Whole Grain Benefits

We all have freedom of choice on what we eat and love to keep it that way but believe me there is a very simple way to help lower your blood pressure, improve your cholesterol and lower the chance of developing a number of serious medical conditions. This is a simple adjustment and starts in your kitchen.

Read on to learn more!

Before we start thinking about eating the right grains, you need to consider replacing the refined grains in your diet with whole grains.

What are whole grains?

 Whole grains are cereals and seeds that have not been processed or milled to remove their hard exterior. This hard exterior layer is known as the bran and contains healthy oils, fibers and proteins. During processing this hard, outer exterior is stripped away. Whole grains are complex carbohydrates that take your body longer to digest. As a result, whole grains release their nutrients slowly and continuously. This leaves you feeling fuller and energized for much longer. Whole grains will not spike your blood sugar. Whole grains are a great source of dietary fiber, iron, potassium, protein and manganese.


Where Can I Find Whole Grain Foods?

Finding whole grain foods in your local grocery store can be tricky. This is largely due to the lack that food labels can be misleading. From reading a nutritional label, it can be hard to tell what is made from whole grain and what isn't. Finding the right grains can be a challenge. The best way to find the right grains is to verify if your packaged foods contain whole grains or not is to read the ingredient list on the back side. If the grains are listed as "whole grains" chances are these products are actually whole grain. However, the best way to ensure you are eating the right grains is to buy grains whole and cook them yourself.

Some examples of the right grains include oats, brown rice, buckwheat and quinoa. You can look for these right grains in the bulk bins or dried goods section at your local supermarket. These grains are often very, very affordable. All grains should be well-rinsed before cooking and inspected for stray twigs or stones that may remain from when the grains were processed. What can you use your whole grains for? Whole grains can take the place or white pasta or rice. Whole grains can also be added to salads, soups and casseroles. You can enjoy them for breakfast as well.

To save time and prepare your meals ahead of time, it is a good idea to make a large batch of whole grains and store the remaining grains in the fridge. This will allow you to bring them out for meals later on in the week. If you haven't cooked your grains yet, they should be stored in an airtight container. This container should be placed in a dark cabinet and can remain their for up to 6 months. If you refrigerate them, they can be stored for up to one year.


Whole Grains to Try:

Let's take a look at some of the less common whole grains you may not have heard of. These grains are:

1. Amaranth. Amaranth is technically a seed, but has the nutritional value similar to that of a grain. Amaranth contains more protein than most grains. It is considered to be a complete protein and also contains three times as much calcium as your typical grain. Amaranth is also rich in magnesium and iron. This seed is the only grain that contains vitamin C. Amaranth has been shown to lower cholesterol levels in patients that have been diagnosed with various cardiovascular conditions.

2. Buckwheat. While there is a good chance you have at least heard of buckwheat in the past. However, there are likely a few things that you do not know about grain. For instance, buckwheat is not related to wheat and is not really even a grain at all. Buckwheat is a heart-shaped seed that is related to the rhubard. This gluten-free item has a nutty flavor and comes with numerous health benefits. Buckwheat contains phytonutrients, which makes it a powerful antioxidant. This can help to protect your body from cancer-causing free radicals. Buckwheat has also been shown to lower high blood pressure and can reduce cholesterol levels. Buckwheat promotes proper circulation of your blood throughout the body.

3. Farro. Farro is a type of wheat that has been enjoyed by individuals for hundreds and hundreds of years. Farro has a chewy, but firm texture with a nutty flavor. Farro can be used in stuffing, soup and on salads. One cup of farro contains 11 grams of protein and 8 grams of fiber making farro a very nutritious wheat. Fiber helps to support digestive health and can leave you feeling full for hours. This is why farro is enjoyed by individuals who are looking to lose weight.

