Why Eating Whole Grains is Good for Your Health

Many people are becoming increasingly health conscious as a plethora of health risks abound. Aside from an inactive lifestyle, one of the leading causes of poor health is the kind of diet people eat daily. In this age where almost everything is instant, the food consumed by majority of the population are either processed, too oily, too salty, too sweet or loaded with tons of preservatives. The benefits of eating fresh foods such as whole grains are currently being promoted to encourage each and every one to have a healthy and balanced diet for a healthy life.

Whole grains, like brown rice, oatmeal and whole-grain products such as bread and pasta, are considered as one of the natural health foods that should be a part of a healthy diet. Below are the benefits that you can get from consuming whole grains.

• They help reduce your risk of Type 2 diabetes, some types of cancer and heart disease.
• Some whole grains help reduce the levels of cholesterol and can also aid in the regulation of blood sugar levels.
• Whole grains can help control your weight.
• Good fiber is abundant in whole grains and their products.
• You can get vitamins, minerals and antioxidants from eating oats, wheat, rice, corn and other grains.

For optimum health, you should also take time to check out the Health Chemist website and check out its natural supplement offerings which can help you properly nourish your body and be disease-free.

Healthy Whole Grain Snacks

Planning to become healthier and fitter? Healthy eating is key to keeping an acceptable weight and preventing the body from catching diseases. It is highly advised that you incorporate whole grains into your diet which will provide you with enough fiber, energy and essential nutrients that the body needs to function properly. Whole grains means that the grain hasn’t gone through the removal of the parts which contain protein, nutrients and fiber.  Whole-grain products can be consumed not only as part of your meals but also in your snacks. Good thing about these food items is that they can be mixed with cheese, nuts, meats, nuts, fruits, vegetables and even yogurt.

It is so easy to come up with ideas on how to create healthy whole grain snacks that are delicious and filling at the same time. Try these suggestions and make your family raving about healthy and yummy treats made with whole grains.

1. Toast whole-grain English muffins and then top them with strawberry slices and cream cheese.
2. Grill cheese sandwiches by melting slices of cheddar cheese on whole-grain bread.
3. Pour whole-grain cereals on a bowl and top with fruits before pouring skim or low-fat milk.
4. Enjoy whole-grain crackers with a handful of nuts and sliced cheese.
5. Eat your pasta with cheese.
6. Spread hummus over English muffin and top with lunch meats.
7. Roll slices of turkey lunch meat with cheese on whole-grain crackers.
8. Create a healthy sandwich using apple slices and peanut butter on whole-grain bread.
9. Whip up a pasta salad using whole wheat pasta, carrots, red and green bell peppers, tomatoes, corn, olives and your choice of dressing.
10. Enjoy grain fruit bars.

Various Types Of Grains To Include In Your Diet

Whole grains to a healthy heart and sound body – the mantra of health-conscious people. Whole grains have been making noises as one of the most nutritious and beneficial types of foods to be included in one’s diet.  It is no doubt that whole grains are packed with lots of fiber that could lower your risk of certain lifestyle related diseases such as elevated cholesterol, elevated blood pressure, colon cancer and certain heart related ailments. Just like there are a number of policies offered by Sovereign Insurance, grains also come in different types.

In general, grains are classified into three types. Refined grains are the ones that went through a lot of milling process and have had most of their fiber content removed. In the milling process, some nutrients are lost too. Refined grains can be found in cakes, crackers, breads and cereals.  Enriched grains are grains that also underwent a lot of milling, but removed nutrients were put back in. The nutrients can be replaced but the lost fiber might not be recovered. The most beneficial type of grains is the whole grains. Whole grains are the unrefined ones and they have the most number of fiber content and nutrients. This type of grains is packed with vital nutrients such as magnesium, selenium and potassium. You can get your healthy dose of this grain through the following foods.

• Brown rice – Healthier option than white rice
• Corn – Also used in cornbreads, tortillas and polenta
• Oats – Used in hot cereal and baked goods
• Hulled barley – Can be used in soups, casseroles and stews
• Quinoa – Can be used in casseroles, desserts and pilaf
• Rye -Can be used in making flour
• Wheat berries -Can be used in hot cereals and baked goods

Just as you would be picky when selecting a health insurance policy, you should do the same with food. Only go for foods that you know your body can benefit from and stay away from those that will hurt your body.

Baking With Value Enhanced Grains

Value enhanced grains are now being prominently used in baking. These grain products are basically enriched with additional vitamins to boost their nutritional content. Most of the grains used in baking are enriched with Folic Acid. Folic Acid is essential especially to pregnant women since it is known to prevent the likeliness of birth defects. Grains enriched with Folic Acid are also advised to be consumed by women that have reached the child-bearing age.

A growing number of bakeries are now using value-enhanced or enriched grains when baking their goodies. This is mainly because of the fact that there is a huge nutritional difference between refined and value-added flours. Grains that were refined before they were milled lose about 50 percent of their inherent minerals, vitamin E and B-vitamins. Although it is possible to add these nutrients and minerals back during the process of flour enrichment, it is not possible to bring back all the minerals and vitamins that has been lost. Enriched grain products still have lesser chromium, Vitamin E, and B-vitamins compared to unprocessed value-added grains.  Something you can’t learn about in phlebotomy training classes.   Therefore, it is better to use value added grains that have been genetically-altered to have improve nutritional value. Value-added whole grains are ideal sources of fiber, calcium, phosphorus, calcium and other minerals that are bioengineered to the grain.

