Healthy Aging Tips

by Dr James Meschino
(Canada)

Start eating a bean salad 2-3 times per week

Many of us have increased our intake of fruits and vegetables and have started eating more salads due to the awareness that plant-based foods are loaded with disease-fighting/anti-aging nutrients. However, beans and peas are often forgotten about in this mix.

Red kidney beans, chickpeas (garbanzo beans), and most others contain a type of fibre that literally drags cholesterol out of the body. Legumes are under-utilized in the typical North American diet, thought they are a key food in preventing the build up of plaque in the artery wall, which leads to premature heart attack and stroke.

So, make a point to have a bean salad, soup or other dish (keeping in mind dairy doesn't digest well with beans), more often. Another idea is to prepare beans as a side dish to your main course instead of pasta, rice or potatoes. Add beans to a traditional green salad for extra protein and also get the benefits of their cholesterol-lowering and bowel-cleansing fiber.

Don't forget about fresh green beans. You can also sprout dried beans for a mega dose of their nutrients. Bean sprouts are delicious on their own with olive oil and salt, or tossed into salads for a satisfying crunch.