Why “Whole Grains” Aren’t As Healthy As You’re Told…

The ‘whole grain’ food trend has caught on in recent years.

And I think that is a great thing. It means that more people are becoming conscious of what they are choosing to eat, and are looking for healthier choices.

But before you fill your cupboards with whole grain foods, make sure you know the full story…

From speaking to hundreds of new people every month who seek my help with weight loss and health, I realized something.

Most people are aware believe that whole grain foods are generally better choices than sugars and fast-food. However, most people are unaware of what a healthy whole grain food is, and what it isn’t.

I’m going to reveal why most whole grains you see are nothing but cleverly-disguised junk food. Then I’ll show you how to identify real, healthy whole grain foods that will help your weight loss, not harm it.

But first, why is a real whole grain food good for you? What are the benefits?

Unprocessed, whole grain carb foods are great because:

• They’re high in fibre, which helps control cravings and boosts fat loss
• They’re slow to digest which controls blood sugar, and makes your body store less fat
• They typically include lots of vitamins and minerals

These foods are more easily absorbed by your body that ‘regular’ carbs such as breads, pastas, rice and cereals.

Whole Grain Confusion

There is a lot of confusion about what a healthy, unprocessed carbohydrate food actually is.

Many people think of whole grain bread, crackers, and pastas. Now, I’ll admit that those choices are ‘better’ than regular junk food, but these foods aren’t the healthy options you’ve been led to believe they are.

There are a huge amount of foods carrying the ‘whole grain’ label, making you believe they’re contain the same benefits as above. But do you really know the truth about whole grain breads?

What about oat-bars? Whole grain crackers? These foods aren’t what you think they are.

Here’s the problem: when a food packet says “whole grain” that doesn’t mean its a whole grain food.

Confusing, I know!

Here’s why: because food labelling standards are quite ‘relaxed’ and vague, food packets can be deceiving and misleading at times. For instance, a box of Coco Pops can tell you that it contains ‘whole grain’ because they’re adding small amounts of “whole grain corn” and “whole grain wheat” to their recipe.

Many people who are unaware will simply see the label, think it’s a good choice for their kids and put it in their trolley without a second thought.

But the front of the packet doesn’t mention anything about the heavily processed ingredients including sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, and other preservatives and additives.

There will always be people who claim that these foods are at least a better option, but who are we trying to fool here?

These products are 99% processed, weight-gaining junk food, with a 1% sprinkle of whole grain corn on top. That’s right – most products using the ‘whole grain’ label only need to include 1% whole grain to qualify for the badge.

When we recommend unprocessed whole grain carbohydrates, we are talking about foods that ARE whole grains. Not the foods that contain some ‘whole grain’ ingredients. That’s the big difference.

 

What ARE The Real Whole Grain Foods?

Here is a quick list of some whole grain foods we recommend to our clients at Bodyshape Transformation Centre:

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• Quinoa
• Barley
• Plain wild rice
• Steel cut oats
• Amaranth
• Millet

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Most of these whole grains are cooked just as easily as rice.

Most supermarkets now have a wider selection of these foods in their health section, as the trend grows. Just remember to visit the health section of the shop, and don’t pick up your whole grain foods from the kids’ breakfast cereal isle!

As a portion control guideline, we recommend including a portion of whole grain foods equal to the size of your fist to a meal.