This week, in the Powered by Plants Facebook group, I’m offering you to take an extra step in eating whole foods by de-flouring your diet and eating whole grains instead, especially if you’re willing to lose weight (or stop gaining weight).
Are you up for the challenge?
When we talk about whole food, it means eating the food in its natural form, as found in nature or as close to it as possible.
Here is an example: a bowl of wheat berries is whole grains, while a bagel made with wheat flour is not. With whole grains, you will get more nutrients and vitamins. More fiber will reach your gut, feeding the good bacteria, which may lead to better immunity, weight loss, less inflammation in the body, better mood and better sleep. It may also make you feel more full and may decrease your cravings for food.
I invite you to start by observing how much flour you eat in a day and keep track of your intake.
Flour is found in: bread, muffins, cakes, cookies, donuts, pasta, gnocchis, crackers, sauces, croissants, pretzels, pastries and a lot of processed foods. Can you quickly see how de-flouring your diet could benefit you?
Once you are conscious of how much flour you eat, I'll help you make a plan to replace those meals or snacks with whole foods and whole grains instead. Does that mean you would NEVER eat a sandwich or pasta again? No, of course not, but it means that your diet would MAINLY consist of whole grains, with some flour as the exception and when you choose so. If you’re following a gluten-free diet, the same applies here. Replacing wheat flour by other ultra processed gluten-free food (gluten-free cookies, gluten-free bread,…) is not the best option, there are plenty of whole gluten-free grains.
Whole grains are: wheat berries, barley, farro, rye. Whole grains, gluten-free are: amaranth, rice, millet, quinoa, buckwheat, oat groats, sorghum, teff.
Start today by observing (no judging!): how many times a day or a week do you eat flour? How easy or how hard would it be for you to make a few changes? Share in the comments below, we’re here to support and help!
[Make sure to come back for more info and ideas for swaps!]