Taking a Look at Beans

Maybe I'm just using the wrong search terms. But I'm unable to come up with a simple list or chart that discusses the various nutritional aspects of the different varieties of beans and lentils. I've found ones that discuss tastes and what they are best paired with, and individual pages that go into absolutely exhaustive length about the specific nutritional breakdowns of individual beans. No basic list that says "Chickpeas are good sources of x, y, and z, and work well in q. Black beans are high in j, as well as being good sources of k and l." So, I'm going to take 30 minutes and make up my own, posted here for future reference.

NUTRITIONAL PROFILE OF BEANS

• Adzuki Beans
• Sweet, "nutty flavor"
• Good source of iron, magnesium, potassium, zinc, and folic acid
• High in protein, low in fat
• Black beans
• Excellent source of protein, folate, and fiber
• Good source of iron, magnesium, thiamin
• Good source of antioxidants
• Dense texture, water used to boil is useful for seasoning other dishes
• Garbanzo Beans 
• Good for use in Middle Eastern recipes like falafel and hummus
• Extremely high in protein
• Good source of carbs for people with insulin sensitivity
• Good source of folate and dietary fiber, source of iron, magnesium, and phosphorus
• Kidney Beans
• Absolutely vital to boil these for at least 10 minutes. NEVER consume raw or undercooked
• High in fiber, protein, folate, and iron
• Vitamin K, Thiamin, Phosphorus, mangesium, manganese, potassium
• Lentils
• particularly high in protein (of all vegetable sources, rank third under soy and hemp)
• extremely low in fat
• Good source of fiber
• Excellent source of iron (more than half the recommended daily value), folate, and thiamin
• Lima Beans
• Keep blood sugars steady, good for those with insulin sensitivities
• High in fiber, iron
• Lowers cholesterol
• Good source of folate, manganese, etc.
• Navy Beans
• Helps lower cholesterol, fights cancer cell growth, antibacterial and antifungal properties
• Extremely low in fat, extremely high in fiber
• Good source of calcium and iron
• Good source of protein
• Pinto Beans
• Help to reduce cholesterol 
• When combined with rice, makes for a complete protein
• Excellent source of fiber
• Good source of iron, phosphorous, manganese
• Soy Beans
• Contains all of the essential amino acids- a complete protein in and of itself
• particularly high in protein, as well
• Vitamin B6, Vitamin K
• Good source of calcium and fiber
• Excellent source of iron (looks like pretty much the entire recommended amount)
• Split Peas
• particularly excellent source of protein and fiber
• Strong source of iron, thiamine, folate
• extremely low in fat

Note: "Good Source" generally means 10-30% (I wasn't too specific). It might occasionally deviate, but if I wasn't blown away but it seemed somewhat significant, it got this designation

Having done this, I wanted to take a quick look at some of the repeating nutrients I was relatively unfamiliar with. Here is what they do for you:

• phosphorus
• part of the structural framework of DNA and RNA, used to transport energy between cells
• When combined with calcium, helps strengthen bones and tooth enamel
• Important to not overload your body with phosphorus- at extremely high levels, it starts to affect the body's ability to absorb other important nutrients
• manganese
• helps the superoxide your body produces to kill pathogens and infections not kill you
• magnesium
• essential for the functioning of virtually every cell type in your body
• If using only dietary sources, and not supplements, nearly impossible to overdose, as kidneys are efficient at flushing it
• Magnesium deficiency can lead to development of asthma, diabetes, and osteoporosis
• potassium
• nerve transmissions, healthy cardiac system, healthy nervous system- keeps brain firing, keeps muscles from contracting
• folate
• One of the B-vitamins (B9)
• helps synthesize and repair DNA
• produces healthy red blood cells and thus prevents anemia 
• Not getting enough can lead to cancer, but can be problematic once you already have cancer (due to its proclivity for enhancing the ability of cells to regenerate, regardless of how good those cells are for you)
• especially important for pregnant women
• vitamin K
• blood coagulation and bone metabolism (no idea what the latter is, but it sounds important)
• zinc
• structural role with protein
• eyes and brain function
• metabolism of DNA and RNA
• reproductive systems
• thiamine
• B1
• breaks down sugars in the diet
• aids the nervous system and heart

Final Note: this is my own loose research. Think of it as Wikipedia when starting a research paper- it gives you a general framework, but you are better off sticking to the experts for actual usable data. 

Diet Debates

I don't like the word diet because of the connotations it has, but I suppose I am on one, to a certain extent, and it also does apply to the idea of what one eats as a whole, so there you go.

I was going to post a weigh-in update, but I realized that certain hormonal changes have it out of whack this entire week. So my initial "starting weight" might not be all that accurate either. Well, we'll stick with it for now. Fluctuations or not, the scale showed about 2 pounds, which is a respectable number for a week. It's the recommended one, as I recall. I was rather hoping for a few more, but if I can keep that rate for the rest of the summer I'll be in pretty shape indeed.

