You hear it all the time, “5g of whole grains!,” “half of your grains should come from whole grain sources,” and on and on. Well, what is a whole grain? What makes one whole and another, well, not?
A whole grain is exactly what it sounds like: a grain completely intact. Grains that can be either whole or otherwise are wheat, rice, barley and oat. They are the most common. Well then, what is the “otherwise” state of a grain? White: polished or refined.
In order to have a full understanding of the differences between whole grains and white grains, we need to back up a little bit. Back to the title of the post: what is a whole grain?
Whole grains have four parts to their kernel: the germ, the endosperm, the bran and the husk. The germ has oils containing vitamins, minerals and protein. The endosperm is soft, white and contains a bit of protein and starches. The bran is the fiber laden portion of the kernel, also providing nutrients. The husk is also known as the chaff and in traditional wheat preparation, as the grains are tossed, the chaff blows away.
What happens to make a grain refined or polished? For wheat, the bran, husk, and germ are removed and the part left is the endosperm. Remember how we described it earlier? White, soft . . . does that make you think of anything? YES! White sandwich bread! So, after reading the above descriptions, you can ascertain the nutritional value of bread made with white flour as opposed to whole wheat flour is rather dismal. Right? Let’s move on . . .
Rice. What happened to rice? It grows white and fluffy, doesn’t it? No, in fact, it doesn’t. Rice is brown, black, red, dark brown . . . a veritable rainbow of colors. So, how does it become white? Polishing. Rice was never intended to be white, that is the endosperm again. The bran and germ are rubbed off, leaving a beautiful, fluffy, nutritionless grain (barely) of rice. The same thing is done to barley (called pearling, although it leaves much more of the bran intact) and oats are steamed, rolled and chopped.
What you are left with, as a consumer, is a shelf stable, easily transportable, easily baked product. No oil to go rancid, the “food” is easily digested, the taste is light and fluffy and the resulting “food” is useless to our bodies. Why? Check back . . . What is a Whole Grain: Part II, coming soon!
Showing posts with label nutrition. Show all posts
Showing posts with label nutrition. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Monday, August 2, 2010
Book Review: "In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto" Michael Pollan
Michael Pollan is well known in literary and journalistic circles for his gustatory works on paper. His 2008 work, In Defense of Food, is a quick read chock full of information your grandmother has always known, but modern science and sensationalist journalism has obscured. Mr. Pollan postulates all people should eschew a "Western Diet," in lieu of a more traditional diet.
He bases his book around seven simple words, "Eat Food. Not Too Much. Mostly Plants." The intial section of the book (it is divided into three parts) details the path our history has taken with regard to food: how we obtain it, how we eat it and how we decide what to eat. The second section examines the link between what we eat and what diseases plague westernized peoples. The third section gives general guidelines regarding the seven words, "Eat Food. Not Too Much. Mostly Plants."
Mr. Pollan explains with exceptional clarity some very complex biochemical concepts. His reasonings are based on extensive research from medical research, nutrition/food science and review of legislative changes throughout the last 150 years. Footnotes at the bottom of many pages expound on more complex concepts so as not to muddle the text and research articles are aptly referenced. He even gives the reader a source to obtain most of the referenced studies for themselves.
Initially his take on the modern profession of nutrition or dietetics was a bit off-putting, but late in the book (too late in my opinion) he ressurects the field and profession by noting the restrictions placed upon it by practicality. (IE, there are only so many ways to conduct research.) By the end of the book, which I read in three days time, I found myself re-evaluating what I believed to be an already super-healthy diet. In fact, I may need to expunge the word "diet" from my vocabulary altogether.
A book definietly worth your time, In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto will revolutionize the way you look at food if not the way you eat and shop.
Other related items:
He bases his book around seven simple words, "Eat Food. Not Too Much. Mostly Plants." The intial section of the book (it is divided into three parts) details the path our history has taken with regard to food: how we obtain it, how we eat it and how we decide what to eat. The second section examines the link between what we eat and what diseases plague westernized peoples. The third section gives general guidelines regarding the seven words, "Eat Food. Not Too Much. Mostly Plants."
Mr. Pollan explains with exceptional clarity some very complex biochemical concepts. His reasonings are based on extensive research from medical research, nutrition/food science and review of legislative changes throughout the last 150 years. Footnotes at the bottom of many pages expound on more complex concepts so as not to muddle the text and research articles are aptly referenced. He even gives the reader a source to obtain most of the referenced studies for themselves.
Initially his take on the modern profession of nutrition or dietetics was a bit off-putting, but late in the book (too late in my opinion) he ressurects the field and profession by noting the restrictions placed upon it by practicality. (IE, there are only so many ways to conduct research.) By the end of the book, which I read in three days time, I found myself re-evaluating what I believed to be an already super-healthy diet. In fact, I may need to expunge the word "diet" from my vocabulary altogether.
A book definietly worth your time, In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto will revolutionize the way you look at food if not the way you eat and shop.
Other related items:
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