Whole grains have become a new trend nowadays. Whole grains contain a large amount of dietary fiber, which can inhibit the absorption of cholesterol, reduce high blood lipids, promote intestinal peristalsis, and prevent constipation. Therefore, whole grains are becoming increasingly popular in daily life. So, let's take a look at how to eat whole grains properly today!
Why eat whole grains?
Whole grains are rich in dietary fiber. When chewed in the mouth, dietary fiber can reduce food residue attached to the teeth, which helps prevent periodontal disease and cavities.
When you are troubled by constipation, dietary fiber can relieve your worries, acting as a cleaner inside the body. Dietary fiber has a certain volume, which can promote the peristaltic movement of the intestines on feces. At the same time, dietary fiber can absorb water, diluting the feces and reducing their hardness. This greatly shortens the time for waste to pass through the large intestine, preventing constipation.
What are the benefits of eating whole grains regularly?
1. Whole grains require more chewing, which is beneficial for protecting teeth. Dental experts believe that teeth follow the principle of "use it or lose it." Regular chewing can promote the strength of teeth. If you always eat soft and refined foods that require no chewing, the quality of permanent teeth can be affected. Eating more coarse but not hard whole grains and beans is a great opportunity to give our teeth a workout.
2. Coarse grains help control blood sugar. Replacing some refined grains with coarse grains can help diabetic patients control their blood sugar. However, the ability of these foods to maintain post-meal blood sugar levels varies. For example, oats, buckwheat, barley, red rice, black rice, red beans, and lentils can significantly alleviate post-meal hyperglycemia in diabetic patients, reduce blood sugar fluctuations within 24 hours, lower fasting blood sugar, decrease insulin secretion, and help with blood sugar control in diabetic patients.
3. Coarse grains help improve cardiovascular function. For example, soybeans. Experiments have shown that soybeans and their products have special effects on the cardiovascular system. Regular consumption of soybean products can effectively lower serum cholesterol and help repair damage to arterial vessel walls. Some researchers have found that soybeans soaked in vinegar can be used to treat hypertension and obesity. This is because saponins in soybeans can remove fat attached to the walls of blood vessels and reduce cholesterol levels in the blood. Additionally, sweet potatoes can promote the excretion of cholesterol, maintain the elasticity of arterial blood vessels, prevent arteriosclerosis, and thus reduce the incidence of cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension.
4. Whole grains also have a weight-loss effect, such as corn. Corn also contains a large amount of magnesium, which can strengthen intestinal wall peristalsis and promote the excretion of waste from the body, which is very beneficial for weight loss. The corn silk (the tassel on the corn when it matures) has a diuretic effect, which is also beneficial for weight loss. We can boil corn into a soup and drink it like tea, or make it into corn cakes, cornbread, etc. Puffed corn puffs are very large in volume, and after eating them, they can eliminate a person's hunger, but they contain very low calories, making them a "green food" for weight loss.
How should you eat whole grains?
When to eat whole grains: Eating whole grain foods is not only about the quantity, but also about the timing.
Expert advice: It is best to eat whole grains at dinner. Because the body can better utilize the dietary fiber in whole grains to eliminate internal waste and lower blood lipids.
Experts tell us that the dietary fiber in whole grains can stimulate the intestinal wall to produce peristalsis, allowing stool to be expelled from the body more quickly. Therefore, eating dietary fiber at night can better help us have a bowel movement the next morning, which reduces the toxic effects of toxins on the intestinal wall. In addition, eating whole grains can easily create a feeling of fullness, so eating them at night can reduce the amount of food consumed, thereby avoiding overeating at night, which is harmful to the body.
Drink more water when eating whole grains: When we eat whole grains, we should not only pay attention to how much we eat and when we eat, but also pay attention to pairing. In addition to paying attention to the principle of mixing coarse and fine grains, we should also drink more water when eating whole grains.
Expert advice: Because the dietary fiber in whole grains needs sufficient water to support it to ensure the normal functioning of the intestines.
Therefore, when you eat whole grains, you might as well drink some boiled water or cook some congee to go with them, which can further help with excretion.