How Whole Grains Help You Lose Weight (and Which Ones To Eat!)

Battling the bulge is never easy, but making healthy food choices can go a long way in helping you fight the battle. One of the easiest ways to lose weight is by having a diet balanced with whole grains.  

Whole grains help you lose weight in several ways. The additional fiber they provide, when consumed with the proper amount of water each day, helps to insure proper waste elimination. When your body starts to hold on to everything you consume it is not only very uncomfortable, it can also cause colon health problems and can add a few pounds of excess weight and bloating, making you feel sluggish and heavier than you really are.

Another way whole grains can help you lose weight is that they also typically take longer to chew, which increases saliva and gastric juices. This aids is digestion, but it also helps you feel full faster. Because they take longer to digest, they produce a gradual increase in blood sugar levels, which helps keep you satiated longer.

A 2008 study in the “American Journal of Clinical Nutrition” showed that participants who ate a diet high in whole grains lost belly fat. Excess abdominal fat has been linked with an increased incidence of heart disease. Whole grains help you lose weight…. plus a lot more!

Eating whole grains can be a little more difficult if you have celiac disease or a gluten sensitivity, but it’s not impossible. Gluten, the protein in all forms of wheat, rye, barley, and triticale, can be difficult for some people to digest. But thankfully, other whole grains are available and make wonderful, healthy substitutes. In fact, these whole grains are the cornerstone to our gluten free products.

Brown Rice

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) agreed to allow brown rice to bear the Whole Grain Health Claim in May 2008. Brown rice is “hulled” or “unmilled” rice and is inherently more nutritious than white rice which has been stripped of the hull. Brown rice has a nuttier taste and a chewier consistency, as well as intact levels of magnesium and  a healthy amount of fatty acids.

We use Brown Rice Flour in all of our gluten free breads, buns, and pizzas.  

Amaranth

A major food crop of the ancient Aztecs, amaranth is high in iron and is the only grain to contain Vitamin C. It is high in protein and has been shown in studies to lower cholesterol. It can be eaten as a porridge, and amaranth flour is easily substituted for wheat flour in baking.

We use Amaranth in our  7 Ancient Grains Whole Grain Bread

Quinoa

The Incas used this grain extensively. It is a popular ingredient used in making gluten-free pasta. It also makes a wonderful side dish or as the base for a cold “pasta” salad. 

We use Quinoa in our  7 Ancient Grains Whole Grain Bread

Millet

Originally cultivated in the dry climates of Africa and northern China since the Neolithic Era, millet is an ancient seed that has been loved world-wide. Ground millet is used in flatbreads, has been used to make beer and has been used in everything from couscous to bread and cereal. Millet has a high level of protein, is one of the few grains that is alkalizing to the body and is, of course, gluten free.

We use Millet in our  7 Ancient Grains Whole Grain Bread and Great Seed Whole Grain & 7 Seed Bread. 

Not only do whole grains help you lose weight, they are also tasty and provide many other health benefits. What are your favorite go-to whole grains?