Whole Wheat

In our quest to eat as healthy as possible on a very limited budget, the Family Fit in Wisconsin has maintained a whole wheat regime. 99% of the wheat consumed in our household is made from stone-ground, whole-grain, wheat flour. We bake most of our own bread by hand -about 4 loaves a week. All baked goods are made from whole wheat, including cookies, pizza crusts, cakes, etc.

This choice has made a great impact on my health. My body doesn't do particularly well on carbs, especially refined wheat, which makes me feel absolutely exhausted about and hour after eating it. Whole wheat, even eaten in large quantities, has much less of an effect on me. For example, we had homemade pizza this evening with a whole wheat crust, and I ate a lot. If I would eat that volume of, say, a Pizza Hut pizza, I wouldn't be able to keep my eyes open by 7 o'clock, but after eating the whole wheat pizza, I'm able to study well into the late evening or even hold a conversation with my wife. ;-) In addition, a whole wheat diet doesn't cause my body to accumulate fat as readily as a diet that includes refined wheat. I think this has something to do with the fact that the body processes refined wheat at a faster rate, delivering excess energy that is stored as fat.

Here is what Mayo has to say about whole grains:

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/whole-grains/NU00204

Side note: In 2003, I cut grains out of my diet completely and increased my intake of fats through nuts and meats to compensate. This resulted in a rapid weight loss of over 20 pounds and 3 inches around my waist, and I felt great! It was difficult diet to maintain, so eventually, I swayed back to grains over the course of a few years.