Written by Catherine Saxelby
on Wednesday, 16 April 2014.
Tagged: bread, breakfast cereals, carbohydrates, carbs, fibre, healthy eating, wellness, whole grains
Forget white bread and white rice. Whole grains are what we should be eating - something your grandmother would have told you! Eating whole grain foods may help with all sorts of health problems. Personally, I love whole grains as they make me feel full without over-eating which makes it easier to manage my weight without dieting. But if you want some really compelling reasons to switch, keep reading.
Whole grains are the big trend in nutrition at the moment but they’ve always been important for your wellbeing. You’ve probably seen them called ‘whole foods’ by the ‘natural health movement’, along with lentils, vegetables and seeds. At times they’ve been recommended for other qualities such as their high fibre or low GI contents. Whatever you call them, it’s clear that whole grains are less refined, closer to the original grain and better for you. They contain all three parts of the grain namely:
By whole grains, I mean wholemeal or grainy breads, dark rye breads, whole grain crispbread, rolled oats, muesli, a huge assortment of breakfast cereals labelled with “whole grain” this or that, brown rice, bulgur cracked wheat and – gasp – popcorn.
Still not convinced? Here are my 7 reasons why I believe these nutrient-packed grain carbs are the key to good health.
Researchers from McMaster University in Canada tracked the health of more than 34,000 men aged from 40 to 75 years over a 14-year period. During this time, almost 1900 men were diagnosed with periodontitis.
Those who reported eating the most brown rice, dense grain breads, oats, whole wheat cereals and other whole grains (about three servings a day) were 23 per cent less likely to develop periodontitis than those who ate less than one serving of whole grains a day.Studies back this up. For example, in one US study of over 74,000 middle-aged nurses, the women who consumed more whole grains consistently weighed less than the women who consumed more refined versions of breads and cereals.
Eating more whole grains is a must. Here I give you 7 reasons why you should.
Catherine Saxelby has the answers! She is an accredited nutritionist, blogger and award-winning author. Her award-winning book My Nutritionary will help you cut through the jargon. Do you know your MCTs from your LCTs? How about sterols from stanols? What’s the difference between glucose and dextrose? Or probiotics and prebiotics? What additive is number 330? How safe is acesulfame K? If you find yourself confused by food labels, grab your copy of Catherine Saxelby’s comprehensive guide My Nutritionary NOW!
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