Healthy Diet Plan: Fiber-Rich Whole Grains
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Wondering about a low carb diet? Instead, lose weight by focusing on healthy carbs, which are good carbs found in fiber-rich whole grains.
Nutrition experts have some very good news for you: You can enjoy carbs and lose weight! "Some carbohydrates may actually help protect against obesity," says Pauline Koh-Banerjee, Sc.D., adjunct professor in the department of preventive medicine at the University of Tennessee.
These protective healthy carbs are found in:
- whole-grain baked goods
- pastas
- cereals
- rice
But the key words here are whole grain. Read on to see how you can tap into the nutritional and weight-loss power of these beneficial good carbs (not a low carb diet but a good carb diet!) and check out our three delicious, easy-to-make whole-grain recipes.
Discover more about the healthy meals that will help you lose weight when you incorporate healthy carbs into your whole grain-rich healthy diet plan.
Eat more whole grains in your healthy meals and you'll weigh less -- that's what the latest research suggests. A Harvard study that followed 74,000 female nurses for 12 years found that women who included the most whole grains in their healthy diet plan weighed less than those who ate the least. And a Louisiana State University study of 149 women found that a low fiber intake was linked to higher body fat.
How do whole grains work their magic? It's simple: Whole grains are much higher in fiber than their highly processed counterparts, and adding fiber to your healthy diet plan is the secret weapon in the weight-loss war. For example, a 1/2-cup serving of brown rice has nearly 2 grams of fiber, while the same serving of white rice barely contains any.
"Whole grains and fiber affect feelings of fullness and satisfaction," explains Barbara J. Rolls, Ph.D., professor of nutritional sciences at Pennsylvania State University and author of The Volumetrics Eating Plan: Techniques and Recipes for Feeling Full on Fewer Calories (HarperCollins, 2005). "We don't know exactly why, but [fiber and whole grains] could affect the hormones that send the signal to your brain that you've had enough to eat."
