How healthy are those whole grains?

We’ve all been told that a healthy diet includes lots of fruits and vegetables, healthy sources of protein like fish, and whole grains. Whole grains are essentially the seeds of the plants they grow on. Like other seeds, like sunflower, chia, and flax seeds, whole seeds can contain nutrients. They offer healthy fatty acids, proteins, minerals and are a good source of fiber. A diet rich in raw natural seeds is recommended for the health benefits of reducing the risk of diabetes, heart disease, and more.

He got the message about whole grains, and apparently so did the bread makers. The word “grains” is plastered all over the outside of the bread package with some products cleverly disguised to provide “whole” grains. An obvious sign to look for is the word “multigrain.” The fact that more than one grain has been used in the bread making process does not mean that whole grains are included. That bread can include seven different varieties of refined starches. Don’t be fooled by the word “natural” either. There is no standard that defines what “natural” means, and refined starch is also a natural product with many of the valuable nutrients and fiber removed.

If you insist on buying bread as a whole grain source, plan to spend some time studying the labels before deciding on an acceptable product. If the first ingredient is wheat flour of any kind, then you won’t get whole grains. Don’t limit your inspections to wheat bread only. You may find that your favorite rye bread also includes wheat flour as the first ingredient.

If the ingredients list 100% whole wheat as the first item, then you are close to finding a bread source for whole wheat. Don’t stop with the ingredient list. Look at the sodium levels of breads that offer less than 200 mg of sodium per slice. A sandwich adds 400 mg or more to your daily amount, which can challenge your diet plan.

However, whole wheat bread can offer some nutritional benefits at a huge dietary cost. Whole wheat bread has a glycemic index of 72, a whopping 13 points higher than unrefined table sugar. That’s right, it would be better to eat a tablespoon of sugar than to eat two slices of whole wheat bread! Both will increase your insulin, but the bread will make it faster and your waistline will continue to grow as you delude yourself that you are getting all the goodness of whole grains into your body.

Are you still hooked? Okay, so you say you’re eating “light” bread. You may still get up to fifteen grams of high-glycemic carbohydrates, with spikes in insulin, with each slice. If the label does not list 100% whole grains as the first ingredient, less than 4 grams of fiber, and less than 200 mg of sodium per slice, leave the bar on the shelf where you found it.

For a better idea, find a simple raw whole seed crackers recipe and change your bread habit to that. Raw seeds offer all the benefits of nutrients without any of the glycemic problems of wheat and bread products. Oh, while you’re at it, ditch the idea of ​​scooping sugar … not a good option.

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