If you’re truly determined to lead a healthier lifestyle, you’ll need to pay a close attention to what you eat. In today’s world, coping with stress has already become a cruel part of everyday life. The problem with stress is that not only does it damage you emotionally, unending stress can actually seriously harm your physical health, especially your adrenal gland health. One of the best ways to help your body to recover from stress is to eat foods that promote adrenal health, including chickpeas! In fact, the benefits of chickpeas for your adrenal glands go beyond what you could possibly imagine. As you’ll soon discover, it’s the ultimate food for dealing with stress in the healthiest possible way. So what exactly are chickpeas and what are some of the many chickpea benefits?
Chickpeas, also known as garbanzo beans, are part of the legume family and are known for their high protein content.
What’s great about this particular legume are the numerous amazing chickpea benefits as a result of their incredibly nutritious composition. In addition to protein, chickpeas are also rich in fiber, which makes them an ideal food for anyone struggling with weight issues. Also, chickpeas are rich in several other nutrients such as vitamin B, folate, calcium, manganese, magnesium, vitamin K, iron, zinc, and phosphate. All of these nutrients act together to strengthen your body’s ability to respond to stress.
Your body is designed to handle stress the moment it arises by utilizing the NeuroEndoMetabolic (NEM) stress response system. The system is comprised of a network of interlinked organs and circuits that act simultaneously to respond to stressful situations, thus ensuring your body manages stress in the healthiest possible way.
One of the important circuits of your NEM stress response system is the metabolic circuit, which involves the liver, pancreas, and thyroid gland. When you experience stress, your thyroid gland produce hormones that readily increase your metabolic rate, to ensure your body produces enough energy to successfully carry out the fight or flight response. At the same time, your pancreas responds to stress by producing insulin, which signals to your cells to produce the glucose resuired to boost your energy levels. Meanwhile, as part of the metabolism response, your liver works hard to clear any excess metabolites from your body.
Problems begin when your body is subjected to chronic or prolonged stress. Eventually, your NEM stress response system becomes overworked. For example, your thyroid gland may no longer be able produce enough hormones to maintain an increased metabolic rate to counteract stress, therefore, your body’s metabolic stress response is interrupted.
Stress can also take a heavy toll on your adrenal glands, which are responsible for producing the stress response hormone cortisol. Once your adrenal function is compromised, this can lead to disrupted thyroid function, which may also dramatically affect your body’s metabolic stress response. Eventually, your body’s compromised stress response can lead to Adrenal Fatigue (AF).
If you have Adrenal Fatigue, it’s necessary to prevent the condition from worsening while simultaneously working to relieve your body of symptoms and recover fully. This can be done by taking proactive steps towards improving your daily nutrition to help you recover from Adrenal Fatigue.
When it comes to your adrenal glands, one incredibly important superfood is the chickpea. Once you’ve heard all of the chickpea benefits for your adrenal health, you soon understand why.
Without a doubt, chickpeas are one of the healthiest foods for your adrenal glands. These amazing chickpea benefits are clear proof.
If you’re dealing with Adrenal Fatigue, you may have come to realize that your body needs a constant source of energy. Because chickpeas contain complex carbohydrates, your body digests them more slowly and this provides a longer lasting source of energy throughout the day. This may also help prevent any sudden dips or spikes in energy.
Chickpeas contain large amounts of the amino acid tryptophan, a precursor to serotonin, the so-called “happiness hormone”. Thus, chickpeas may have calming and mood-enhancing properties that may also improve your quality of sleep.
Eating chickpeas can also help you neutralize acids in your body. When you eat, your adrenals and kidneys work together to break down the acids from food. However, if your adrenals are exhausted, the last thing they need is to become more overloaded. Luckily, chickpeas combat high acidity and balance your pH levels so your adrenals don’t have to work so hard.
Now that we’ve discovered how nutritious chickpeas truly are, let’s learn how to incorporate them into your diet to reap the amazing health benefits. As we learned above, the protein, fiber, and nutrients chickpeas provide are the building blocks of your body, and whenever you can squeeze a few more chickpeas into your diet, we suggest you take the opportunity. Nutritionists are even uncovering the additional benefits that plant-based proteins like chickpeas have over animal proteins.
Luckily, there are a number of delicious ways that you can readily prepare chickpeas, so your body can quite easily experience more of those amazing chickpea benefits. While your mind may go straight to dipping pita bread or raw veggies into some hummus, that’s far from being the only way to enjoy them! Chickpea dishes are perfect for a nutritious lunch or dinner and you may find some recipes make great snacks throughout the day.
Before preparing anything though, it’s always a good idea to ensure that you don’t have an intolerance or allergy to chickpeas or any of the other ingredients.
Here are a number of easy adrenal-friendly recipes you can try making at home.
With this simple hummus recipe, you can transform quite a few popular dishes by removing any ingredients that may not be beneficial to your body and replacing them with ones that are. Salad Dressing
We all know how healthy it is to eat leafy greens and mixed veggies in salad but we’ve also been told to beware of those sneaky salad dressings that could be disguised along with them. Some have a high sugar content and others contain not-so-healthy ingredients, so that the entire purpose of eating a healthy salad could be cancelled out by the calorie content and dessert-like factor we’ve created.
A great idea is to replace those “iffy” salad dressings with a hummus base. You’ll get a creamy dressing without the extra calories and sugar. Tossing the salad in just plain ol’ hummus tastes great but for more flavor and additional health benefits, try adding some oil and vinegar, or even some lemon juice.
