It has long been known that any cereal is a source of strength and contains useful vitamins and minerals that help maintain the body in good shape. It’s not for nothing that in childhood, when I couldn’t cope with a task requiring physical activity, adults often said: “I didn’t eat enough porridge.” And indeed, any porridge seems to charge you with optimism, vigor and endows you with remarkable strength. One of these cereals is corn grits.
A little history
The origin of this culture was unknown for a long time. A group of scientists from the Philadelphia Institute provided evidence that corn, as a cultivated plant, appeared about 8,700 years ago in Mexico. And it came from its wild ancestor - teosinte. Corn played a special role among the ancient Aztecs, because even one of the gods in their religion was the god of corn - Centeotl. Most corn is consumed in Latin American countries. It is the basis of the cuisines of Mexico, Colombia, Venezuela, Paraguay, Ecuador and Peru.
Content:
- A little history
- Composition and nutritional value
- Types of corn grits
- Storage and use of cereals in cooking
- The benefits of corn grits
- Harm of corn grits
- Corn grits for weight loss
- Corn grits in cosmetology
- conclusions
There is hardly a person in the whole world who does not love corn, one only has to remember boiled, salted heads of cabbage, tightly stuffed with grains. And what about corn sticks and flakes, which are in great demand among children? Corn grits, obtained from dried and processed corn grains, are used successfully not only in cooking, but also in pharmacology, due to its productive medicinal properties.
During pregnancy
During 40 weeks, a pregnant woman takes care not only of herself, but also of her unborn baby, which is why it is so important for her to receive the necessary amount of vitamins and nutrients.
As you know, expectant mothers often suffer from intestinal failure and flatulence. When such problems arise, it is enough for her to include corn porridge in her diet. Unlike other cereals, corn does not contain gluten, which pregnant women often cannot tolerate, and this element causes allergies in newborns. The absence of gluten will also allow you to eat porridge not only during pregnancy, but throughout breastfeeding.
Many mothers dream of staying slim during pregnancy and not having problems with excess weight after the birth of the baby. Corn porridge can be a good helper in this matter, because it is low in calories.
But such cereals are not suitable for all expectant mothers. Those who have a tendency to form blood clots and those whose blood has low viscosity should refrain from eating corn porridge, because during gestation, blood clotting increases naturally.
Composition and nutritional value
Corn itself is a very valuable nutritious product. Despite the fact that corn grits are quite high in calories (328 kcal per 100 g of product), they are very widely used in the diet menu. It is ideal for a balanced diet, as it is rich in healthy fiber, which is indispensable in various diets. Cereals contain many vitamins and microelements and are famous for the presence of such important amino acids as tryptophan and lysine. It contains silicon, potassium, phosphorus, zinc, copper, manganese, tin, titanium, aluminum, nickel, and many other minerals. Corn grits are simply a storehouse of vitamins that are very beneficial for the body: vitamin A, B vitamins (thiamine, riboflavin, folic and pantothenic acids, pyridoxine), niacin equivalent (vitamin PP), beta-carotene, vitamin E, and many others. The nutritional value of corn grits is lower than that of others. Protein content – 8.2 g, fat – 1.2 g, carbohydrates – 75 g per 100 g of product. It also contains ash - 0.8 g, starch - 69.5 g, water - 13.9 g and dietary fiber - 4.7 g per 100 g of cereal.
Storage and use of cereals in cooking
Corn grits should be stored at a low temperature from -5 to 5 degrees in a well-humidified room (up to 70% humidity). It is difficult to find a place at home that meets such conditions, so it is advisable to buy a small amount of cereal and not leave it for long-term storage. Sometimes larvae and bugs appear in the cereal. Such cereals are no longer suitable for food. It should be thrown away, and the place where it was stored should be washed well with water and ventilated. It is advisable to store cereals in a glass container tightly closed. The shelf life of corn grits is 6 months.
Corn grits are highly valued in cooking as they are considered an easily digestible product. Many different dishes are prepared from it - soups, side dishes, various casseroles. The cereal is low-allergenic, which characterizes it very well as one of the baby food dishes. Corn grits have rightfully taken their place in the cuisines of different nations. In Italy, a delicious dish called polenta is prepared from it. In Moldova - the familiar hominy. Abkhazia offers its gourmets abysta, and Georgia offers gomi. In western Ukraine, a national dish is prepared from corn flour - banosh, which is boiled with cream or sour cream and served with feta cheese, cracklings or mushrooms. Corn also produces such delicious products as sticks, cereal and the well-known popcorn (puffed corn).
