You might have heard people say, “choose wholegrains instead of refined grains.” And I touched on this in my posts about carbohydrates and fibre. But what exactly are wholegrains? And why should you be choosing them over refined varieties? What are wholegrains? Grains are the seeds from cereal plants, including wheat, rice, corn, barley, oats, quinoa and rye. The entire grain from these plants is the “wholegrain”. It is made up of three parts: The bran – the outer layer: rich in fibre, B vitamins and antioxidants. The germ – the core: packed with nutrients including B vitamins, minerals, healthy fats and protein. The endosperm – the middle layer and…
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Are You Eating Enough Fibre?
I mentioned the importance of dietary fibre (also known as roughage) in my post on Carbohydrates last week. Today I wanted to go into a bit more detail because it’s an important part of a healthy, balanced diet. What is fibre? Dietary fibre is found in plant-based foods, such as starchy carbohydrates, fruit, vegetables, beans and lentils. Our body cannot fully break it down by digestion and it passes through the body, which helps the normal functioning of our large intestine and colon. There are two types of fibre, although foods often contain both types. They are: Soluble fibre – this forms a gel-like substance when it dissolves in water…
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The Health Benefits of Bananas
The humble banana. It doesn’t really get the same airtime as other fruit. However, it’s great as a tasty, portable snack and can be used in a variety of meals. Why are bananas good for me? They are a source of many important micronutrients, as well as fibre and carbohydrates, that our bodies need to function normally. Here are a few of the reasons why they can be a good food to include in our diet. Potassium Bananas are rich in this electrolyte which helps regulate the balance of fluids in the body and function of the muscles. Research suggests it can play a role in lowering blood pressure (1)…
