whole grains
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Not All Dietary Fibers are Equal
Posted by Fred Hardinge on
Dietary fiber from whole grains lowers colorectal cancer risk.
A meta-analysis of 25 studies that involved almost 2 million people revealed that fiber from whole grains reduced the risk of colorectal cancer by 21% compared with fiber from fruits, vegetables, or legumes. Higher intakes showed greater risk reduction. Dietary fiber shortens stool transit times, increases stool bulk, and probably dilutes gut carcinogens, thereby lowering risk.
PositiveTip: Lower your risk of colorectal cancer by eating whole grains every day.
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Potato Chips and Sugary Beverages are Culprits in Weight Gain
Posted by Fred Hardinge on
Eating one more serving of fruit, vegetables and nuts contributes to 1.25 pounds lost every 4 years.
What foods are most strongly associated with weight gain? Is it really any surprise that in a 20 year study of more 120,000 participants, potato chips and sugar-sweetened beverages contributed 1.28 pounds and 1.00 pound of weight gain every four years? Yogurt, nuts, fruits, whole grains and vegetables were associated with significant weight loss over the same period of time. All of these items are per serving added per day to the diet.
PositiveTip: Which direction is your scale going? Remember, consistently skipping the tempting bag of potato chips and or a cold sugar-sweetened beverage can tip the scale downward.
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Health Benefits Associated with Whole Grains
Posted by Galen Bosley on
Whole grain cereal foods lowers the risk of chronic disease and helps weight control.
There is consistent scientific evidence that whole grain foods substantially lower the risk of CHD, diabetes, and cancer and help in weight management and digestive health. Working together macro- and micronutrients and phytonutrients present in whole grains contribute to their beneficial effects.
PositiveTip: Regularly incorporate 3-4 whole grain foods into your diet every day.
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Plant-based Diet Helps Women Being Treated for Infertility
Posted by Fred Hardinge on
Mediterranean-type diet improves odds of pregnancy.
Women being treated for infertility are 1.4 times more likely to become pregnant if they consume a diet high in fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains and some fish. Dutch researchers also found these women had a low intake of snacks, meats, and mayonnaise.
More research is needed to determine whether it was fish or plant-based foods that gave the benefit.
PositiveTip: Women desiring to become pregnant may benefit from a healthy diet.
Whole Grains Prevent Type 2 Diabetes
Posted by Elvin Adams on
An article published this week in the Archives of Internal Medicine documented the fact that whole grains have a powerful effect in preventing type 2 diabetes. This study included data from nearly 40,000 men and more than 150,000 women who were followed for several years.
Bran, Brain and Diabetics
Posted by Elvin Adams on
Whole grains for the brain win again!
The online edition of the journal Circulation just published a study following 7822 women with type 2 diabetes for 26 years. The study gathered details on their diet every four years.
Bran intake was divided into five different levels, from low to high. The higher the bran in the women's diets, the fewer heart attacks and strokes they had.
PositiveTip for
Sorting Out "Whole Grain" Confusion
Posted by Fred Hardinge on
Has the label "whole grain" fooled you? Be sure to read the whole label!
Ever wondered why food products labeled "whole grain" still show refined grains in the ingredient list? The US Food and Drug Administration allows any food product that contains at least 51% whole grain to be labeled as "whole-grain" (in the US only). To assure you are getting what you want, make sure the product is labeled "100% whole grain".
Is Refined Fiber Good for You?
Posted by Elvin Adams on
Refined Fiber White flour is produced by removing bran and germ from whole kernels of wheat. The bran fiber that is removed from wheat is indigestible, but it carries a majority of the vitamins and other micronutrients found in wheat. “Refined” white flour is so nutritionally compromised that “enrichment” is needed to add back selected vitamins and minerals removed in the milling process.
Are Expensive Nutritional Supplements Really Needed?
Posted by Fred Hardinge on
A few weeks ago I received a very enthusiastic phone call from a person who expressed great enthusiasm for PositiveChoices.com. Of course, it is always nice to hear this kind of excitement! However, it wasn't long before he revealed the true purpose of his call. He wanted us to place a link to his website where he sold the "best nutritional supplements in the world." His site promised health and great wealth to all who would promote these "natural God-given nutrients in a liquid."
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Only 4% of Americans Eat Recommended Amount of Grains!
Posted by Fred Hardinge on
Do you go with the grain--whole grains, that is? You probably need to eat more!
If you are like most Americans, you are not getting enough daily grains in your diet. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends 6 servings of grains per day. Only 4% of Americans say they are eating that level according to a new poll published by the Grain Foods Foundation. This poll found the average daily grain consumption was 3.2 servings, barely half the recommended 6 servings per day. The federal guidelines recommend "make half your grains whole"--yet only 11% of total grain consumption is whole grains.