Hutsul banosh
To prepare the dish you will need:
- sour cream – 500 g;
- water – 500 g;
- corn grits - 1 cup;
- salt;
- cracklings.
For cooking, it is better to use finely ground corn grits. This will make the porridge tasty and more homogeneous.
Pour water and sour cream into a thick-walled pan, preferably cast iron, and add salt. Place on the fire and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Add corn grits and cook over low heat for about 10-15 minutes. The consistency of the porridge should resemble store-bought sour cream. It is good to use clay pots to serve the dish. Place a few spoons of porridge there and decorate with cracklings, cheese or mushrooms on top. The dish is considered ready when oil comes out on top.
Corn porridge for dieting. Allowed foods for diet 5 table
Below is a list of products for the fifth table diet menu, on the basis of which you can build a diet and eat them regularly. But also keep in mind that what is possible with the 5 table diet can be adjusted by a doctor.
| Beverages | Weak tea (you can add milk), with honey or sugar, compotes and jelly from non-acidic fruits and berries, herbal teas, unsalted vegetable juices. |
| Sweets - in small quantities! | Puffed rice, jam, marshmallows, marmalade, mousse, honey, pastille, dry cookies, jelly candies. |
| Baked fruits | Apples, pears, peaches, apricots - you can cook them separately or add them to baked goods |
| Dried fruits | Non-acidic prunes, dried apricots, raisins, dates |
| Steamed cereals and porridges | Buckwheat, rice, semolina, wheat groats, couscous are allowed. You can use them as a side dish or cook them with milk. |
| Milk products | The list of products for the fifth table diet allows you to consume only non-acidic and low-fat dairy products. Unsalted homemade cheese is allowed. |
| Meat | You need to choose dietary types of meat without fat. |
| Bread and pastries | The list of products at table 5 allows the use of white and gray bread aged for a day. Baking is allowed without fats and baked goods, with filling in the form of cottage cheese or fruit. |
| Eggs | You can eat chicken and quail eggs. They need to be boiled exclusively soft-boiled or steamed omelet. |
| Soups | Vegetable soups are recommended, without fat and rich broths. |
| Fish | What you can eat at table 5 also includes boiled, stewed, baked or steamed fish. Choose low-fat types, sea or river. Seafood is also allowed. |
| Vegetables | You can boil them or steam them, eat them stewed or pureed. You need to choose non-starchy vegetables. |
| Sauces and dressings | The list of products for diet table number 5 allows you to supplement dishes with low-fat gravies based on vegetable broths, low-fat sour cream or milk. |
The benefits of corn grits
Corn grits porridge has a very low calorie content - only 86 kcal per 100 grams of product, so its use is advisable when losing weight. It is recommended for people who lead a healthy lifestyle, since despite its dietary value, it gives a feeling of fullness and reduces appetite. Corn grits contain a lot of useful elements and minerals that have a beneficial effect on the body. For example, silicon, which corn is rich in, is very good for teeth, and calcium and potassium strengthen hair and nails. Fiber, contained in large quantities in cereals, cleanses the intestines well of toxins, and also effectively removes harmful toxins and pesticides from the body. Beta-carotene reduces the likelihood of developing cancer several times, and phosphorus improves the functioning of the central nervous system, relieves overexcitation and prevents depressive disorders. Magnesium and vitamin B6, among other things, can increase the body’s resistance to stress and neuralgia.
If you use corn grits in your daily diet, this will strengthen the immune system, get rid of fermentation in the intestines and frequent constipation. Corn has a beneficial effect on the walls of blood vessels and significantly reduces cholesterol in the blood, which has a beneficial effect on the cardiovascular system. It is useful in the prevention of diabetes, blood and gall bladder diseases. Corn grits can remove fats from the body and promote skin rejuvenation. It is a low-allergenic product, therefore it is often in demand as baby food.
I would like to note that corn does not lose its properties even when cooked, that is, a heat-treated product made from corn grits retains all the beneficial and healing qualities contained in its raw form.
Reviews and results
An analysis of reviews on popular forums shows that some of those losing weight achieved their results, while others found such a diet ineffective. However, if you take a closer look at the negative reviews, you will notice that many of them are based on an incorrect approach and non-compliance with the principles of the diet, namely, instead of the required volumes of water, people drink tea or coffee, eat small portions, not realizing that the minimum The daily requirement of the human body is 1200 kcal, and it can be gained if you prepare normal portions. People also do not realize the need for minimal physical activity.