Having my beans and cheese each morning for breakfast is proving quite easy. How often do we really change up our breakfast routines, anyway? We generally go for the same thing each morning, so it's been pretty easy to stick with it this past week. Aside from having to keep a much larger stash of beans in the house than before (much cheaper than sugary cereal- bonus), it's going to be pretty easy. I'm trying to ease off on how much cheese I put on top, though. Cougar Gold is a little pricey! And I haven't checked, but I very much doubt that it is a low-fat cheese, as preferred under the Five-Factor Diet. As mentioned before, I am not sticking exclusively to this diet while I'm in weight-loss mode, but I can see it being a major part of the rest of my life, for life-long maintenance of what I plan to achieve this summer.

I do still find myself attracted to many grain options right now, however. These are perfectly fine under the 5-Factor alone, but bump up against the no-grain parameters designed for quicker shedding of weight. I'm currently debating the merits of sticking with non-grain/starch snacks, or going with Five-Factor low-calorie, whole grain and protein ones. My current thought is a compromise. One compromise might be to go with the 5-Factor option most days, and once or twice a week decide to really kill it for a day and cut out the grains (before dinner- I'm leaving dinner as a healthy and portion controlled but open meal). Another option is to simply impose a before-noon rule. No starch or grains before noon, then continue on with healthy and portion controlled and Five-Factor Friendly.

Right now, the biggest temptation is granola and muesli. I've discovered a love for non-fat Greek yogurt (vanilla bean- I still can't abide plain yogurt) in this past week that I never knew existed. I sort of liked it before, but now I'm eating it daily and actually orchestrated an otherwise unnecessary grocery run yesterday because I ran out. Now I'm stocked for at least... a week. If I don't start doubling up some days. It's wonderful on its own, but I'm so intrigued by mixing in Kashi Go Lean Crunch, or even getting fancy and making my own granola a la Oh She Glows. I keep remembering a little snippet of an interview with Peter Jackson. For those of you who don't know, he is no longer the lovable puff-ball of the Lord of the Rings DVD special features. He got healthy! When asked about it, he said "I just got tired of being overweight and unfit, so I changed my diet from hamburgers to yoghurt and muesli and it seems to work." 


Well, Superfit later today (sadly, no Zumba until Saturday- note to self: wear sunscreen this time), so the next few hours will be spent on my writing goal (and very likely the White Collar marathon on USA) instead. 

Home Again

I'm back, and it's time to kick this into high gear. I decided while in Iceland to dedicate my summer to two goals that I have had for a long long time: finish my writing, and get healthy/in shape.

Opening Stats:
Weight: 166.8 
   This is not as much of a net gain as I was worrying I would find upon my return from Paris. Accounting for general weight fluctuations, I estimate between 5-10lbs. I was starting to dip below 160 right before I left for Paris, but it wasn't consistent yet.  
Resting Heart Rate: 93 bpm
   Probably not an entirely accurate number, since I've been up, walking and eating and drinking ice water, for over an hour, and of course because I took it with my fingertips on my wrist, not with a sensor. But it seems about right.
Pant Size: Generous 14
   Bleck. At least I haven't popped back up into a size 16 like that one horrible two month period back in 2009. But closer to moving up a size than moving down a size.


Ultimate Goal Stats:
Weight: 130 and fit
Resting Heart Rate: 60 bpm
Pant Size: 6


First Goalpost Stats:   For June 15, 2011 (two weeks from now)
Weight: 158
Resting Heart Rate: 90
Pant Size: 12


Other Stats I Would Like to Collect:
Heart rate after a 10-minute mile
Heart rate after an 8-minute mile
Time to run a mile with a heart rate under 166 (apparently my target long-distance heart rate)
Body fat percentages
Inches measurements


This morning has started out much as I want most mornings to. I've been planning this for months, since relatively early on in Paris, so it was exciting to finally do it.

1. The first thing in my body was a glass of wonderfully cold water from the fridge filter. At some point ideally I will be able to add in a little lemon juice, because the alkalizing effect on the body and liver and what have you is suppose to be very healthy and excellent for the metabolism. But the cold water itself isn't too shabby! 
2. Second thing in the body is a source of healthy fats, which helps to keep the glycemic index from spiking throughout the day, and especially throughout the immediately following meal. Again, good for health and metabolism. I've been choosing nuts, though this morning, sadly, all I could find in the house were walnuts- definitely not my favorites. They are kind of waxy and look like brains. But I chowed down on a large one anyway, and I'll just make sure we get some almonds and maybe some cashews in the house when my mom and I go grocery shopping this weekend. 
3. Third thing: a properly portioned meal of protein without any grain or starch-type carbs. This morning, I tried out a small plate of vegetarian refried beans with some Cougar Gold melted over the top. It was incredible. I tried the beans and cheese thing once up in Scotland, after a particularly long hike, and it was fine but nothing exciting. I was using a little single-serving tin of spicy vegetarian refried beans, and some shredded mozzarella. Fine, but definitely something I was eating because it was good for me and palatable, not because it was yummy. This morning, highly yummy. Cougar Gold kind of rocks my world. Breakfast was warm and tangy and oh-so-flavorful. Plus, you know, good for me. I saw Trainer Bob talk about using your fists to gage the proper portion size for your carbs and proteins in a meal, so I spooned a slightly generous single fist onto my plate. I'm thinking now that since I'm not including carbs, I should probably allow the full meal serving of two fists, because it seems to have stimulated my appetite rather than sated it. Probably having a small handful of almonds instead of one walnut will help, and maybe I'll make it the serving size I would have if I had normal sized hands (mine aren't bizarrely small, but they are often as small or smaller than the hands of those ridiculously petite and small-boned girls we all know. I am not one of these girls). 

