Eat More Whole Grains

What Are Whole Grains?

Adding whole grains to your part-time vegetarian diet will benefit you in many ways.  I'm sure you've heard that you should eat more whole grains, but what are they?, how much should you eat?, and where can you easily get them?  Eating at least three or more one-ounce equivalents of whole grains daily can reduce the risk of many diseases and help you achieve a healthy diet.  Whole grains are hearty, healthy, and tasty.  If you are an earnest part-time vegetarian seeking optimal health, whole grains provide a one-stop source for nutrients, antioxidants and phytochemicals vital to your well-being. 

Whole grains are the entire seed (or kernel) of the plant. A single seed of grain contains three distinct parts: the bran, the endosperm and germ.  If all three parts of the grain are included, the food is considered a whole grain.

• Bran. The outer seed layer: full of fiber, B vitamins, 50 percent to 80 percent of the grain's minerals, plus other health-promoting plant substances called phytochemicals.
• Germ. The inner embryo: full of B vitamins, vitamin E, trace minerals and small amounts of healthful unsaturated fats, phytochemicals and antioxidants.
• Endosperm. The starchy middle: contains carbohydrates, some protein and smaller amounts of B vitamins.

 These whole grains are ground, cracked, or flaked kernel, which includes the bran, the germ, and the inner most part of the kernel (the endosperm).  Some examples of whole grains include whole wheat, oatmeal, Corn (including whole cornmeal and popcorn), Brown Rice, Wild Rice, whole-grain Barley, whole Rye, Amaranth, Millet, Quinoa, and Buckwheat.

Health Benefits of Whole Grains

Medical evidence has clearly proven that eating whole grains on a regular basis reduces the risks of heart disease, stroke, cancer and diabetes.  Regularly eating whole grains reduces your risk of obesity, as measured by body mass index and waist-to-hip ratios, and will  also lower your cholesterol levels.  Few foods can offer such diverse health benefits. Whole grains also contain valuable phytochemicals and antioxidants. Eating only  three daily servings of whole grains have been shown to reduce their risk of heart disease by 25-36%, stroke by 37%, Type II diabetes by 21-27%, digestive system cancers by 21-43%, and hormone-related cancers by 10-40%. 

Eating the right types and amounts of whole grains can:

• Lower triglycerides
• Lower blood pressure
• Improve insulin control
• Ease constipation and other digestive disorders
• Help with weight management
• Slow the buildup of plaque in your arteries

How do I identify Whole Grains?

The ingredient list on a food label shows ingredients in the order of the most abundant by weight.  When selecting products that contain whole grains, look for those that show whole grains listed first on the ingredient list.  For products such as bread or pasta to be labeled whole grain, the grain can be ground, cracked, or flaked, but it must retain the same proportions of bran, germ, and endosperm.  Any label that says 100% whole grain is the best product you can buy.  It is really easy and fun to get three servings of whole grains a day and they are a great filler for meats.

Examples of one whole grain serving include:

• 1/2 cup cooked brown rice or other cooked grain
• 1/2 cup cooked 100% whole-grain pasta
• 1/2 cup cooked hot cereal, such as oatmeal
• 1 ounce uncooked whole grain pasta, brown rice or other grain
• 1 slice 100% whole grain bread
• 1 very small (1 oz.) 100% whole grain muffin
• 1 cup 100% whole grain ready-to-eat cereal

Here are more easy ways to incorporate whole grains into your daily diet:

• Substitute half the white flour with whole wheat flour in your regular recipes for cookies, muffins, quick breads and pancakes or add up to 20% of another whole grain flour such as quinoa or amaranth.
  
• Replace one third of the flour in a recipe with quick oats or old-fashioned oats.
  
• Add half a cup of cooked bulgur, wild rice, or barley to stuffings.
  
• Add half a cup of cooked wheat or rye berries, wild rice, brown rice, bulgur or barley to your favorite canned or home-made soup.
  
• Use whole corn meal for corn cakes, corn breads and corn muffins.
  
• Add three-quarters of a cup of uncooked oats for each pound of ground beef or turkey when you make meatballs, burgers or meatloaf.
  
• Stir a handful of oats in your yogurt, for quick crunch with no cooking necessary.

Start adding whole grains to your diet on a daily basis and reap the health benefits of whole grains.   

Don't Have a Cow!

As part-time-vegetarians, we are concerned with eating the most healthy diet available.  How many servings of fruit did you eat today?  How many vegetable servings?  What about whole grains, legumes and nuts?  The evidence that a diet loaded with fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains reduces the risks of all major causes of illness and death is so overwhelming that it is no longer debatable.  While I do not advocate a purely Vegetarian or Vegan diet, I do advocate eating less red meat.  Here are many reasons why you should avoid eating red meat.

• Red meat is high in saturated fat and cholesterol
• Cows take longer to grow so they have more time to absorb toxins from the pesticide ridden grains they are fed.  They are treated with growth hormones so they grow faster and fed large doses of antibiotics to keep them from getting sick.  If you eat fast food burgers, a lot of them are treated further with all kinds of preservatives, additives, and chemicals.  Treat yourself to a homemade burger of organic beef from the supermarket.  
• An increased risk of bowel cancer was found for people who ate more than two servings of red meat per week. "Men who eat red meat as a main dish five or more times a week have four times the risk of colon cancer of men who eat red meat less than once a month," says Edward Giovannucci of Harvard Medical School. 
• Heavy-red-meat eaters are also twice as likely to get prostate cancer.
• Excessive amounts of red meat can lead to a higher risk of osteoporosis due to an acid byproduct from digesting very large amounts of protein.
• Eating red meat every day can double the risk of Arthritis
• A recent study found that rating more than one serving of red meat per day can double the risk of breast cancer, especially in young women. 
• Energy use. It takes almost ten times more energy to produce and transport livestock than vegetables.
• Soil erosion.  For each pound of meat, poultry, eggs, and milk we produce, farm fields lose about five pounds of topsoil.
• Overgrazing. About ten percent of the arid West has been turned into a desert by livestock.

The message I want to get across is that red meat should be eaten at most a couple times a week. Other foods, such as poultry, fish and beans are great red meat substitutes that provide lots of protein and should be eaten more frequently. When you do eat red meat, choose smaller portions, lean cuts and organic if you can afford it.  When preparing red meat, it should be roasted, broiled, or braised rather than frying or grilling it.

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