Smart Grains For Smart People Friday, December 28, 2007
How do you make intelligent food choices when it comes to grains? Bottom line: buy only products with whole grain ingredients.
If a product contains whole grain it will say "whole grain" on the label, with no "refined enriched bleached white flour" etc.
Now is also a good time to point out a few other facts.
It is a genetic fact that our makeup (genetically speaking) hasn't changed in over 50,000 years. It is also a fact that the earliest record of modern man cultivating grains shows up around 4000 years ago. This has led many purists to suggest that we are not "designed" to eat grains or dairy for that matter.
Looking at the numbers of people who develop lactose intolerance or other issues with dair as well as wheat intolerance (conditions like celiac sprue others) I think there may be some merit to this.
The food industry still uses a lot of bleached and refined flours. In your body refined grains (white rice, white bread, and the like) release their carbs (starches and sugars) so fast that your body responds with a big slug of insulin to deal with the rapid rise in blood sugar. As a result of this big slug, your blood sugar drops.
Then your brain panics, and thinks you need "more". In less than an hour you are looking for something to eat, often starchy and sweet.
You can probably see this sets off a vicious cycle that leads to weight gain and feeling lousy.
So, once again, if you are eating grains eat only whole grain products and look for "whole grain" on the label.
The food industry may be many things but it is not dumb. They respond to consumers as the rash of "low carb" products proves.
There is one other good thing about eating whole grains as opposed to refined stuff.
The thermogenic effect: that is the amount of energy it takes to "get at" the calorie source. When you eat whole grain foods you have to digest the bran and the germ to get at the starch source (the spurm).
This actually takes some energy, thus effectively lowering the total amount of calories you get from whole grain foods and slowing down the sugar release and the insulin response as well. These are all good things that don't happen with refined flour products.
Finally, there is the added effect of bowel regularity. If my practice is any indication, the amount of concern about how many bowel movements you have in a day is directly proportional to your age.
Eat whole grain products and you won't need to buy wheat germ or oat bran - you'll be getting it in your diet already.
As an added bonus, I am going to give you one of my favorite breakfast recipes Please notice the portion sizes. More diets and weight maintenance programs are lost on portion size than food choices, I promise you.
1 and _ (one and one quarter cup) whole grain wheat square type cereal
1/3 (one third cup) berries (your choice of type)
_ (one quarter) cup raisins
Next throw in some finely chopped raw unsalted almonds (careful here, there are a lot of calories!)
Low fat or skim milk or soy mil depending on your tolerance
This breakfast will keep you humming along for most of the morning, feeling energized and great.
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