Also, many are convinced that the body and brain are in no way connected when it comes to losing weight, which is the biggest mistake. As for positive reviews, many of them are based on good advice and confirmation of their results in photographs. As a rule, in 5 days of such a diet people lose 4–5 kg.
Some manage to achieve greater results if their initial weight is higher than those who lose about 4 kg during this period. The more weight, the faster the body gets rid of extra pounds, and vice versa. So don't worry if you need to lose 5 kg, but the weight is coming off very slowly. Add physical activity that will speed up your weight loss process.
Thanks to a competent exit from the diet, these kilograms do not return, but at first it is necessary to maintain the achieved result. It all depends on the individual characteristics of your body, on your lifestyle. Optimal would be a gradual transition to proper nutrition, reducing the diet of flour products, fried foods, salt and sugar.
If you suddenly start eating right, your body may perceive it as stress and begin to gain weight again. You shouldn't do the impossible in a week. Only a competent approach to your nutrition system will change your life once and for all! Start today to become better for yourself tomorrow! Good luck!
Harm of corn grits
Each product has both advantages and disadvantages. It’s just that in some places they are expressed to a lesser extent, in others to a greater extent. Corn grits significantly reduce appetite, so they are contraindicated for people who are underweight. It is also not recommended to use corn dishes during an exacerbation of a stomach ulcer, since the fiber contained in the cereal can irritate the walls of the internal organs. You should not abuse it if you have increased blood clotting. In general, the risk of eating corn grits is minimal, but if you have any doubts about its use, it is better to consult a doctor before use.
Corn grits for weight loss
Corn grits are a very dietary product, which is why they are widely used in weight loss programs. Everyone, of course, knows the dangers of diets that make it possible to quickly and effectively lose extra pounds. They imply giving up many of your favorite foods, as well as limiting the amount of food in principle. As a result, a person has a constant feeling of hunger, which leads to stress throughout the body.
But there are also diets in which you can lose weight without feeling hungry. One such diet is the corn diet. All you need to do is eat corn porridge every day, replacing breakfast, lunch and dinner with it. Moreover, all this varies within the required limits. If, for example, urgently losing weight is not part of your plans, then it is recommended to replace only breakfasts with porridge, and if you want to enhance the effect, then also subsequent meals. A prerequisite for this diet is the consumption of large amounts of water. It must be cleaned and non-carbonated. The water requirement for a corn diet is up to 2.5 liters per day. Also, to speed up metabolic processes, do not forget about physical exercise. In addition, they will help tighten the skin, which is very useful for express diets.
Corn porridge recipe for weight loss
Corn flour porridge for dietary purposes should be prepared without additives. It requires a long cooking time, so you should first rinse the cereal to remove starch and soak it overnight in cold water. During the soaking process, the cereal will swell and increase in size, which will significantly reduce the cooking time - from 40 to 20 minutes. To prepare you will need:
- corn grits, pre-soaked in cold water;
- water.
Pour the cereal with hot water in a ratio of 1:3, cook over low heat until the liquid has completely evaporated.
A diet based on corn grits will not only help you lose weight, but will also remove dangerous waste and toxins and saturate the body with the beneficial substances that make up its composition.
How to cook and eat profitably
Eating corn porridge for medicinal and prophylactic purposes is a simple matter: cook and eat. You just need to take a few nuances into account.
- First, corn grits vary in processing methods and grind sizes. It can be large, small and polished. The large ones are used for cereals and muesli, the small ones for corn sticks. Only polished ones are suitable for making porridge. It, in turn, is also divided by numbers (depending on the size of the grains), but this is a matter of taste.
- Secondly, the time and method of preparation matters.
Advice
But at first, corn porridge for babies can be prepared from finely ground cereal.
If you eat porridge for the prevention of diseases, for good health and simply as a tasty dish, then it is good with water, milk, and broth. Sweet or salty, with the addition of butter, vegetables or fruits - choose for yourself, in any case it will be tasty and healthy.
But porridge as a therapeutic food requires special preparation. For example, to get rid of constipation, porridge is cooked only in water, with vegetable oil and eaten for breakfast.
Diet porridge for weight loss implies the absence of calorie additives and also consumed in the first half of the day.
