What's a Whole Grain?

We know that the grains we eat should be "Whole Grains"... and i've blogged about Whole Grains in the past. The topic can be a bit confusing though so I'm going to review.

First, a little quiz:

1. Which bread is usually all or mostly whole grain?
a. Whole Wheat
b. Multi Grain
c. Rye
d. Pumpernickel

2. Which of the following (could be more than one) are whole grains?
a. Bulgur
b. Quinoa
c. Couscous
d. Oatmeal

3. Which cereals are whole grains?
a. Shredded Wheat
b. Total
c. All Bran
d. Corn Flakes
e. Special K


1. Bread

In theory, Multi Grain, Rye and Pumpernickel could all be whole grain... but not always.
The answer is a) Whole Wheat bread... but only in the US.

In Canada and the US, read the ingredient list. If the first ingredient starts with "whole", it's a whole grain. For example, if the first ingredient is "Wheat Flour", it's not a whole grain. If it's "Whole Wheat Flour", it is.

Products labeled with words like "made with whole wheat", "multigrain," "stone ground," "whole wheat (in Canada*)," "seven-grain," or "bran" may actually contain little or no whole grain!

*In Canada, it's legal to advertise any food product as "whole wheat" with up to 70% of the germ removed! A label must state '100% Whole Grain Whole Wheat' for a Canadian consumer to know they're getting a whole grain product.

Don't rely on the colour of the bread- lots of products add molasses to get that brown colour.
Don't rely on fiber amount either since products may add processed fiber from peas or other food that can help prevent constipation and diverticulosis but doesn't offer the antioxidants and phytochemicals whole grains do.

When shopping for bread:

Choose ones that are whole grains AND high in fiber:
-Read the ingredient list and choose a bread that has a whole grain as the first ingredient- in most cases, starting with the word "whole".
-Choose a whole grain bread that contains 2-3 or more grams of fiber per slice.

2. Other Whole Grains

b) Quinoa and d) Oatmeal are whole grains.
Bulgur and Couscous are not always (whole grain bulgur and whole wheat couscous are).

Other whole grains include:
Barley ( but not pearl barley), buckwheat, kamut, millet, brown and wild rice and spelt.


3. Cereal

a) Shredded Wheat and b) Total are whole grains. All Brans, Corn Flakes and Special K are not.

The first ingredient in a whole grain cereal is a whole grain- usually starts with the word "Whole".
For example, the first ingredient in the cereal Grape Nuts is "Whole Grain Wheat Flour" therefore, it's a whole grain.
The first ingredient in the cereal Kellogg's Multi-Grain Rice Krispies is "Rice" therefore it's not a whole grain.

Cereal can be confusing when it comes to choosing a whole grain, partly because of fiber content. For example, Shredded Wheat (a whole grain) has less fiber than All Bran (bran isn't technically a whole grain).

Secondly, sugar added to cereal decreases the amount of fiber. Honey Nut Cheerios (a whole grain) has only 1g fiber per serving. That's because the added sugar takes the place of the whole grain, therefore there's less fiber.

When shopping for cereal:

- Choose a whole grain cereal that is ALSO high in fiber. A whole grain cereal has a whole grain as the first ingredient, usually starting with the word "whole". A high fiber cereal contains more than 5 grams fiber per serving.

- Even though bran isn't technically a whole grain, think of it as a whole grain because the high fiber in the bran has loads of benefits.

- Choose a cereal with less sugar- less than 10g sugar per serving. Sugar replaces some of the whole grain you should be eating.

- Make sure your granola is low fat.

Here's a list of some of the popular breakfast cereals and whether they're whole grains or not:

COLD CEREAL

Whole Grain:
Cheerios
Granola or muesli
Grape Nuts
Raisin Bran
Shredded Wheat
Total
Wheaties

NOT Whole Grain:
Corn Flakes
Frosted Flakes
Just Right
Corn Pops
Puffed Wheat
Rice Krispies
Special K

HOT CEREAL

Whole Grain:
Oatmeal
Oat Bran
Quaker Multigrain
Wheatena

NOT Whole Grain:
Cream of rice
Cream of Wheat
Grits

Rice-a-rific!

Rice is a staple food for at least 2/3 of the world's population. However, there are so many different types of rice that it could get a bit confusing.

Here’s a bit of an overview.

Rice is a member of the grass family. The plant is native to tropical and subtropical southern Asia and Southeastern Africa.

There are different types of rice, categorized based on processing, size and variety.

