Lovely lentils are a wonderful legume that is so incredibly gentle on blood sugar. There are many different kinds of lentils--brown, red, green, French (called du Puy), yellow (used mostly in Indian cooking), and finally black lentils (called Beluga because they resemble caviar).
Each of colors of lentils requires different cooking times--some cook as quickly as 15 minutes because they have softer outside shells and other take three times as long because they have a harder outer shell.
I personally find that most of the quicker cooking ones (red and yellow) hit my blood stream more quickly which causes a quick rise in my blood sugar. I need to eat them in smaller quantities and with plenty of added protein as the protein in the lentils alone is not enough to blunt the spike. However, green du Puy lentils and Beluga black lentils seem to cooperate SO INCREDIBLY WELL with my blood sugar that these are the two I have most often. I also really enjoy the taste and consistency of them. Because of their harder external shell they hold their shape very well during cooking. They go great in salads, but also make lovely soups!
Lentils are spectacular at helping people who have the MTHFR gene mutation which causes challenges methylating. Methylation is, simply put, a chemical reaction that happens at the cellular level within the body. Methylation helps genes in our bodies to work more efficiently and effectively. The MTHFR gene, when working as it should, takes folate and turns it into a useful substance for our bodies. Those who have the MTHFR gene mutation have lost the ability to do that. The missing enzyme action causes something toxic (homocysteine) to remain in the body instead of changing it to something safe for the body (methionine). Homocysteine scrapes the inside of vessels causing inflammation which leads to heart problems, dementia, stroke, and a host of other issues. Lentils, because of their high levels of folate, help to detox the homocysteine by helping it change into methionine. Reducing inflammation is helpful to everyone, but it is ESPECIALLY helpful for those with insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes (inflammatory diseases). Lentils are also super gentle for us type 1 diabetics too.
Today, I'm going to give you the recipe for the lentil soup I created earlier this week. I normally make my lentils just in some chicken stock and water with salt and pepper, but this week I jazzed it up a bit. The result is the fabulous, quick to throw together soup that will warm the cockles of your heart all through out the winter months.
Gentle Lentils:
Servings: 4 servings of 1 cup cooked lentils
Ingredients:
1 cup of rinsed Beluga black lentils
1 quart of fat free chicken bone broth or stock
1/2 tsp pink Himalayan salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp sage
2 sticks celery - chopped in 1/2 in pieces
2 medium carrots - chopped into medallions
1 onion - diced
Optional:
Light Laughing Cow Cheese - 1 triangle per serving
Directions:
Rinse your lentils and leave to drain well.
Bring your bone broth/stock to a boil
Add in lentils, salt and pepper, sage, celery, carrots, and onion.
Cook for 15 minutes until lentils are soft enough to eat, but holding shape well.
If desired, serve with one triangle of Light Laughing Cow cheese per serving stirred in while hot. It gets all melty and delicious!
Dietary information per one cup of cooked black lentils:
Fat: 0.5 (2g total with LLC added)
Total Carbs: 30g
Fiber: 9g
Net Carbs: 21g
Protein: 13g
Here is your downloadable recipe file:
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