4. Kamut. Kamut is an accident grain that is believed to have many more health benefits than that of modern strains of wheat. Scientists have found that kamut founds high levels of lutein and beta-carotene -- which are important for the health of your eyes. Kamut is also high in selenium (great for supporting a healthy immune system) as well as zinc and manganese. It is much higher in protein (20-40 percent) than your typical wheat. A half a cup of kamut provides you with 6 grams of protein and only 140 calories.

5. Wild Rice. Like many of the grains listed that are not truly grains, wild rice is not actually considered rice. Wild rise is the seed of an aquatic grass that was originally found in the shallower waters across North America. Wild rice has double the fiber and protein of brown rice. This rice is also packed with cancer-fighting antioxidants. Since wild rice can be fairly expensive, it is often blended and sold with other whole grains.Article Source:  Gianforte, DC serves Kansas City and Johnson County focusing on the underlying cause of disease through a whole systems approach with Functional Medicine, Chiropractic, and weight loss. Stop managing symptoms and start treating the underlying cause of disease, thereby addressing our chronic disease epidemic.

Start Eating Healthy Today !

Brown Rice Recipes Risotto

 Brown Rice Risotto

Ingredients: for 2-3 people

• 150 grams of brown rice
• 100 grams mixed mushrooms
• 2 spring onions
• 1 red onion
• 1 clove of garlic
• 150 grams of organic chicken
• 1 (vegetable) bouillon cube (choose sugar-free variant)
• 75 grams parmiggiano, grated
• freshly ground pepper
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil or olive oil

Coconut Oil

+Preperation:

Put a large pan of water on the fire, and crumble the stock cube. Bring the water to a boil. Then chop the red onion, and chop the garlic.

In a big saucepan, heat the oil. Fry the onion and garlic until they are slightly soft. Add the rice.. Then add three to four spoons from the boiling stock  (I usually use a tablespoon). Let the rice simmer, while stirring. Once the rice boils slightly dry, add another scoop broth. Repeat this process for about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, chop the spring onions into rings and the chicken into cubes. Bake the chicken in a frying pan with some oil.

After the rice in the frying pan has simmered for about 15 minutes you can add the mushrooms. Let this boil for yet another 5-10 minutes. If necessary, add some broth, or if it's to moist, let it cook a bit drier. Taste the rice if it is cooked, then add the chicken cubes and half the parmiggiano and spring onions. Mix and stir this into the risotto.

Put the remaining spring onions and parmiggiano to sprinkle it on a plate. Season with Season it with freshly ground pepper. Eat the rice while it is. Still very hot Enjoy!

Brown Rice Recipes Mixed with Vegetables

Brown Mixed Rice with Dill

Ingredients:  Recipe for 4 people

• Brown Rice (enough per person)
• A can of Peas
• Mushrooms, sliced
• 4 carrots, cut into small pieces
• 3 tomatoes, diced
• 1 red onion, cut into small pieces
• 1 garlic, crushed
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste (pink Himalayan salt)
• fresh dill about 3 sprigs cut into pieces

Dill

Preperation:

We start with Cooking Brown Rice read here how to cook brown rice.

After you Cook the Brown rice ad the peas and carrots with it. Just mix, cover the pan and allow to steam until tender.

In a pan, heat olive oil. Onion and garlic until sweat. Gently fry the Mushrooms. Fire out. Mix this with the rice, peas, carrot and fresh tomatoes. Dill through it and you are ready to dish up. Use enough Himalayan sea salt to taste.

A very easy to make meal that is both healthy and delicious!

Cook Brown Rice Recipes:Stuffed Peppers with Brown Rice

Stuffed Peppers: with Brown Rice, Chestnut Mushrooms,Potato and Pesto from the oven.

