Why I love Chickpeas

I do love chickpeas, I can eat them just boiled and salted. I can eat them at any time of the day as a snack as well. I always find chickpeas give me a sense of fullness and satiety that many other foods don’t. This was my personal feeling long before I got into the nutrition and diet phase of my life.

I am happy to say that my instinct on chickpeas was not wrong. Here are some of the many benefits of including chickpeas in your diet.

  1. Satiety
    Since chickpeas (like most legumes) are high in protein and dietary fiber, you will find that you feel full more easily and that can be equated with weight loss (yay!!)
  2. Energy Level
    Being complex carbohydrate, chickpeas also help produce more energy without giving the body the dreaded sugar spike.
  3. Helps Protect Against Heart Disease and CancerChickpeas have been shown to help balance unhealthy cholesterol levels, to reduce hypertension, and to protect against heart disease in multiple ways – Dr. Draxe
  4. Vitamins and Minerals
    Chickpeas have a fantastic amount potassium and copper. Together these minerals help our body in the muscle and nervous system functions.
    Zinc also collaborates with Copper in many enzymatic reactions including carbohydrate metabolism and the synthesis of protein and genetic material.
    Vitamins B6 and C, which interact with each other and with Iron and also Phosphorus, make chickpeas a complete nutrition source in itself, allowing vitamins and minerals to function and get absorbed more effectively in creating cells, enzymes and hormones, in the metabolism of protein and carbs and energy.
    Magnesium, the need of every fibromyalgiac, is present in high amounts too.
  5. Plant Protein
    Yeah, for those who avoid meat and therefore lose out on meat protein, can use this as a source of healthy fats, carbs and proteins.
  6. Digestive Support
    Since chickpeas are high in insoluble dietary fiber, meaning that this fiber remains undigested all the way to the end. The fiber can be metabolised by bacteria to produce short chain fatty acids. This helps clear the system and lowers the risk of colon cancer.
  7. Anti-oxidant
    Our body goes through oxydative stress all the time, be it our cardiovuscular system, our lungs and our nervous system. Chickpeas have amazing levels of phytonutrients to combat this.
  8. Mitochondria Support
    Manganese is necessary for the for the creation of energy in the mitochondria (the synthesis of cartillage and metabolism of fats and proteins) and chickpeas are a great source of Manganese.
    A disfunctional mitochondria will result in chronic fatigue.

Need I say more? The only thing I want to add is a request to add this super food into your diet and dishes.
If you have any recipes using chickpeas, I would love to hear from you  #chickpeas 

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