Day 17 – Whole Grain, Nuts and Seed

Hello Friends. Welcome back to Day 17. Today we will discuss 3 important food types.

• whole grains,
• nuts,
• and seeds.

First, we will start with whole-grain.

1. Whole Grain

Whole Grain is one of the most important part of diet. Just hearing the word “whole grain” you might think about the whole-grain products available in the market.

But, in this section we are not going to talk about whole grain products. But yes, I will make a detailed guide about it, so that you can make better choices.

But in this video we will stick to whole-grains that aren’t industrially processed.

So before exploring what grains you can include, let’s know what are whole grain.

What is Whole Grain?

A whole grain contains three parts: the bran, germ, and endosperm.

Each section holds health-promoting nutrients.

Bran: Bran is the other layer. It supplies B vitamins, iron, copper, zinc, magnesium, antioxidants, and phytochemicals.

Germ: It’s the core of the seed. Rich in healthy fats, vitamin E, B vitamins, phytonutrients, and antioxidants.

Endosperm: It’s the interior layer that holds carbohydrates, protein, and small amounts of B vitamins and minerals.   

These components have various effects on our bodies:

• Bran and fiber slow the breakdown of starch into glucose—thus maintaining a steady blood sugar rather than causing sharp spikes.
• Fiber helps lower cholesterol and move waste through the digestive tract.
• Fiber may also help prevent the formation of small blood clots that can trigger heart attacks or strokes.
• Phytochemicals and essential minerals such as magnesium, selenium and copper found in whole grains may protect against some types of cancers.

Whole grains benefits:

1. Weight loss and weight management
2. Lowers risk of many types of cancer
3. Protects against heart disease
4. Reduce risk of type 2 diabetes
5. Good for digestive health

Whole-grains are the healthiest food and they hold lots of nutrients. Yet many claims they’re unhealthy but a major concern is with processed grain in the form of processed food.

If you’re eating processed whole grain products, just stick to limited intake. I won’t open the discussion as it won’t be enough for a single video to complete the discussion.

But still I won’t leave with a cliffhanger.

Choose processed food looking at this carbohydrate and fibre ratio. 5:1.

5 grams of carbohydrate with 1 gram fibre. If you follow this simple step, you will still eat healthier, but moderation is the best policy.

The whole grain you should try are…

Oats, Whole wheat, whole grain rye, buckwheat, millet, barely, spelt, quinoa, brown rice, corn.

Yes! One final tip…

Eat varieties of whole grain instead of depending only on one. Variation not only provides diverse taste, but also nutrients.

2. Nuts

The next food in the list are nuts. They’re healthy as they are a dense source of nutrients.

Many studies have proven that, people consuming nuts five times a week, had a lower risk of heart disease. We are not sure why. But the guess is its monounsaturated fat, soluble fibre and vitamin E content.

Since they are rich in vitamins, minerals and bioactive compounds with antioxidants, they can protect against chronic disease.

If you’re trying to pick snacks — these nuts will be the healthiest choice. They’re nutrient dense and satisfying snacks.

A handful of nuts will be enough to fill you up and prevent unhealthy eating. Choose nuts that are least processed and have no added ingredients.

You might get processed nuts which contains high salt or sugar. As a result, it’s best to buy nuts with nothing added.

List of nuts: Almond, cashew, walnut, pistachios,

3. Seed

The last one’s are seeds. If you’re looking for healthy addition, you can also try seeds in your diet.

These seeds can be used in food preparation depending on the recipes. If you’re planning to add, then you should do it. They will be a healthy addition.

Seeds are great sources of fiber. They also contain healthy monounsaturated fats, polyunsaturated fats and many important vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.

Adding seeds in diet can help reduce blood sugar, cholesterol and blood pressure. There are lots of benefits. But nothing comes with single food types or by overeating. Adding whole-grain and nuts you will surely improve your meal nutritional value.

List of seeds: Flaxseed, chia seed, sesame, pumpkin seed, sunflower

My Recommendations

As you might know, I promote a balanced meal, so to give a wider perspective, I included these 3 food types. But before concluding, I have something to say.

1. Explore every available grains, nuts and seeds as a part of your diet instead of depending on a single option.
2. Unprocessed should be the first choice. Or at least your 80% meal should be from unprocessed food. 
3. Leave obsession to a single option. Try to find a balance. There are lots of options so why to stay limited. At the end, you need rich flavour and body need enough nutrients.
4. Embrace these foods and they will nourish you and protect from health problems.

Tomorrow we will touch foods like poultry, eggs, dairy products, fish and meat.

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