Each ingredient that makes it up has a very specific role.
Breakfast, which many consider “the most important meal of the day”, contributes to a long life. As long as you choose the right products. “As a longevity researcher, I have spent the last 20 years studying the habits of people who live to be 100 or older, particularly the foods they eat. And in a small hidden village on the Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica (known for the exceptional longevity of its inhabitants, what we call a “blue zone”, editor’s note)I may have found the healthiest breakfast in the world“, testifies Dan Buettner, longevity researcher at the media CNBC.
This breakfast is salty and has nothing to do with our French breakfast, generally composed of bread, butter and jam, scrambled eggs, cereals or even pastries. This is much more filling and has a very interesting nutritional profile. Each ingredient that makes up this breakfast has a very specific role. It includes a corn tortilla with a generous portion of black beans, a portion of long-grain white rice and a “chili” sauce simmered with vinegar, onion, red peppers and local herbs (rosemary, thyme, sage).
Corn tortilla is an excellent source of complex carbohydrates with a low glycemic index (this avoids having a blood sugar spike after the meal). Black beans contain 10 times more antioxidants than an equivalent serving of orange: they cleanse the colon, lower blood pressure and regulate insulin, the hormone that lowers blood sugar. They are also rich in potassium and vitamin B, which strengthens the immune system. “A study conducted among people aged 70 or older from three different cultures around the world found that for every serving of black beans (two tablespoons) consumed per day, individuals reduced their risk of death by 8%.“, reports the demographer. In addition, the bean-rice combination creates a complete protein, that is to say it contains all the amino acids necessary for the proper functioning of the body.
Peppers and herbs provide vitamin C and vinegar offers a probiotic boost right from breakfast. “You can do like the Nicoyas: prepare a large batch of bean soup and enjoy it all week“, advises the longevity expert. This meal is generally accompanied by a black coffee which provides a good supply of antioxidants and which stimulates the metabolism throughout the morning.