Volantino

To follow a healthy diet based on the Mediterranean Diet, one portion of legumes should be eaten at least 2-3 times a week . If we never eat legumes, including small quantities in the diet can help us get used to their taste. Did you know that over time your bowels will digest them more easily? There are many different recipes to try to include them more often in our diet. HOW OFTEN SHOULD WE EAT LEGUMES? Phytosterols help maintain correct cholesterol levels in the blood, while polyphenols help reduce inflammation and are antioxidants. They both help in keeping us healthy for longer! What does “bioactive” mean? This term comes from the union of two words: BIO + ACTIVE, meaning substances which have an effect, in this case positive, on living tissue or organisms. FOR THE CURIOUS • foods containing “anti-nutritional” factors. This means that legumes contain certain compounds that can hinder or prevent the absorption of some nutrients. There are ways of reducing the levels of these “anti-nutritional” factors. This is explained in the chapter “Kitchen tips: legumes”. • foods that contain both phytosterols and polyphenols (flavonoids, phenolic acids, isoflavones, etc ) which are bioactive compounds with positive effects on health. LEGUMES: A WORLD TO DISCOVER LET’S LEARN TO EAT WELL 15