Health benefits of mung beans by Varun Venaik

 MUNG BEANS are part of the pulse / legume family and are a popular ingredient used in Asian cuisine, including in INDIA, Thailand and Laos.   Mung beans have fantastic nutritional benefits, especially when they are sprouted. They are a valuable addition to any vegetarian, pescetarian or non-vegetarian diet.  Mung beans are a very good source of protein, vitamins, iron, enzymes and antioxidants such as potassium, magnesium, fibre and vitamins B, C and K. Sprouted mung beans not only have higher levels of these important vitamins and minerals but are also very easy to digest and easier on the tummy, meaning they are unlikely to give you a tummy ache in the same way that other pulses and beans sometimes can. They are packed full of flavour and nutritional benefits and also add amazing crunchy texture to your meals. They are also low in calories, with one cup of sprouted mung beans only containing around 30 to 40 calories per cup.   Mung beans are incredibly easy to sprout – they can be sprouted in a few days’ time on your kitchen bench.  

TO SPROUT MUNG BEANS, FOLLOW THESE EASY STEPS:

1. Rinse around half a cup of mung beans thoroughly and a few times in order to make sure that the water runs clear. Ensure you pick out any spoiled or wrinkled beans and dispose of them. Make sure you check whether there are any small stones in your batch and if there, dispose of them – these will hurt your teeth if you bite into them!
2. Soak the rinsed mung beans in fresh water in a reasonably big container with a wide opening. Make sure that the mung beans are adequately covered with water. Soak your mung beans for around 9 to 12 hours. After this period, your beans will look like the photo below, with the skin of the beans having softened and starting to peel off.

This is what your mung beans will look like post-soaking and pre-sprouting 

 

   

3. Dispose of the excess water and then rinse the beans a few times again with fresh water, and then drain the beans in a colander for a few minutes.
4. Now it is time to sprout! Transfer the rinsed and drained beans (ensuring there is no water dripping from the beans beans) into a large bowl (you can use the same container that you used for soaking but ensure that it is cleaned and dried). Move the bowl into a dark and warm place (covering slightly, but not fully, if you prefer to do so)
5. In around 12 or so hours, your beans will have sprouted and will look like the photo below.

 

Sprouted mung beans ready to consume and cook 

   

NOW IT’S TIME TO COOK AND EAT THE MUNG BEANS!

  When sprouted, mung beans have a delicious nutty taste, making them an incredibly versatile addition to most meals and diets. They are able to be used in curries, soups, salads, fried rice and even sandwiches. Their naturally tasty flavour and texture means that they don’t require much seasoning to taste good. They can either be consumed raw or can be cooked – I recommend cooking them to minimise any risks of contamination from bacteria. They don’t require much time to cook – around 10-15 minutes. My favourite way is to stir fry them with a small amount of ginger, garlic and mustard seeds and them add them to a fresh lunch salad (as a main meal) or as a side salad to supplement some more substantial proteins at dinnertime.   For those who are looking to experiment with vegetarian sources of protein, and those who are looking to start the new year right by adding more fibre and vitamin-laden foods into their diet, I’d recommend you introduce sprouted mung beans into your next meal!  

Why you should cut back on sugar (and how to do it)

In this article I want to share the reasons why we should all be striving to cut back on the amount of sugar we eat, and how you can achieve this whilst still having an enjoyable and fulfilling diet.   I used to be a self-confessed sugar addict. A day didn’t feel complete without a row or bar of chocolate or without a spoonful of sugar in my tea or coffee and if I had to go a day without having something artificially sweetened I would feel lethargy accompanied by intense withdrawals and a raging headache. I always felt that I had a reliance on sugar and my life would be incomplete without it.   A few months ago, prompted by increasing weight on the scales and a desire to start improving my health and well-being, I decided I would cut down on my sugar intake. The first two weeks of no sugar were difficult – the cravings were relentless and I felt constantly exhausted. But after those two weeks passed I noticed that I felt different – my energy levels were higher, my attention was sharper and my moods were much better overall. After a month’s time the benefits were even more pronounced – I started to lose fat on my belly and felt fitter and stronger.   Beyond these noticeable differences, a small amount of research also revealed a number of other internal health benefits that result from cutting back on sugar.  

