Lentil Soup Three Ways
Lentil soup is the perfect one-dish meal. Using a few basic ingredients, you can have a magnificent pot of it ready to eat in just one hour – and only 10 minutes is actual, hands-on time. A generous, sustaining bowl of this easy lentil soup has just 215 calories, 15 grams of protein, a healthy 15 grams of filling fiber and absolutely no fat, even though it tastes too good to seem true. Because I make lentil soup so often, I have developed many variations. Sometimes I brighten a bowl of this soup with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Changing the seasoning creates another variation, replacing thyme and bay leaf, for example, with oregano for a Greek taste, curry powder for Indian savor, or ground cumin and coriander for Moroccan notes. Adding more vegetables creates a variety of textures, colors and nutrition. I’ll use diced potatoes and cauliflower, or chopped cabbage and canned tomatoes, sliced mushrooms, cooked chestnuts, shredded spinach or kale, or even diced eggplant and fennel. I also use different kinds of lentils. After all, they come in red or orange, slate green, black and brown. All of them make great soup, with peeled, split, reddish lentils turning almost into a puree on their own, while the black and green ones stay nicely firm. What I never add is fat. The lentils and vegetables go into the pot at the beginning, broth included, no sauteeing first. This keeps the soup lean and quickly gets the mixture to a simmer.Continue reading > >
Soup Ingredients For Better Health: Onions And Carrots
Moreover, you can add onions that are rich in nutrients and low in calories. This vegetable is rich in vitamin C, which is essential to prevent cell damage caused by free radicals. It is also rich in B vitamins, including folic acid and pyridoxine, which play a role in metabolism. This vegetable also contains quercetin and sulfur compounds, which have positive effects on diabetes type 2. For example, quercetin has been shown to interact with cells in the small intestine, pancreas, muscles, adipose tissue, and liver to control glycemic regulation throughout the body.
As for the last ingredient, carrot, it is a non-starchy vegetable that is safe for patients with diabetes to eat at every meal without worrying about high sugar levels. Despite its sweet flavor, it has a low glycemic index. This fiber-rich vegetable stabilizes blood sugar levels because fibers take longer to digest.
Health Benefits Of Red Lentils You Should Know
Red lentils are similar to lentils, which were all used to eating. The difference lies in their strong red color and more delicate flavor.
Have you ever eaten them? Did you know they exist?
Well, pay attention, because were going to talk to you about the benefits of red lentils.
Were confident that, after reading this article, youll want to try them.
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Good Source Of Macronutrients
Lentils are a healthy source of carbohydrates, a macronutrient that your body converts to glucose, which provides energy. Each serving of lentil soup provides 26.7 g of carbohydrates. Meal plans should include 225 g of carbohydrates per day for women or 325 g for men. This soup is a good choice for protein one serving contributes 8 g of protein toward the suggested daily intake of 46 g for women or 56 g for men.
- Lentils are a healthy source of carbohydrates, a macronutrient that your body converts to glucose, which provides energy.
- Meal plans should include 225 g of carbohydrates per day for women or 325 g for men.
Milk And Dairy Products
Dairy appears to be another common cause of constipation, at least for some people.
Infants, toddlers, and children appear particularly at risk, possibly due to a sensitivity to the proteins found in cows milk .
A review of studies conducted over a 26-year period found that some children with chronic constipation experienced improvements when they stopped consuming cows milk .
In a recent study, children aged 112 with chronic constipation drank cows milk for a period of time. The cows milk was then replaced by soy milk for a subsequent period of time.
Nine of the 13 children in the study experienced constipation relief when cows milk was replaced by soy milk .
There are many anecdotal reports of similar experiences in adults. However, little scientific support could be found, since most studies examining these effects are focused on children, not older populations.
Its worth noting that those who are lactose intolerant may experience diarrhea, rather than constipation, after consuming dairy.
SUMMARY
Dairy products may cause constipation in some individuals. This effect is most common in those who are sensitive to the proteins found in cows milk.
Red meat may worsen constipation for three main reasons.
First, it contains little fiber, which adds bulk to stools and helps them move along.
Second, red meat may also indirectly reduce a persons total daily fiber intake by taking the place of higher-fiber options in the diet.
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Best Herbal Teas For Constipation
One way to help ease constipation is to drink a soothing cup of hot tea. Hot liquids on their own are thought to promote bowel movements by encouraging peristalsis .
There are also two herbals teas, both of which have a licorice-like flavor, that are said to have significant laxative effects:
- Anise tea
- Fennel tea
A study published in BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine reported that people given extracts of fennel or anise had an average colonic transit time of 15.7 hours. Those given a sham extract had a colonic transit time of 42.3 hours.
