Whole Grain Nutrition And Your Health

• Grains are shelf stable sources of carbohydrates, protein and vitamins
• Whole grains are an important part of a balanced diet
• Grains provide a variety of nutrients, many not available from other sources:
  • Highly available protein
  • Fiber, oligosaccharides
  • Vitamins (B vitamins, Vitamin E)
  • Protease inhibitors
  • Phytoestrogens, trace elements and other nutrients
• Refining technology derived from the industrial revolution has changed the way food manufacturers process ingredients
• Refining grains strips natural nutrients, reducing their nutritional value
• More available refined flours, sweeteners created a separation between a so-called "Privileged diet" and "Peasant diet"
• Food synergies are protection against disease gained from natural substances in foods that work together; more effective than the individual isolated nutrients (the whole is greater than the sum of the parts)
• Recent research suggests that food synergies have wide ranging benefits:
  • 10 year study showed a significant reduction in coronary vascular disease in people who consumed whole grains (Ref: JAMA, 2003:289: 1659-1666)
  • Whole grain consumption had a positive effect on controlling blood glucose & insulin, predictors of type 2 diabetes (Ref: Effect of whole grains on insulin sensitivity in overweight hyperinsulinemic adults. M. Pereira, D. Jacobs, J. Pins, et al., Am J Clin Nutr, 2002, vol. 75, pp. 848-855)
  • A long-term study from Finland showed that whole grain (wheat and rye) reduced the incidence of diabetes by more than one-third. (Ref: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, March 1, 2003.)
• Whole grain breads are one of the easiest ways to incorporate good nutrition into your daily diet.
• When shopping for whole grain products, make sure that they are truly "whole grain" and not just dark in color. Also, buy good tasting products that you and your family will enjoy.
• Some tips for Athletic Training: The favored fuel for exercise is carbohydrate. It is stored in the form of glycogen in your muscles and liver glycogen.
• Protein, while important, does not build muscle: Exercise builds muscle, and carbohydrates fuel exercise.
• You cannot train or compete well on a low carbohydrate, low calorie diet.
• You need enough calories and carbohydrate to maintain muscle and liver glycogen stores. Your body stores only about certain amount of calories in your muscles, liver, and blood.
• When your muscle glycogen is depleted, you "hit the wall" and feel overwhelmingly fatigued and ready to quit.
• When your liver glycogen is depleted you "bonk" (feel uncoordinated, light-headed, weak, unable to concentrate) because inadequate glucose is available to the brain.
• A carb, is not a carb, is not a carb!! The best form of carbohydrate for training are complex carbs from whole grain sources; these provide both energy and nutrients important to superior overall health (Vitamin E, selenium, Vitamin B complex, fiber, Inositol, Magnesium, Zinc, others)
• Too much protein (Atkins, South Beach) may not provide enough carbs for fuel, plus too much protein can lead to dehydration, overworking renal function, constipation, and perhaps incorporating too much fat.
• The bottom line is that the majority of your diet should come from carbohydrate sources to insure adequate fuel for training.
• A suggested diet for competitive endurance athletes (7-10 hours/week)
  • 2800 calories for women; 3500 calories for men
  • 60-70% from carbohydrates (whole grain breads, pasta, fruits/veg)
  • 10-20% protein (Beans/peas, lean meats, low fat dairy)
  • 20-25% fat (mono/unsaturated sources- olive/canola/peanut, nuts/seeds)
• At Great Harvest Bread Company, we stone grind our wheat fresh right in the bakery so that all of the nutrients can be baked into the bread.
• We use natural ingredients, and never use preservatives, dough conditioners, mono/diglycerides or artificial ingredients in our products.
• There are three distinctive advantages to our Great Harvest breads
  • Complete whole grain nutrition
  • Superior Taste and texture
  • Longer shelf-life (7-10 days for whole grain breads)