Employees and their spouses have access to free nutrition coaching from professional wellness coaches through the My Wellness program, one of the many free, one-on-one, confidential health coaching offerings of the program.
March is National Nutrition Month, and March 25 marks Whole Day for Whole Grain, a celebration that highlights the taste, versatility and health benefits of whole grains.
Grains include foods such as wheat, corn, rice, oats, barley, quinoa, sorghum and rye. In their natural growing state, grains have three edible parts, each of which provides important nutrients. When all three parts are present, the grain is considered a whole grain. When one or more of these parts are removed, the grain is no longer whole and is classified as a refined grain.
With each part that is removed from a grain, the overall nutritional value of a grain diminishes. This leads to refined grains being thought of as “empty calories.” Because of this, whole grains provide major health advantages compared to refined grains.
Health benefits of whole grains may include:
- Lowering blood pressure and bad cholesterol levels
- Raising good cholesterol levels
- Better weight maintenance due to increased feelings of fullness
- Reduced risk of stroke, heart disease, type 2 diabetes and colorectal cancer
Tips for incorporating more whole grains into one’s diet include:
- Consider whole-grain versions of some of the most commonly eaten foods, including bread, pasta and rice (choose brown rice over white rice)
- Look for the whole grain stamp on food packaging
- Check the ingredients list and look for whole grains
- Replace a portion of the white flour in a recipe with whole wheat flour
- Slowly work in whole grains – do not feel a need to overhaul your diet overnight
Participating in the free, personalized nutrition coaching available to employees and their spouses as part of the My Wellness program can help participants strategically plan meals and learn which foods to target for proper nutrition. This program is one of the many health coaching offerings that employees and spouses can take advantage of. 25 My Wellness points can be earned for completing each coaching program (up to 100 points total).
Employees and their spouses can sign up for this and other health coaching programs by using the newly enhanced coaching hub by going to the My Wellness portal and clicking “Coaching.” They can also call 800-882-2109 or email coaching@marqueehealth.com.
