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How bad are beans in this carb-fearing world? I mean veggies are good. Fruits are okay. Bread, pasta, rice, etc are the bad boys, and the fully white version of those are just plain evil. Where do beans fall in the spectrum? Beans are my (healthy?) friends and I don't care to completely shun them.
I'm doing a TNT-ish thing since February or so (I think -- I'm getting old and senile and live in a time warp) but I'm wanting my little beany friends back. I'm not talking about eating beans 3 times a day but maybe a couple of times each week. I'm going for balance here and the directional propulsion provided by bean power could steer me in a good direction, I think.
Beans aren't so bad, particularly if they are satisfying to you. Calories are the key, so if you're counting, count them, too. If you're not, you'll have to figure out a portion that's going to keep you going in the right direction.
Compare the calories to those in the other foods that you're eating. They're higher than the same volumes of veggies and most fruits.
If you're doing TNT, you could stick with the P, as is. Adding in the beans will up the carbs and cals, so for that meal you could drop the fat just a bit. Not that any macros are good or bad, just that you are trying to manage your calorie load to keep the fat loss going. Play around and see what happens.
Beans are a wonderful food - but they don't fit in every phase of every meal plan. FYI - not everyone who choses to limit their carb consumption is "carb phobic". Given the choice between spending carbs on beans or on grains, I think beans are a better choice for me.
If you are following a plan where you are limiting carbs per meal to try and moderate your insulin response, your portion size of beans at that meal will be pretty small. And as always, there is a big difference between canned baked beans in a sugary sauce and tossing garbanzos on your salad or having refried pintos with your fajitas (sin tortilla por favor).
Beans aren't so bad, particularly if they are satisfying to you. Calories are the key, so if you're counting, count them, too. If you're not, you'll have to figure out a portion that's going to keep you going in the right direction.
Compare the calories to those in the other foods that you're eating. They're higher than the same volumes of veggies and most fruits.
If you're doing TNT, you could stick with the P, as is. Adding in the beans will up the carbs and cals, so for that meal you could drop the fat just a bit. Not that any macros are good or bad, just that you are trying to manage your calorie load to keep the fat loss going. Play around and see what happens.
Yep, calories are the bottom line and I definitely have to keep an eye on them or I'll be eating Jethro portions of most everything.
I have huge issues getting in enough fat. I just don't like it and it makes me feel not-so-hot. However, I've been trying my hardest to up my fat intake and I've done pretty well -- (on a 2200 cals/day general average) up to 50-ish % as my best effort but I feel much better around 40% max for fats. Now, I don't know if it's the lowering of the fats that makes me feel bouncier or if the fact that it allows me to up my carbs a bit more but there is very much a difference. (I do fine keeping my protein pretty level at about 180-200g/day -- also difficult for me but doesn't make me feel like crap as the fats do.)
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Originally Posted by Jestter
Thanks for the question Nutbar, I have also had the same question. Beans and rice is nice. They are definitely one of the foods I am missing on TNT.
I'm not a rice fan myself but I'm with ya on the beans!
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Originally Posted by LisaS
Beans are a wonderful food - but they don't fit in every phase of every meal plan. FYI - not everyone who choses to limit their carb consumption is "carb phobic". Given the choice between spending carbs on beans or on grains, I think beans are a better choice for me.
If you are following a plan where you are limiting carbs per meal to try and moderate your insulin response, your portion size of beans at that meal will be pretty small. And as always, there is a big difference between canned baked beans in a sugary sauce and tossing garbanzos on your salad or having refried pintos with your fajitas (sin tortilla por favor).
Yep, I do realize not all low carb folks have the phobia but it's a handy label to throw around. I'm playing with the idea myself because 1) adult-onset (read: diet-induced) diabetes is seen a lot in my family and I'm an apple/middle fat kind of gal and 2) I used to live on carbs -- 95% veggies so it wasn't like I was downing pasta and Wonder bread but I was severely neglecting protein and fats. I'd eat meat (or dairy or some non-veggie source of protein) maybe twice a month. Fats weren't quite that bad but still incredibly low. So I needed to give my thoughts and food-wants a complete overhaul.