Just about everyone loves a good pasta dish. But again, you’re looking at quite a few carbs with an unequal balance of nutrients. For this reason, Adrenal Fatigue sufferers, diabetics, and those just simply watching their weight should stay away from spaghetti dishes. It could cause a crash in your body’s energy and make your fatigue even worse.
By adding hummus to any pasta sauce, not only are you adding a creamy texture to your meal, you can eliminate the use of heavy cream and the calories that come along with it. The flavor is maintained, or you may find it tastes even better, and the extra vitamins, minerals, fiber, and protein will make your meal more nutritious.
We all know mayo tastes great but hummus can make for a nutritious and delicious replacement. You can actually swap out a variety of condiments used as sandwich spreads for hummus to add some healthy fats to your lunch. A good portion of Americans don’t eat enough good fats, which can lead to a decrease in good cholesterol levels among other things. So it's a win-win! Your hummus replacement tastes good and adds nutritional benefits to your meal. You could also try swapping the mayo with hummus in tuna and chicken salads for a flavorful twist.
Healthy middle eastern or European chefs are even making hummus the base of their entrees. Rather than only using the chickpea mix as a dipping sauce for veggies or chips, hummus is smeared all over the bottom of the plate and chicken kebabs, lamb kebabs, and roasted vegetables are placed on top. Using fresh herb garnishes and olive oil drizzles, simple meals can be turned into fancy entrees, plus there are the additional healthy chickpea benefits.
Clean eating doesn’t have to taste bland. You can still enjoy many of the treats you’ve always enjoyed, such as nachos and cheese, but as a healthier version. Using hummus to replace cheese maintains the creaminess you’re used to while decreasing the saturated fat, lowering the calories, and increasing your fiber and protein intake.
For this delight, it’s recommended that you place your nacho chips on a baking sheet, drop approximately ¼ cup of hummus and salsa on top, and bake the combo until you see the mixture sizzling.
Nutritionists are discovering just how important it is to make protein part of every meal. It helps decrease the absorption of sugar into your bloodstream and provides your body with the amino acids it needs to build and repair muscle, maintain the structure of your cells, and carry out most important functions of the body. With hummus, it's very simple to turn popular items like bruschetta into protein-based meals. The chickpeas can act as a base between the tomato mix and bread and will mix in well with other vegetables too.
Baked potatoes are a staple in many families. While they can be nutritious, the toppings many people add are often not so healthy.
Scratch the butter and sour cream and replace it with a delicious hummus. But if you do love the taste of butter or sour cream, you can still mix a little bit in with the chickpeas. Another great baked-potato creation is to take the potato, top it with hummus, add a bit of sour cream, then a fried egg and black beans to finish.
Do away with the store-bought sauces and barbecue dressings for your chicken marinade. They’re full of unnecessary ingredients that just add unwanted calories and toxins. Take your hummus, add a bit of honey or agave as a sweetener along with a few drops of balsamic vinegar and the zest of a citrus fruit, and top with some chopped fresh parsley, thyme or rosemary. You now have the perfect, healthy marinade for your grilled meal.
Feel free to try making any of these or other tasty and easy chickpea recipes to support your adrenal health. Before preparing anything though, it’s always a good idea to ensure you don’t have an intolerance or allergy to chickpeas or any of the other ingredients. If you’re suffering from a chronic condition such as Adrenal Fatigue, it’s important to consult with a specialist before making any dietary changes. Eating organic, clean meals is always recommended but if your body is under stress as a result of your fragile adrenal glands, some ingredients may now affect you even if they didn’t before.
Garbanzo beans are known for their rich phytoestrogen content. Although phytoestrogens offer some great health benefits owing to their anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antimicrobial properties, they can also have some side effects. Phytoestrogen is a plant compound that can mimic the properties of estrogen. Although there is some evidence that phytoestrogen can help balance estrogen in animals, too much has been known to cause an estrogen imbalance in humans.
Estrogen is a sex hormone that is present in both males and females, but fluctuations are more common in women ages 35 to 50, or around the time of menopause. Excessive stress, liver disease, over-exposure to environmental or dietary estrogenic compounds, and impaired immune function are also causes of estrogen imbalances in both males and females of any age. This imbalance is called estrogen dominance. It can cause many health related symptoms and is linked to a variety of diseases, including an increased risk of developing certain cancers.
Certain groups of people, like those experiencing menopausal symptoms, those on hormone replacement therapy, or those in late stages of adrenal fatigue are advised to stay away from foods that are high in phytoestrogens since they can disrupt the body's estrogen cycle.
Other legumes rich in phytoestrogens you may want to watch out for are
Foods that have traces of phytoestrogens include
But please don't let all that scare you! The average person will gain tremendously from chickpea benefits. If you don’t fall into any of the previously mentioned categories, garbanzo beans may be a fantastic asset to your health.
Chickpeas are more than just a versatile ingredient—they're a powerhouse of nutrients that can support your adrenal health and overall wellbeing. Incorporating them into your diet can provide essential vitamins, minerals, and fiber that aid in maintaining balanced energy levels, reducing stress, and supporting adrenal function.
Ready to explore how chickpeas and other natural foods can enhance your adrenal health? Give us a call at +1 (626) 571-1234 for a free initial consultation. Let's work together to create a personalized plan that supports your body's unique needs!
© Copyright 2019 Michael Lam, M.D. All Rights Reserved.
Chickpeas can benefit your adrenals in many ways, especially when your recovering from Adrenal Fatigue. They help prevent spikes and dips in your blood sugar levels and also contain tryptophan, an amino acid known for its calming and relaxing effects.
