Whole Grains

A healthy, balanced diet includes whole grains. Yet, they are often avoided due to misinformation propagated by fad low-carb diets. This is a huge disservice to our body!

Whole grains are a top source of fiber, a key nutrient for our overall health, not only for its role supporting our digestion, but also because it is a strong prebiotic that, when digested by our probiotics, results in the production of short-chain fatty acids or SCFAs. These SCFAs help us prevent and manage type 2 diabetes, they support our heart, our lungs, our brain and our immune system, and they also help reduce inflammation.

Other important nutrients in whole grains include protein, vitamins B like Thiamin, Niacin, and Pantothenic Acid; most essential minerals, and strong phytonutrients.

Do note that we are saying “whole.” Once grains are processed, the fiber and most of their nutrients get removed and all we are left with are simple carbohydrates that turn into sugars that get absorbed into our bloodstream. Even grinding or blending our whole grains reduces their nutritional impact in our body. This is because our gut bacteria needs intact food particles to feed on and to produce those important SCFAs with. No matter how much we chew our food, we’ll always leave some intact particles for our little guys, but if we eat ground grains, then our gut bacteria gets little to none.

Some seeds, like quinoa or millet, are included in the grains category because their nutritional profile aligns more with grains than with other seeds. If you haven’t tried them yet, you should! They make a great alternative to the more commonly used, rice.

Click on the grains or seeds below to learn more about their nutrients and the different parts of your body that they can benefit. Plus, see practical tips on how to prepare them so that you can easily include them in your family’s diet. Subscribe to our newsletter and be the first to know about our latest content additions!