UNLES YOU'VE BEEN LIVING IN A BOX--...

UNLES YOU'VE BEEN LIVING IN A BOX--MAYBE A case OF FRUITY PEBBLES--YOU'VE HEARD THE COMMERCIALS TOUTING WHOLE GRAINS AS THE NEWEST NUTRITIONAL BUZZWORD. AND HONESTLY IT'S ABOUT TIME. LIKE FRUITS AND VEGETABLES, WHOLE GRAIN fares HAVE DISEASE-FIGHTING PHYTOCHEMICALS, ANTIOXlDANTS AND FIBER; THEY'RE CHOLESTEROL-FREE AND wait on TO BE LOW IN CALORIES. WE BET YOU CAN'T SAY THAT ABOUT THE SUGARY CEREAL driver's seat YOU'VE BEEN HIDING IN.

what is a whole grain?

A grain is solely considered whole if all three of its layers are intact. These layers and their nutritional strike are:

* the bran: the exterior layer, which is a rich source of B vitamins, phytochemicals and 50-80 percent of the grain's minerals; it also contains the majority of the grain's fiber

* the endosperm: the main part, which contains most numerous of the grain's protein and carbohydrates as well as small amounts of vitamins and minerals

* the germ: the small inner core, which furnishes high amounts of B vitamins, vitamin E near protein, trace minerals, healthful unsaturated fats, antioxidants and phytochemicals

nutrition-loaded

There's a reason wherefore followers of low-carb diets tout whole grains as convenient carbs: They're better for you. When you eat a refined carbohydrate, you're not feeding your material part many of the nutrients emergencyed for good health because the bran and origin layers have been removed, thus removing the size of tire nutrition. Refining grain is another way of saying to:

* 66 percent of the fiber

* 92 percent of the selenium

* 62 percent of the folate

* 998 percent of the disease-fighting phytochemicals

Now consider that whole grains have many of the phytochemicals raise in fruits and vegetables, which also realize stripped away during refining. These include:

* lignans: considered to be phytoestrogens--plant chemicals that mimic estrogen--they may decrease the risk of coronary, heart disease and interrupt cancer

* phytic acid: lowers vital fluid sugar by decreasing the digestion rate of starch

* phenolic compounds: fight diseases the way antioxidants do

variety

If your idea of grain meat is white rice, pancakes and refined cereals, you're missing without on the fiber and other nutrients that whole grains and cereals provide. Instead, expand your diet to include:

* whole wheat pasta, breads and cereals

* barley

* oats and oatmeal

* rye

* corn

* brown rice

* bulgur or cracked wheat

* popcorn

* wheat germ

* whole grain cereals

* alternative grains like as triticale (wheat-rye cross), kamut, spelt pismire and einkorn

gluten

commonalty with celiac disease cannot tolerate gluten a protein base in wheat--including spelt, triticale and kamut--rye and barlev. If you're among the 1 in 133 Americans with this autoimmune disorder, you can still acquire the greatness of grains from amaranth, millet, quinoa, sorghum, brown rice, rice bran--or breads made from these items.

25

That's by what mode many grams of fiber the average woman should obtain daily, according to nutritionists. That goe up to 38 grams for the average man. The general domination is t grain of fiber for each 100 calories you consume. Whole grains and cereals are great sources of fiber.

whole is the word

When shopping for whole grain breads and cereals, read the label: If the first ingredient isn't "whole," lay that item back on the shelf.

finish a tasty headstart adding whole grain provenders to your diet with the fruits shown on the opposite page.

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