Excellent Source Of Iron
One serving of lentil soup either meets or almost meets your entire daily need for iron. Women require more iron each day than men — 18 mg versus 8 mg, respectively. A serving of this soup contains 16.2 mg of iron, which promotes the production of red blood cells and is critical to helping you keep anemia at bay. This soup also provides potassium, vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, vitamin E, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6, phosphorus, magnesium, zinc, manganese and pantothenic acid.
- One serving of lentil soup either meets or almost meets your entire daily need for iron.
- A serving of this soup contains 16.2 mg of iron, which promotes the production of red blood cells and is critical to helping you keep anemia at bay.
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Soup Releases Sugar Faster Into The Bloodstream Than Whole Foods
Just like with anything blitzed, pureed, or mashed, soups have been cooked down and very often blended. This means that your body has to do less work to break down soup and glucose will be released faster into the bloodstream.
To help this, when making soup you could eat it chunky and increase the protein and fat in the soup to help slow down the release of glucose.
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How To Prepare Red Lentils
One of the advantages of red lentils is their cooking time, which is very fast. They dont require a pre-soak period, so theyre faster to prepare than traditional lentils.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of raw red lentils
- 2 cups of water or broth
Preparation:
- Rinse the lentils under running tap water.
- In a pot, place the broth and the lentils and cook for 20 minutes.
- If the broth needs some seasoning, you may add a touch of salt and pepper. Upon cooking, the lentils typically vary slightly in color and become lighter.
- Once cooked, you can eat them alone or use them to prepare other soups and salads.
High-protein salad
To give you an idea, well leave you with a basic salad recipe. It has an excellent flavor and is rich in healthy fats and protein, so anyone can eat them.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of cooked red lentils
- 1 marinated and grilled chicken breast
- ½ a ripe avocado
- ½ cup of cooked corn grains
- ½ seeded cucumber
- 1 tbsp. of olive oil
- juice of ½ a lemon
- salt and pepper
Preparation:
- Chop the chicken into small pieces once its grilled.
- Chop the avocado and the cucumber into small cubes.
- In a bowl, mix the lentils, chicken breast, avocado, corn, and cucumber.
- Mix the olive oil and lemon juice and season the salad.
- Add a little salt and pepper.
This salad is great because it allows you to play with the flavors. You can make the chicken with different marinades or change it for meat or fish.
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Best Whole Grains For Constipation
Switching from refined grains such as white flour and white rice to whole grains can make a big difference in your bowel movements.
When grains are refined, most of the fiber is removed. This does little to help ease constipation and may instead make things worse.
Whole grains are not only better for your digestion but can also improve your heart health by lowering your cholesterol.
Research shows that eating just 25 grams of whole grains per day reduces the risk of heart disease by about 15%.
Here are some good whole grain options if you have constipation:
- Amaranth
What Else Can You Do To Relieve Constipation
If you suffer from constipation regularly, try the Squatty Potty. You might have seen it on Shark Tank. This innovative toilet stool is designed to elevate your feet and open your colon for better elimination. Its an effective and natural approach to improve symptoms of constipation. You can experience a more complete elimination and your bathroom visits can be much, much shorter. It stores easily under most toilets. .
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Soup For Irritable Bowel Syndrome
If have irritable bowel syndrome, you know its symptoms can include abdominal pain. You might also experience abnormal bowel movements that lead to either diarrhea or constipation. Although the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases reports that between 10 and 15 percent of adults have IBS, its cause isn’t well understood. You can help control the symptoms and possibly lengthen the periods of time you’re symptom-free by carefully managing your diet. Soup can be a good choice as part of an IBS diet, but it’s important to pick the best types of soup, avoiding those that are high in fat or other potentially aggravating ingredients.
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What Is Lentils Glycemic Index
The Glycemic Index is a measurement unit to determine how much food rich in carbohydrate increase your blood sugar level after eating them. Food which is low on GI, including the ones with 55 or less GI, doesnt raise blood sugar levels. According to the preparation method and type, lentils have low GI value from 18 to 52. When red boiled lentils have lower GI, higher GI is found in canned green lentils.
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A List Of Foods To Help Ease Constipation
Struggle with constipation? You are certainly not alone. Although it is not the most glamorous of topics, it is far more common than you may think, as it is reported to affect 15% to 25% of the general population. The frequency, type and severity can vary from person to person, however, most experts agree that three or fewer bowel movements per week could indicate a problem. Fortunately, there are many lifestyle factors, including diet, that can help to limit constipation or alleviate it once it occurs. Here is a list of foods that can help to ease constipation.
Health Benefits Of Lentils:
Lowers Cholesterol
Lentils are absolutely rich in dietary fiber, both the soluble and insoluble type. The soluble fiber forms like a gel that binds with the bile acids, which forces the body to use cholesterol to replace them.
