Try Beans This Way! Plus, more Benefits :)

Beans to add 4 joyful years to your life! Plus, it tastes great!

Here's another way to eat them: Tricky Traditional Lasagna!

Tricky Traditional Lasagna

Dan Buettner is an author/researcher who studies the places on Earth where people live the longest, and shares the habits and traditions they all have in common to help us all live longer. I wanted to share a link to Dan Buettner's email newsletter, though I have been unable to locate it online, on his website or elsewhere (this is a link to his first 49 editions), so here's a big quote from Dan's Live to 100, Edition 56:

"If there’s one food that unites the world’s longest-lived people, it’s beans. Lentils in Ikaria. Black beans in Nicoya. Garbanzo beans in Sardinia. Soybeans in Okinawa. Pinto beans in Loma Linda. They all show up day after day, often as the centerpiece of the meal.

And here’s what’s remarkable: In every blue zone, people eat at least a half cup of beans daily, often without thinking about it. It’s not part of a fad or challenge. It’s not something they have to remind themselves to do. It’s just what they’ve always done.

A way of eating that’s woven into their culture, their kitchens, their lives.

It turns out, that half cup might be one of the most powerful dietary decisions we can make for our health and longevity. A 2023 meta-analysis of over 1.1 million people found that eating just 50 grams of legumes a day (about half a cup) was associated with a 6% lower risk of death from all causes, and a 9% lower risk of dying from stroke.

That’s a small amount of food with an outsized effect and meaningful long-term impact.

So what makes beans so powerful?

Let’s start with the fiber. Most people fall far short of the recommended daily fiber intake and low fiber is linked to a host of chronic issues, from heart disease to colon cancer to type 2 diabetes. Beans are one of the richest sources of both soluble and insoluble fiber, which helps regulate blood sugar, reduce cholesterol, promote fullness, and support healthy digestion. Soluble fiber also feeds the gut microbiota, the trillions of beneficial bacteria that live in our intestines and play a key role in everything from immune function to brain health.

But it’s not just about fiber. Beans are a slow-digesting carbohydrate, with a low glycemic index that keeps blood sugar stable. That’s critical for long-term metabolic health, especially as we age. They're also one of the few plant-based proteins that are rich in lysine, an essential amino acid that helps with tissue repair, hormone production, and calcium absorption. Plus, they deliver key minerals like iron, magnesium, potassium, and folate, which support everything from heart function to cognitive performance.

Beans are also a stealth anti-inflammatory food. Thanks to their high levels of polyphenols and resistant starches, they help lower inflammation at the cellular level. This matters because chronic inflammation is a major driver of aging and many age-related diseases—including cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer’s, and certain cancers."

I encourage you to sign up for Dan's biweekly newsletter by going to the very bottom of his website and filling out your name and email address.

Here is a previous fresh-you post about the Blue Zones

Blue Zones and More! Live Long and Live Well!

Have you ever heard of the Blue Zones (a few great videos here)? The Blue Zones are 5 locations where people live the longest in the world! I have often mentioned them during my classes and lectures, so it's about time I wrote a post! SO here's a bit about them:

Dan Buettner, along with National Geographic and others, set out to learn about the culture of the areas of the world that have the greatest number of centenarians (people who live to be at least 100 years old). Here six characteristics that tie these cultures together:

• Mostly plant based whole foods! A lovely variety of colorful foods! Lots of beans and nuts!
• Strong social (friend and family) relationships - the oldest people are most honored and valued!
• Physically active, not "exercise", rather movement to live: building, gardening, stirring :)
• Strong sense of purpose and handle stress well (I'll link here to Lisa Damour's take on resilience in Untangled, with the related post title "Family Dinner" which surely happens every night in all of the Blue Zones!)
• Faith and faith-based communities
• Health is contagious! as in you tend to have similar health outcomes with the friends and family with whom you spend your life.

BONUS: The Japanese, in particular, and perhaps others, have several methods to not eat too much: a) prepare everyone's plate, and put the rest away (rather than family style), b) use smaller plates, and c) aim for 80% full (they have a special name for this: "hari hachi bu").

This is cool too...in one or more of these cultures, there is no word for "retired".

Today, Time had a great article highlighting the Blue Zones!

5 Places Where People Live the Longest and Healthiest Lives These areas are known as Blue Zones time.com

Here are three great lists of Benefits of Eating Less Meat, and Things That Happen When You Stop Eating Meat. You can use these resources to convince yourself or your loved ones to make a change, or pat yourself on the back for the great changes you have already made. Enjoy!

10 benefits of eating less meat | Fox News Going green isn't just good for the environment: reducing your meat consumption benefits your whole body. "The average American who switches to a healthy ... www.foxnews.com

Meatless meals: The benefits of eating less meat - Mayo Clinic Meatless meals are an easy way to eat healthfully and save money. www.mayoclinic.org

7 Things That Happen When You Stop Eating Meat People stop eating meat to lose weight, gain energy, reduce heart disease risk, and lots of other reasons. What happens to your body when you go plant based? www.forksoverknives.com

5 BIG reasons to make your meat portions SMALL 5 Reasons to Eat LESS Meat 1. Reduce CANCER risk 2. Bone health 3. Weight loss, heart health, blood pressure and cholesterol improvemen... fresh-you.blogspot.com

COMMENTS: which of the benefits most impact you? For me, I knew the health benefits, so it was when I was truly educated about the astounding environmental impact of this lifestyle change, that I decided I would use my power to help save the Earth!

BONUS RECIPE (because everyone loves recipes!):
Cocoa Balls!
1 c ground flax, 1 c walnuts, 1 c dates, 1/4 c unsweetened cocoa, 1/4 peanuts
Blend in food processor ~2 min, form dough into balls, and enjoy!
...similar to other recipes, but this is how I made them today :) OTHER FLAVORS

Guerilla Gardening! on TERRIFIC ted.com!

Okay, I've loved this website for years (www.TED.com) -- so many wonderful, inspirational presentations!  Many, I'm certain, have also "gotten to me", but after watching this one, I felt compelled to share!

Maybe it's hormones, but Ron had me in tears!  Mostly, happy tears for the possibilities of our children living a healthier way of life!  As well as the difference that one man can make, by inspiring others!

Hope you enjoy Ron's funny ways as he shares his simple, powerful messages!

"Growing your own garden is like printing your own money!" -- Ron Finley

AT www.ted.com

You'll always LEARN something, be ENTERTAINED, and often INSPIRED!


Here are some Other PRESENTATIONS I LOVE:

There are too many to even pick my favorites; here are some great examples!

How to Live to be 100+ by Dan Buettner

Magic of the Placebo by Eric Mead -- placebo effect is AWESOME!

Several by Dean Ornish: Your Genes are Not Your Fate,
The World's Killer Diet, and
Healing through Diet

What Makes Us Happy? is a set of 9 talks by authors, scientists, and more, including:
Dan Gilbert (Stumbling on Happiness), Malcolm Gladwell (Blink), both fascinating authors,
and Graham Hill's inspiring Less Stuff, More Happiness

COMMENTS: What do you grow in your garden?  My favorite are mixed lettuce greens!  And raspberries :)  And squash!  Ok, your turn!