ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Refined grains

Refined grains are like fancy dresses that have been made pretty and shiny, but they don't have all the good stuff inside. In the beginning, the grains were whole, which meant that they had all the good things like vitamins, minerals, proteins, and fiber that our body needs to stay healthy. However, when these grains go through a process called refining, they lose a lot of these essential elements.

It's like when you get an apple, and you want to make juice out of it, so you remove its peel, seeds, and pulp. You only get the sweet and clear juice, and you lose all the good stuff. The same thing happens with grains. They go through a refining process where their outer layers, which are full of nutrients, are removed. This is done to make the grain look nicer, taste better, and last longer on the shelf.

The problem is that when we eat refined grains, we don't get all the good things that were originally there. We only get the starchy part, which is like eating candy. It gives us energy, but it doesn't have any of the important nutrients that our body needs. This can be harmful because our bodies need essential nutrients to stay healthy and function properly.

In conclusion, refined grains are like dresses that look beautiful but don't have all the necessary things a good dress should have. When we eat them, we get the starchy part but miss out on the nutritional value that would make us healthy. It's essential to eat whole grains instead, like whole wheat bread or brown rice. These foods have all the good things that our body needs to stay healthy and will make us feel good too!
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