At the call of nutritionists, it is now widely known that we should eat more whole grains. Compared to refined grains like white rice and white flour, whole grains have lower carbohydrate content, higher dietary fiber content, and higher B-vitamin content. Moderate consumption can achieve a balanced intake of nutrients. However, if you suddenly eat a large amount of whole grains, your digestive system cannot adapt quickly, leading to bloating or excessive gas. If this happens, what should you do?
One, Gradual Introduction.
If you have already realized that you should increase your intake of whole grains, congratulations, but also a reminder: don't try to do it all at once. When you start, be sure to start with a small amount, about 1/10 of your staple food. After persisting for 7-10 days, you can start to slowly increase the amount. This way, you can give your digestive system time to adapt.
Two, Eat Softer Grains.
When cooking, try to make them softer and mushier, as soft grains can reduce the stimulation of dietary fiber on the intestines. At the beginning, you can pair them with some soft foods, such as processed oats, purple sweet potatoes, and taro.
Three, Variety in Combination.
It is best not to eat only one type of food rich in dietary fiber. You should rotate different types of whole grains, such as red beans, oats, millet, and purple rice.
Here, Xiao Yu also wants to tell you that because dietary fiber is absorbent, it may also absorb some vitamins or trace elements and excrete them. Therefore, long-term and large consumption of foods rich in dietary fiber can affect the human body's absorption of minerals such as calcium and iron, and also reduce the body's immunity. Therefore, a mix of coarse and fine grains is the healthiest.
Infants and the elderly have weaker gastrointestinal functions, and eating too many whole grains can lead to bloating. Therefore, it is not recommended to give infants whole grains, and the elderly's intake of whole grains should be about half that of adults. In addition, when eating whole grains, you should drink more water to provide enough moisture for the dietary fiber to function. Otherwise, it will be like adding too little water when making dough—dry, and you may experience constipation when having a bowel movement.