If you have been searching for a simple way to trim inches off of your waistline without adding more crunches to your workout routine, replacing the refined grains in your diet with whole grains may be the answer. 

According to a recent Globe and Mail article by Leslie Beck, a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition shows that people who eat at least 3 servings of whole grains each day carry 10% less belly fat than those who do not.

The study concluded that if you want to have a smaller waist, you have to actually replace the refined grains in your diet with whole grains and not simply increase the amount of whole grains you eat. Participants who continued to eat at least 4 servings of refined grains on a daily basis did not have the same impact on their belly fat. 

Whole grainshelp your body regulate the insulin in your blood, which effects the way your body stores fat.

The fiber in whole grains makes you feel full so that you eat less overall.

Whole grains like brown rice, oats, couscous, hulled barley, millet and quinoa make a delicious addition to salads, casseroles and pilafs or can be used to replace pasta or white rice in your favorite recipes.