Whole Grain? Is it healthier than not?

[Jay Lalik]

Everyone knows eating a ton of carbs with whole grain is the fountain of youth.

I am wondering about this mostly for other people. I try to avoid grains. I will eat corn tortillas/chips and the occasional sandwich at a restaurant.

I go out of my way to avoid bread. I eat a version of paleo w. dairy (no skim BS), if you want to call it that.

But...... I help some friends get in shape and cutting out stuff from their diet is NOT GOING TO HAPPEN unfortunately. I can only make small improvements.

So.... if you are going to eat bread, cereal, etc., is it better to eat the whole grain version?

[Scott Tredennick]

yes, whole grains are less processed.

[Katherine Derbyshire]

What else is in the bread?

While it's true that whole grains are healthier by themselves, they're often used as essentially additives in breads that are full of high fructose corn syrup and other bad stuff. You're better off with a good, honest, high quality white flour loaf than an overly processed pile of chemicals that happens to include whole grains.

Read labels. Or better yet, make your own.

Katherine

[Steven Low]

If you're gonna go with bread I'd go with white bread or anything that doesn't have wheat derivatives.

I'd avoid cereals altogether.

[Katherine Derbyshire]

Originally Posted by Steven Low

If you're gonna go with bread I'd go with white bread or anything that doesn't have wheat derivatives.

Huh? White flour is wheat flour. Pretty much any bread that doesn't explicitly say it's gluten-free will have wheat. That includes rye bread, corn bread, etc. Wheat flour is still the primary ingredient.

Katherine

[Aaron Gainer]

Stick with Rice and Potatoes if you choose to have Starch. Gluten disrupts the immune system and can cause weight gain!!!

[Darryl Shaw]

Originally Posted by Jay Lalik

So.... if you are going to eat bread, cereal, etc., is it better to eat the whole grain version?

Whole grain bread and whole grains in general are better for you than refined grains.

Why whole grains are protective: biological mechanisms.

Cereals, legumes, and chronic disease risk reduction: evidence from epidemiologic studies.

Cereal grains, legumes, and weight management: a comprehensive review of the scientific evidence

White Rice, Brown Rice, and Risk of Type 2 Diabetes in US Men and Women.

*All links wfs*

[Shane Skowron]

Originally Posted by Steven Low

If you're gonna go with bread I'd go with white bread or anything that doesn't have wheat derivatives.

I'd avoid cereals altogether.

White bread is a cereal...

[Kyle Borowsky]

interesting thoughts being shared on here. a lot of half truths being shared though. if you chose to follow the paeleo philosophy then you should avoid all grains. however, is that really nececary or a good idea? you need carbohydrates in your diet. when choosing between two types of bread whole grain is the better option. it is also important to know not everything that simply says whole grain on the label is necesarily a good option. bc of all the tricky rules that are used in advertising what a label often says is not always what it means. for example any product can say no trans fat as long as the trans fat is below .5 grams. on second look at the ingridients though you will see partially hydrgidanted oils of some type which is transfat.

in summery...
1. your body does need some carbohydrates. you can get these from vegitables and whole grains.
2. two good examples of whole grains include brown rice and quinoa.
3. here are examples of specific healthy breads that I strongly recomend...
men's bread, women's bread, ezikial bread, and mana bread.

the thing about carbohydrates is moderation and being in tune with how your body reacts to the food you ingest.

[Shane Skowron]

Originally Posted by Kyle Borowsky

if you chose to follow the paeleo philosophy then you should avoid all grains.

That's only the mainstream version of the Paleo diet.

If you want to follow the "true" paleo diet, by which I mean the diet actually followed by paleolithic man, you would be consuming a modest amount of grains. They would be minimally processed. There is a lot of evidence to suggest that man paleolithic peoples had rudimentary tools for processing basic grains and consumed them on a regular basis.
I don't think they were pouring Corn Flakes into their stone bowls, but I do think they were eating more than most modern day paleo adherents think.