Why is wheat better?

[Techguy30]

On alot of the items I look at that are wheat seem to have the same macros (example certain breads and pasta) is their something I'm missing...I still get wheat but why?

[Damienm05]

Lower on the GI, lower glycemic load, more nutrients and fiber available. Wheat breads and pasta, the difference isn't all that substantial but it's still smart to choose wheat. In terms of unprocessed foods such as oats, lentils, brown rice vs. white carbs, the difference is huge.

[gbrice75]

Better then what? Same macros as what? As white bread or pasta?

Breads and pastas aren't the best carb sources as they are already processed to some extent (they're not naturally occurring foods), but the wheat/whole grain varieties are at least closer to their original form. White breads and pastas have been refined and all of the nutrients stripped out, essentially leaving you with an 'empty carb'.

It's the same basic principle behind the ever present white rice vs. brown rice debate. White rice is simply refined brown rice.

[Techguy30]

Gotcha. That makes since, unprocessed I could tell a diff but bread and pasta was throwing me off. Thanks for the info!

[gbrice75]

Damien hit it on the head ^ ^ ^ - a major difference and point which I didn't mention is the GI of these products.

LoL Damien, it's happening again! =)

[Techguy30]

My wife is a big pasta fan and I'm trying to fit in a good dinner 1 night a week with wheat pasta. I'm thinking about chicken Alfredo ..... Any suggestions?

[gbrice75]

yea - don't do it! Take a look at the ingredients / macros for Alfredo sauce. You might be able to make a healthier version, but it may not even be worth it.

If you want pasta, have it with garlic, olive oil, some fresh basil and tomatoes. You can grate a bit of fresh parm if you'd like for a salty kick.

[Techguy30]

I guess I could just cook some pasta for her and just eat my chicken since I'm cutting. .......(my wife is loving the results lol)

[Techguy30]

Thanks!

[Damienm05]

Damien hit it on the head ^ ^ ^ - a major difference and point which I didn't mention is the GI of these products.

LoL Damien, it's happening again! =)

Just another day at the office

[csavage0]

The difference in more depth is 100% whole wheat and white bread is wheat is a complex carb meaning it is digested slower and takes longer getting through the intestines. Simple carbs (white) make their way through the intestines much faster and cause a insulin spike to take place. This insulin spike is to be avoided due to fat storage and other reasons. Eat complex carbs also do to points mentioned above ... Higher fiber etc. When eating anything the dietary guidelines suggest avoiding high fat, high sodium, high sugar and eat plenty of fiber. Sorry for rambling but I enjoy this type of crap. Im finishing my masters in exercise science and plan on starting a phd in exercise physiology if everything works put correctly . Hope this helped

[Techguy30]

Thanks savage that was a great post!

[jngymrat]

The confusion or lack of information about carbohydrates is due in large part as to how to classify them or figuring out which ones are better off in your body. Some classify them only by there molecular structure-- either simple or complex. Simple indicates a carbohydrate that has one or two sugar molecules. Things like sucrose (table sugar) fructose (fruit) and lactose (as in dairy products).

Complex carbohydrates are ones that contain more than two sugar molecules like pasta, rice, bread and potatoes. Notice how I did not mention white or wheat! This has no bearing on simple or complex...... Yet.

The fatal flaw with carbohydrates are you can't generalize it and say with certainty that a carb is good or bad based on its molecular structure......Yet! Again with the yet! pay attention this is where it gets interesting and more than often over simplified to the point of exhaustion and error!

For example, an apple contains essential nutrients and helps keep you stay lean, table sugar does not. Both are simple carbs, but they are on opposites in nutritional value. Instead a better way to find out or use as a guide the chemical effect that a food or carbohydrate has on the body is to use the glycemic index and discover what the glycemic load of a carbohydrate is (don't go to crazy with the numbers here) The Glycemic index (or GI) assigns numbers to foods that indicate how quickly a food turns to glucose or blood sugar, normally foods with high GI # are less nutritional than ones with low numbers.

Now, remember where I said to pay attention? IMHO, this is where BB'd community falls down from lack of basic information (I was in here myself for years) but you can decide for yourself. Okay, we already know that the presence of blood sugar causes your body to produce the hormone insulin, the basic job of insulin is to move the sugar in the bloodstream not being used for energy and to store in the body (fat) This is when you start ingesting all the white bread, pasta, white rice and snicker bars the body starts to produce a flood of insulin, the body has an overload of glucose in the bloodstream that can't be used as energy and immediately starts being stored as fat, or excess fat! And your body is incredibly efficient at having insulin turning this new blood sugar into fat that your blood sugar begins to drop and guess what, your hungry again! thus creating the cycle for you staying at 14% rather than 10%! I know, bummer!

Here is the flip side to the food choices your making with all the rice and pastas, whole wheat and grains, FIBER, FIBER, and more FIBER!! this is absolutely (not only my opinion but the entire scientific community) a must, and every high energy form of good, whole wheat whole grain carbohydrate source has it! This is just the nuts and bolts of fiber, fiber= long lasting energy and a slow steady glucose fuel.

Now, in conclusion to the lack of fiber in foods (which by the way, when they take it out it causes the calories in the food to be digested quicker flooding the bloodstream with glucose.... and you already no the rest!) Such as wheat, corn, oats, barley and rye from being processed lose all there nutritional value for one and for two, the body now can't recognize it as "complex" anymore. in these grains there are broken into three parts, the Germ, the Bran and the Endosperm. The food company's only want the endosperm or the starch, thats where we get (you guessed it) white bread, pasta, white rice, bagels and a host of other nutritionally bankrupt food sources.

