Health

Whole Grains and Weigh Loss

May 5, 2009
By J White

Choosing whole grains over simple carbohydrates for weight loss has its advantages. Even though the amount of calories consumed is the main determining factor in losing weight, the type of foods you choose to eat can have a dramatic effect on how fast you lose the weight. This is why whole grains are a superior choice when compared to processed foods that many of us are use to eating.

Why Whole Grain?

The reason whole grains are a better choice for dieting has to do with their composition. The grain is composed of bran, germ and endosperm. The bran and sperm part of the grain contain fiber, which is essential for slowing down the digestion of the endosperm, which is mainly starch or carbohydrates.

In the absence of these nutrients, the endosperm is rapidly digested, which can lead to an insulin spike or high blood sugar. This condition creates an environment in which fat is more easily stored on your body– the exact opposite of what you want when you are trying to lose weight.

Processed foods or simple carbohydrates are stripped of their bran and germ during a process called milling. This is why simple carbs can cause a spike in your blood sugar, leading to weight gain, and in a worse case scenario, Type 2 diabetes.

How Much To Eat

The fiber in the whole grain is what aides in your weight loss, as well as helping to prevent excessive weight gain. In the U.S., the recommended amount of fiber for children and adults is 14 g/1000 Calories, which is 28 grams eating 2000 calories a day, and 36 grams consuming 2600 Calories.

While dieting the amount of calories you consume is going to be lower than these amounts. However, lowering the calories, while still consuming a high amount of fiber will lead to faster weight loss, according to a study in which calorie intake was the same, but one group consumed more fiber rich foods.

In fact one general nutrition guideline for persons with diabetes recommended fiber levels as high as 50 g/1000 calories. So I would assume that for a healthy individual, those levels are safe as well. Still you must be careful with how much fiber you consume, as it can interfere with your body’s ability to absorb minerals from foods.

Sources Of Whole Grain

Some good sources of whole grains are whole wheat, wild rice, brown rice, oatmeal, barley and whole rye.

Some common whole grain foods are breads, rolls, crackers, breakfast cereals, oatmeal, and pastas.

Final Thoughts

Making use of whole grains as a weight loss aide is an excellent method to speed up the shredding of those excess pounds, as the fiber it provides is important in helping to regulate blood sugar. Given that many in the U.S. get only one serving of fiber a day, it is no surprise that many Americans are obese.

So if you are serious about losing weight, you need to include whole grains in your diet. Regardless of how many diet pills you may take or other dieting aides you use, the basics of weight loss always comes back to what you eat. And having a diet that is rich in grains and other nutritious foods is the only sure fire way to reach your desired weight.

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