[LindaT]

I haven't read the entire article yet, but I am about to. Belly fat is hard enough for me to budge!

Cutting calories helps people lose weight, but doing so by filling up on whole grains may be particularly heart-healthy, new research suggests.

In a study of obese adults at risk of heart disease, researchers found that those who trimmed calories and increased their whole-grain intake shed more belly fat and lowered their blood levels of C-reactive protein or CRP.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23256171/

[jillnicole03]

I was so excited to read this article, bu tit has expired.

[nelie]

I searched google and found the article posted elsewhere.
Whole grains help deflate belly rolls
Study of obese adults also found reduced inflammation in blood vessels.

updated 11:12 a.m. CT, Wed., Feb. 20, 2008
Cutting calories helps people lose weight, but doing so by filling up on whole grains may be particularly heart-healthy, new research suggests.

In a study of obese adults at risk of heart disease, researchers found that those who trimmed calories and increased their whole-grain intake shed more belly fat and lowered their blood levels of C-reactive protein or CRP.

CRP is a marker of chronic, low-level inflammation in the blood vessels, and both abdominal fat and CRP, in excess, are linked to heart attack and stroke.

In contrast, dieters in the study who mainly ate refined grains, like white bread, were able to lose weight, but they trimmed less fat from the middle and showed no change in CRP.

The findings offer yet more incentive for Americans to opt for whole grains over highly processed versions, according to the researchers.

"This is the first clinical study to prove that a diet rich in whole grains can lead to weight loss and reduce the risk of several chronic diseases," Dr. Penny Kris-Etherton, the senior researcher on the study, said in a statement.

She and her colleagues at Pennsylvania State University report the findings in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

In general, experts recommend eating whole grains — such as oatmeal, brown rice and barley — rather than refined grains, like white bread and other products made from white flour. Whole-grain foods retain more of the nutrients and fiber components of the grain.

This fact might explain why dieters in the current study showed added benefits when they ate whole grains, according to the researchers. For example, fiber-rich foods may have kept participants' blood sugar levels more stable throughout the day, and this, in turn, may have lowered their CRP levels.

Possible antioxidant benefits
Alternatively, CRP might have dropped because of the antioxidant nutrients that are present in whole grains but depleted in refined ones.

The study included 50 obese men and women who had metabolic syndrome, a collection of several risk factors for diabetes, heart disease and stroke — such as abdominal obesity, high blood pressure and high blood sugar.

All of the study participants cut calories for 12 weeks, but half were instructed to strive for whole grains, while the rest were told to choose refined grains. The whole-grain group was told to look for products with "whole grain" listed as the first ingredient on the label.

In the end, the average weight loss was about 8 to 11 pounds in both groups. However, the average CRP level dropped by 38 percent in the whole-grain group, while remaining unchanged in the refined-grain group. In addition, while both groups showed a similar change in waistline size, the whole-grain dieters showed a greater reduction in the percentage of fat around the middle.

The researchers recommend that consumers look at labels and be careful to choose products that are good sources of whole grain.



"There are a lot of foods around that claim they contain whole grain but are not really major sources of whole grain," Kris-Etherton said. She suggested looking for foods like oatmeal, breakfast cereals made from whole grains, whole-wheat pastas, granola and popcorn.

As a general rule, she said, consumers should buy grain products that are at least 51 percent whole grain. Products that put health claims about whole grains on their labels are required to contain at least

(and it looks like the rest of the article got cut off)

[jillnicole03]

Thanks Nelie! you're always so helpful!!

[giselley]

Granola, and those little morning bars seem like no more than cookies. I think that so much sugar is added to them that it negates the health benifits of the whole grain. On the other hand rolled oat cerial (oatmeal with more than one kind of grain) is very good with some fruit in it.

I stay away from most manufactured foods. Ceariel companies would go broke if they waited for me to buy something from them.

[mom2mollie]

This explains a lot!! I started doing the whole foods lifestyle after my first child was born, but kept getting pregnant (and not losing weight). I just recently started really losing weight, and I've noticed a LOT less fat around my middle and hips and belly than I used to have before I got pregnant. (mostly it's just skin, lol). I grind my own grain for most recipes and try never to eat food without fiber in it.

[tammay]

Thanks for posting the article, Nelie (since the link says it's no longer available). I have to say that I was a little disappointed. They're basically comparing whole grains to refined carbs and saying that whole grains help reduce belly fat. I think most of us on the 3FC boards would say, "well, duh!!!" to that one. I think most if not all of us know that refined carbs are weight gaining and that whole grains are much better not only for weight loss but for health. So this doesn't seem like news.