Nope, no baked beans here. I'm a black beans and/or kidneys with tomatoes freak. Just a cup or so in a bowl of chili once a week might do the trick for me. I seem to be constantly playing with my nutrition this year and I continually learn something new! Time to switch my internet reading to beans...
How bad are beans in this carb-fearing world? I mean veggies are good. Fruits are okay. Bread, pasta, rice, etc are the bad boys, and the fully white version of those are just plain evil. Where do beans fall in the spectrum? Beans are my (healthy?) friends and I don't care to completely shun them.
The carb-fearing world is not always on target from a scientific/physiological standpoint. The minute people start fearing foods like beans & classifying certain foods as evil, you know there's a problem -- and that problem is a lack of moderation. I don't think it's at all bad to regularly eat the so-called "evil" stuff, as long as you don't gorge yourself on it. As for beans, well, they're especially useful for marking your territory or clearing out a room . If you have the right digestive machinery for beans, have at it, it's just food.
for me, I like limiting and controlling my intake of foods higher in carbs. I'm annoyed when lumped into the carb-phobic label or am accused by association of fearing foods or calling some foods evil just because I mention I'm controlling my carb intake (not that you did that - just venting)
/rant
for me, I like limiting and controlling my intake of foods higher in carbs. I'm annoyed when lumped into the carb-phobic label or am accused by association of fearing foods or calling some foods evil just because I mention I'm controlling my carb intake (not that you did that - just venting)
/rant
No problem, 'venting' is perfectly welcome - and even encouraged - when speaking about beans..
or whey - whey and beans can have similar effects somehow - and there's nothing for the fauna to ferment in the whey ...
I do amazingly well with whey. My workout shake has 4 scoops + 2 cups of milk - nary a peep from the poop chute. Beans on the other hand, I could out-fart an IFOCE competitor in training.
for me, I like limiting and controlling my intake of foods higher in carbs. I'm annoyed when lumped into the carb-phobic label or am accused by association of fearing foods or calling some foods evil just because I mention I'm controlling my carb intake (not that you did that - just venting)
/rant
Amen! (Actually referring back to that other thread, too). I'm totally with you here.
Diane, I don't care for beans, but maybe you could move on to TNT-ish plan C where you could have those beans. You seem to have a really good feel for where you are at nutritionally. I'll bet you can experiment and find a way to fit them in.
Yep, I do plan on continuing to play with my eats as I have been and beans will be a part of that. It just dawned on me the other day that that, for whatever reason, I've come across any reading that covers the details of beans in my obsessive nutrition reading this year. I know the general stuff but, really, someone needs to write a bean book. It's bound to be a bestseller.
In case someone is left on the planet who has not seen the Fart Facts page, here it is: Facts on Farts
I want to know what the various little beanie parts do once in your body, how they affect the body & the body's response, how they interact with other foods and varying conditions, etc.
I've found that kind of info for the majority of most other things I like to eat, I've just not run into the bean info yet. Then again, I didn't realize that I hadn't until a few days ago so have just started my search.
Beans need slightly different enzymes to break them down than other more 'straightforward' starches. They also have quite a bit of fiber and protein.
This makes beans both a great food choice since their glycemic index is low and they are very satiating.
However, it takes a while to get 'used' to them. If you've not been eating them in like.. forevah (umm few months?) ease back into them. The legumes (beans are legumes) that are really the easiest to digest are lentils since they don't require pre-soaking.
You make me want to make beans & lentils part of my food intake again as I'm missing them as well. The major reason why I'm hesitant to eat them is not their carb content as I'm happy eating simple carbs... but since legumes contain anti-nutrients and are contra-indicated with leaky gut syndrome.
It's interesting that a lot of people who are drawn towards an VLCD and find they do well on them, often have an auto-immune problem. VLC-ing lowers auto-immune responses, but there's more.
