DOnt eat rice to much......
@Zelmarq (12585)
Cebu City, Philippines
April 1, 2007 6:54am CST
I'd like to share this piece of information to those who are rice eaters like me.
DON'T EAT TOO MUCH RICE
The human body was never meant to consume rice! You see, our genes have hardly changed in more than 30,000 years. However, our food choices and
lifestyle have changed dramatically. The caveman would hardly recognize our food or way of life.
Caveman food was never cooked as fire was not yet tamed. Thus, he ate only those foods that you can eat without treatment with or by fire.
He ate fruits, vegetables, fish (sushi anyone?), eggs, nuts and meat.
Yes, even meat. You can even eat meat raw if you were starving in the forest.
You have the necessary enzymes to digest meat.
However, rice, like wheat and corn, cannot be eaten raw. It must be cooked. Even if you were starving in the des ert, you cannot eat rice in the raw form. This is because we do not have the system of enzymes to break rice down. You were never meant to eat rice. To make matters worse, you not only eat rice, but also make it the bulk of your food.
In some parts of Asia , rice forms up to 85% of the plate. Even if you take rice, keep it to a minimum. Remember, it is only for your tongue - not your body. Actually, rice and other grains like wheat and corn
are actually worse than sugar. There are many reasons:
Rice becomes sugar - lots of it
This is a fact that no nutritionist can deny: rice is chemically no different from sugar. One bowl of cooked rice is the caloric equal of 10 teaspoons of sugar. This does not matter whether it is white, brown or herbal rice. Brown rice is richer in fibre, some B vitamins and minerals but it is still the caloric equal of ! 10 teaspoons of sugar. To get
the same 10 teaspoons of sugar, you need to consume lots of kangkong - 10 bowls of it.
Rice is digested to become sugar.
Rice cannot be digested before it is thoroughly cooked. However, when thoroughly cooked, it becomes sugar and spikes circulating blood sugar within half an hour - almost as quickly as it would if you took a
sugar candy. Rice is very low in the "rainbow of anti-oxidants"
This complete anti-oxidant rainbow is necessary for the effective and safe utilisation of sugar. Fruits come with a sugar called fructose.
However, they are not empty calories as the fruit is packed with a whole host of other nutrients that help its proper assimilation and digestion.
Rice has no fibre. The fibre of the kangkong fills you up long before your blood sugar spikes. This is because the fibre bulks and fills up your stomach. Since white rice has no fibre, you end up eating lots of "calorie dense" food before you get filled up. Brown rice has more fibre but still the same amount of sugar.
Rice is tasteless - Sugar is sweet. There is only so much that you can eat at one sitting. How many teaspoons of sugar can you eat before you feel like throwing up? Could you imagine eating 10 teaspoons of sugar in one seating?
Rice is always the main part of the meal - While sugar may fill your dessert or sweeten your coffee, it will never be the main part of any meal. You could eat maybe two to three teaspoons of sugar at one meal.
However, you could easily eat the equal value of two to three bowls (20 - 30 teaspoons) of sugar in one meal. ! I am always amused when I see someone eat sometimes five bowls of rice (equals 50 teaspoons of
sugar) and then asks for tea tarik kurang manis!
There is no real "built in" mechanism for us to prevent overeating of rice How much kangkong can you eat? How much fried chicken can you eat?
How much steamed fish can you eat? Think about that! In one seating, you cannot take lots of chicken, fish or cucumber, but you can take lots
of rice. Eating rice causes you to eat more salt.
As rice is tasteless, you tend to consume more salt - another villain when it comes to high blood pressure. You tend to take more curry that has salt to help flavor rice. We also tend to consume more ketchup and soy sauce which are also rich in salt.
Eating rice causes you to drink less water. The more rice you eat, the less water you will drink a! s there is no mechanism to prevent the overeating of rice. Rice, wheat and corn come hidden in our daily
food.
As rice is tasteless, it tends to end up in other foods that substitute rice like rice flour, noodles and bread. We tend to eat the hidden forms which still get digested into sugar. Rice, even when cooked, is difficult to digest Can't eat raw rice? Try eating rice half cooked. Contrary to popular
belief, rice is very difficult to digest. It is "heavy stuff". If you have problems with digestion, try skipping rice for a few days. You
will be amazed at how the problem will just go away.