Heart Health
According to studies, low levels of magnesium contributes to various heart diseases. Magnesium improves blood flow, oxygen and nutrients throughout the body. Furthermore, folate reduces homocysteine levels, an amino acid found in the blood that is acquired mostly from eating. An increased level of homocysteine is considered an independent risk factor for heart disease.
Digestive Health
The insoluble dietary fiber in lentils are known to effectively regulate the digestive health. It prevents constipation, irritable bowel syndrome and diverticulosis.
Weight Loss
Obesity is a condition that is ever increasing in todays world especially in the West. Consuming lentils is beneficial for weight loss as they are low in calories and contain virtually no fat. Furthermore, they contain fiber, protein, vitamins and minerals that all contributes to weight loss.
Boosts Energy
Lentils contain iron, which is vital in transporting oxygen throughout your body and is key to energy production and metabolism.
Good Source of Protein
Lentils are a good source of vegetarian proteins. It contains 18 grams of protein per cup cooked.
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Chicken Soup For Anemia
While a pork steak, a beef burger and eggs are far better sources of iron to help combat anemia, chicken soup is just as great, without all the added fat and calories. You can make a great chicken soup for anemia by substituting chicken legs, chicken drumsticks, chicken breast or whole chicken with liver, gizzards and hearts, and maybe also adding a couple of wings to get some fat too.
Innards, particularly liver, are some of the foods richest in iron and effectively combat fatigue, lethargy and muscle weakness caused by anemia while replenishing your nutritional reserves. Moreover, they are excellent sources of B vitamins, especially vitamins B12 and B9, which are needed for making red blood cells for a boost in energy and vitality.
Adding fresh parsley in chicken soup ups its iron content, modestly albeit. Ideally, add the parsley fresh to the soup to boost your nutrition. You could also have a slice of lime or a few unripe sour cherry plums to get some vitamin C to be able to absorb iron from the soup ingredients well. Adding some whisked eggs at the end of the cooking process further increases the iron and vitamin B12 content of your chicken soup and provides extra nutrition and benefits for anemia.
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Chicken Soup Is Good For The Common Cold
Studies show eating chicken soup when youre sick with a cold is good for you. Chicken soup has been observed to stop the migration of a type of white blood cells called neutrophils to the site of the infection, resulting in reduced inflammation and improved symptoms.
In the case of the common cold, which is an upper respiratory infection, specific viruses infect the throat, nose, sinuses and voice box. These are the areas where the viruses multiply and, while doing so, alert the immune system. The immune system quickly sends white blood cells to fight the infection and one of the first to arrive are neutrophils. Their presence is partly responsible for the extensive inflammation that causes the common cold symptoms. Eating chicken soup inhibits their migration to the site of the infection, resulting in less inflammation and less symptoms.
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Oatmeal With Fruits Seeds And Nuts
For a nutrient-rich breakfast thats rich in soluble and insoluble fiber, unsaturated fats, and liquids, its hard to beat oatmeal with fruit, seeds, and nuts. For example:
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Vegetables Lentil Soup To Manage Diabetes
Make a delicious and healthy soup with this diabetes-friendly recipe. This soup meets the dietary guidelines for patients with diabetes because it is low in saturated fats, sodium, and carbohydrates. Moreover, you can prepare it in just 30 minutes or less using lentils, zucchini, potatoes, onions, and carrots.
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Can Eating Lentil Soup Cause Constipation
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Fabulous Foods To Beat Diabetes
Eating for Type 2 Diabetes En español l For years, experts recommended a low-fat diet, but new research finds that low-carb diets are better at reducing high blood sugar. The American Diabetes Association encourages people to work with a nutrition professional on a personalized diet plan. These tasty foods will enhance any plan. Berries Blueberries, blackberries, strawberries and their richly colored cousins are all high in fiber and brimming with vitamins and antioxidants. They dont have much in the way of carbs, so theyre low on the glycemic index . Still, they contain a lot of sugar, so limit your serving size. Cheese Cheese is a satisfying food. It has practically no carbs, which means it wont significantly influence blood sugar levels, and because its high in protein, a little will go a long way in controlling hunger pangs.Continue reading > >
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How Does Chicken Soup Help An Upset Stomach
For an upset stomach, the American College of Gastroenterology recommends broth-based soups over other types of soups because they are:
- Low in fat
- High in water
- High in sodium
The salt content in soup helps your body reabsorb more water, replenishing your body with the fluids it lost while your stomach was upset. If you have high blood pressure, however, go for low-salt varieties to at least get the benefit of the fluids.
When not cooked in fat, soup is also easily digested and your stomach can tolerate it pretty well if you recently suffered from nausea or reflux.
