The whole truth about whole grains
Mary Beth Faller
The Arizona Republic
Feb. 8, 2005 12:00 AM
The government's new dietary guidelines, released last month, emphasize that Americans need to eat fewer calories and exercise more. More specifically, the food we eat should be more nutritious.
One way to do that is to substitute whole-grain foods, such as brown rice or whole-wheat bread, for refined-grain foods, such as white bread and bagels. It isn't that hard to do, says Kelli Morgan, a registered dietitian at Paradise Valley Hospital.
How's this for why to look for whole grain products:
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Q: Why is whole grain better?
A: Whole grains have more fiber, double the calcium, six times more magnesium and four times more potassium.
Some people probably don't know that the antioxidants found in grains are not present in fruits and vegetables. Antioxidants are important for fighting cancer. Studies have shown that people who eat whole grains have lower body- mass index, lower total cholesterol and a lower waist-to-hip ratio. Epidemiological studies on a variety of different populations noted that people who eat three daily servings of whole grains reduced their risk of heart disease, stroke, type-2 diabetes and digestive-system cancers.
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Sunday, February 20, 2005
Wednesday, February 09, 2005
Selling Wholesomeness in the Breakfast Bowl
Interesting piece in the NYTimes on Whole Grains in the market and the new marketing push
click here for the article Eating Well: Selling Wholesomeness in the Breakfast Bowl
"Whole grains" are buzz words for 2005. One market research firm, Mintel, has declared them the ingredient of the year. On Monday, Post cereals announced its lineup of whole grain cereals. The rush brings back memories of the late 1980's and the oat bran craze , which lost steam as soon as oat bran potato chips appeared on the market.
But whole grains are different. They are not unnatural additions to food, the way oat bran was for most products. White flour did not become popular until after the Civil War, when the invention of the steel roller mill made the refining process cheap. But the process of refining grains strips them of much of their vitamin, mineral and fiber content. That is why ready-to-eat cereals are fortified with many - though not all - of those lost vitamins and minerals. Fiber is not added back.
The whole grain movement received an important boost when the federal dietary guidelines, released last month, suggested that half of the recommended grain servings consumed by Americans be whole grains, particularly because of their fiber content. Whole grains now make up only 5 percent of the grains eaten by Americans.
click here for the article Eating Well: Selling Wholesomeness in the Breakfast Bowl
"Whole grains" are buzz words for 2005. One market research firm, Mintel, has declared them the ingredient of the year. On Monday, Post cereals announced its lineup of whole grain cereals. The rush brings back memories of the late 1980's and the oat bran craze , which lost steam as soon as oat bran potato chips appeared on the market.
But whole grains are different. They are not unnatural additions to food, the way oat bran was for most products. White flour did not become popular until after the Civil War, when the invention of the steel roller mill made the refining process cheap. But the process of refining grains strips them of much of their vitamin, mineral and fiber content. That is why ready-to-eat cereals are fortified with many - though not all - of those lost vitamins and minerals. Fiber is not added back.
The whole grain movement received an important boost when the federal dietary guidelines, released last month, suggested that half of the recommended grain servings consumed by Americans be whole grains, particularly because of their fiber content. Whole grains now make up only 5 percent of the grains eaten by Americans.
Tuesday, February 08, 2005
Initial posting
This posting is to display font and general text appearance
Over time, we’ll post information that relates to the health benefits of whole grains, in particular, spelt, with citations and links to other sites with relevant information
We may solicit client/customer feedback and post recipes
We will be able to post announcements of new products and promotions
Much more to come down the road
Over time, we’ll post information that relates to the health benefits of whole grains, in particular, spelt, with citations and links to other sites with relevant information
We may solicit client/customer feedback and post recipes
We will be able to post announcements of new products and promotions
Much more to come down the road
Tuesday, March 04, 2003
PERSONAL HEALTH; For Unrefined Healthfulness: Whole Grains
The New York Times: Health
By Jane E. Brody
Published March 4, 2003
"Carbohydrates have been taking a beating lately, blamed for the growing obesity epidemic, a raised risk of heart disease and diabetes, among others. To be sure, the carbs that predominate in the American diet -- sugars and refined starches -- deserve much of this unsavory reputation.
Consumed to excess as they are now, refined starches act like sugars. Each is widely considered a major culprit in making people overweight, and being excessively overweight adversely affects blood lipids and blood sugar, fostering heart disease and diabetes.
But there is another far more wholesome kind of carbohydrate -- whole grains, which make up only 5 percent of Americans' carbohydrate consumption.
Whole grains contain health-enhancing bran (the outer layer) and germ (the internal embryo) naturally found in all grains. When grains are refined to make white flour and white rice, for example, the bran and germ and all their healthful nutrients, antioxidants and other disease-fighting plant chemicals are systematically removed."
and "A Role in Weight Control"
"But when a food contains all or mostly whole grains, digestion and absorption are slowed by the fibrous bran and by the protein and fat in the germ, increasing satiety and delaying the return of hunger. People who eat more whole grains tend to weigh less than those who consume fewer."
Note that the article has errors with the listings for online sources.
For Spelt (Farro) go to Purity Foods
By Jane E. Brody
Published March 4, 2003
"Carbohydrates have been taking a beating lately, blamed for the growing obesity epidemic, a raised risk of heart disease and diabetes, among others. To be sure, the carbs that predominate in the American diet -- sugars and refined starches -- deserve much of this unsavory reputation.
Consumed to excess as they are now, refined starches act like sugars. Each is widely considered a major culprit in making people overweight, and being excessively overweight adversely affects blood lipids and blood sugar, fostering heart disease and diabetes.
But there is another far more wholesome kind of carbohydrate -- whole grains, which make up only 5 percent of Americans' carbohydrate consumption.
Whole grains contain health-enhancing bran (the outer layer) and germ (the internal embryo) naturally found in all grains. When grains are refined to make white flour and white rice, for example, the bran and germ and all their healthful nutrients, antioxidants and other disease-fighting plant chemicals are systematically removed."
and "A Role in Weight Control"
"But when a food contains all or mostly whole grains, digestion and absorption are slowed by the fibrous bran and by the protein and fat in the germ, increasing satiety and delaying the return of hunger. People who eat more whole grains tend to weigh less than those who consume fewer."
Note that the article has errors with the listings for online sources.
For Spelt (Farro) go to Purity Foods
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