Grains are an essential part of everyone's diet. They're a great choice for getting all of the proper vitamins and nutrients needed to have a healthy and happy body! Getting the right grains in your diet is necessary to having a slimmer waistline, but that doesn't mean all grains are good for you.
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Whole grains, found in most whole wheat bread and baked goods, are a great source of the vitamins and minerals needed to keep you energized. They contain important nutrients like protein, fiber, B vitamins, and antioxidants to keep your body healthy and ready for the day. They're also great for your metabolism because they use up more energy during digestion.
However, not all grains are as beneficial as whole grains. In fact, there's one form of grains that's absolutely terrible to your body and can make your metabolism extremely sluggish. "What's the big deal about a slow metabolism," you may ask. Well, it's actually a huge deal: a slow metabolism leads to a bunch of health concerns, like weight gain, low thyroid activity, and dry skin and hair.
Refined grains are the worst thing you can put in your body, according to nutritionist Joy Bauer. "Refined grains are missing fiber and key nutrients that their whole-grain counterparts retain," Bauer explained. According to Bauer, the main difference between whole grains and refined grains is that the most nutritious part is stripped away during the bleaching process of refined grains. So, refined grains are just made up of empty calories adding little to no nutritional value to our diets.
Refined grains are everywhere, so watch out! "Refined grains include white rice, white bread, regular white pasta, and other foods that have been made with white flour (also called enriched wheat flour or all-purpose flour), including many cookies, cakes, breakfast cereals, crackers, and snack foods," says Bauer. Instead, try switching all of your bread and baked goods to whole grain alternatives. Your metabolism will thank you for it!
