Take grains for example. Thousands of years ago, men ate 100 plus grams of fiber per day. Today we average 12. Twelve grams of fiber per day. With processed and fast foods, we have replaced our great grains with simple carbohydrates and fat. Not a good idea. Has anyone noticed that our
obesity rate has skyrocketed, and how hard it is to lose those extra pounds? Look at our plummeting whole grain intake.
Grains are are great source of vitamins, minerals, and plant chemicals. As you know it is better to get your vitamins and minerals from natural sources, (natural sources meaning foods, not pills). The same goes for plant chemicals. These substances kill cancer cells, prevent disease, repair cellular damage, neutralize free radicals, etc. etc. etc. There are literally thousands of them, and the best places to get them are fruits, veggies, nuts, legumes, and grains.
Second, grains are a terrific source of fiber. There are two types of fiber, and grains contain both. Fiber helps you feel full so you eat less. It regulates and cleans the bowels, lowers cholesterol, binds with others fats so you absorb less of them, and it helps to slow glucose absorption so your blood sugar doesn't take those wild swings!
Grains also contain amino acids which are the building blocks for protein. Some amino acids we can produce ourselves, but some called essential proteins we have to get from food. That is why a peanut butter and honey sandwich on whole wheat bread is a great source of protein. It contains all of the essential amino acids we need in good supply.
A few nights ago, I went to a informational meeting about grains. I learned about many that are so useful and nutritious yet, most of us never consider using. (There are many more grains than wheat, oats, and rye!) The samples of food were so delicious, it was hard to believe they were so healthy. Thanks so much to Cheryl Potter and Gloria Lee for sharing this information with us!
The book below is a great source for information and practical ways to incorporate all kinds of grains in your diet. Also below is another link on the dangers or genetically altered grains and foods.
Doctors Warn: Avoid Genetically Modified Food
I like the taste of whole grains alot better than the other kind. The thing that sucks about that is that it is usually more expensive.
ReplyDeleteI tried an experience where I ate Cheerios 5 Grain for breakfast and lunch, and I found myself with more energy and a better attitude. Whole grains allow you to have more energy. Its great!!!
ReplyDeleteNow this is where I run into a problem. I have Celiac Disease so I can eat Wheat Barley or Rye the main staples of whole grain. I find it hard to find other food choices that are of equal benefit. I eat a lot of oats and corn. Yet, there are only so many days in row I can eat like that. Do I have any other options?
ReplyDeleteNow this is where I run into a problem. I have Celiac Disease so I can eat Wheat Barley or Rye the main staples of whole grain. I find it hard to find other food choices that are of equal benefit. I eat a lot of oats and corn. Yet, there are only so many days in row I can eat like that. Do I have any other options?
ReplyDeleteI agreee with this post while I was growing up my mom only bought whole wheat foods. Now that I am married my husband isn't really use to eating them so I haven't bought as many whole wheat foods. I can tell a difference in the way I feel and how much my eatting patterns have changes.
ReplyDeleteI like whole grains a lot better because they fill me up better. They are a lot more expensive though which kind of sucks.
ReplyDeleteThis topic is interesting to me especially as a mom because I want to feed my kids foods that are going to help them thrive. I recently watched the documentary Food Inc. and came away feeling disgusted with the way food has become so processed and unnatural. I agree with the message of the film that we can vote for what we want when we shop whether it be for whole grains or other food.
ReplyDeleteI agree with this post so much. I have been very interested in this topic. I want to feed my family the healthiest food possible. It is hard in today's society where so much of our food is stuffed with preservatives and chemically altered. It really takes effort to read labels and prepare healthy meals. There are so many great cookbooks out there that promote the use of whole grains. For example, The Eat Clean Diet Cookbook promotes eating foods in their whole form. One of my favorite grains, quinoa has more complete protein and iron than other grains and can be used in many recipes.
ReplyDeleteWe eat a lot of whole grains. Truthfully they are NOT more expensive--grains are very cheap--especially when you look at how expensive processed foods are. Not only are they cheaper per pound, they fill you up more! I love shopping at Kitchen Kneads--they have every kind of grain you can imagine! I love their nine-grain cracked cereal. I make my own granola (very healthy) and also make my own whole wheat bread.