   Ingredients:

• (olive) oil
• red pepper
• 3 cloves garlic or bring to your own taste
• 250 grams chestnut champignons/button mushroom
• 300 grams (brown) rice
• 50 grams non-small nuts/seeds of your choice or use non-spring rice nuts
• 2 tablespoons pesto or bring it up to your own taste
• 2 Potatoes
• 4 red paprika's
• rucola

preparation:

Boil water for cooking the rice and potatoes. Peel the potatoes and cut them into small cubes. Cook the rice and potatoes together in a cooking pot. Wash and cut the red pepper in the meantime and make the mushrooms clean with brush or cloth and cut them to your liking. Heat the oil in a (small) pan / wok. Fry the red pepper and press the garlic on top of it using a garlic press.

Garlic Press

Fry the mushrooms. Meanwhile, make the peppers, cut them in half and remove the seeds. Turn on the oven. Add the mushrooms to the rice with potatoes (when cooked). Add the pesto and nuts / seeds. Place the pepper halves in a baking dish. Spoon the mixture on the pepper halves. Bake the peppers for 10 minutes until at 150 degrees C.

Brown Rice Origin

We all know that rice is an ancient food.In some parts of the world, the word "to eat" literally means "to eat rice."This explains that rice was the spoken language for food which also shows how old it really is. We recently discovered just how ancient it is. Rice was believed to have been first cultivated in China around 6,000 years ago, but recent archaeological discoveries have found primitive rice seeds and ancient farm tools dating back about 9,000 years. Archaeologists and botanists have long debated the origins of rice. For many archaeologists who focus on East Asia or Southeast Asia, it has long appeared that rice agriculture began in South-central China, somewhere along the Yangzte river, and spread from there southwards and to northeast towards Korea and Japan. However, archaeologists working in India have argued that their evidence suggests an origin of rice cultivation in the Ganges river valley, by peoples unconnected to those of the Yangzte. [the map summarized rice origins as part of Fuller's 2012 paper in the journal rice]

For both regions there are current controversies about how early rice was cultivated, and how best to identify when rice was domesticated as opposed to being gathered wild. For example, recently in India rice grains and early pottery found at the site of Lahuradewa in Uttar Pradesh dating to ca. 6500 BC, have been suggested to indicate very early rice cultivation about 4000 years earlier than has often been assumed for this region. However, other scholars contend that these early rice finds may have been collected from wild stands and further evidence is needed to prove cultivation or domestication. Similarly, in Chinese archaeology it has been assumed that early rice finds of ca. 7000 BC were cultivated, but previous methods of sample analysis did not establish evidence either for cultivation behaviors or for the physical domestication traits in rice. For example most studies on early rice in China have been based on recovered archaeological grains, which may not be the most informative on whether or a not a plant is domesticated.( Source debating the origins of Rice ) For the greater part of its long history, rice was a staple only in Asia. Not until Arab travelers introduced rice into ancient Greece, and Alexander the Great brought it to India, did rice find its way to other parts of the world. Subsequently, the Moors brought rice to Spain in the 8th century during their conquests, while the Crusaders were responsible for bringing rice to France.Rice was introduced into South America in the 17th century by the Spanish during their colonization of this continent. The majority of the world's rice is grown in Asia, where it plays an incredibly important role in their food culture. Thailand, Vietnam and China are the three largest exporters of rice. Rice is consumed by 2.7 billion Asians today, or half the world's population and with widespread inter-breeding and domestication of the crop, Asian wild rice populations no longer exist. Enable to secure future Rice we need to secure the grain face challenges from disease, or demand, will prove crucial to the future of the grain. Researchers from the University of QueenslandResearchers have found Wild Rice in Australia (Cape York peninsula). Professor Robert Henry: 'You can't underestimate the importance of rice to food security. This is key to sustaining that,'. 'We could reasonably expect that this could be a very important contribution to food security in the next 50 years.'

How to Cook Brown Rice!

Are you currently lost in the kitchen maze trying to figure out how to cook brown rice?

Have you ever imagined serving brown rice to your family members on that auspicious family occasion?

Do you know what brown rice is?

