Going With the Grain (article)

[Guest guest]

Just to keep up morale! ;=)

 

Best, Pat

 

The Lean Plate Club: Going With the Grain

Tuesday, February 5, 2002; Page HE02

 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A22902-2002Feb4.html

 

What if a single food group could help prevent heart disease, cut the

risk of diabetes (even in those just a step away from getting it),

reduce cholesterol and blood pressure, control weight and protect

against the hazards of a high-fat diet?

 

Say hello to your new nutritional best friend: whole grains. Rich in

vitamins, minerals, fiber and other healthful substances, this food

group includes such staples as oatmeal, whole wheat bread, high-fiber

cereals and wild rice. Long known to reduce cholesterol and blood

pressure, it's gaining new respect as a protector of health in other

ways, too.

 

Yes, some fad diet gurus have tried in recent years to tar the

reputation of all carbs, including the whole grain variety. But these

faddists are fighting overwhelming scientific evidence to the

contrary. " It really is an abuse of the public to suggest that

carbohydrates are bad for your health, " says David Katz, director of

Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center in New Haven, Conn.

 

Just as all fats are not created equal, " all carbohydrates are not

created equal either, " says JoAnn E. Manson, chief of preventive

medicine at Harvard's Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.

 

Some of the best carbohydrate foods contain whole grains -- that is,

grains that have not been processed to strip away the bran or the

germ, which provide fiber and a host of vitamins, minerals and other

nutrients. Whole grains slow the rise of blood sugar and create less

pressure on the pancreas to produce large amounts of insulin -- a

demand that helps set the stage for type II diabetes.

 

The benefits of whole grains don't stop there. More than 150 studies

show that people who eat high-fiber diets " have lower rates of

colorectal and other types of cancer, " says Peter Greenwald, director

of cancer prevention at the National Cancer Institute (NCI).

 

Whole grains can also lower blood pressure, cut cholesterol levels

and help with weight loss by increasing the feeling of fullness. They

may even protect arteries against some of the ill effects of high-fat

diets, according to a report published by Katz and his colleagues in

the November issue of Preventive Medicine.

 

In the study, 50 healthy volunteers each drank a 450-calorie,

high-fat, vanilla-coconut ice cream shake once for breakfast.

Researchers then used echocardiography to measure the effect on

arteries three hours after eating. In laymen's terms, the arteries

" were quite unhappy " following the shake, Katz says. " Just this one

high-fat shake caused them to narrow when they should have dilated.

This type of reaction can potentially place a stress on the heart by

reducing blood flow. "

 

But it was a different story after the same participants ate a daily

bowl of hot oatmeal (containing about three grams of fiber) for

breakfast and snacked on a bowl of cold cereal (with about two grams

of fiber) each afternoon. When the volunteers drank the high-fat

shake after a month of this preparation, their blood vessels stayed

opened, suggesting that the high-fiber foods help protect against

high-fat indulgences. That's just one more example, Katz says, of why

whole grains ought to be part of a healthy lifestyle.

 

For that reason, eating three servings a day of high-fiber foods is

the new dietary goal for Week Five of the Lean Plate Club Everyday

Challenge. Simply add this to the list of other healthy habits we've

discussed in prior weeks. (It's not too late to join the challenge,

which is designed to foster a healthy lifestyle and hold the line

against weight gain.

 

If in making these changes, a few unneeded pounds happen to be lost,

that's okay, too. If you're starting this week, don't jump into

everything all at once: Make your first food goal three servings of

whole grains and begin with 10 minutes a day of exercise; you can add

the other steps in subsequent weeks.)

 

The federal Dietary Guidelines suggest eating six to 11 servings a

day of grains. A serving equals one slice of bread (about 25 grams);

about one cup of ready-to-eat cereal or a half-cup of cooked cereal,

rice or pasta.

 

Don't get carried away, however. The guidelines note that if calorie

needs are low -- as is the case for most sedentary adults -- aim for

six servings daily rather than the 11. " And don't think that adding a

few whole grains to your diet gives you carte blanche to eat as much

fat as you want, " Katz says. That can only undermine efforts at

weight control and undercut healthier habits.

 

The important thing? " Variety, " says NCI's Greenwald.

 

To help assure that you're getting whole grains instead of the

processed variety, scan the nutrition facts label. Look for one of

the following as the first ingredient: brown rice; bulgur (cracked

wheat); graham flour; whole grain corn; oatmeal; popcorn; pearl

barley; whole oats, whole rye or whole wheat. Or follow this simple

rule: Stick to packaged foods that have at least two grams of fiber

and less than three grams of fat per serving. " If you do that, you'll

be doing great, " Katz says.

 

For exercise this week, boost activity by just one minute to 17

minutes per day. No need to do this workout in one great swoop. Divvy

it up with walks, parking the car on the outer reaches of the parking

lot, getting off the Metro a stop early, hoofing it up and down the

stairs and walking the dog.

 

-- Sally Squires

[Guest guest]

Is there a theme forMarch? Could it be whole grains? I highly

recommend'Helen's Spicy Millet' submitted by Maida over at VegetarianSpice.

I also have a great soup for February.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

> Is there a theme forMarch? Could it be whole grains? I highly

recommend'Helen's Spicy Millet' submitted by Maida over at VegetarianSpice.

I also have a great soup for February.

 

This might be a bit confusing to some newer members, so I'll try to explain -

and answer Beth at the same time ;=)

 

I (Pat) and co-owner of this list, vegetarianslimming, but I also am the owner

of

another list, as mentioned above - and some members here are also

members of the vegerarianspice list. That list has had, for several months

now, a Theme of the Month. (This list tried it once.)

 

So, no Beth - there's no theme for March - not on this list *or* the other one

;=)

 

But a Whole Grain theme would be a great idea for . We

can of course have other recipes, but in the interests of great taste and

wonderful health it would really interest me to learn more about cooking

whole grains! Thanks for the suggestion!

 

Perhaps we can ask Maida to also submit her millet recipe to this grooup.

And although February is long gone now, we all eat soups of one kind or

another year round, so let's have your recipe!

 

Thanks for writing in and letting me clear that up! <hugs>

 

Best,

 

Pat ;=)