Karen Asks “Why?” Part 1

Posted by on Jul 24, 2012 in Nutrition | 2 comments

Hey there gang! I have the priveledge of allowing another rippedclub member to share some vary valuable information with us that she has aquired by simply having the need to ask “why”. I think you guys are going to enjoy these posts and learn a crap ton as well! I am definitely looking forward to the future articles!

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Karen Asks “Why?” Part 1

By RIPPEDCLUB Member: Karen MacKinnon

Are you a “WHY” learner? I am. When people claim that this is bad for you or you should/shouldn’t eat this or that, I need to know “WHY”. Cuz “it makes you fat” or “isn’t good for you”, isn’t a good enough explanation for ME. AND it’s not just with health and fitness. It’s pretty much with everything. I am a “prove it” or “convince me” kind of gal. (My mother calls it being stubborn)

I have discovered that there is A LOT of information out there. Good and not so good. It’s a little overwhelming and can be downright scary. So how do you filter the good from the fecal matter? Rock, paper, scissors doesn’t always work. It’s gotta make sense to YOU. NOT just because someone says it. They gotta PROVE IT!

My latest journey on health and “why”, I attended a few lectures. High fructose corn syrup (HFCS), Hydrogenated/partially hydrogenated oils and “Enriched” whole wheat and how bad they are for us and A Calorie isn’t a Calorie. That so sounded like a “why” lecture to me! Sign me up!  I’m such a geek…

Before the lectures, this is what I knew:

  •  HFCS…mmmm sounds yummy…don’t really know much about that. Fructose, glucose, sucrose? Sugar?
  •  Hydrogenated/partially hydrogenated oils …. something about what it looks like on your counter is what it looks like in your body.
  • “Enriched” whole wheat – Enriched – during the processing, we have removed every ounce of goodness and have to put something back so the FDA will let us sell it as “food” and not glue.
  • Why a Calorie isn’t a Calorie??? Calorie – unit of energy. Seriously? How is a calorie NOT a calorie? I double dog dare you to convince me otherwise. I’m not going to like this am I? As long as it is not as traumatic as when Canada went from Imperial to Metric, I think I will be ok.

 After the lectures… well I didn’t run out of there screaming, but I was in shock.

 

Part 1

 

Let’s start with “Enriched” whole wheat.  I was right.  Most of the fiber and vitamins/minerals come from the bran and the germ parts of the grain.   When the grain is milled, the germ and the bran are stripped away leaving behind the endosperm,  which is how white flour is produced.   Because this flour does not contain any vitamins or minerals, the government has required that iron and B-vitamins are added back in to the flour, hence the name “enriched wheat.”
 What I didn’t know – its way more than just not really nutritious.  It rapidly raises/restores glucose, which is NOT bad if you are an elite marathon athlete and need to quickly replenish your stores cuz you just ran 300 miles, but it is bad if you are like me and not so elite of an athlete.    It promotes weight GAIN, insulin resistance, obesity, diabetes etc.    How could this possibly be?  Whole wheat is good!  Right?

Clarifying the confusion

 A whole grain is the entire edible part of any grains. A list of grains includes the following:

  • Wheat
  • Barley
  • Spelt
  • Corn
  • Oats
  • Rice
  • Buckwheat*
  • Rye
  • Quinoa*
  • Millet
  • Amaranth*
  • Sorghum
  • Teff
*not real grasses, considered as pseudocereals
If you are trying to be more conscious about what you eat and “fueling” your body with nutrition, you may not want to eat products that contain this stuff. Read the label and see just how many products contain this.

 Look at the ingredients label on the product. Look for the words “whole grain”, “whole wheat”, or “100% whole grain.” You would want to purchase this product.

  • If you see the word “enriched” or “wheat flour” do not purchase. Wheat flour is another name for white flour! Do NOT be fooled by the words on the package—it’s just advertising!
  • Beware of breads labeled as “7-grain” or “multigrain” as these may or may not be true whole grains; it could just be a marketing ploy. The only way to know for sure is to read the ingredients label.
  • Pay attention to the amount of dietary fiber on the label; if the product is a whole grain, it will be high in dietary fiber.

 Dr. Andrew Siegel has a few short YouTube videos on this and other topics

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4AHe9C_alA – Enriched Whole Wheat

 

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