Corn grits in cosmetology
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Since this cereal contains a huge amount of useful elements, such a field of medicine as cosmetology could not ignore it. At home, it is often used to deeply cleanse and nourish the skin. Scrubs and peelings are prepared from it, and it is also used as a means to combat cellulite. Corn grits have characteristic sharp corners, so they are used in places where the skin is rougher: elbows, heels, knees.
Preparing a gel scrub at home: corn grits, ground coffee, shower gel, sea salt, essential oils and honey. Mix everything and treat rough skin. This scrub will wonderfully cleanse, polish the skin, and also enrich it with useful substances, soften and intensively moisturize it.
To combat cellulite, you can use corn flour. Treat problem areas of pre-cleansed and steamed skin with flour for about 15 minutes. This is best done while taking a bath. After several procedures, the result will pleasantly surprise and delight you.
Menu for the week
In the first 4 days (restrictive period), the daily portion of porridge is 400 g, it must be divided into 2 meals. During a snack, you can eat a vegetable salad or drink a glass of low-fat kefir. Over the next 3 days, the quantity of the main dish is reduced.
An example of a weekly menu for a corn diet:
| Day | Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner | Afternoon snack | Dinner |
| Monday | 200 g porridge on water (without salt and oil), unsweetened green tea | Cucumber and tomato salad | 200 g porridge, cucumber, tea | Natural yogurt | Apple, tea |
| Tuesday | 200 g porridge, weak coffee without sugar | Tomato and bell pepper salad | 200 g porridge, steamed cauliflower, tea | Biokefir | Cottage cheese with herbs or dried fruits, tea |
| Wednesday | 200 g porridge, natural juice | A handful of steamed raisins | Porridge, stewed vegetables, tea | Apple and carrot salad | Curd casserole, tea |
| Thursday | Porridge, tomato, coffee | Orange | Porridge, salad of Bulgarian feathers, onions, boiled asparagus, compote | Cherry jelly with biscuits | Mushroom soup, tea |
| Friday | 150 g porridge, beet salad with prunes and nuts, coffee | Salad with avocado, cherry tomatoes, onions, herbs | 100 g boiled chicken, 100 g porridge, cucumber, corn silk decoction | Low-fat cottage cheese, apple | Baked apples with cottage cheese and honey, tea |
| Saturday | 150 g porridge with dried apricots, tea | Natural yogurt | Omelette, 200 ml chicken broth, rice cake with cheese, tea | Smoothie made from boiled broccoli, kefir, herbs | Boiled chicken breast, salad of tomatoes, cucumbers, sweet peppers |
| Sunday | 100 g porridge, black bread toast, biokefir | Cottage cheese with prunes | Boiled white fish, 100 g mashed potatoes, compote | Cornmeal pancake, kefir | Casserole, smoothie made from grapefruit, green apple, kiwi, kefir |
As you can see from the table, towards the end of the week the diet becomes more varied.
conclusions
Corn grits are a rich source of vitamins, minerals and trace elements beneficial to the body. Its daily consumption helps improve immunity, remove toxins, harmful pesticides and dangerous toxins from the body. Corn grits are an indispensable helper for those suffering from gastrointestinal disorders. It cleanses it of decay products, eliminates fermentation and putrefactive processes in the intestines. Corn grits are rich in fiber, which is why they are confidently in demand among nutritionists. It can relieve hunger for a long time and is effective for those who want to lose weight or suffer from physical inactivity (lead a sedentary lifestyle).
Corn grits are effective in many medical areas: it prevents the development of cancer and cardiovascular diseases, lowers cholesterol, is useful for disorders of the nervous system and helps eliminate depression. Porridges prepared from this cereal do not cause allergies, therefore they are included in the main diet of children. She is also good at cosmetology. You can use it to make scrubs, masks and even anti-cellulite products. Corn grits have practically no contraindications for use; you should use it with caution only during an exacerbation of peptic ulcer disease and with increased blood clotting. Eating products made from corn grits will make you slimmer, improve your skin and health, and also fill you with vigor and energy.
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Contraindications
Fans of this dish see the benefits of corn porridge, but do not even consider the harm from its consumption. Of course, we are talking about a fresh dish prepared from high-quality grains.
Indeed, contraindications for including such porridge in the diet are minimal - perhaps only individual intolerance and exacerbation of peptic ulcer disease.