IMPROVED HEART HEALTH 

Lowering our sugar intake reduces the level of triglycerides in our bodies, which are a fat that can be detrimental to our cardiovascular system. By reducing sugar, we reduce our risks of having heart attacks, strokes or other serious cardiovascular diseases.  

IMPROVED SKIN AND TEETH

Aspiring for better teeth and skin is more than just an aesthetic goal. Better skin and teeth mean fewer visits to dentists and dermatologists, which can save you a huge amount of money! Lowering our sugar intake can have enormous benefits for skin and teeth – think lower likelihood of acne and fewer cavities and decay.  

REDUCED RISK OF SERIOUS DISEASES

There is an extremely well-established body of research that demonstrates that eating too much sugar vastly increases the likelihood of getting serious diseases such as liver disease, obesity, diabetes and cancer. Lower your sugar intake and you drastically reduce your risks of developing these sorts of diseases.  

SO HOW CAN YOU REDUCE YOUR SUGAR INTAKE?

Reducing your sugar intake is not hard as you may think! For me, I focused on completely cutting out added or artificial sugars, whilst still consuming a moderate amount of naturally occurring sugars (e.g. sugars found in fruits).   The easiest way to do this was by replacing my usual chocolate bar with a small quantity of fruit, such as an apple, pear or banana. If this isn’t satisfying enough, you can try spreading some peanut butter or other nut butter on your fruit to make it a little more exciting.   I also took steps to replace soft drinks with other healthy fizzy drinks. For example, I replaced my occasional coke or sprite with a kombucha or a low sugar ginger ale. Investing in a soda stream has also been invaluable as it provides soda water on demand – which can sometimes be all that’s needed to satisfy a craving for a fizzy drink!   Finally, I completely cut out sugar from my daily tea and coffee. While it was initially difficult for me to consume sugar-less hot beverages (the taste was initially very unpleasant), after a few weeks I got used to the taste of coffee and tea without sugar and actually started to really enjoy it!   One thing I’ve learned with sugar is that it is all about training your body to adapt and being patient with it while it develops new habits. I’d encourage you to completely invest in cutting out sugar from your diet for a few weeks and you’ll see how manageable it is to maintain these new positive habits.

Varun Venaik shares the health benefits of kombucha

 Kombucha is a fermented fizzy beverage with a sweet and sour taste, that is made out of black or green tea, sugar and yeast. The basic process for making kombucha involves mixing together these ingredients and setting them aside for a week (or a longer period of time, for example a month). During this time period, bacteria, acetic acids and small quantities of alcohol are generated, in a process that is known as fermentation (the same process which produces sauerkraut or kimchi from cabbage, or produces yoghurt from dairy). Through the fermentation process, a film is created on top of the liquid which is known as SCOBY, which is short for symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast. The scoby that is created through making one batch of kombucha can be used to produce another batch of this fabulous drink – or can be given to your friends or family to make their own batch of kombucha, in the same way people share their sourdough starters!

