The Bounty of Beans!! High fiber, Nutrient dense, excellent protein source!

Beans are in the Legume family, are known for versatility, and are easy to use in soups, stews, salads, burgers and 'eat-loaves. And they are inexpensive! Their high fiber content is wonderful in supporting a healthy microbiome and key to a healthy gut. Read more about your Magical Microbiome! Read below about how legumes increase the longevity hormone FGF21.

Chickpea Zucchini Burgers

AKA Garbanzo Beans, chickpeas are a flexible choice for a variety of dishes.

Ingredients

• 2 cups chickpeas - drained and mashed

• 2 cups zucchini - grated and squeezed

• 1 cup grated carrots

• 1/4 cup chickpea flour

• 4 tbsp Thai peanut sauce (or could use sriracha sauce)

• 1 1/2 tsp Cumin powder

• 1 1/2 tsp crushed garlic (or more to your taste)

• 1/2 tsp salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix well with your hands

2. Preheat oven to 375*

3. Take a portion of the mix between palms and form a ball. Carefully press in the middle of the ball between palms to form a patty.

4. Place patties on baking sheet - parchment paper can be helpful for easier clean up

5. Cook for 20 minutes, then gently turn over and cook additional 10 minutes. Cooking time may vary ... burgers will start to crispen and turn brown at edges

6. Serve when made or these freeze easily for later use (just set out to thaw, or 1 min in microwave)

Deliciously nutritious meal - add greens such as steamed kale (boost your NO) and tomatoes (Vita C,K & lycopene), mushrooms (great B vitamins source, selenium, copper) to your chick pea burger served on whole grain Ezekiel Bread.

Kale Burgers by Ann & Jane Esselstyn - Prevent & Reverse Heart Disease Cookbook

Ingredients

• 1 cup diced onion

• 2 large cloves garlic, minced

• 8 ounces of mushrooms sliced (optional)

• 1 cup of kale stripped from spine and shredded into tiny pieces

• 1 medium sweet potato, cooked and removed from skin

• 1 cup old-fashioned oats

• 2 (15-ounce) cans no-salt-added kidney beans, drained and rinsed

  (Black beans also can be used)

• 2 tbsp sriracha hot chili sauce, Tabasco sauce or similar hot sauce

Instructions Preheat oven to 375*

1. In a hot frying pan, cook the onions and garlic, stirring consistently until browned slightly and cooked throughout.

2. Reduce the heat to medium and add the mushrooms and kale and continue stirring.

3. After mushrooms are cooked thoroughly and kale turns dark green, turn off heat and set aside.

4. In a large bowl, smash and mix together the sweet potato, oats, beans and sriracha sauce.

5. Take a portion of the mix between palms and form a ball. Carefully press in the middle of the ball between palms to form a patty.

6. Place patties on a baking pan lined with parchment paper. Place pan on middle shelf. Cook for 20 minutes and then turn patties over, cook additional 10 - 20 minutes. (Cooking time may vary ... burgers will start to crispen and turn brown at edges)

7. Serve when made or these freeze easily for later use (just set out to thaw or 1 min in microwave)

   Fixings: Mustard, ketchup, relish, tomato slices, red onion slices, spinach, steamed kale, romaine, sauerkraut, thinly sliced red pappers. If thawing the patties for use, you can set them on top of sliced mushrooms on a plate and thaw in microwave.

Enjoy your burgers at a barbecue!! Take your precooked burgers to a picnic, along with whole grain buns and fixings. You can heat them briefly on the grill and enjoy sharing the fabulous flavors & health with others!!

Legumes and Longevity

As Dr. Michael Greger explains in a recent Nutrition Facts blog, in the year 2000 a new human hormone was discovered, FGF21 a fibroblast growth factor. Research is showing that it is a key agent for promotion of metabolic and artery health, and longevity. Interestingly, lowering dietary protein levels to normal (for men 56 - 60 grams ), rather than the excessive amounts the majority of American men (over 100 grams) doubles the FGF21 levels in 4 weeks or less. Researchers in New Zealand found that FGF21 levels were markedly higher in vegan people compared to omnivores, and the levels went up when the omnivores were switched to vegetarian diets after just four days.

FGF21 levels are also bumped up by the butyrate made by gut bacteria from dietary fiber, so this makes legumes and whole grains a great choice for protein. Another factor that makes these a better choice than meat is that plants have lower levels of the amino acid methionine; methionine decreases FGF21, and the excess methionine of meat causes problems by it's pro-oxidant effect, it increases inflammation and reduces autophagy (your body's cellular recycling and clean up process).

It's no surprise that pharmaceutical companies are fighting to be the first to come out with a drug that decreases methione levels. Arghh!!! Let's just use the bounty of beans and the benefits of a whole food plant-based diet!!. And regular exercise also boosts FGF21.