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Whole Grain Products:

iHerb Natural Foods Reviews

Reviews of and direct links to products on iHerb.
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Bob's Red Mill, Organic Quick Cooking Rolled Oats, Whole Grain

Healthy, Good Tasting, Organic, Inexpensive

Oats are probably the healthiest grain there is, and oatmeal is the most common way to attain these healthy oats. Oatmeal also makes for a great tasting breakfast. I eat it every morning, with fruit and nuts added to it. And I try to eat organic whenever possible. So I was pleased to find this product available so cheaply on iHerb, especially with the "extra quantity discount" for purchasing four bags at once. Four bags last me a long time, so I don't have to order very often. And these oats taste just as good as the popular commercial brand.

Being in a bag rather than a box or carton is a small problem. I had mice get into a couple of bags! Those mice were caught with old-fashioned wooden traps, but I now store the bags in large Tupperware containers. To open a bag, I snip a corner off and close it with a small chip clip. So I am giving these oats four stars rather than five for the minor inconvenience of the bag.

As for why I say oats are the healthiest grain, see the chapter on "Whole Grains" in my God-given Foods Eating Plan book. In it I cite many scientific studies showing "whole grains (especially oats) can improve blood lipid profiles and reduce heart disease risk." And my blood lipids have been just fine ever since I started eating oatmeal every morning.

Lundberg, Organic Brown Long Grain Rice

Organic, cooks quickly, and tastes great

Grains do not draw up as much pesticides as fruits and vegetables do, so it is not as necessary to purchase organic grains as it is to to purchase organic produce. But if I can find organic grains that are not too much more expensive than non-organic ones then I get the organic version. And this Lundberg product fits that bill. This brown rice is also healthy, as all whole grains are. It cooks rather quickly. I cook 3/4 cup of rice in 1-1/4 cup of water, and it takes less than 30 minutes. And it tastes great. I have ordered this product a couple of times and will continue to do so.

Lundberg, Sweet Dreams, Organic Brown Rice Syrup

Good for pre- or post-workout drink

Brown rice syrup contains 50% soluble complex carbohydrates, 45% maltose, and 3% glucose. These are listed in order of slowest to quickest absorbed. These three kinds of carbs provide a steady supply of energy over 2-3 hours, so brown rice syrup is a good choice for a pre-workout carb source. Moreover, all of the carbs in brown rice syrup are effective for replenishing muscle glycogen, so it would be good for a post-workout carb source. However, brown rice syrup does not dissolves very well in cold liquid. But if you heat up the liquid first, then it dissolves very well. I used to do so by making a cup of green tea, then mixing in this Lundberg product and protein powder for my workout drink. I now eat a bowl of cereal instead, but if you're using a workout drink, this is a good product for the carb source. As an added bonus, brown rice syrup retains the naturally occurring nutrients in brown rice. So it is a good alternative to sugar.

Arrowhead Mills, Organic Sprouted Grain Pancake & Waffle Mix*

The best tasting and healthiest pancakes

This mix makes the best tasting pancakes I have ever eaten, and they are probably the healthiest also. I say the later as sprouted whole grains are even healthier than regular whole grains, since sprouted grains have a lower glycemic index. So for someone like me with blood sugar problems (reactive hypoglycemia), these pancakes should not cause a blood sugar spike and crash. They are also very easy to make. Just mix milk and oil into the mix, cook, and enjoy.

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