Fruits and Nuts

[roki]

lentils are great ,ive been eating alot of quinoa too lately i really think it tastes great ,my favorite variation is making with vegetables fried with conjac and red wine and then mixing it all.
many times i choose buckwheat instead because its healthier although it dosent taste nearly as good.
Gardner you should try out burgul ,you dont cook it you just put it in water for a few hours and then add it to a salad with tomatos and Parsley

 

[Bald Dave]

I read an article in the Metro (free London newspaper) that pistachios do indeed reduce colesterol and are very heathly snack. From now on I am going to replace the crisps (potato chips) and replace them with pistachios!

 

[joseph49853]

I read an article in the Metro (free London newspaper) that pistachios do indeed reduce colesterol and are very heathly snack. From now on I am going to replace the crisps (potato chips) and replace them with pistachios!

Tohoku J Exp Med. 2007 May;212(1):43-8.

Pistachio intake increases high density lipoprotein levels and inhibits low-density lipoprotein oxidation in rats.

Aksoy N, Aksoy M, Bagci C, Gergerlioglu HS, Celik H, Herken E, Yaman A, Tarakcioglu M, Soydinc S, Sari I, Davutoglu V.

Gaziantep University, School of Medicine, Department of Biochemistry.

There is increasing evidence that nuts have protective effects against coronary artery disease by improving lipid profile and inhibiting lipid oxidation. However, data about pistachio nuts are limited, and to our knowledge, there is no study investigating the effects of pitachio intake on lipid oxidation and serum antioxidant levels. This study, therefore, sought to determine the effects of pistachio intake on serum lipids and determine whether consumption of pistachio would alter serum antioxidant levels. Rats were randomly divided into three groups (n = 12 for each): control group fed basic diet for 10 weeks and treated groups fed basic diet plus pistachio which constituted 20% and 40% of daily caloric intake, respectively. Consumption of pistachio as 20% of daily caloric intake increased high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels and decreased total cholesterol (TC)/HDL ratio, compared with those not taking pistachio. However, TC, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and triglyceride levels were unaffected by pistachio consumption. Consumption of pistachio as 20% of daily caloric intake increased serum paraoxonase activity by 35% and arylesterase activity by 60%, which are known to inhibit LDL cholesterol oxidation, compared with the control group. However, increased antioxidant activity was blunted when pistachio intake was increased to 40% of daily caloric intake. In conclusion, the present results show that consumption of pistachio as 20% of daily caloric intake leads to significant improvement in HDL and TC/HDL ratio and inhibits LDL cholesterol oxidation. These results suggest that pistachio may be beneficial for both prevention and treatment of coronary artery disease.

PMID: 17464102 [PubMed - in process]

 

[The Gardener]

And they taste good, too!

 

[techprof]

I would have to disagree with CCS on banana.
Banana is really bad for insulin. When I had high sugar levels, whenever I ate banana, I used to see a spike in my sugar level whenever I tested.

Apples always helped in maintaining the sugar level on the contrary.

 

[techprof]

Also,
Indian cooking involves lot of lentils.

If you visit Indian grocery stores, ask for Channa Dal as oppposed to Toor Dal.

Channal Dal has more protein, more fiber and less carb compared to Toor dal. Toor dal is very rich in carb and has some protein too.

You can steam cook these dals or just add water and microwave. You can add vegatables to this and cook curry or soups.

 

[The Gardener]

Thanks TechProf!

I love Indian food, and curry!