Rice prevents the absorption of several vitamins and minerals. Rice when taken in bulk will reduce the absorption of vital nutrients like zinc, iron and the B vitamins.
Are you a rice addict? Going rice-less may not be easy but you can go rice-less. Eating le! ss rice could be lot easier than you think.
Here are some strategies that you can pursue in your quest to eat less rice:
Eat less rice - Cut your rice by half. Barry Sears, author of the Zone Diet, advises "eating rice like spice".
Instead, increase your fruits and vegetables.
Take more lean meats and fish.
You can even take more eggs and nuts.
Have "riceless" meals. Take no rice or wheat at say, breakfast. Go for eggs instead.
Go on "riceless" days - Go "western" once a week.
Take no rice and breads for one day every week. That can't be too difficult. Appreciate the richness of your food. Go for taste, colors and smells. Make eating a culinary delight. Enjoy your food in the
original flavors.
Avoid the salt shaker or ketchup. You will automatically eat less rice.
Eat your fruit dessert before (Yes! No printing error) your meals.
The fibre rich fruits will "bulk up" in your stomach. Thus, you will eat less rice and more fruits.
6 people like this
26 responses
@steney (1418)
• Philippines
2 Apr 07
I've read the exact same article in one of my forwarded emails. For rice/grain consuming countries especially in Asia, it would be difficult to stop them from eating rice on a daily basis, as it has become a part of their country's culture and tradition. I stopped eating rice a few years back because I wanted to lose weight. It was hard at first to eat only meat viands, fruits and vegetables. But eventually, my stomach and taste buds were trained not to crave for it. My dad, who's a health buff, also shifted from white to brown rice because he stopped consuming white and other refined products (flour, sugar, etc). I think the key is to consume everything in moderation. With the diet and products that we have today, it's hard for our health not to be affected by what we normally eat, unless we watch and select carefully what goes into our mouths.
3 people like this
@manzician (4727)
• India
2 Apr 07
Ok.. so finally your discussion is over and I get something to write... To start with, I am a bigtime rice lover. I know already that rice is not good for our body but I just cant resist eating rice. Its the most tastiest thing for me. So yes, I agree that rice is dangerous but having rice in small quantity is not that harmful too.
3 people like this
@Zelmarq (12585)
• Cebu City, Philippines
3 Apr 07
Well we have the same problem. The last two weeks I have tried not eating rice for breakfast s it makes it a two times a day habit. Hopefully I will be able to eat half cup of rice for every meal.
@KrauseHome (36448)
• United States
1 Apr 07
This is some interesting facts here. I know since I am Diabetic, Rice is one thing I really need to watch. I am sure there are a lot of people who can benefit from facts such as these. Thanks for posting these.
@cdparazo (5765)
• Philippines
1 Apr 07
I am a filipino and rice is our staple food. Like most filipinos, I eat rice 3 times a day. But when I got pregnant, I started to consume lesser and lesser rice as advised by my doctor. Now I could go for days without eating rice which I think is very good indeed.
@nanayangel (7879)
• Philippines
1 Apr 07
Thank you very much for sharing that. That was very informative. We Filipinoes would really find it hard to take eating rice out of our system because we just grew up having rice at lest two times a day, for lunch and dinner. Some even have rice in their breakfast. Some have them for afternoon snack even.
We are trying to have just one cup of rice twice a day and that's already kinda hard for us. It's really bad for us especially when my grandfather had Diabetes when he was alive and I've been told that that makes us prone to Diabetes too. i had my blood sugar tested last month and it is normal, thankfully.
but I believe we should be really careful about it. Again, thank you very much for your very informative post.
@freshrainer (284)
• China
1 Apr 07
Thanks very much. However, my friend, how can I belive that when we have eaten rice thounds of years but never had I heard it should do harm? Many times, especially nowadays, science is not reasonable though it seems that.
