Couscous, Brown Rice and Other Grains: How Healthy Are They?

One question I get asked frequently is, "How much healthier is brown rice for you versus white rice?"


Another one: "Is whole wheat pasta more better for you than regular semolina pasta?"


And what about couscous, quinoa, amaranth, spelt, kamut and other grains? How good are they for you?


Before answering these questions, it might be helpful to define what a grain is. Traditionally, a grain is a small, dry, one-seeded fruit of a cereal grass, having the fruit and the seed walls united. 


The problem with many contemporary grains is the processing it goes through to get to your plate. Typically, grains that most Americans eat have been stripped of their nutritional value from processing. 


That problem aside, how good are unprocessed grains, even grains that are sprouted, raw, and loaded with beneficial digestive enzymes that haven't been destroyed because of processing?


The short answer is: It depends on you.


Everyone is unique biochemically. What this means is that one person might thrive on eating a nice hefty portion of couscous for dinner while another person feasting on the Middle Eastern grain might go into a carb coma. 


So how do you know if a particular grain is right for you? Pay attention to how you feel after you eat it. Sounds simple enough but many people are too busy with other stressors in life to be concerned with being in touch with their bodies. But when you eat the wrong foods, this creates even more stress for the body to deal with. 


When you eat a grain (or any other type of food that's not good for your unique self), an antigen response is created. Antigens are molecules that are usually recognized by our immune systems. Certain autoimmune and inflammation-causing digestive disorders like Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) or Chron's Disease is caused in part by the immune system negatively reacting to its own antigen molecules. 


Your gut contains the majority of your immune system. Eating the wrong foods for years upon years will create inflammation and an eating away of the mucosal barrier in your gut, which is the body's first line of defense against pathogens (nasty invading critters). 


So even if you think you're eating a relatively healthy grain like brown rice pasta, if your Metabolic Type doesn't call for grains in general, you may be causing your body to go through an inflammatory response. 


As a Certified Metabolic Typing Advisor, I can give you a good general idea of what foods are best for you and which ones to avoid. But even without doing a test, if you pay better attention to how you feel after a meal, you'll start eliminating foods that cause inflammatory responses in your body.


Do you feel tired or bloated after eating rice? I know I do. That's why I rarely eat sushi anymore. Even with the lean protein of sushi, combining it with white (or brown) rice makes me feel bloated. I feel terrible after and so does my wallet. Fifty bucks down the drain and two hours later I feel hungry again because I burned up the rice too quickly.


Even supposedly healthy grains like couscous or quinoa aren't the best sources of fuel for my system.


If you really want some useful, personalized nutrition education where you can find out what foods you should eat and which ones to avoid, do the online advanced Metabolic Typing test. Usually, I charge $250 for my analysis and coaching. If you're one of the first five (5) people to do the test, I will waive my fee. You just cover the cost of the test, which is $40 and I'll go over the results with you free of charge. Forty bucks to discover what the best source of fuel is for your body: I'd say that's priceless.


Email me to be one of the lucky five. 


And if you are feeling bloated and want to lose those stubborn last 5-20 pounds, there are a couple products I whole-heartedly endorse by TeamBeachBody. Their slimming formula contains all-natural ingredients like green tea extract and pyruvate and if you're at a training plateau, definitely give the physique-transforming P90X a shot and I'll help you get through it.


Good luck!

Quinoa: The Grain of Champions

Pronounced "Kee-Nwa", this ancient grain, although it may sound like it's from Japan is actually from Peru. It predates wheat. A good percentage of the U.S. population has at least a minor food allergy to wheat. I have one myself. If I eat too many grains, yes, even whole grains, my sinuses get clogged. Not a big deal, I still eat burritos, so I try to eat whole wheat tortillas, though like I said, too much of even whole wheat is not a good thing, at least for my constitution.

With that in mind, I love to eat quinoa, a grain that's high in protein (at least compared to other grains) and is grown in altitudes of over 12,000 feet in the South American Andes.

The Incas, who held the crop to be sacred, referred to quinoa as "chisaya mama" or "mother of all grains", and it was the Inca emperor who would traditionally sow the first seeds of the season using 'golden implements'. During the European conquest of South America, quinoa was scorned by the Spanish colonists as "food for Indians", and even actively suppressed, due to its status within indigenous non-Christian ceremonies.

Quinoa was of great nutritional importance within pre-Columbian Andean civilizations, being secondary only to the potato, and followed in third place by maize. In contemporary times this crop has come to be highly appreciated for its nutritional value, and the United Nations has classified it as a supercrop for its very high protein content (12-18%).

Unlike wheat or rice (which are low in lysine), quinoa contains a balanced set of essential amino acids for humans, making it an unusually complete foodstuff. This means it takes less quinoa protein to meet one's needs than wheat protein. It is a good source of dietary fiber and phosphorus and is high in magnesium and iron.

Quinoa is also gluten free and considered easy to digest. Because of all these characteristics, quinoa is being considered as a possible crop in NASA's Controlled Ecological Life Support System for long duration manned spaceflights.

Quinoa been an important food for 6,000 years. Its name is the Spanish spelling of the Quechua name. In Encinitas, California, my home base, there is a Peruvian restaurant called El Quero, on the west side of Coast Highway 101 between D and E Streets, which serves hearty and tasty portions quinoa.

Available at most health food stores, including Trader Joe's, quinoa can be found in the organic variety. A word of culinary caution: quinoa is very plain tasting. Add to it a low-sugar or naturally sugar-free sauce, or use spices to make your quinoa more appetizing.

This highly-beneficial grain will give you steady good energy for hours and it is satisfying. Boxed quinoa is as easy to quick as spaghetti or rice. Dig in. Bon appetit!