Black Rice Beats Brown When It Comes To Its Health Benefits

'You already know that brown rice is a nutrition powerhouse compared to white rice. But you can do even better. Discover the benefits of black rice.

Brown rice is rich in fiber, vitamin E compounds and cholesterol lowering antioxidants. Those benefits are all contained in the brown bran.

What's wrong with white rice?

Brown rice is produced by removing only the outermost layer, the hull, of the rice kernel keeping most of its nutritional value intact. But when the rice kernel is milled and polished to make it white, here's what can get destroyed:'


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Have We All Gone Multigrain Crazy?

'Multigrain snacks have proliferated throughout the food industry, but are these products really healthy as what their labels suggest?

7-grain, 12-grain, whole wheat, all-natural multi-grain, whole grain whole wheat....What, what, what? 

Just take a look at the products on the shelves of your local grocery store. There is a healthy multigrain substitute for everything - be it bread, noodles, biscuits or chips. Most brands are exploiting the multigrain craze that has caught the fancy of people of late. However, are they really healthy as these companies claim?'

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Barley Water: A Boon For The Kidneys and Your Waistline

'Which grain is extremely low in calories, does wonders for the kidneys and may even trim your waistline?

(...)


The core ingredient in this highly useful grain is beta-glucan that is also found in oat bran. Explaining it's benefits nutritionist Aruna Kulkarni elaborates, "Barley is packed with insoluble fibre which retains water. So it flushes out intestinal contents with great speed. This also minimises the risk of cancer, since the possibility of harmful elements accumulating in the intestines is less. It is also a good cure for digestive problems like constipation."'

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7 Whole Grains to Add to Your Diet

 

'While many people steer clear of whole grains, they’d do well to give them a second look. The average person eats refined grain products like white flour and white rice and avoids whole grains like the plague. Meanwhile low-carb dieters swear off whole grains in favor of high protein options like meat and poultry under the false belief that all grains are evil to the dieter (whole grains actually help stabilize blood sugar — critical to the success of any weight loss regime). 

And many other people simply avoid whole grains because they don’t know what to do with them or how to prepare them. There are many delicious and highly nutritious whole grains to choose from, so adding whole grains to your diet needn’t be daunting.'

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The Whole Wheat Hoax

'Is whole wheat bread more healthful than white bread? 

The vast majority of shoppers — including those with a high "health IQ" — think so. And that’s just what food marketers want you to believe. But the truth may knock you for a loop.
You see, many “whole wheat” products are just as bad as white bread — and some are even worse. 

Keep reading and I’ll blow away the smoke that may be clouding your eyes so you can “hokum-proof” your whole grain purchases and bring home the real McCoy.' 


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Great Tips For Cooking Whole Grains

'The benefits of eating whole grains have been extolled numerous times here on Care2.com. Now, let’s get down to cooking them properly. Because a hard outer shell protects the seed of the grain there are certain preliminary steps to take in order to ensure maximum access to a grains powerhouse concentration of micronutrients.

Soaking grains: all ancient cultures soaked and/or fermented grains in order to neutralize enzyme inhibitors and the effects of phytic acid, which binds to calcium, phosphorus, iron and zinc and prevents their absorption in the intestines.  Soak grains 6-12 hours, or overnight, which pre-digests gluten and indigestible proteins rendering the grain more digestible. Even one hour of soaking will help to soften grains. Change water before cooking.'


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7 Whole Grains to Add to Your Diet

'While many people steer clear of whole grains, they’d do well to give them a second look. The average person eats refined grain products like white flour and white rice and avoids whole grains like the plague. Meanwhile low-carb dieters swear off whole grains in favor of high protein options like meat and poultry under the false belief that all grains are evil to the dieter (whole grains actually help stabilize blood sugar — critical to the success of any weight loss regime). And many other people simply avoid whole grains because they don’t know what to do with them or how to prepare them. There are many delicious and highly nutritious whole grains to choose from, so adding whole grains to your diet needn’t be daunting.'


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