Processing

Brown rice undergoes the least amount of processing. The first step in milling of the rice plant is the removal of the outer husk and the product after this step is brown rice. The bran stays intact therefore brown rice contains more nutrients and 4 times the fibre found in white rice.

The Glycemic Index (GI) is a scale that ranks foods by how much they raise blood glucose compared to a standard food. A glycemic index off 55 or below is considered low and 70 or above is high. Brown rice falls in between with a GI of ~66.

Converted or Parboiled rice has been soaked and then steamed under pressure before milling. This actually forces some of the nutrients into the remaining portion of the grain so that some are retained during processing. As a result, this rice falls between brown and white rice in terms of nutrient content but actually has the lowest GI with a GI of 48.

Enriched rice has had the B vitamins (thiamin, niacin) and iron added after milling to replace some of the nutrients lost when the bran layer is removed.

Instant white rice has been milled and polished, fully cooked and then dehydrated. It is usually enriched but does not have the superior taste and texture of regular rice.

Size

Long-grain rice is four to five times longer than it is wide. When cooked the grains are fluffy and dry and stay separated. It’s ideal for salads. Long-grain rice (unconverted) has a medium GI of ~57.

Medium-grain rice is about twice as long as it is wide and cooks up moister and more tender than long-grain. It is popular in some Asian and Latin American cultures, and is the type of rice most commonly processed to make cold cereals.

Short-grain rice is oval or round in shape. Of the three types of rice, it has the most starch that makes it sticky, or clump together, when cooked. It is ideal for dishes such as sushi. Short grain rice has a high GI of >70.

Variety

Arborio: A starchy white rice, almost round in shape. Traditionally used for cooking Italian risotto. It also works well for paella and rice pudding. Arborio absorbs up to five times its weight in liquid that results in grains of a creamy consistency. This type of rice has a high GI of ~70.

Aromatic rice: Primarily long-grain varieties that have a toasty, nutty fragrance

Basmati: The most famous aromatic rice is grown in India and Pakistan. The grains elongate much more than they plump as they cook. Can be substituted for regular white rice in any recipe. You can also purchase brown basmati rice. Basmati rice is a long-grain variety. Basmati rice has a medium GI of 58.

Glutinous, sticky or sweet rice: Long-grain rice with a very high starch content. Suitable for Chinese dishes of shaped rice, such as rice balls or sticky rice cakes. This type of rice has a very high GI of ~98.

Jasmine, perfumed or Thai fragrant: A traditional long-grain white rice grown in Thailand. It has a soft texture and is similar in flavour to basmati rice. It is also grown in the United States where it is available in both white and brown forms. Jasmine rice has a very high GI of ~109.

Sources:

http://www.lesliebeck.com/ingredient_index.php?featured_food=18
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rice
http://freecookbooks.a1nethost.com/001/04/25.htm
http://images.google.ca/imgres?imgurl=http://www.bernas.com.my/images/ricegrain.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.bernas.com.my/process.htm&h=282&w=360&sz=84&hl=en&start=4&um=1&tbnid=6VQ17F4VyxtItM:&tbnh=95&tbnw=121&prev=/images%3Fq%3Drice%2Bgrain%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN
Foster-Powell, K; Holt, S; Brand-Miller, JC. International table of glycemic index and glycemic load values. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 76(1) 2002. http://www.diabetes.ca/files/Diabetes_GL_FINAL2_CPG03.pdf
http://www.abingredients.com/products/rice_starch/images/rice_varieties.jpg

My Big Fat Diet

Did you watch 'My Big Fat Diet' on CBC tonight?

We know that obesity and Type 2 diabetes is prevalent among the aboriginal population. According to some sources, its 5 times the national average. Their genetic predisposition combined with their change of diet (introduction of the Wesern diet into their communities) and lifestyle (now more sedentary) is undoubtedly the culprit.

Dr. Jay Wortman, a métis doctor and a Type 2 diabetic himself, noticed that when he cut out carbohydrates (starches and sugars) from his own diet, his blood sugar and blood pressure normalized.
He decided to design a study where he'd get 100 members of the Namgis First Nation from Alert Bay, BC to cut out all carbohydrates from their diet- all starches as well as fruit and milk- for one year. The study was funded by UBC and Health Canada and is still being evaluated.

The study diet is supposed to be based on a traditional native diet but also includes modern market foods.

