Recent research out of Penn State showed dieters who eat whole grains lose more fat from their abdomens than dieters eating refined carbohydrates.
Dieters ate either refined carbohydrates (white bread, rice, pasta, etc) or whole-grain carbohydrates. Everyone ate 1550-1800 calories per day. Both groups averaged 8-12lbs weight loss over the 12-week study. However, the whole-grain group lost more of the dangerous fat from their midsections. Furthermore, only the whole grain eaters lowered their c-reactive protein, an inflammatory measure linked to heart attacks, stroke, hypertension and diabetes.
To enhance your diet’s effect on your abs, follow these rules:
- Read ingredient labels on bread, rolls, pasta and cereal – make sure whole wheat, whole oat or another whole grain is the first ingredient. If it says “enriched wheat flour” toss it back.
- Make sure carbohydrate foods give you three or more grams dietary fiber for every 100 calories.
- Switch from white to brown rice. (Trader Joe's carries a 3-min microwavable brown rice in their frozen section.)
- Eat oatmeal, popcorn & whole-wheat pasta.
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Katcher, H, et.al., The effects of whole grain-enriched hypocaloric diet on cardiovascular disease risk factors in men and women with metabolic syndrome, Am J Clin Nutr 2008:87:79-90
“Tufts University Health & Nutrition Letter”, May 2008
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