Walk down the grocery aisle that displays cookies or crackers and every package makes some claim that their product contains whole grains. Whole grains contain lots of vitamins, minerals, fiber and antioxidants providing us with benefits for our heart health to reducing our risk of diabetes. The problem is that some of these products, even with the label, are junk foods in disguise.
The American Heart Association goes further and recommends unrefined whole grain foods as a strategy to help lower your total cholesterol. Other groups recommend whole grains because they make you feel full which means you won't eat as much and you could lose weight. The American Institute of Cancer Research recommends choosing whole grains to fight cancer. And The American Diabetes Association recommends whole grains over processed grains a method to prevent diabetes.
The answer to how much whole grain you should be consuming on a daily basis varies depending upon the person doing the talking. A good rule of thumb, however, is 3 grams of fiber per serving of bread and 5 grams for hot cereal. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that you, and in fact people of all ages, consume 6 servings of grains daily and at least half of them as whole grains. The problem is the average person in the US only gets one serving per day and consumes more refined grain products such as white bread.
If you knew that with 3 servings of whole grains per day you would be reducing your risk of heart disease by at least 25 percent would you begin searching and purchasing more products with fiber? Write your thoughts in the comment box and I will share them with our readers.
To your success at a well balanced life.
Ruthan Brodsky
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