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GRAINS & LEGUMES
The theory is that grains and legumes contain antinutrients- chemicals that actually prevent the body from absorbing the proper nutrients and they can do damage to the GI system and immune system.Grains and legumes can disrupt the acid balance in the kidneys. Grains and legumes contain lectins. Lectins bind with almost any tissue in the body and wreak havoc. They aren't digested and broken down and attach themselves to cells in our intestines. This causes leaky gut syndrome which is thought to promote IBD and arthritis, and other autoimmune diseases.
After a couple of years low-carbing I've discovered that I actually do well on a higher carb intake than I thought, but just have to NOT eat offending food groups, like most grains (glutinous grains & oats), old nuts/seeds, peanuts (pb = ok) or legumes.
So, here's the ultimately bizarre situation that health-wise, I can handle very sugary junkfood much better than things like grains, legumes and even cruciferous foods like rutabaga which I grew to love eating in a relatively short period of time.
If beans aren't a health concern for you.. by all means eat them if your calorie budget allows for them. I'd not eat heaps of them but add the most nutritious ones to salads etc. Some days I'd murder someone for chickpeas
From what I've read, the anti-nutrients in beans are mainly associated with their protective seed coating...the reason they keep so long without rotting or breaking down, thus it's hard for us to break them down in our gut. Phytic acid is another problem chemical with that too. By sprouting the beans before consuming them, the seed coat is broken and there's more available nutrition and less antinutrients. Doesn't have to be a full bean sprout, just the slightest bit of the seed coat cracking is enough to indicate the chemical change is complete.
I don't think the shell is the issue with anti-nutrients in beans.
It's hard for many of us to digest beans because of the presence of a certain sugar. This causes them to stick around down there, and ferment. Also, some beans contain a lot of fiber. Black beans are notorious (and notoriously high in fiber, too).
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Beans cause gas because they contain a sugar called oligosaccharide. Humans don’t have all the necessary enzymes required to break oligosaccharides into smaller sugars. This results in gas and bloating. However, some nutritionists say your body can build up a tolerance for beans. By adding beans to your diet gradually, you will build up the enzymes necessary to digest them without issue.
Wow! No wonder that huge bag of beans was so cheap...
LOL. I think your google-fu got away from you there for a bit LD But that could be an interesting marketing ploy...I read somewheres on the interwebthingy that the most expensive coffee in the world was actually what came out of the hind end of monkeys fed coffee beans *gag*
Humans don’t have all the necessary enzymes required to break oligosaccharides into smaller sugars.
Well, that explains my my downright non-gassy body. I ain't human.
Very interesting stuff, guys, thanks!
I hereby proclaim this next week Bean Week and will focus my searches and reading on them. (I still wish someone would write a bean book, though. I'm such a book whore.)
I want to know what the various little beanie parts do once in your body, how they affect the body & the body's response, how they interact with other foods and varying conditions, etc.
I've found that kind of info for the majority of most other things I like to eat, I've just not run into the bean info yet. Then again, I didn't realize that I hadn't until a few days ago so have just started my search.
I believe they are one of the best sources of resistant starch. See this thread...
Susan, do you have more info on the monkey butts and coffee beans? That is one of the oddest things I've heard - I don't doubt you at all - you just peaked my curiosity.
Actually I've read about those specific coffee beans not that very long ago, so unless her source is the exact same (no clue where OP got it from) it should be true.
I'm going to ask in the coffee specialty shop that I frequent about once a week for the nation's best espresso (they have 6 different espresso beans)!
Susan, do you have more info on the monkey butts and coffee beans? That is one of the oddest things I've heard - I don't doubt you at all - you just peaked my curiosity.
Ah ha, not a monkey, sorry...rather a Palm Civet, a critter more like a cat than a monkey....
Hand over the beans and no one gets hurt
I'm playing with the idea myself because 1) adult-onset (read: diet-induced) diabetes is seen a lot in my family and I'm an apple/middle fat kind of gal and 2) I used to live on carbs -- 95% veggies so it wasn't like I was downing pasta and Wonder bread but I was severely neglecting protein and fats. I'd eat meat (or dairy or some non-veggie source of protein) maybe twice a month. Fats weren't quite that bad but still incredibly low. So I needed to give my thoughts and food-wants a complete overhaul.
. If you have the right digestive machinery for beans, have at it, it's just food.
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