Wednesday, February 4, 2009

The Nutritional Benefits of Eating Whole Wheat

By Scott Davis

There seems to be a big fuss now days about eating whole grains, but do you know why it's important?

Many people don't realize how nutritious whole wheat products can be for their body. Whole wheat is an amazing source of vitamins as well as magnesium, fiber, iron and antioxidants.

Whole grains are key for a healthy diet. Whole grains help maintain a stable blood sugar level, which is critically important to diabetics. Additionally, unprocessed wheat contains all the parts of the wheat. During processing important nutritious parts of the wheat kernel are removed, rendering the processed wheat virtually nutritionally inert. An unprocessed whole grain still contains its entire set of vitamins and minerals.

Humans have been eating wheat for thousands of years. It was cultivated anciently in Asia, Mesopotamia and even revered in China as a sacred food. Wheat arrived in the Americas when it was brought over by the early explorers.

One healthy cereal mix, Bulgur wheat, is made from several wheat plans and can commonly be found in health food stores. It is commonly used in the Middle East and the surrounding region and is great for baking, using in soups and salads. The biggest benefit of Bulgur wheat is its low glycemic index. It has an index number of 46, ideal for diabetics who need to keep their glycemic index stable. In comparison, white bread made from processed wheat has a glycemic index of 100, which is above the recommended limit.

Is it just bread or can you find other whole wheat products? When my doctor told me that I had a beginning of type II diabetes a few years ago, I immediately started searching for food products that would not cause a sudden elevation of my blood sugar. Its amazing how much we can learn when our life is at stake; I have always eaten a lot of bread, and a lot of spaghetti. I knew about whole wheat bread; it has always existed. My concern was that I could no longer eat pasta made from refined flour, so my wife immediately scoured the supermarket for alternatives. Luckily for me, there are several products on the shelves made from whole wheat flour, spaghetti among them. We also found bagels, hot dog bread, vermicelli, muffins and, of course, whole grain flour that my wife uses to make my pancakes and waffles, as well as cookies and whole wheat Mexican tortillas (although you can find them ready-made in your local store). As you can see, there are a lot of choices for everybody and every taste.

As you practice good nutrition, your child rend will learn it too. Children as will learn healthy habits that they will carry with them into adulthood. Keeping them healthy and fit.

There is absolutely no doubt that a diet high in whole wheat grains will benefit the whole family which is why I urge you not to wait for a doctors bad news to change your habits as I did.

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