Grains, particularly whole grains, have been considered as an important part of a balanced and healthy diet. They are packed with complex carbohydrates, B-vitamins and other minerals beneficial to one’s health. Thanks to the availability of value-added grains, baking sweet treats low in sugar and fat is very much possible these days. Rather than buy commercially-produced pastries, you can just bake your own goodies at home. This is especially true for moms who want to teach their children how important grains are as a part of a healthy diet.

When value-added grains are used for baking, you ensure that your family will enjoy delicious baked goodies packed with plenty of nutritional benefits. Value-added grains made for baking are now available in the market so availing one should not be a problem. If you own a bake shop, you should find a reputable supplier of value-added grains to ensure that you will be offering your loyal customers with freshly baked goodies packed with vitamins and minerals.

Now that you are aware of the nutritional benefits offered by specialty or bioengineered grains, you should seriously consider shifting to the use of value-added grains when baking sweet treats for your family since they are especially made to carry more nutritional value to satisfy the body’s nutritional requirements without compromising the taste of baked goodies.

The Role Grains Play In A Well Balanced Diet

Why are whole grains beneficial to your diet? Whole grains are still referred to under the category of carbohydrates. Grains contain complex carbohydrates ideal for a healthy diet. Complex carbohydrates supply our body with the needed energy for every day’s activity. The energy utilized by our brain and nervous system is being supplied by carbohydrates. To keep our nervous system healthy, an adequate amount of carbohydrates should be taken daily.

Why You Should Choose Whole Grains Over Refined Ones?

There are generally two types of grains available. One is refined, while the other is whole grain. Refined grains have undergone a lot of milling process. In the said process, a lot of its fiber content and nutrition have already been removed. Whole grains, on the other hand, are very high in fiber, and thus offering more health benefits. The role of fiber in the body is as follows:

• Lowers cholesterol and blood pressure level
• Aids in normal excretion process and prevents constipation and diverticulitis
• Lowers blood sugar level
• Prevents one from overeating
• Lowers the risk of several heart disease

Whole-wheat grains also contain higher concentration of several essential nutrients such as iron. It is the only non-animal source where we can get the most iron. It is also rich in B-vitamins, which is essential for maintaining a healthy nervous system. Whole grains are also packed with thiamin, riboflavin and niacin. They are also known to be a good source of selenium (which functions to protect the cells in our body), and magnesium, which is vital for bone building.

Read and Check Food Labels

When shopping for your carbohydrate goodies, make sure to read the nutrition label to make sure that you are getting ones containing whole grains. Whole-wheat products are listed simply as whole wheat in the list of ingredients. Ascertain that it is listed among the first five ingredients, as nutrition packages often list the ingredients according to its content in the food item. Refined wheat products are often referred to as white enriched or bleached wheat flour. Some manufacturers also refer refined flour as wheat. So better check the labels twice for whole-wheat ingredients to ensure that you are really consuming fiber-filled whole grains.

Add More Whole Grains to Your Diet

There are several ways to apt up your whole grain intake. One way is to prefer eating brown rice over white rice. Instead of using breadcrumbs, use crushed oatmeal to achieve that crispy texture. You should also ditch white bread; and go for whole wheat or rye bread.

What Are Value Enhanced Grains?

Value enhanced grains simply refers to grains that are genetically modified or engineered to carry certain traits. Farmers and processors are showing great interest towards value-added grains. By enhancing the qualities or traits of grains, farmers become more satisfied, grain supplies are increased, consumers’ demands are met, and the grain’s value increases.

Grain enhancement is a new and effective concept that is now being employed in the grain industry. This help farmers and processors create changes in the production of grains depending on the needs and demands of consumers.

Value enhanced grains open up a lot of opportunities for grain growers and farmers. One reason why valued enhanced grains are popular these days is because they help boost diversity in the production of grains.

Forces Propelling the Grain Industry

The grain industry is now being propelled by a variety of forces that have a significant effect not only grain production but also to grain marketing. Value enhanced grains are basically a result of genetic modifications. Genetically enhancing the traits of grains help farmers to produce herbicide resistant, pest resistant and drought resistant grains.

Value-added traits engineered on grains are done to satisfy the ever changing demands of end-users. Consumers, these days, are becoming more and more specific about what they expect from grain products. Because of this, processors feel the need to come up with specialty grains (ones with value-added traits) in order to meet these demands. Grain enhancement helps processors to adjust the grain products they produce according to the consumer’s demand.

Some Examples of Specialty or Value Added Grains

High Protein Corn. High oil corn hybrids are now being widely engineered these days in which amino acid profiles are added to the hybrids. This type of grains is used mainly for livestock feeding.

Specialty Soybeans. Soybeans produced today can now be modified to carry specific genetic traits.

Plant Genetics

Specialty grains are infused with unique genetic characteristics or traits to assume specific uses. For instance, corn engineered with high protein is now being used as livestock feed. This value enhanced grain present a more cost-effective alternative to the more expensive protein sources. High yielding white corn, meanwhile, is mainly used for alkaline cooking commonly observed in Mexican foods. The value added trait to high yielding white corn is quite beneficial, and targeted towards, the Mexican market.

Thanks to advancement made to plant genetics, farmers and producers now have full control on what intrinsic qualities they can add to the grain they are producing or growing. This in turn allows them to improve the genetic qualities of a particular type of grain.