Love the Fava a Lotta

Say that 100 times for a tongue twister!  Fava beans (also called broadbeans) are not as popular as other beans, but this vegetable has a distinct look and taste.  The peapod is BIG.  Take your typical green bean and magnify it a few hundred percent.  It's like they should belong to food of giants.  The bean is more like a lima bean, but has an even more solid texture and it gets filling when you eat it.  This makes sense because fava beans are loaded with fiber.  A half cup yields 4-5 grams of the 25 grams of fiber that we need daily.*

In addition to the loads of fiber, other awesome benefits of fava beans are that they are low fat, saturated fat free, cholesterol free, good source of vitamin B1, copper, iron, magnesium, phosphorous, and potassium. Also a really good source of folate and manganese.**

When choosing fava beans, you want fresh and firm.  No markings on the pod.  There is, however, some bronzing on the outside.  You want pods that are slightly weighty and plump to the touch.

So why don't we eat this bean more often?  One downside - you have to shuck them from the pod and so they get somewhat labor-intensive.  Takes some planning rather than just wash and use.  Great as a side dish though and super yummy when sauteed.  Here is my fava bean dish.

Source of top picture: http://www.healthytimesblog.com/2011/05/welcome-these-seasonal-spring-foods-i/ and reference for *
Other sources including **: http://www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org/?page_id=11589

Two culprits to low energy and burgeoning waists

Think bread, baked goods, noodles, bagels, pretzels, flavored yogurt, non-fresh juices...These used to be my staples.  Foods that I LOVED to eat.  And, I thought they were "low fat," which in my mind was "healthy" (I have learned totally not true).  I remember in college, I would eat 3 bagels a day.  Morning would be with cream cheese, lunch with peanut butter, and dinner with some other concocted condiment.  After so many years and always wondering why working out 4-5 times a week would not get rid of my belly fat, I have found two major culprits: refined flour and sugar.  These caused me to retain belly fat and made me tired (but I just didn't know it).  In recent years, I have been cutting them out.  In fact, I have found that the more I eat sugar and refined/processed flour, the more hungry I am.  I believe by eating refined flour and sugar, I am starving my body of nutrients it actually needs; therefore, I eat more and I just don't feel satisfied until I have a stomach ache from over-eating!  I now eat primarily whole grains and check labels for sugar content.  Belly, thighs and butt have all slimmed down, energy level is much higher, and my appetite is in more control.  There are a couple days when I can tell I have eaten too much, but the former struggle is less, making my days more blessed.