Footed on the cow land

While, reading some articles about protein sources from food, saw an interesting article which is all about chickpea's nutrition facts. Maybe its just me, I dont really know chickpeas also known as Garbanzo beans have such great nutrient rating.

Garbanzo beans/chickpeas have a delicious nutlike taste and buttery texture. They provide a good source of protein that can be enjoyed year-round and are available either dried or canned.

A very versatile legume, they are a noted ingredient in many Middle Eastern and Indian dishes such as hummus, falafels and curries. While many people think of garbanzos as being beige in color, there are varieties that feature black, green, red and brown beans.

Health Benefits

Garbanzos (also called chickpeas) are a good source of cholesterol-lowering fiber, as are most other beans. In addition to lowering cholesterol, garbanzos' high fiber content prevents blood sugar levels from rising too rapidly after a meal, making these beans an especially good choice for individuals with diabetes, insulin resistance or hypoglycemia. When combined with whole grains such as rice, garbanzos provide virtually fat-free high quality protein. But this is far from all garbanzos have to offer. Garbanzos are an excellent source of the trace mineral, molybdenum, an integral component of the enzyme sulfite oxidase, which is responsible for detoxifying sulfites. Sulfites are a type of preservative commonly added to prepared foods like delicatessen salads and salad bars. Persons who are sensitive to sulfites in these foods may experience rapid heartbeat, headache or disorientation if sulfites are unwittingly consumed. If you have ever reacted to sulfites, it may be because your molybdenum stores are insufficient to detoxify them.

A Fiber All Star

Check a chart of the fiber content in foods and you'll see legumes leading the pack. Garbanzos, like other beans, are rich in both soluble and insoluble dietary fiber. Soluble fiber forms a gel-like substance in the digestive tract that snares bile (which contains cholesterol)and ferries it out of the body. Research studies have shown that insoluble fiber not only helps to increase stool bulk and prevent constipation, but also helps prevent digestive disorders like irritable bowel syndrome and diverticulosis.

Lower Your Heart Attack Risk

In a study that examined food intake patterns and risk of death from coronary heart disease, researchers followed more than 16,000 middle-aged men in the U.S., Finland, The Netherlands, Italy, former Yugoslavia, Greece and Japan for 25 years. Typical food patterns were: higher consumption of dairy products in Northern Europe; higher consumption of meat in the U.S.; higher consumption of vegetables, legumes, fish, and wine in Southern Europe; and higher consumption of cereals, soy products, and fish in Japan. When researchers analyzed this data in relation to the risk of death from heart disease, they found that legumes were associated with a whopping 82% reduction in risk!

A study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine confirms that eating high fiber foods, such as garbanzo beans, helps prevent heart disease. Almost 10,000 American adults participated in this study and were followed for 19 years. People eating the most fiber, 21 grams per day, had 12% less coronary heart disease (CHD) and 11% less cardiovascular disease (CVD) compared to those eating the least, 5 grams daily. Those eating the most water-soluble dietary fiber fared even better with a 15% reduction in risk of CHD and a 10% risk reduction in CVD.

Garbanzo Beans Lower Cholesterol

Other research published in the Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism has shown that including garbanzo beans, specifically, in the diet significantly lowers both total and LDL "bad" cholesterol (Pittaway JK, Ahuga KD, et al.).

In this study, 47 adults participated in two eating plans of at least 5 weeks duration. Each food plan provided sufficient calories to maintain participants' weight, but one plan was supplemented with garbanzo beans and the other with wheat.

The garbanzo-supplemented diet, which provided slightly less protein and fat, and more carbohydrate than the wheat-supplemented diet, resulted in a significant 3.9% drop in total cholesterol, which was largely due to a 4.6% drop in LDL "bad" cholesterol. Practical Tip: Enjoyed regularly, garbanzo beans can help lower LDL "bad" cholesterol. Add garbanzos to tossed salads, enjoy them as a dip or spread in the form of hummus or baba ganoush, or let them take center stage as the main ingredient in a spicy curry.

Garbanzos' contribution to heart health lies not just in their fiber, but in the significant amounts of folate and magnesium these beans supply. Folate helps lower levels of homocysteine, an amino acid that is an intermediate product in an important metabolic process called the methylation cycle. Elevated blood levels of homocysteine are an independent risk factor for heart attack, stroke, or peripheral vascular disease, and are found in between 20-40% of patients with heart disease. It has been estimated that consumption of 100% of the daily value (DV) of folate would, by itself, reduce the number of heart attacks suffered by Americans each year by 10%. Just one cup of cooked garbanzo beans provides 70.5% of the DV for folate.

Garbanzos' supply of magnesium puts yet another plus in the column of its beneficial cardiovascular effects. Magnesium is Nature's own calcium channel blocker. When enough magnesium is around, veins and arteries breathe a sigh of relief and relax, which lessens resistance and improves the flow of blood, oxygen and nutrients throughout the body. Studies show that a deficiency of magnesium is not only associated with heart attack but that immediately following a heart attack, lack of sufficient magnesium promotes free radical injury to the heart. Want to literally keep your heart happy? Eat garbanzos.

For even more cardio-protection, team garbanzo beans with garlic or turmeric:

National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Level III-3 evidence shows that consuming a half to one clove of garlic daily may have a cholesterol-lowering effect of up to 9%. For a quick, tasty hummus, just combine pre-cooked garbanzos in the blender with lemon juice, olive oil, garlic and/or onion, salt and pepper to taste.

