further builds up chemicals in the product itself.

The alternative to all this is to grow plants organically. Organic farming is a more time consuming method of production and needs time to replenish the natural eco-system too. Setting up an organic farm means taking time to tackle weeds by hand, encouraging natural predators of pests who frequent the vineyard, and where this does not work, finding other ways of tackling the many organisms that harm crops. Fertilizer will be compost or animal manure, and a system of planting flowers and herbs to create biological diversity has to be included in an organic vineyard.

Vineyards face an additional problem mildew and black rot. These are diseases that can ruin a crop and in some cases destroy a whole vineyard. This makes growing organic vines very difficult in regions where there is a lot of humidity. Therefore organic production is most common in hot dry regions where fungal infections are less likely, and where extra labour can more easily be afforded.

To be able to sell as an organic vineyard, the organisation has to be recognised by one of the official certification bodies across the world.