Whole grain foods in healthy weight loss diets

By Weight Loss Consultant • Related • Filed Under

Many diets and weight loss programs recommend eating whole grains as part of their dietary requirements. So how does the average consumer know what whole grains are? People may want to know what properties that whole grains have that are beneficial to their dietary needs as well. For food substances to be considered as whole grains, the grains or foods that are produced with these grains must contain the whole grain seed or kernel. The three parts that make up the kernel are the bran, the germ, and the endosperm. Grains that have been refined or manipulated such as in the case of cracked or crushed grains may be called whole grain substances if they retain all the properties that are particular to the kernel of the original grain product.

So why are all grain products not equal in their nutritional qualities? Well simply said, when grains are refined or processed, they lose a lot of the nutritional value that they had when the grain was whole. The refining process usually removes large portions of the bran and some parts of the germ of the grain. This results in the loss of vitamins and minerals as well as dietary fiber. Manufacturers of processed grain can and do add some nutrients to their products to increase the nutritional values of them. Some of them add bran to these. The law requires that some grains are fortified with folate as well as some of the B vitamins.

So what are the nutritional benefits of whole grains in a person’s diet? First they are high in fiber. Clinical research studies have shown that foods that are high in fiber are more filling and satisfying than other foods. Fiber is helpful in assisting elimination of toxins by the body. Fiber has also been shown to be helpful in reducing cholesterol levels in the body. It assists with general health issues. It may be beneficial in reducing the chances of getting breast or colon cancer.

In addition to being high in fiber whole grain foods are those which have low values on the glycemic index. These foods are digested very slowly. They do not cause peaks and sudden fluctuations of blood sugar and insulin levels. This helps the body to keep its glucose and insulin levels regulated. Therefore it can work more efficiently while using much less energy. These are very beneficial to people who want to lose weight. Whole grains are much better choices than other grain products which are refined. Refined grains that are used for food products are on the high end of the glycemic index scale. White bread is one of these types of foods. It has little nutritional value and is high in carbohydrates which can cause weight gain.

Consumers that want to incorporate whole grains into their diets should actively read the labels on the foods that they purchase. Whole grain foods should have a whole grain listed as the first food substance on the ingredient label. The words whole or whole grain should be listed on the ingredients as well prior to the type of grain that the product is made of. The Food and Drug Administration also has regulations on these types of foods which require that they must contain over 51% of whole grain substances according to the food’s weight. The product must also be low in fat content.

Here is a list of whole grain products that can be found and purchased. Oats or oatmeal and whole wheat are two of the most well known and readily available whole grains. Other whole grains that can be purchased include whole rye, popcorn, whole grain corn, brown and wild rice, barley, cracked wheat and sorghum to name a few.

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