Upgrade your carbohydrates from empty calories to rich, nutrient-dense grains.

I find it helpful to understand what is happening in my body when I eat certain foods so before we get down to business, here’s a little science lesson for you :)

Foods such as white breads and pasta are made of refined wheat flour. During the refining process, the valuable nutrients such as fiber, vitamins, minerals and micronutrients are lost when the outer bran shell and inner germ layer of the grain are removed. All that remains is a pure carbohydrate: the starchy endosperm of the grain.

During digestion, your stomach and small intestine do an “inventory” and convert any carbohydrates in the food into glucose, which is sent into the bloodstream to be used as energy. When this happens, your blood sugar levels increase and insulin is sent in to help use or store the glucose and normalize your blood sugar levels.

Because processed versions are pure carbohydrates and all other nutrients have been removed, digestion occurs quickly and your blood sugar levels increase sharply. You have a spurt of energy but once your blood sugar normalizes you experience a crash and crave more energy (and food).

When you eat whole grains, the digestion process occurs over a longer time period as the body takes inventory of the nutrients that are included in addition to the carbohydrates. The glucose is released slowly into the bloodstream and you experience a steady flow of energy over time.

Here a few of my favorite grains. If you have difficulty converting at first, try cooking with chicken or vegetable stock for more flavor or season with whatever your favorite condiment is.

Quinoa: If you’ve heard of quinoa but have been too afraid to try it, now is the time to experiment. Try it cold with veggies, olive oil and lemon, in a sauté with veggies, sesame oil and soy sauce or as an addition to your salads.

Also, check out my family recipe below.

Millet: This grain is mushy when cooked and great for adding to stews, making as a pilaf or eating as a warm breakfast cereal with vanilla and cinnamon.

Brown Rice: No surprise here. Cook with chicken or vegetable stock or flavor with your favorite sauces if you find the flavor a little hard to swallow. I love to season with sesame oil or top with hummus and feta cheese.

Another healthy tip: if you’re ordering in Chinese get your sesame chicken with brown rice, or ask them to make your fried rice with brown instead of white.

Agi’s Quinoa Salad

1 cup uncooked quinoa

½ cup black beans

2 stalks scallions, chopped

1 red bell pepper, diced

½ cup corn kernels

1 medium red onion, diced

1/2 avocado

¼ cup parsley, chopped

2-3 tbs olive oil

1-2 tbs lemon juice

sea salt and black pepper, to taste

Rinse quinoa under faucet before cooking. Add one cup quinoa and two cups water to a medium sized pot. Add 1 tbs butter or ghee to water for extra flavor. Can also cook in vegetable or chicken stock. Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes uncovered. Turn off heat and cover, let steam for 15-20 minutes.

Mix in beans, scallions, peppers, corn, avocado and parsley. Add olive oil, lemon juice and seasoning until the desired flavor is reached.

Happy cooking!

Xo Saranna