Any meat was permitted as part of the diet- beef, pork, chicken, fish and seafood- as well as bacon, eggs, butter. Participants were also allowed up to 2 cups lettuce/day, 1 cup veggies per day, 4oz cheese/day. Oolichan grease (made from small smelt-like fish that are supposedly high in monounsaturated fats) was allowed and encouraged as part of the diet.

In my opinion, this is quite far from a "traditional" diet.

Food not permitted include starches like breads, pastas, rice, potatoes, as well as lactose (milk products including fresh cheese) and fructose (fruits).

From what I gathered from the documentary, adherence to the diet was determined only by interview. In fact, participants did admit to cheating, a few almost bingeing on cookies and tarts at times. One participant, a recovering alcoholic, said the cravings were so bad that he implemented the same 12-step program that he had used to deal with his alcoholism!

I noticed that some participants had cranberries and squash so it seems that the diet wasn't void of carbs... The macronutrient breakdown of the diet was not released (not sure if it was calculated).

One participant underwent open heart surgery during the study because he had 80% blockage- but he claims he had heart disease before starting the diet. Another participant dropped out because of high reflux (couldn't tolerate the high fat content).

86 people participated in the study initially but 29 dropped out. At the time of analysis, 40 people had stayed on the program for at least 4 months. These 40 people lost an average of 10kg, which is significant. Their blood pressure did increase slightly (not significantly though). Triglycerides decreased by ~20%, which was significant and probably predictable due to the drastic reduction of carbs. HDL (good cholesterol) went up a significant 17.5%, LDL (bad cholesterol) went up 2.2%, which was not significant. Total cholesterol:HDL ratio decreased 11.5% (significant). Hemoglobin A1C (average blood glucose over 3 months) also decreased.

All in all, these initial findings are promising... But what will happen in the long run? Will participants drop off the diet due to the fact that most foods are restricted? What about the long-term consequences of a high fat diet?
Physical activity did not seem to be part of the study outline, which is too bad.

What's interesting is Dr. Wortman's response to the question: Will a low-carb diet increase my risk of heart disease?

I'll copy his answer from his blog:

This is another common myth. It is based on the notion that if you eliminate carbs as an energy source you will have to increase fat intake to compensate (there is a limit to how much protein you can eat). It was thought that an increase in fat would lead to high cholesterol which is associated with heart disease. When the studies were actually done on this, however, much to everyone’s surprise, the opposite happened. People on a low-carb diet improved their cholesterol readings even when they increased their fat intake and even when their intake of saturated fat (the so-called bad fat) increased. It appears that when you body must rely on fat for energy, the saturated fat you eat gets burned up before it can cause any harm. Another factor that plays a role in heart disease is the level of inflammation in our system. If the markers of inflammation are high we recognize this as a sign of increased risk of heart disease. We commonly order a C-reactive protein test, a marker of inflammation in the blood, to assess a person’s risk. A recent study showed that people on a low-carb diet demonstrated significantly reduced inflammatory markers.

Although there haven’t been any long term studies yet to prove it, the existing science suggests that a low-carb high-fat diet may actually reduce the risk of heart disease.

I think the fact that no long-term studies have been done is important to note.
I also need to research more on the need of carbohydrates in our diet. As dietitians, we learn that our brains and bodies need glucose (from carbs) to function. If we don't get it from our diet, first our livers release its stored glucose and then our bodies break down fat and muscle that can be converted to glucose, but this results in ketones that are toxic to our bodies. Dr. Wortman states that this too is a myth. In his blog, he writes that our body is quite happy to burn ketones to meet energy needs and the amount of ketones produced isn't enough to cause any harm!

In my opinion, there must be a minimum amount of carbs that we need to get from our diet... Nonetheless, I think there is merit to the fact that a reduction in carbs can be helpful in managing diabetes and improving lipid profiles, I'm just not sure what that magic number is.
An analysis of pooled data from 13 studies has shown that a decrease of carbohydrates in the diet from 65% of calories to 35% showed improvements in Type 2 diabetes management and a 23% drop in triglycerides. However, restricted carbohydrate intake didn't result in a significant reduction in body weight.

According to Leslie Beck, RD, the minimum recommended daily allowance for carbohydrates is 130g per day for adults based on the minimum amount of glucose needed to feed the brain each day. This amount equals 43% of calories in a 1,200-calorie diet; 30% of calories in a 1,700-calorie diet and 24% of calories in a 2,200-calorie diet.

Sources: http://www.drjaywortman.com/blog/wordpress/about/ ; http://www.cbc.ca/thelens/bigfatdiet/wortman.html
http://www.lesliebeck.com/page.php?id=2508&type=art