The answers are here! Brown rice is an absolute staple in most diets today. It tastes awesome with absolutely everything and must be considered an incredible addition to your health.

On the same note, brown rice syrup is a great sweetener. In addition, brown rice pasta is the choicest and far healthier gluten-free alternative for you and your family. There are different varieties of rice got through many processes. However, the process that produces brown rice ensures that only the outer most layer of the rice kernel is removed; making it a more nutritionally valuable type of rice.

It has been discovered that the milling process that produces white rice actually destroys almost 80 percent of the vitamins. The process also removes all the dietary fibre and the essential fatty acids that rice has, making the white type not as nutritious as compared to the brown rice. If you have some brown rice in store and want to cook brown rice the way it should be, you will not only garner all those health benefits but have the most delicious rice served at your table too.

Preparing rice well is very tricky. The first uttermost objective is to ensure that the fibrous bran coating of the grain is softened; a course of action that takes longer than is called for while cooking white rice. When you read the stickers on most packed brown rice, a futile method that recommends boiling water and rice in a 2:1 ratio, then allowing the combination to simmer for forty minutes, till all the liquid is absorbed is what is inscribed on such packages.

Many consumers of brown rice who have ever followed those directions ended up throwing away a lot of unsatisfying rice. However, it has ultimately been found that brown rice tastes and looks best when boiled and drained like pasta, and then steamed in the minute amount of damp vestiges in the pot. What is the best way of how to cook brown rice? Follow the procedures below:

What you need

• A cup of short, long-grain or medium brown rice.
• Kosher salt, to cook it to taste

What you must do

• Carefully rinse the rice in a strainer under cold running water. This must be done for 30 seconds.
• Boil two cups of water in a large pot that has a tight-fitting lid.
• Add the rice into the pot, stir one, then boil the preparation uncovered for thirty minutes.
• Afterwards, pour the rice into a strainer placed over a sink.
• Allow the rice to drain for ten seconds and then return it into the pot that has been put off heat. Cover up the pot, set it aside and allow the rice to steam for ten minutes.
• Put off the cover from the rice pot, fluff it up with a fork and season it to taste with the salt.

When the above procedures are followed to the letter, you will have brown rice containing 90% of your daily intake of manganese served at your table. Secondly, you will also have an important meal for bone health and one that helps in the synthesis of cholesterol and fatty acids.

w to cook brown rice? Follow the procedures below:

What you need

• A cup of short, long-grain or medium brown rice.
• Kosher salt, to cook it to taste

What you must do

• Carefully rinse the rice in a strainer under cold running water. This must be done for 30 seconds.
• Boil two cups of water in a large pot that has a tight-fitting lid.
• Add the rice into the pot, stir one, then boil the preparation uncovered for thirty minutes.
• Afterwards, pour the rice into a strainer placed over a sink.
• Allow the rice to drain for ten seconds and then return it into the pot that has been put off heat. Cover up the pot, set it aside and allow the rice to steam for ten minutes.
• Put off the cover from the rice pot, fluff it up with a fork and season it to taste with the salt.

When the above procedures are followed to the letter, you will have brown rice containing 90% of your daily intake of manganese served at your table. Secondly, you will also have an important meal for bone health and one that helps in the synthesis of cholesterol and fatty acids.

Brown Rice Super Food Spring 2015

Why Brown Rice is today's Superfood:

---

1) Weight Loss: 

The Best way in living the long good life is to prevent from being sick.Preventing illness is the best cure to any disease.With more than 60% of Americans classified as overweight or obese, the majority of us would take advantage of trimming down. Being overweight or obese is assigned to an increased risk to build up a multitude of diseases, including cancer, diabetes, heart problems, and much more, says David Katz, MD, MPH, director of Yale University's Prevention Research Center as well as the Yale Preventive Medicine Center. But lose a couple pounds weight and you can begin to turn your quality of life around, based on several studies.Brown Rice Rich Oils: Natures best choice in lowering the Cholesterol levels in your body.

