The Goodness of Whole Grains

Most people are so afraid of carbs nowadays. Lots of confusing and conflicting advice you see around is making many people believe that grains are bad for our health, they make us gain weight and so on.

Well, yes indeed, excess amounts of white, processed carbs will make anyone gain weight and become unhealthy! When we look at the type of grains most North Americans consume, paired with other unhealthy habits, most certainly, we are looking at a population with soaring diseases such as diabetes, celiac, auto-immune diseases, obesity and heart disease.

Lucky for the marketers of the paleo and South beach diets; they made millions of dollars in profits off those premises (if you would like more information about those particular diets, take a look at the sources).

And not to underestimate these nutrition regimes’ power; those selling and marketing techniques proved to be very effective. When people go on any diet that restricts their carbs intake, especially the processed kinds, then results are eminent. People can lose weight fast in those diets… at least for a short time.

However, there is a catch! Anyone (or almost anyone) going on these very restrictive diets would not be able to sustain it for ever. Why? Because there are long term effects to eliminating carbohydrates out of anyone’s diet.

The benefits of carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are an essential part of individuals’ nutrition, same as fruits and vegetables. Remember, fruit and vegetables are rich in carbohydrates.

Societies, for the longest time, have been relying on grains as a major part of their diets, we are talking millennia. Asia, for example, has subsisted on rice for as long as we know. Latin America on rice and corn, Peru on quinoa, Russia on buckwheat (ie Kasha), North Africa on couscous and the list goes on.

The well-known macrobiotic way of living heavily relies on the consumption of whole grains (about 40-60% of the diet consists of grains). Most world populations have thrived on grains, as meat and vegetables may not have been readily available.

Just a quick note on the type of carbohydrates I am referring to in this article. I mainly refer to whole grains, as nature intended them; in other words, in their most raw state (regardless of them being cooked or not). Examples consist of brown rice, wild rice, quinoa, millet, buckwheat, amaranth, etc.

White bread, white rice, processed gluten free products do not consist in any shape or form, in my opinion, the best parts of a healthy grain and should be reduced as much as possible in our diets.

All kidding aside, whole grains are an excellent source of nutrients as they contain fiber, amino acids, enzymes, iron, vitamin E and B-complex vitamins. Also, because they are slowly absorbed by the body, they provide us with high quality and long-term energy.

Brown rice for example, it can even help stabilize blood sugar levels, contrary to popular belief. Quinoa is another great example of a powerful grain. It is a complete protein (along with buckwheat), containing all 8 essential amino acids; it is gluten-free, hence easier to digest; it strengthens the kidneys, heart and lungs, and it is ideal for building endurance.

Millet has been popular for years in China, India, Africa and Russia. It is anti-fungal, helps with bad breath, it is high in iron, potassium and magnesium, and it is also known to help soothe symptoms from morning sickness.

And these are only a few of the benefits of some major grains. It really makes me wonder, who wouldn’t want to benefit from all these marvelous qualities?