Daniel Fast

Daniel and his friends consumed nothing but vegetables and water for ten days.

Daniel 1 (KJV)

8 But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.

12 Prove thy servants, I beseech thee, ten days; and let them give us pulse (explained below) to eat, and water to drink.

History on Pulse Food

Legumes (grain)

A pulse sometimes called a "grain legume", is an annual leguminous crop yielding from one to twelve seeds of variable size, shape, and color within a pod. Pulses are used for food for humans and other animals. Included in the pulses are: dry beans like pinto beans, kidney beans and navy beans; dry peas; lentils; and others.

The term "pulse", as used by the United Nations' Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), is reserved for crops harvested solely for the dry seed. This excludes green beans and green peas, which are considered vegetable crops. 

Also excluded are crops that are mainly grown for oil extraction (oilseeds like soybeans and peanuts), and crops which are used exclusively for sowing (clovers, alfalfa). However, in common use, these distinctions are not clearly made, and many of the varieties so classified and given below are also used as vegetables, with their beans in pods while young; cooked in whole cuisines; and sold for the purpose; for example, black-eyed beans, lima beans and Toor or pigeon peas are thus eaten as fresh green beans, or cooked as part of a meal.

World economy

India, the largest produce and consumer of pulses

India is the world's largest producer and the largest consumer of pulses. Pakistan, Canada, Burma, Australia and the United States, in that order, are significant exporters and are India's most significant suppliers. Canada now accounts for approximately 35% of global pulse trade each year. The global pulse market is estimated at 60 million tonnes.

Classification

Variety of pulses

FAO recognizes 11 primary pulses.

Dry beans (Phaseolus spp. including several species now in Vigna)

Kidney bean, haricot bean, pinto bean, navy bean (Phaseolus vulgaris)

Lima bean, butter bean (Phaseolus lunatus)

Azuki bean, adzuki bean (Vigna angularis)

Mung bean, golden gram, green gram (Vigna radiata)

Black gram, urad (Vigna mungo)

Scarlet runner bean (Phaseolus coccineus)

Ricebean (Vigna umbellata)

Moth bean (Vigna aconitifolia)

Tepary bean (Phaseolus acutifolius)

Dry broad beans (Vicia faba)

Horse bean (Vicia faba equina)

Broad bean (Vicia faba)

Field bean (Vicia faba)

Dry peas (Pisum spp.)

Garden pea (Pisum sativum var. sativum)

Protein pea (Pisum sativum var. arvense)

Chickpea, garbanzo, Bengal gram (Cicer arietinum)

Dry cowpea, black-eyed pea, blackeye bean (Vigna unguiculata )

Pigeon pea, Arhar /Toor, cajan pea, Congo bean, gandules (Cajanus cajan)

Lentil (Lens culinaris)

Bambara groundnut, earth pea (Vigna subterranea)

Vetch, common vetch (Vicia sativa)

Lupins (Lupinus spp.)

Minor pulses, including:

Lablab, hyacinth bean (Lablab purpureus)

Jack bean (Canavalia ensiformis), sword bean (Canavalia gladiata)

Winged bean (Psophocarpus teragonolobus)

Velvet bean, cowitch (Mucuna pruriens var. utilis)

Yam bean (Pachyrrizus erosus)

Nutrients

Pulses provide protein, complex carbohydrates, and several vitamins and minerals. Like other plant-based foods, they contain no cholesterol and little fat or sodium. Pulses also provide iron, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc and other minerals, which play a variety of roles in maintaining good health.

Pulses are 20 to 25% protein by weight, which is double the protein content of wheat and three times that of rice. While pulses are generally high in protein, and the digestibility of that protein is also high, they are often relatively poor in methionine, an essential amino acid. Grains (which are themselves deficient in lysine) are commonly consumed along with pulses to form a complete diet of protein. Indian cuisine also includes sesame seeds, which contain high levels of methionine.

Health

There is evidence that a portion of pulses (roughly one cup daily) in a diet may help lower blood pressure and reduce LDL cholesterol levels, though there is concern with the quality of the supporting data.

Daniel Fast