Whole Grains. Healthy Choice For Body and Soul.

There aren’t too many people who would say they hate the smell of hot bread! Many of us love the thought of warming up the house in winter by turning on the oven and preparing some fresh baked goods. It’s great comfort food. But if you are watching your weight, some grains can be an issue and they can slow down the weight loss process. For better health and for improved weight loss, instead of enriched white flour, choose whole grain foods.

What Exactly is Whole Grain Anyway?

What constitutes a whole grain? According to the Whole Grain Council, “Whole grains or foods made from them contain all the essential parts and naturally-occurring nutrients of the entire grain seed in their original proportions. If the grain has been processed (e.g., cracked, crushed, rolled, extruded, and/or cooked), the food product should deliver the same rich balance of nutrients that are found in the original grain seed.” That doesn’t happen with processed white flour.

Enriched white flour has been stripped of most of its nutrients and then enriched with preservatives and other unhealthy ingredients. It can also be inflammatory and the more processed the grains the higher on the glycemic index and the more blood glucose levels will spike. The result is that the body absorbs white flour as a starch so that it causes spikes in our blood glucose levels. That causes inflammation and fat storage and that’s not healthy. Our goal should be to maintain a steady stream of energy which keeps our metabolism working at a steady pace throughout the day.

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Make the Switch from Enriched White Flour

The important first step is to eliminate or at least reduce your consumption of products made with white flour. If totally getting rid of white flour is intimidating to you, then phase it out gradually. Switching to products made with whole grains is the way to go. A nutrition coach can help you determine what amounts are right for you depending on your weight loss goals. If you are buying products made with whole grains, always read your labels and check out the fiber content and the sugar content as well. 5g of fiber in a serving size is good! If sugar is an issue for you, you will want to limit those products with added sugar. Check your label and if added sugar is listed in the top 3 ingredients, then avoid that product. If you love to bake, there are more and more recipes available using whole grains instead of white flour. One cookbook that I find to be a great reference when cooking whole grains is the Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook by Alissa Segersten and Tom Malterre. Not only does it have all kinds of whole food recipes but it has a great section on whole grain flours.

To further explain the benefits of whole grains, here is an article by Diana Kelly for Healthy Starts Made Simple. She mentions some newer whole grains worth investigating. Peruse the Healthy Starts Made Simple site for more healthy tips on nutrition and overall health.

Healthy Starts Made Simple: Nutrition

Heart-Helping Grains We Love

By Diana Kelly for Healthy Starts Made Simple

Whole grains come in many forms, from wheat, corn and oats to more exotic varieties, such as teff and bulgur. Whichever grains suit your palate, the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends that adults get three to five servings of grains per day, with at least half of these coming from whole grains.

Why the focus on whole grains? They contain a number of nutrients vital for good health. According to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, whole grains are a source of nutrients such as iron, magnesium, selenium, B vitamins and dietary fiber. Recent findings in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition show that whole grains’ healthy benefits — such as lower blood cholesterol — are likely due to their fiber content.

While you may be well-versed in the usual suspects when it comes to whole grains, some “newer” types are worth considering. They help you add variety to your diet, meet your daily goals, and derive the health benefits. Here are a few to try:

• Amaranth is an ancient grain high in iron, magnesium, phosphorus and potassium. It also has more protein than many grains (about 13 to 14 percent). Amaranth can be combined with other grains in breads and muffins, turned into polenta, “popped” over high heat and added to trail mixes, or simply mixed with spices and seeds. “Amaranth has an earthy, nutty flavor and can be used in so many ways,” says registered dietitian Debi Zvi. “Make baked goods, porridge, flat bread, or add it to soups, stews and casseroles. Try popping amaranth like popcorn and sprinkle it on frozen yogurt, or add it to bread or granola.”

• Quinoa is higher in protein than many grains. It comes in black, yellow, red and white, though we commonly see it in white. Zvi loves using this grain — in any color — for a variety of dishes. You can use it in salads, stuffing, and mixed with grilled vegetables, she says. She even recommends adding some slivered almonds and fresh berries for a tasty treat.

• Sorghum (also called milo) is often eaten like popcorn, cooked into porridge or added in baked goods as a substitute for wheat flour. It also comes in syrup form, which Zvi says is sweet, and can be used as a glaze for roasted vegetables, drizzled on popcorn and more. Sorghum is also rich in healthy plant compounds called phytochemicals.

While these lesser-known whole grains are delicious, good for you, and can add variety to your meals, there are still other ways to incorporate more grains into your diet. Some of our favorites:

• At breakfast, choose whole-grain cereals, whole-grain toast, waffles or pancakes, which are full of fiber. Try Kellogg’s Raisin Bran — it’s made with whole-grain wheat and wheat bran, and just 1 cup contains 7 grams of dietary fiber.

• For a snack, spread whole-grain crackers, whole-grain toast or whole-grain chips with hummus, almond butter, fresh salsa or a low-fat dip.

• For lunch and dinner, opt for sandwiches made on whole-grain bread or any number of dishes that incorporate oats, corn, bulgur, brown rice, teff, rye or buckwheat.