Lentils

With 26 percent of their calorific value coming from protein, lentils are an important staple in any vegetarian diet, creating strong skin, nails, and hair.

Lentils also provide a good dose of insoluble fiber, which is the type that stays undigested in our digestive tract and works hard to clean out the intestines, absorbing and taking away the aging toxins that the liver has detoxified. Insoluble fiber also keeps digestion regular and prevents the constipation that can lead to high cholesterol, poor hormone regulation, and bloating. It has even been shown to reduce the risk of colon and rectal cancers. The other starchy fibers in lentils provide a high-quality compact energy source that your body can draw on slowly and steadily, without the danger of blood-sugar highs or lows, or the weight gain these fluctuations often cause.

·         One of the best vegetable sources of iron, lentils ensures that youth-giving oxygen keeps circulating in the body.

·         Antioxidant minerals zinc and selenium work in the liver to protect against aging toxins.

·         The B vitamins, folate, and magnesium help support youthful heart functions.

·         Manganese helps calcium move into bone and keep it strong, so helps to prevent osteoporosis.

Practical Tips:

If you find lentils difficult to digest, soak them overnight before cooking and discard the water. This will remove many of the starches that cause problems. Lentils have a short cooking time. Add to vegetable soups or stews to provide a protein boost.

Watts, Charlotte. Foods to Stay Young. Bath: Parragon Books Ltd, 2010. Print