Are whole grains more important than vegetables and fruits?

April 9, 4:38 PMSacramento Nutrition ExaminerAnne Hart

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 This article is not for people with celicac disease that need to stay on gluten-free diets. But if you're not sensitive to grains and are not on a grain-restricted diet for any reason, including metabolic syndrome, perhaps whole grains could be of help. Just know which grains are not best for you.

For example, if you're sensitive to wheat because it causes too much insulin to be released, stay away from wheat. Try other whole grains such as quinoa.

You've heard first of recommendations for eating five servings of vegetables and fruits each day. Then you've heard it expanded to nine servings and finally to thirteen servings. Why hasn't anyone mentioned  whole grains, a form of food that has twice the anti-oxidant reach of vegetables and fruits?

When have you last soaked for three days in the refrigerator and sprouted a handful of whole oat groats, or soaked them overnight and then cooked the whole oat groats, sprinkled on some sprouted sunflower seeds and some berries and had that for breakfast? That's my breakfast. It tastes great. I also add some cherry or pomegranate juice and a small amount of almond milk to the bowl.

Whole grains such as barley, oat groats, brown rice, buckwheat, millet, teff, quinoa (cooked or sprouted), or amaranth taste great for breakfast when they are either cooked or soaked in water and softened or sprouted. You can add a few sprouted, soaked or cooked lentils.

Stay away from sugar as much as possible because it washes the magnesium and other minerals out of your blood. Rats are fed sugar when biologists need to raise the rat's blood pressure. If you need to snack, eat four stalks of celery. But don't eat celery before exercising because it sometimes lowers your blood pressure to the point where you can get celery shock from exercising after eating a lot of celery. Think about it.

Are you taking your cod liver oil or other Omega-3 fish oils? Are you watching how much vitamin A and D goes into your body so you don't get a toxic amount? The idea is to be aware.