A whole grain is a seed or grain consisting of three parts: bran, or husk; germ, the embryo that can develop into a plant; and endosperm, the food source of the embryo. These three parts contain important nutrients, such as protein, vitamin B, antioxidants, minerals, and unsaturated fat which is beneficial to human body. It also helps lower blood sugar in whole grains and cereals, for example, and helps control blood sugar. Let's take a look.
A whole grain diet is important, but many people don't know what it is. "Some people are not sure what whole grains are," said Kathy McManus, a registered dietitian and director of nutrition at brigand women's Hospital Affiliated to Harvard Medical School. "It confuses them and leads them to choose the wrong food."
Risk of fine grain
Many food manufacturers refine whole grains in the production process, removing the bran and germ, leaving only the endosperm. These refined cereals, such as white flour milled rice, are easy to digest, but can increase blood sugar rapidly. "The problem is that after that, blood sugar will drop dramatically and you will feel hungry again, leading to overeating," McManus said. Eating fine grains all day is like riding a roller coaster. " After a period of time, frequent fluctuations in blood glucose may lead to type 2 diabetes.
How to choose whole grain food
With the enhancement of people's health awareness, brown rice, germinated brown rice, whole wheat flour, oatmeal and other whole grain foods have begun to appear in the streets of China. However, the scale of brown rice is still small, and the output is very small. It is mainly imported. The domestic market products are very rare, mainly from bread, baby milk powder and other food.
In China's traditional diet, food is divided into staple food and non-staple food. The former mainly refers to Cereals, while the latter mainly refers to fish, meat, eggs, milk, etc. Nutritionists in many countries believe that, compared with the western countries' excessive diet structure of animal food, the Chinese people's diet pattern of plant-based food supplemented by animal food is superior, which is not only conducive to nutrition and health, but also saves energy and protects the environment.
Whole grain food belongs to health food. Regular use of these foods can reduce the risk of heart disease, some cancers and type II diabetes. It can also prevent cardiovascular diseases and reduce digestive system diseases. Studies have shown that oatmeal.
Whole grain foods such as whole wheat bread and brown rice belong to health food. Generally, the whole grain food does not remove the outer layer of husk when it is processed, which completely preserves the nutrients in the grain, especially some vitamins. At the same time, grain shell is a kind of natural dietary fiber, which can promote intestinal digestion. In brief, it can reduce weight and effectively inhibit constipation. Most of the advantages are the benefits of dietary fiber.
According to the characteristics of human metabolism, it is very suitable to use cereal as the main source of heat energy. Starch and sugar, which provide heat energy in cereals, have simple structure and can be quickly oxidized and decomposed by human body, thus obtaining a large amount of heat energy in a short time. Carbon dioxide and water, the final products of oxidative decomposition, can be easily removed from the body.
Choosing pure whole grain foods is not easy. Misleading marketing promises on some food packaging, such as "pure natural" (the term is currently being discussed by the FDA) and "multigrain" (meaning more than one grain, but not stated as whole grain).
It is strongly advocated to read the food label instead of the front of the package. "The first ingredient should be whole grains, such as whole grains, not fortified wheat," she said In addition, find the whole grain Council's "100% whole grain" logo, which indicates that all the cereal ingredients in the product are whole grains.
Find whole grains in the supermarket and memorize their names. Wheat, rye, barley, and rye. The same healthy grains are teff, single grain wheat, two grain wheat, amaranth, millet, quinoa, black rice, rye and spelt.
Buy whole grains in a set meal or a variety of different products, and learn what a whole grain meal looks like. "A whole grain meal includes a slice of whole grain bread, a half cup of cooked whole grain or whole grain pasta, half an eight inch whole grain pancake or pita, two medium brown rice cakes, a cup of whole grain dry oatmeal, or seven whole grain crackers," McManus said.
Try eating a few whole grains at each meal and making it more integrated into your menu: whole cereal for breakfast, whole grain bread in sandwiches for lunch, whole grain crackers for snacks, and cooked whole grain in soup or salad or as a side dish for dinner.
Upgraded oatmeal
Try to change your diet and add a bit of fun to your menu. "Adding crushed dry wheat, barley, or millet to a cereal can give it a better flavor," says Kathy McManus. "To make a more traditional hot cereal, you need oats, buckwheat, or quinoa." Try an interesting mix of ingredients, such as figs, Italian black vinegar and gorgonjules, or slice parmesan cheese with a little olive oil, sea salt and black pepper.