ReplyDeleteI agree with this article. It used to be that most of the things that we would eat at my house was whole weat grains and I really liked it, but now a days it's just products that don't have any realy substance to them. All they do is fill your belly, nothing more. I want to go back to how it was when I was a kid and eat more whole grains.
ReplyDeleteI definitely love whole grains. My mom has always bought whole grains. I can't even remember the last time I had white bread. I think sometimes I like wheat a little too much. When I eat whole grains I have more energy, and I stay fuller longer.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading this article. I've made the switch to eating all whole grain foods, and I definitely think that it has made a difference in my health. Oatmeal is my favorite breakfast in the world, and I have it nearly every morning! Personally, I think of eating white bread as eating pure sugar. It's not nutritious in the least, and is just plain unhealthy. Eating whole grains help me feel full and energized. I would never go back to white bread.
ReplyDeleteWell when I eat whole grains I feel so much better and more healthy! It makes me feel like im putting in a way earth into my body! you know what they say from dust we arose and to dust we will go! Im a firm beliver that we need to eat more whole grains and I think that if we really emplement this into our lives we will notice a dramatic change in our mental and physicle healh!
ReplyDeleteI believe that as humans we need to change our lifestyle and go back to the simpler things such as eating whole grains. All of the new refined foods at the grocery store are typically not healthy for us and we need to be aware of that. As a society we have become lazy and sedentary, part of that might be caused from the diets we eat. That's something to think about.
ReplyDeleteI think a lot of people are fooled by the term "enriched" when buying refined flour products. When manufacturers refine the flour they remove over 40 nutrients and put back 6. Those 6 are used to claim that the bread is "enriched." Foods low on the glycemic index are great for minimizing fat storage throughout the day as they provide a slow trickle of insulin release as the glucose is slowly broken down and absorbed into the bloodstream. Of course many people looking to lose fat don't try to include more whole wheat into their diet, they go to GNC and pay $60.00 for a thermogenic.
ReplyDeleteI recently served an LDS mission and I found that eating whole grains did give us the energy that we needed our daily activities moreso than the white bread that I usually ate at home. And that is something that I have changed upon getting home. I now eat the whole wheat for the energy factor that I get. The only difference is that on the mission in was free, now I have to pay for it.
ReplyDeleteTo me it seems like a scam that whole wheat grain costs so much more. The fact that they don't have to process the flour or add vitamins to it means it should cost less to produce. Fast food restaurants should start using whole wheat buns just to help improve the general health of the population.
ReplyDeleteThe loss of fiber in our diets is just one of the trends that we have been lured into and for that we are seeing higher rates of cancer, diabetes and many other forms of sickness. In my family whole grains has been something we try to intake on a regular basis but it's not easy. It is more expensive to buy high fiber products and even the marketed "high fiber" foods aren't always as advertised.
ReplyDeleteI defiantly prefer anything whole wheat over anything that isn't. It tastes better to me, and it is much healthier. I worked at Great Harvest for a while, and I was addicted to their wonderful bread!
ReplyDeleteI love this article! Fiber is so good and whole grains are delicious! I started feeding my toddler wheat bread before white-and real wheat bread that had a lot of fiber in each piece and he loves it!! He won't eat white bread though, which is sometimes frustrating. Overall it is worth it. I agree that everyone could eat more grains and enjoy a healthier life.
ReplyDeleteI love this article because it is something that I think is very important for everybody. I believe that a lot of diseases would be prevented if people paid more attention to what types of food they were putting into their bodies. Nobody seems to worry about it though until it is too late.
ReplyDeleteThis article really makes me want to start including more grains in my diet. They have so many benefits!!
ReplyDeleteI have noticed since my wife and I have started buying whole grains breads, bagels, etc. That we feel better in general. More energy and, as I have learned in school, they are simply better in every way for your body. I frequently read the food labels these days and am grossed out by many of the fats and simple carbs in most of them.
ReplyDeleteGreat article, I love the plug for fiber. I try to get quite a bit of fiber, without causing problems, it's pretty easy once you find out what contains fiber.
ReplyDeleteVery informative article! I enjoyed it. My roommates think that I am a health freak when they go grocery shopping with me because I make them buy certain breads and peanut butters! It is because of all the "enriched wheat" (which is just pseudo-wheat) or hydrogenated fats. I am very glad that I am aware of this. Thank you.
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