Tip Of The Week: Healthy Eating

Healthy eating tip 6: Eat more whole grains and healthy carbohydrates

Go for healthy carbs and fibre sources, especially whole grains, for long-lasting energy. Whole grains are rich in antioxidants and phytochemicals, which aid in protection against diabetes, coronary heart disease, and certain cancers.

So what are healthy and unhealthy carbs?

Healthy carbs (aka good carbs) include whole food and whole grains, that’s food that are unprocessed or unrefined, all it natural features intact and no additives or artificial substances   such as whole wheat, oat, brown rice, beans, fruits, and vegetables. Healthy carbs are digested slowly, helping you feel full longer and keeping insulin and blood sugar levels stable.
Unhealthy carbs (aka bad carbs) are foods such as white rice, white flour and refined sugar that have been stripped of all bran, fibre, and nutrients. They digest quickly and cause spikes in blood sugar levels and energy.

Tips for eating more healthy carbs

• Include a variety of whole grains in your healthy eating, like old fashion oat, whole wheat, brown rice, quinoa, millet, and barley.  
• Ensure you're truly getting whole grains. Check for the Whole Grain Stamps that differentiate between partial whole grain and 100% whole grain.
• Try mixing grains as a first move to switching to whole grains. At first, whole grains like brown rice and whole wheat bread may not sound good to you, but you can start by mixing what you normally use with the whole grains and then gradually increase the whole grain to 100%.

Avoid: Refined foods such as breakfast cereals, breads, and pastas that are not whole grain.