2) Brown Rice High Level Energy protects against Free Radicals:

Such a small amount can do so much good you will notice the strength within Brown Rice directly.A full bowl of brown rice has 80 percent of the magnesium you need per day.Brown Rice will increase your hormone production so it can also benefit your private life.Brown Rice is also good to keep a healthy  nervous system. The High level Vitamin E in Brown Rice. The most abundant fat-soluble antioxidant in the body. One of the most efficient chain-breaking antioxidants available. Primary defender against oxidation. Primary defender against lipid peroxidation (creation of unstable molecules containing more oxygen than is usual).The best way to understand how Brown Rice is the best Superfood in 2014 is to use it in your weekly meals!

3) Lower your Cholesterol with Eating Brown Rice:

Natures best choice in lowering the Cholesterol levels in your body.The vast majority of doctors and medical scientists consider that there is a link between cholesterol and atherosclerosis.The Rich oils within The Brown Rice will lower the cholesterol levels.However, it’s when levels get out of control that problems can arise, with numerous studies linking high cholesterol readings to heart disease.

4)  Brown Rice acts just like Antibiotic:

Magnesium, another nutrient which is the reason brown rice is a great source, is proven in studies being ideal for lowering severity of asthma, lowering hypertension, lowering the frequency of migraine, and also decreasing the risk of heart attack and stroke. How does magnesium accomplish this all? Magnesium helps regulate nerve and muscle by balancing the action of calcium. In many nerve cells, magnesium can serve as nature’s own calcium channel blocker, preventing calcium from rushing to the nerve cell and activating the nerve. By blocking calcium’s entry, magnesium keeps our nerves as well as the blood vessels and muscles they ennervate relaxed. If our diet provides us with not enough magnesium, however, calcium can gain free entry, and nerve cells may become over activated, sending way too many messages and causing excessive contraction. Insufficient magnesium can thus contribute to hypertension, muscle spasms (including spasms of the heart muscle or spasms with the airways symptomatic of asthma), and migraines, along with muscle cramps, tension, soreness and fatigue.

But that’s faraway from all magnesium does for you. Magnesium, in addition to calcium, is essential for healthy bones. About two-thirds in the magnesium inside thehuman body can be found in our bones. Some helps give bones their physical structure, whilst the rest can be found on the surface of the bone where it's stored for for your body to draw upon if required. Brown rice will help you keep those storage sites replenished and able to meet your body’s needs. A cup of brown rice provides you with 21.0% in the daily value for magnesium.

In addition to the niacin it supplies, brown rice may also be helpful raise blood levels  nitric oxide,a small molecule proven to improve circulation system dilation and also to inhibit oxidative toxin damage of cholesterol and also the adhesion of white cells towards the vascular wall (two important steps within development of atherosclerotic plaques). A study published within the British Journal of Nutrition shows that diets loaded with rice protein will help protect against atherosclerosis by increasing blood numbers of nitric oxide.

5) Fiber from Whole Grains and Fruit Protective against Breast Cancer:

When researchers looked at how much fiber 35,972 participants in the UK Women’s Cohort Study ate, they found a diet rich in fiber from whole grains, such as brown rice, and fruit offered significant protection against breast cancer for pre-menopausal women.

6 Very important Cardiovascular Benefits for Postmenopausal Women:

Eating a serving of whole grain products, like brown rice, at the very least 6 timesper week is an especially good plan for postmenopausal women with high cholesterol, hypertension or other signs and symptoms of cardiovascular disease (CVD).

A 3-year prospective study well over 200 postmenopausal women with CVD, published inside the American Heart Journal,implies that those eating no less than 6 servings of {whole grain products each week experienced both:

Slowed continuing development of atherosclerosis, the build-up of plaque that narrows the vessels in which blood flows, and Less progression in stenosis, the narrowing in the diameter of arterial passageways.