Beans in the News and More!

I’ve heard that beans aren’t good for you because of their lectin content. Is that true? Ironically (considering the bad press they've gotten lately), lectins are found in just about everything you eat, including dairy! Eliminating lectins from your diet would leave you little to feast on. Not only that, but some lectins are actually beneficial--like those that bind to carbohydrates and help reduce the glycemic effect of whatever you just ate* Research in nutritional science does not support the view that the lectins in beans are dangerous. To the contrary, thousands of studies have demonstrated the health benefits of...

I remember when I first found out about brown rice syrup. At the time, I was addicted to all things sweet, and it didn’t take much to finagle me into believing its proponents’ health claims. “It’s a natural, healthy alternative to white sugar,” they promised. Henceforth, if it had brown rice syrup, it was ok to eat it! In fact, I thought, I was probably doing myself a favor! Cookies sweetened with brown rice syrup? Finally a sweet treat I could feel good about! Brown rice syrup flavored non-dairy ice cream? Sign me up! Chocolate balls infused with brown rice...

For most of Caroline Israel and Patty Czach's decades-long friendship, Israel has been encouraging Czach to eat healthy foods. "I want to eat healthier, and she's always very forthcoming with lots of suggestions," Czach said. "Over the years it's been in a lot of our discussions, amongst other things." In recent years, Czach was having trouble managing her cholesterol levels, and Israel suggested she eat more beans. Beans are naturally low in fat, almost completely free of saturated fat, and are cholesterol free. "She would have me over for a meal but she makes these very interesting meals that would...