So when your looking at your food choices and trying to decide what your carb sources are, be careful picking them based on what you hear from others, but take a "chemical" approach along with the Glycemic Index and make smart choices in your food combinations, however, stay away from anything processed (in most every case) and chances are you'll stay on a positive weight loss or weight gain with healthy, smart foods to reach your dietary goals.

Thanks Damien and GB for the "Lowjack" of the thread, You guys continue to grace us with your excellent diet advice.

JN

[SlimmerMe]

what about OAt bread? where does that fall in this line up....thanks

[jngymrat]

Sorry slim, I'm not familiar with Oat bread, is this whole wheat bread with oats in it? GB? you or damien know about this? If it is just bread with oats in it be cautious on how it is processed, check the fiber content, if it is natural or added same with sugars, bread company's have gotten sneaky about adding sugar and sweeteners to help "bind" the ingredients because they over process the wheat and grains to make them more palatable. In the end you normally have a high GL processed food.

[SlimmerMe]

The confusion or lack of information about carbohydrates is due in large part as to how to classify them or figuring out which ones are better off in your body. Some classify them only by there molecular structure-- either simple or complex. Simple indicates a carbohydrate that has one or two sugar molecules. Things like sucrose (table sugar) fructose (fruit) and lactose (as in dairy products).

Complex carbohydrates are ones that contain more than two sugar molecules like pasta, rice, bread and potatoes. Notice how I did not mention white or wheat! This has no bearing on simple or complex...... Yet.

The fatal flaw with carbohydrates are you can't generalize it and say with certainty that a carb is good or bad based on its molecular structure......Yet! Again with the yet! pay attention this is where it gets interesting and more than often over simplified to the point of exhaustion and error!

For example, an apple contains essential nutrients and helps keep you stay lean, table sugar does not. Both are simple carbs, but they are on opposites in nutritional value. Instead a better way to find out or use as a guide the chemical effect that a food or carbohydrate has on the body is to use the glycemic index and discover what the glycemic load of a carbohydrate is (don't go to crazy with the numbers here) The Glycemic index (or GI) assigns numbers to foods that indicate how quickly a food turns to glucose or blood sugar, normally foods with high GI # are less nutritional than ones with low numbers.

Now, remember where I said to pay attention? IMHO, this is where BB'd community falls down from lack of basic information (I was in here myself for years) but you can decide for yourself. Okay, we already know that the presence of blood sugar causes your body to produce the hormone insulin, the basic job of insulin is to move the sugar in the bloodstream not being used for energy and to store in the body (fat) This is when you start ingesting all the white bread, pasta, white rice and snicker bars the body starts to produce a flood of insulin, the body has an overload of glucose in the bloodstream that can't be used as energy and immediately starts being stored as fat, or excess fat! And your body is incredibly efficient at having insulin turning this new blood sugar into fat that your blood sugar begins to drop and guess what, your hungry again! thus creating the cycle for you staying at 14% rather than 10%! I know, bummer!

Here is the flip side to the food choices your making with all the rice and pastas, whole wheat and grains, FIBER, FIBER, and more FIBER!! this is absolutely (not only my opinion but the entire scientific community) a must, and every high energy form of good, whole wheat whole grain carbohydrate source has it! This is just the nuts and bolts of fiber, fiber= long lasting energy and a slow steady glucose fuel.

Now, in conclusion to the lack of fiber in foods (which by the way, when they take it out it causes the calories in the food to be digested quicker flooding the bloodstream with glucose.... and you already no the rest!) Such as wheat, corn, oats, barley and rye from being processed lose all there nutritional value for one and for two, the body now can't recognize it as "complex" anymore. in these grains there are broken into three parts, the Germ, the Bran and the Endosperm. The food company's only want the endosperm or the starch, thats where we get (you guessed it) white bread, pasta, white rice, bagels and a host of other nutritionally bankrupt food sources.

So when your looking at your food choices and trying to decide what your carb sources are, be careful picking them based on what you hear from others, but take a "chemical" approach along with the Glycemic Index and make smart choices in your food combinations, however, stay away from anything processed (in most every case) and chances are you'll stay on a positive weight loss or weight gain with healthy, smart foods to reach your dietary goals.

Thanks Damien and GB for the "Lowjack" of the thread, You guys continue to grace us with your excellent diet advice.

JN

so are you saying oats are not any good? confused.....need clarification please...

[songdog]

WOW I love listen to those collage boyz talk.They really did some good posts.Thanx

[jngymrat]

No slimmer oats are excellent for you, I actually believe it is one of the best food sources out there, sorry that does seem a little confusing (I get wound up sometimes) What I'm saying is that the food company's take a good food source (corn, oats, wheat, rye and barley for example) and strip them of their components, the Germ, the Bran and or the Endosperm, thus making it somewhat useless. Does this clarify it enough for you?

[SlimmerMe]

^^^ yep......thanks and appreciate it since I am FINALLY getting into oats.....

[Damienm05]

Think about something like Captain Crunch cereal Slimmer. Read the ingredients. Corn is the primary however, you'll want to take notice of the parenthesized (germ removed). Thus, Captain Crunch not a complex carb, lol.

Good post Jngymrat.

[gbrice75]

^^^ yep......thanks and appreciate it since I am FINALLY getting into oats.....

Eat oats. Lots of them. Don't stop eating oats!

Agreed, nice post jng!