Kombucha has had remarkable growth in popularity over the last few years, with a wide variety of brands and flavours available in grocery stores these days (think lemon and ginger, peach and orange and mango). Whilst it might seem like a relatively new creation, kombucha is actually an ancient beverage with its origins dating back many many years ago. While many people choose to buy kombucha from the fridge aisle of their local supermarkets, others have learned how to brew it themselves at home.   Kombucha has a number of significant health benefits, which I will go through in this article.   Important source of probiotics The process of fermentation of a food or beverage product generates probiotics which are considered to be very good for gut health and microbiome. Probiotics are known as healthy bacteria and are incredibly good for our guts – they assist with relieving symptoms of irritable bowel disease, diarrhea and indigestion.  Probiotics can also assist with relieving inflammation and even promote healthy weight loss.   Good source of antioxidants When made out of green tea, kombucha is an important source of antioxidants. Antioxidants fight free radicals that can damage our cells. Antioxidants are amazing or strengthening immunity and enabling blood sugar management.  Bacteria fighting benefits When kombucha is fermented, a substance known as acetic acid is produced. Acetic acid, which is also contained in vinegar-based products has strong antibacterial properties and can assist the body in fighting bacteria-based infections and suppress the growth of harmful bacteria.   Low in calories and fills you up Kombucha that is made without added sugars is very low in calories and can fill you up. On the days that I intermittently (you can read more about my intermittent fasting journey HERE), kombucha is a valuable addition to my diet as it fills me up, satisfies my thirst and feels like an exciting fizzy drink to consume without adding substantial calories (compared to a coke, juice or other soft drink).     As you can see, the numerous benefits of kombucha make it a great addition to add to your diet. Kombucha is so easy to find in grocery stores these days. While the cost of kombucha can add up, you can often find certain brands on sale in particular weeks. And if you are game enough, you can even decide to experiment with making kombucha at home. If you decide to do this, make sure you follow a detailed step by step process from someone who knows what they’re doing, and ensure you are keeping a sanitary environment and using extremely clean equipment and containers to avoid the risk of bacterial contamination. 

Varun Venaik shares why probiotics are so essential for our health

 Powerful probiotics - what are they and why should you introduce them into your diet? 

Now most of us have heard a lot about antibiotics. They’re those wonderous medications prescribed by doctors which slow down or completely eliminate the growth of bacteria in our bodies which contributes to infections either inside our bodies or on our skin or teeth.  However probiotics are much less well known about.

So, what are probiotics?

 

When people talk about “bacteria”, your mind almost naturally assumes they’re referring to harmful germs. For example bacteria in public places that causes us to get sick, or bacteria on out-of-date food that has become spoiled is probably the first thing you think of when someone refers to bacteria. But you might be surprised to learn that bacteria isn’t always bad! Enter, probiotics. Probiotics are bacterial microorganisms found in our body which actually have health benefits – hence why they are called the “good bacteria”! Probiotics have a range of benefits for our health and wellbeing; one of their most important benefits is that they help us digest food. they help us digest our food and destroy cells that carry diseases.

The most common probiotics are those belonging to the Lactobacillus group and the Bifidobacterium group.

How can I introduce probiotics into my diet? 

You might have seen some of my other articles talking about the benefits of fermented foods such as kombucha or sauerkraut, and how to introduce these sorts of foods into your diet. Well there’s a reason why I’m so excited about fermented food, and that’s partly because they contain probiotics, making them an extremely valuable addition into everyone’s diets. In addition to kombucha and sauerkraut, other good sources of probiotics include yoghurt, sourdough bread (one of my favourite types of bread) and kefir (a popular fermented milk product).

What are the benefits of probiotics?

 

Probiotics effectively restore the balance of microorganisms in your body.

 

One of the important times you should take probiotics is when you are taking antibiotics for a bacterial infection. When you take antibiotics for such infections, your bacteria count (consisting of both good and bad bacteria) naturally depletes and the natural balance of microorganisms is disturbed. By taking probiotics you effectively “offset” some of the depletion of the good bacteria, and help your body return to its optimum healthy condition. It is highly encouraged that when you are taking a course of antibiotics that you take a probiotic tablet each time you take an antibiotic tablet. Probiotics can restore your immune response when taken in this manner, and can also assist with negating some of the adverse side effects of antibiotics on our bodies (for example digestive or gastrointestinal issues). Probiotics are also generally useful for treating or mitigating some of the adverse effects of gastrointestinal conditions (whether or not they are a side effect of antibiotics) – for example, there has been research linking the consumption of probiotics to easing inflammatory bowel disease, irritable bowel syndrome and diverticular disease.

I’d highly recommend that you increase your consumption of probiotics naturally occurring in food (for example kombucha, yoghurt and sourdough bread) and also buy a jar to take when you’re taking antibiotics.