With New Year's fast approaching why not make eating whole grains your new resolution? I know it can be frustrating to give up the old habits of your culinary diet; after all, many of our "feel good" emotions are linked to common comfort foods. But, what if you can regain numerous health benefits that will improve sleep, overall disposition, and lessen flare-ups?
Would this prompt you to switch? I wonder why it is so hard for people who suffer from fibro immensely to change their diet. After all, if you were a cancer victim, would you just implement chemo therapy when it felt right? Of course not, your doctor would impress upon you the importance of following the rigid new routine to lower your mortality rate. So why can't we be our own doctors and prescribe the most needed component to our fibromyalgia lifestyle - the whole foods approach. After all, it is now common knowledge that diet plays a huge factor in managing the disease from a scientific standpoint.
Incorporating whole grains is easy. You just cook your grain, package it, and place in your refrigerator. Then use as needed. When that grain is done, you cook a new grain and utilize it. Keep rotating your grains for optimal benefits nutritionally. Each grain is a power house of nutrients that will keep your energy levels well stocked. Once you feel the effects of whole grains on your health, craving comfort foods will become a thing of the past.
Millet
For foods to qualify as a good source of any nutrient, one serving must provide at least 10 percent of the recommended dietary allowance, or RDA, for that nutrient, according to U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulations. An excellent, or rich, source supplies at least 20 percent of the RDA. By those guidelines, 1 cup of cooked millet is a good source of magnesium, zinc, and copper and a rich source of manganese. Magnesium, copper and manganese are all essential for normal metabolism. Magnesium and manganese help build bones, while zinc produces protein and supports the growth of new cells. You will get a range of B vitamins from 1 cup of cooked millet. It’s a good source of thiamin and niacin.
Quinoa
Quinoa is a nutrient-dense grain. One cup of cooked quinoa has only 155 calories, 5 1/2 grams of protein,
and 3 g of fat. According to the World's Healthiest Foods, a serving of quinoa supplies the body with magnesium, iron, copper and phosphorus. Quinoa also has vitamin B2. Quinoa is a good grain substitute for those with gluten or nut allergies. The vitamins and minerals found within quinoa may help treat migraines, control diabetes, and decrease the risk of heart disease.
Brown Rice
One cup of brown rice provides 86 mg of magnesium, while the daily requirement is 420 mg for men and 320 mg for women over age 30. Magnesium is essential for producing energy from the food you eat. It also makes up the mineral content of bone, along with calcium. One cup of brown rice provides 1.2 mg of zinc. The daily requirement for zinc for adults is 11 mg for men and 8 mg for women. One cup of brown rice provides 0.3 mg of vitamin B-6, while the daily requirement is 1.3 mg for adult men and women up to age 50. This serving of brown rice provides 23 percent of your daily vitamin B-6 requirement. Vitamin B-6 is involved in diverse processes in the body, including the formation of the neurotransmitter serotonin, red blood cell
synthesis and the production of DNA, which contains genetic information for all the cells of your body.
Where in your comfort foods diet do you see all that nutritional value? You don't if you are not utilizing the above grains.
Most importantly, it has been found that lower portions of carbohydrates and larger servings of raw foods benefit those who suffer from fibromyalgia. I usually recommend a serving of 1/4 - 1/2 cup of whole grains at each setting. This way, the body is not laden down with excess complex carboydrates to digest leaving you with optimal energy for the day.
Would this prompt you to switch? I wonder why it is so hard for people who suffer from fibro immensely to change their diet. After all, if you were a cancer victim, would you just implement chemo therapy when it felt right? Of course not, your doctor would impress upon you the importance of following the rigid new routine to lower your mortality rate. So why can't we be our own doctors and prescribe the most needed component to our fibromyalgia lifestyle - the whole foods approach. After all, it is now common knowledge that diet plays a huge factor in managing the disease from a scientific standpoint.
Incorporating whole grains is easy. You just cook your grain, package it, and place in your refrigerator. Then use as needed. When that grain is done, you cook a new grain and utilize it. Keep rotating your grains for optimal benefits nutritionally. Each grain is a power house of nutrients that will keep your energy levels well stocked. Once you feel the effects of whole grains on your health, craving comfort foods will become a thing of the past.
Millet
For foods to qualify as a good source of any nutrient, one serving must provide at least 10 percent of the recommended dietary allowance, or RDA, for that nutrient, according to U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulations. An excellent, or rich, source supplies at least 20 percent of the RDA. By those guidelines, 1 cup of cooked millet is a good source of magnesium, zinc, and copper and a rich source of manganese. Magnesium, copper and manganese are all essential for normal metabolism. Magnesium and manganese help build bones, while zinc produces protein and supports the growth of new cells. You will get a range of B vitamins from 1 cup of cooked millet. It’s a good source of thiamin and niacin.
Quinoa
Quinoa is a nutrient-dense grain. One cup of cooked quinoa has only 155 calories, 5 1/2 grams of protein,
and 3 g of fat. According to the World's Healthiest Foods, a serving of quinoa supplies the body with magnesium, iron, copper and phosphorus. Quinoa also has vitamin B2. Quinoa is a good grain substitute for those with gluten or nut allergies. The vitamins and minerals found within quinoa may help treat migraines, control diabetes, and decrease the risk of heart disease.
Brown Rice
One cup of brown rice provides 86 mg of magnesium, while the daily requirement is 420 mg for men and 320 mg for women over age 30. Magnesium is essential for producing energy from the food you eat. It also makes up the mineral content of bone, along with calcium. One cup of brown rice provides 1.2 mg of zinc. The daily requirement for zinc for adults is 11 mg for men and 8 mg for women. One cup of brown rice provides 0.3 mg of vitamin B-6, while the daily requirement is 1.3 mg for adult men and women up to age 50. This serving of brown rice provides 23 percent of your daily vitamin B-6 requirement. Vitamin B-6 is involved in diverse processes in the body, including the formation of the neurotransmitter serotonin, red blood cell
synthesis and the production of DNA, which contains genetic information for all the cells of your body.
Where in your comfort foods diet do you see all that nutritional value? You don't if you are not utilizing the above grains.
Most importantly, it has been found that lower portions of carbohydrates and larger servings of raw foods benefit those who suffer from fibromyalgia. I usually recommend a serving of 1/4 - 1/2 cup of whole grains at each setting. This way, the body is not laden down with excess complex carboydrates to digest leaving you with optimal energy for the day.
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