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Are Grains Healthy?

Gretchen Becker
Gretchen Becker
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Author, Humorist, wildlyfluctuating.blogspot.com

Gretchen Becker studied biology for 8 years at Radcliffe/Harvard,...

Gretchen Becker

Monday, July 27, 2009
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Normal 0 Dieticians keep telling us to eat more "healthy whole grains" and fish for optimal health.   One problem with this prescription is defining more. More than other foods? More than we're already eating? More than we ate last year?   There are, of course, formulas for what th...
  1. healthy grains?
    cookie
    Monday, July 27, 2009 at 03:50 PM

    well the all wonderful oatmeal of dieticians spikes my bg to 170, but eggs keep me below 110.  that's enough evidence for me.

    Reply
  2. the holiest of grains
    frankenduf
    Monday, July 27, 2009 at 04:09 PM

    i always thought the distinction to be between whole grains and refined grains- that is, "eat more healthy whole grains" implies eating more whole grains and less (dastardly)refined grains- the classic example is whole wheat bread v. white bread- so "eat more WW bread" implies eating less white bread- i would agree that this distinction is not picked up on unless specified, however i would not agree that the health implications are spurious- whole grains contain minerals and fiber, both of which are beneficial in preventing DM, eg. Mg status and insulin resistance, and the blunted glycemic response to high fiber meals- whole grains may not be 'healthy', but they are marginally better for diabetics in terms of prevention/glycemic control than refined grains

    Reply
  3. Whole Grains and Fish
    Ann Bartlett
    Monday, July 27, 2009 at 05:57 PM

    So I'm having salmon with lemon and dill for dinner..no?  Love fish refuse to give it up, along with my glass of high mortality wine!Smile

    Reply
  4. "Healthy Whole Grains"
    Gracie
    Monday, July 27, 2009 at 07:58 PM

    I'm on Atkins, keep my net carbs to 20-25, eat no grains ( as a diabetic I find them to be unhealthy for me) and no fruit. I do however eat a large variety of veggies & keep m  blood glucose levels in the 80's & 90's. My A1C is 5. Think I'll keep doing it, seems to be working well! Oh & my high mortality glass of vodka & crystal light.

    Reply
  5. "healthy whole grains"
    Gretchen Becker
    Tuesday, July 28, 2009 at 10:30 AM

    I suspect that most people who are sophisticated enough to read these shareposts know that grains, whole or not, will make their BG go up. The problem is the people who know nothing about nutrition and apply the guidelines they see in the popular press or that they get from their dieticians.

     

    Saying it's OK to eat more whole grains because they're better than refined grains is sort of like saying it's OK to eat more white bread because it's better than deep-fat-fried candy bars.

     

    Most whole foods contain vitamins and minerals, and I'd rather get mine from vegetables than from whole grains.

    Reply
    re: "healthy whole grains"
    frankenduf
    Tuesday, July 28, 2009 at 04:14 PM

    so what do you eat your sandwiches on?!- this reminds me of an old Jeffersons joke: they would say that when they were first married, they were so poor that all they would eat was mayonnaise sandwiches... without the bread (possibly the first Atkins joke in the 70s)

    Reply
    re: re: "healthy whole grains"
    Gretchen Becker
    Tuesday, July 28, 2009 at 04:43 PM

    First, why do you need to eat sandwiches? Have you ever tried a bacon, lettuce, and tomato salad? It's delicious.

     

    Second, if you're going on a picnic and feel you need that kind of food, you can either make sandwiches on lettuce alone (not a great solution for peanut butter and jelly <G>) or you can use low-carb wraps or bread.

     

    Successful management of diabetes requires thinking outside the box. Americans seem to think they have to eat either bacon and eggs or cereal for breakfast. There's no law that says you have to eat special breakfast food for breakfast. Use your imagination.

     

     

    Reply
  6. Studies, schmudies!
    Aggie
    Wednesday, July 29, 2009 at 01:17 PM

    I have about gotten to the point where I do not believe any of these studies. They take highly different societies and try to make comparisons based on diet alone. In fact, I read recently that in all these studies on the benefits of the Mediterranean diet, they just noticed that in many cases, the area in which these folks live is quite hilly and their daily activitiy equals the equivalent of walking up 6 fllights of stairs! So, is it the diet or the exercise or their genetic makeup or something else altogether?

     

    I know that we are all looking for that pot of gold lifestyle that will keep us healthy well into our later years, but I don't believe anyone knows what that is or if it even exists.

     

    And, as long as I'm being contrary, I think it possible that just lowering one's blood sugar levels may be treating the symptom rather than the disease. The studies done in the past that claim there is a real benefit from lowering the numbers are deeply flawed and reported in terms of reduction of relative risk, not absolute risk. In other words, we know less than we think we do about diabetes, obesity, diet, and how to improve longevity.

     

     

    Reply
    re: Studies, schmudies!
    Gretchen Becker
    Wednesday, July 29, 2009 at 07:32 PM

    Aggie, I agree with your scepticism about nutritional studies.

     

    And yes, lowering BG is treating a symptom. We all want them to figure out the real cause of this disease so we can get a real cure. Until that happens, treating the symptoms is all we've got.

    Reply
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