Some things to add to this morning:

1. Interval runs up my hill. I live at the base of an extremely steep hill. I want to do speed bursts up this hill 3 times, multiple times a week, waiting for my heart rate to subside a bit before charging up again. Studies show that going absolutely all out for short intervals and then taking decent rest periods in between is just as, if not more effective than consistent medium effort at building endurance and burning calories. This should aid both parts of my goal this summer- endurance for getting healthy (and that hike), and extra calorie burn for losing weight and shaping up. 
2. Vegetables. I want to aggressively attack my problem with vegetables this summer. I tried zucchini in Scotland, and I've been lightly poking around spinach and broccoli for a while now. I want to go full force with spinach- Green Monsters and baked spinach everywhere you look! Also really excited to try kale chips, and I've got my mom on board, so it's happening. 
3. Lemons in my water, green tea, water bottle, etc. I want to be so hydrated it is crazy. Lemons in the water and green tea both have positive effects on the metabolism, and I'd like a dedicated water bottle that I can carry with my everywhere. But for this morning, lugging around a little glass on a coaster will suffice. 
4. Some additional form of exercise: yoga, push-up routine, AbRipperX, etc. What this is will largely depend on how recently we worked what at SuperFit. e.g. If it is the morning after a day of mat abs, AbRipperX would be both painful and counterproductive. But if I know we are on a schedule of only working the chest on Mondays, and it's Thursday, then a push-up routine would fit in nicely and not jeopardize my ability to do well in Superfit the next day. I suspect yoga videos that stream on Netflix and free ones from the yoga download site place will make frequent appearances. 

I know this seems like a lot. And it is. But I think it needs to be. I'm so sick and tired of feeling run down and yucky. I want to run my darn marathon. I want to knock somebody's socks off in a bikini. I have no job or internship this summer- this is my work. I will write, and I will shrink my size and lengthen my life. This is my job this summer. And hopefully in going about it, I will build some life-long habits that will make this a permanent change. 

Incorporating the 5-Factor Diet

Finally getting back to Superfit today, and I am so excited! I think that's a good sign, don't you?

I was poking around some nutrition and fitness sites today, and ended up looking into the  The 5-Factor Diet of Harley Pasternak. I have no intention of going whole-hog with it, but he gives a very good blueprint for a healthy lifestyle. Under the 5-Factor, each meal should have five components:

1. A lean protein. As I am vegetarian, this will come in forms like quinoa, tofu, legumes, and non-fat dairy rather than chicken, turkey, and seafood. 
2. A low-GI carbohydrate, or complex carbohydrate. Brown rice, vegetables, etc.
3. Fiber. For me, this will generally be a side-effect of my protein and carb choices, like the beans, veggies, and whole grains.
4. A healthy fat. Olive oil, almonds (actually, he says to avoid nuts, but that's mainly when he is talking about using them as a protein source), etc.
5. Sugar-free beverage. Basically, water or tea. A diet soda or flavored water if you are feeling adventurous. 

I'm not going to go with the "Use 5 ingredients" and "Prepare in 5 minutes or less" deals, because... well, I don't want to. I'm not doing the full 5-Factor plan, so why bother? And there's also some deal where you do it for 5 weeks. Pish tosh. This seems like a good set of guidelines to make sure I'm eating healthily so I can get down in weight and improve my cardio endurance and whatnot. It both fits into all of the meals I have come up with for when I am on super-natural kicks (like the quinoa and bean burritos I am obsessed with), and for when I am feeling a bit more indulgent (like the whole wheat tortellini w/ olive oil and parmesan I had for lunch). It acknowledges that protein is important for building muscle (which I constantly work on), and carbs for running (the point of this blog). Fiber is key for overall health, and counting fiber rather than calories is something I've already been working on as it is. And of course, the body actually does need fat to function properly. 

I've come up with a list of various foods and snacks that I already do that fall within these guidelines, and I imagine that by simply adding a handful of almonds or some Triscuits and homemade hummus as a side, I can modify several more. It seems like a good way to make sure I'm getting everything I need, and also to make smarter choices and still feel special.