In other research, when 10 healthy volunteers consumed 500 mg of curcumin per day for 7 days, not only did their blood levels of oxidized cholesterol drop by 33%, but their total cholesterol droped 11.63% , and their HDL "good" cholesterol increased by 29%! (Soni KB, Kuttan R, Indian J Physiol Phartmacol.) Healthy sauté onions with turmeric for 2-3 minutes then add pre-cooked garbanzos and heat until warmed through.

For the most curcumin, be sure to use turmeric rather curry powder-a study analyzing curcumin content in 28 spice products described as turmeric or curry powders found that pure turmeric powder had the highest concentration of curcumin, averaging 3.14% by weight. The curry powder samples, with one exception, contained very small amounts of curcumin. (Tayyem RF, Heath DD, et al. Nutr Cancer) Practical Tip: Increase garbanzos' cardio-protective effects by spicing them with garlic, which also lowers cholesterol, and turmeric, which not only lowers LDL "bad" cholesterol, but also increases HDL "good" cholesterol. Be sure to use turmeric rather than curry powder; turmeric contains more of the protective compound, curcumin, than does curry powder.

Garbanzos Give You Energy to Burn While Stabilizing Blood Sugar

In addition to its beneficial effects on the digestive system and the heart, soluble fiber helps stabilize blood sugar levels. If you have insulin resistance, hypoglycemia or diabetes, beans like garbanzos can really help you balance blood sugar levels while providing steady, slow-burning energy. Studies of high fiber diets and blood sugar levels have shown the dramatic benefits provided by these high fiber foods. Researchers compared two groups of people with type 2 diabetes who were fed different amounts of high fiber foods. One group ate the standard American Diabetic diet, which contains 24 grams of fiber/day, while the other group ate a diet containing 50 grams of fiber/day. Those who ate the diet higher in fiber had lower levels of both plasma glucose (blood sugar) and insulin (the hormone that helps blood sugar get into cells). The high fiber group also reduced their total cholesterol by nearly 7%, their triglyceride levels by 10.2% and their VLDL (Very Low Density Lipoprotein--the most dangerous form of cholesterol)levels by 12.5%.

Iron for Energy

In addition to providing slow burning complex carbohydrates, garbanzos can increase your energy by helping to replenish your iron stores. Particularly for menstruating women, who are more at risk for iron deficiency, boosting iron stores with garbanzos is a good idea--especially because, unlike red meat, another source of iron, garbanzos are low in calories and virtually fat-free. Iron is an integral component of hemoglobin, which transports oxygen from the lungs to all body cells, and is also part of key enzyme systems for energy production and metabolism. And remember: If you're pregnant or lactating, your needs for iron increase. Growing children and adolescents also have increased needs for iron.

Manganese for Energy Production and Antioxidant Defense

Garbanzos are an excellent source of the trace mineral manganese, which is an essential cofactor in a number of enzymes important in energy production and antioxidant defenses. For example, the key oxidative enzyme superoxide dismutase, which disarms free radicals produced within the mitochondria (the energy production factories within our cells), requires manganese. Just one cup of garbanzo beans supplies 84.5% of the DV for this very important trace mineral.

Protein Power Plus

If you're wondering how to replace red meat in your menus, become a fan of garbanzo beans. These nutty flavored beans are a good source of protein, and when combined with a whole grain such as whole wheat pasta or brown rice, provide protein comparable to that of meat or dairy foods without the high calories or saturated fat found in these foods. And, when you get your protein from garbanzos, you also get the blood sugar stabilizing and heart health benefits of the soluble fiber provided by these versatile legumes.

Sourced from : http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=58

An wonderful evening. Really lucky to have the chance to experience the hospitality provided by a group of local maori artists. They have wonderful voices, and superb waving skills, not to mention about the unique tattoo pattern.

This will be a very long post!

That evening, we are all here for the hangi, which is a type of food that is cook in the Maori people way. Using the steam, buried the food underneath the soil and cook it, something similiar to "beggar's chicken" <- hak yi kai ah - it took around 2 and a half hour to heat up the stone beneath and dont know how long to cook it. This will be the longest post lots of picture ! cant decide which to upload ! and some must see musical performance by our host ! really really amazing voice.

The hangi pit - food underneat the soil

Enjoying the evening river before the hangi dinner

Great view of Whanganui river

The Close Quarter's Gang

After enjoying the evening view of whanganui, the others finally arrived. They have the trampoline not sure how it was spelled. Walao eh ! grow so big first time play! It was really really fun.

Lemon Tree with alot of lemon

It's a game call 'break the egg' Im the egg

Finally, the food is reaady!

While Digging the food...

While waiting for the food...

OMG THE SMELL AR .. SO GOOD AH I TELL YOU AH

Food Revealed !

One full table of food !

The host family

Act Cool for abit before eating

Walao eh! Her saliva drip all over the table

Its warm inside, damn cold outside

After makan, nampak tangan

The mother of the family

And finally, the karaoke session. Some of the girls went up to sing a few songs. Then ! the host rocks the house, superb-ly, amazing, powerful voices ! they can make people cry by singing ! Sorry for the bad video lighting! but still Strongly recomend you to LISten to their beutiful voices ! sang in both english and maori dilect ! Worth the loading time !!

They compose the song
The beautiful voices are Anituatua Black, Rangitunoa Black and Marama Smith.

Lizzie and the shop owner
Beautiful voices !

A song inspired by her father

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Chorng's portfolio website

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Web design, website design find who ? me !

Saturday, October 31, 2009

Interesting facts about chickpeas

Sunday, October 25, 2009

The near end of semester.

Saturday, September 12, 2009

eChic - online fashion clothing

Sunday, June 7, 2009

Maori culture tour - Hangi

Tagged by Mj

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