Now if they would have been comparing a group where people ate a high percentage of their calories from whole grains while another group ate most of their calories from protein and another from fat and said the whole grain group showed better weight loss around the belly, that would have caught my attention and been something interesting ...

Tam

[Esofia]

There's plenty of researching pointing out the benefits of including whole grains in your diet. You can start here.

[nelie]

Tammay, there is a newish study that the media keeps hyping somewhat incorrectly but it talks about the effects of whole grains on body weigh. You'd have to wade through the hype to find the details. Whole grains should be part of a healthy, balanced diet.

Initially, it was said the study proved potatoes were evil but that was not the case. The actual study is something to ponder though and has some interesting data.
Here is a NYT article but I'd recommend finding the actual study
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/19/he...2&pagewanted=1

[pamatga]

I am a person who has the majority of my excess weight through my torso. Picture an apple with toothpicks for legs. I would also like to add that try going no-sugar for as long as you can tolerate doing so. You will see your belly fat shrink by doing so. [My grossly swollen torso went down 9 inches without doing abs!!] I guarantee it! I also have a strong family history of diabetes. In January 2010, I discovered that my blood glucose levels were in the diabetic range. I immediately began monitoring myself multiple times daily (something most diabetics should do and don't--yes, it hurts) so I could see exactly how certain foods affected my blood sugar. Within a matter of months I brought it down from 174 to 146 without losing any weight at all. Then I lost 25 lbs and brought it down to 117 mg/dl(normal is 90 mg/dl--fasting first thing in the morning). NOw, it is "normal" after losing only 10% of my body weight. Small changes can add up to big results.

I discovered that moving (not necessarily exercise as some would call it) also helped lower my blood glucose levels. As I reduced the amount of sugar in my diet and significantly increased the fiber (I had already been eating some whole grains) from 25- 50+ (some days), I also saw my body begin to transform itself without hours in the gym. Food was moving through me more efficiently. FYI: Fiber is one of three components of starch and it is the only one that lowers both your blood glucose and your blood cholesterol.

Now, that my DH has gotten high risk triglycerides in spite of a near normal weight and competing in a 13.1K marathon this past winter; I have worked with him in paying more attention to his fiber intake along with taking fish oil capsules.

Sidenote: I can eat a lot more than some people as a result of the types of foods I eat as well because they aren't sticking around long enough to add to my girth. How many calories? An average of 2200-2400 calories per day. I have arthritis so I can only do modest physical activity. I do however do strength exercises every other day to keep the muscle I do have. (I have as many as 3 BMs each day). Fiber (aka whole grains) is your friend.

[samida]

I'm surprised because the "latest" book, Wheat Belly does everything to convince you that grains - even healthy whole grains, is the downfall of society and the cause of obesity, and especially "girth."

It just goes to show you, find what works for YOU!

Samida

[Suzanne 3FC]

Agreed, Samida! We're all individuals and one size doesn't fit all

I read Wheat Belly and wasn't impressed. I found conflicting evidence elsewhere that didn't support many or most of his theories. Also, I've personally been wheat free since February and I didn't experience any of the long list of benefits he said would happen when giving up wheat. The only thing I gained from it was better digestion because I'm gluten sensitive.

That said, I think most people can include reasonable amounts of wheat in a healthy way. BUT choose non-gmo organic wheat products.

The problem, IMO, is not that we eat wheat, but that we eat too much wheat and other grains.

[justhamade]

Originally Posted by samida

I'm surprised because the "latest" book, Wheat Belly does everything to convince you that grains - even healthy whole grains, is the downfall of society and the cause of obesity, and especially "girth."

It just goes to show you, find what works for YOU!

Grains, specially wheat, do not work for anyone, we are not birds.

If you do a search for lectin then you will see the amount of research that has been done over that last 30+ years that shows lectins, which are found in all grains, are inflammatory and are closely linked to many western diseases, specifically CVD, auto-immune disease, autism, IBS, Lupus, rheumatoid arthritis and many others.

So not only will grains, specifically wheat, cause insulin spikes, which is bad for fat loss, they will also slowly kill you.

[om namah shivaya]

Lol, I'm never sure how I feel about it. I'm a middle road kind of person-- I've heard both sides' arguments. When I eat grains, it's seldom and always organic (brown rice, let's say). But I probably eat them less than 3x a week and stick to a diet MAINLY composed of fruits and vegetables. I had some brown rice with carrots and sesame seeds as a part of my lunch today and that was a 'treat.' To me, it's all about being in control of what you eat (and how much) and putting things that aren't chemically (or otherwise) treated or altered into your body.