The Whole Grain Diet Plan

The Whole Grain Diet plan is a high-fiber plan, focusing on whole grains. Refined, processed grains such as white bread and white pasta are eliminated from your daily meals in order to help with weight loss and decrease the risk of diseases such as diabetes, colon cancer, and heart disease. The "miracle" in whole grains helping with weight control is based on the idea that many high-fiber foods are digested more slowly, and thus contribute to lower insulin levels, making you less hungry at the following meal. Some important rules on this diet include eating a variety of whole grains, reading food labels carefully to make sure you are eating whole grains, and replacing refined grains with whole grains (not to just add whole grains, as this would be simply increasing calories).

What makes the Whole Grain Diet plan different?

This is a high-fiber diet rich in whole grains. The idea is that you will lose weight by upping your fiber and cutting out empty calories in the form of alcohol, refined carbs and sugars. The Whole Grain Diet plan provides detailed descriptions of different whole grains (such as quinoa and buckwheat) that are not common on grocery store shelves. Useful tips for cooking these grains and nutritional information are also provided in much more detail than in some other diets.

What is the Whole Grain Diet weight loss plan?

This diet has you eating more whole grains to increase fiber and nutrients to help with weight loss. You may know the diet's creator, Dr. Hark, as she is the host of TLC's Honey We're Killing the Kids (she even provides some tips about getting kids to eat more whole grains).

Some of principles of the Whole Grain Diet plan are as follows:

• Gradually change over to a completely whole-grain diet. For example, replace your regular pancakes at breakfast with whole-grain pancakes made from buckwheat. If you eat cereal, replace your cereal with a healthy, whole grain option. Gradually work on replacing other refined grains at different meals; for example, substitute whole wheat pasta for white pasta and brown rice for white rice.
• Drink enough water.
• If you do not like or have time to cook, buy products that are whole grain and easy to prepare, such as frozen dinners with brown instead of white rice.
• Eat a variety of whole-grain products.

There are two parts to the Whole Grain Diet:

• The Jumpstart Session: Two weeks of menu plans in which alcohol is forbidden, meals must be eaten at the same time each day, there is no skipping of meals, at least two cups of fruit and two and a half cups of vegetables are eaten daily, you eat only when you are hungry, and exercise is recommended three hours per week.
• The Everyday Menus: Four weeks of menu plans in which one drink of alcohol per day is allowed, salt should be limited, three servings of dairy or soy products should be consumed daily, and sugar-free drinks are consumed. Tips for this phase include using smaller plates to help with smaller portion sizes, trimming the visible fat from meat and chicken, and cooking with non-stick vegetable sprays.

The sample menus for each part of the Whole Grain Diet plan will give you an idea of portion size. Whole-grain recipes and ideas on how to make your own recipes with whole grains are suggested. Tips for eating out also prove to be useful on this plan.

Much time will be spent in the kitchen cooking new grains that you have probably never heard of, such as amaranth, millet, and quinoa. This is a great opportunity to try new grains with one of the delicious recipes provided.

What are the weight loss expectations?

No specific guidelines for weight loss are provided in the Whole Grain Diet plan.

Is exercise promoted?

Exercise is promoted, but is not emphasized. The diet recommends that exercise should be slowly increased until you are doing it three hours a week.

Are supplements recommended?

A multivitamin and a calcium supplement are recommended on the Whole Grain Diet plan.