If you know me, you know I'm a loyal lentil fan. Despite constant barbs over the years from co-workers, friends and even family members, who think my insatiable desire for lentil soup is a bit weird, I've never given up my love for the little legume. And yes, I make a great lentil soup! E-mail me and I'll send you Gastro Girl's "secret" lentil soup recipe.
The latest jab came a few weeks ago when our group here was deciding the theme of our monthly "iron-chef pot-luck lunch." Sometimes it’s based on a single ingredient--so of course I suggested lentils. You would have thought I doing stand-up or something the way my co-workers simultaneously busted out laughing and groaning. Needless to say nobody wanted to tackle a disk with lentils. Although I did have my revenge when the pot-luck subject was "salads." I seized the moment to dazzle them with a french lentil and feta salad I whipped it to impress the naysayers. Yes, it was gobbled up to rave reviews and I took home an empty dish!
Still I've felt alone in my lentil loyalty; a member of underground club privy to its nutritional and overall health benefits.
Until today.
Co-worker G passed around a link to a Science Daily diddy giving major props to the lovely luscious lentil. Among the health benefits: you have a greater chance of losing weight if you eat a diet that is high in foods like lentils.
See, these foods release energy slowly once you've eaten them, which means they have a low glycemic index. Lentils, by the way, pack a protein punch and are a great substitute for meat.
Lentils are also very high in fiber, which is great for your digestive health. However, some fiber-filled foods may not be so gastro-friendly for people living with a digestive condition like Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) or Celiac disease (where wheat, barley and rye are a problem.)
“When foods are eaten the body breaks them down into their components, and one component will be sugar. Different foods break down at different rates. Lentils, for instance, generate a long, gentle release of sugars, while foods like white bread send a sudden rush of sugar into the blood stream. Foods that release sugars rapidly are said to have a high glycemic index -- those that release it slowly have a low glycemic index," according to the Science Daily article.
A team of Cochrane Researchers found that people eating low glycemic index diets lost a mean of one kilogram more than those on similar energy high glycemic index diets.
"Low glycemic index diets appear to be particularly effective for people who are obese," says lead author Dr Diana Thomas, the Scientific Director of the Center for Evidence Based Pediatrics Gastroenterology and Nutrition, in Westmead, Australia. "It may be easier to adhere to a low glycemic index diet than a conventional weight loss diet, since there is less need to restrict the intake of food so long as the carbohydrates consumed have a low glycemic index," says Thomas. Source: Science Daily.
Need inspiration?
Try out these lentil recipes:
Simple lentils
Mediterranean lentil salad
Spinach and lentils
Lentil rice salad
Peggy's curried lentil soup
Grandma's red lentil soup
Alton Brown's lentil salad
Lukewarm pasta salad with lentils
Scottish spicy lentil soup
Half-assed lentil soup
Lentil soup with lemon and spinach
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