There’s only so long a person can survive on an all-protein diet or an all-salad diet or an all-anything diet. You crave carbohydrates because your body needs them. The keys are to eat the ones that have been the least processed — carbs that still have all their heart-healthy, belly-busting fiber intact; and to eat them either in the first meal of the day (breakfast), or within 1-2 hours of a dedicated workout/ training session.
According to researchers at Performance Spine and Sports Medicine located in Lawrenceville, New Jersey, grains like wheat, corn, oats, barley, and rye are seeds that come from grasses, and they’re broken into three parts — the germ, the bran, and the endosperm. Think of a kernel of corn.
The biggest part of the kernel — the part that blows up when you make popcorn — is the endosperm. Nutritionally it’s pretty much a big dud. It contains starch, a little protein, and some B vitamins. The germ is the smallest part of the grain; in the corn kernel, it’s that little white seedlike thing. But while it’s small, it packs the most nutritional power. It contains protein, oils, and the B vitamins thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, and pyridoxine. It also has vitamin E and the minerals magnesium, zinc, potassium, and iron. The bran is the third part of the grain and the part where all the fiber is stored. It’s a coating around the endosperm that contains B vitamins, zinc, calcium, potassium, magnesium, and other minerals.
So what’s the point of this little biology lesson? Well, get this: When food manufacturers process and refine grains, guess which two parts get tossed out? The bran, where all the fiber and minerals are, and the germ, where all the protein and vitamins are. And what they keep—the nutritionally bankrupt endosperm (that is, starch)—gets made into pasta, bagels, white bread, white rice, and just about every other wheat product and baked good you’ll find. If you eat products made with all the parts of the grain—whole-grain bread, pasta, long-grain rice—you get all the nutrition that food manufacturers are otherwise trying to cheat you out of.
Whole-grain carbohydrates can play an important role in a healthy lifestyle. In an 11-year study of 16,000 middle-age people, researchers at the University of Minnesota found that consuming three daily servings of whole grains can reduce a person’s mortality risk over the course of a decade by 23 percent. (Tell that to your buddy who’s eating nothing but negligible to low-carb.) Whole-grains keeps insulin levels low, which keeps you from storing fat. In this diet, it’s especially versatile because it’ll supplement any kind of meal with little prep time. Toast for breakfast, sandwiches for lunch, with a dab of peanut butter for a snack.
Warning: Food manufacturers are sneaky. Sometimes, after refining away all the vitamins, fiber, and minerals from wheat, they’ll add molasses to the bread, turning it brown, and put it on the grocery shelf with a label that says wheat bread. But, truly nutritious breads and other products will say whole-wheat or whole-grain. Don’t be fooled.
The information in the article is not intended to substitute for the medical expertise and advice of your healthcare provider. We encourage you to discuss any decisions about treatment or care with an appropriate healthcare provider.