3 people like this
@dbeast (1495)
• India
2 Apr 07
hey man you got some intresting facts here.being in India and that too in the Southern part,rice is the staple food here and there is almost no substitue for it.well our enzymes do change with different locations buddy and different climatic conditions.i totally agree with all the facts and discussions you have put up.and you are correct.going without food once in a while does a whole world of good.well i am a rice addict and i have been trying to eat as less rice as possible but it seems nearly impossible since we were born and bred that way.it is a great discussion you have put up here.this will definitely make a lot of rice waters think twice about their meals hereafter like it has made me to.
@Zelmarq (12585)
• Cebu City, Philippines
3 Apr 07
Yes, I have noticed many rice eaters have replied here and mostly have been shocked about the facts presented. Well, its shocking but its the truth and all we can do is to modify our lifestyle for our own good.
@apsara60 (6610)
• Israel
2 Apr 07
You are the first one who has written so much against rice. I like rice very much and we eat lot of basmati rice. Just tell me something, when I boil rice, I drain out all water, which means, all the starch is washed out, does that make it a bit safe.....Is it ok if I eat such rice from which starch is drained out.......Please reply soon....we are all rice eaters here.......lol
@callarse1 (4783)
• United States
2 Apr 07
You must make sure the rice says 100% whole wheat. If it has 100% whole wheat it has a lot of fiber. However, you are right. Rice is high in calories and with my current lifestyle system it is high in points. I believe 1 cup is 4 points! I am supposed to have 34 points so that is a lot because some meals (such as chicken stir fry that I made) was only 5 points. So really rice can be counted as a meal. If you eat a lot of rice be sure to get a lot of exercise and drink a lot of tea and/or water. I choose 100% whole wheat rice because I want more fiber. Mix a half cup of rice with a stir fry. Or better yet use a forth of a cup. Have a nice day.
2 people like this
@Zelmarq (12585)
• Cebu City, Philippines
3 Apr 07
Hello callarse!
Thank you for you advice hope that could also help.
@NatureBoy (493)
• Singapore
2 Apr 07
Good advise for everyone. I will try to keep that in mind, I am what the chinese call a "Rice Tub" too lol.
2 people like this
@Zelmarq (12585)
• Cebu City, Philippines
3 Apr 07
I agree with you, there are a lot of us who are rice eaters specially in Asia and we should keep in mind to eat more fruits and vegetables to balance our diet.
@cyclops_online2004 (779)
• India
2 Apr 07
Well, thanks for this really informative topic. I am surprised that you care for the people out here. And typed up such a big topic for the people. Really thank you. And i would surely consider dropping rice from my daily menu.
@julaqq (141)
• Philippines
2 Apr 07
wow. I never thought rice is bad for us. I love rice. I really do. Can't have a meal without rice. I eat rice more than the meat and other food. I easily get hungry if I haven't eaten rice. This is the first time i've come to know that rice is not good for us as stated above. I thank you so much for this post. Now I will be watchful of my diet and looking forward to the meals I will take. I can't thank you enough for sharing information like this with us.
@glvfrank (32)
• China
2 Apr 07
Thanks for the information on rice. I have rice almost every day but didn't think it could be that rich in sugar, although not directly. But see, Chinese and Thai and the like have been having rice as their main food choice for thousands of years, but they seem okay. Some people at some places can only afford having rice, which means they have rice at every meal, but they don't seem to have problems like obesity or any kind of heart problems or diabetes. So it makes me wonder if it is rice is the real culprit of various health problems.
Anyway, until the government makes it official that eating rice could induce health problems, I don't think Chinese or the like would "go easy" on rice that easily.
@angel_marie5 (1259)
• United States
3 Apr 07
rice really can shoot up our blood sugar 'coz the carbohydrate in it will be converted into sugar. when we get older our metabolism also is getting slower so we really need to cut down on rice in our regular diet few yrs. behind . . . or as a good alternative use an oatmeal or corn grits instead of rice with a low salt and fat diet.
@Zelmarq (12585)
• Cebu City, Philippines
9 Apr 07
Another alternative for rice could be potato which is also a very good source of fiber.
@whyaskq (7523)
• Singapore
2 Apr 07
Zelmarq, that was rather informative. Contrary to your suggestion, it has been suggested that taking rice can help one maintain weight, especially if one is healthy. The main reason being rice provides the carbo and keeps you full so that your stomach has no space for junk food. Not that rice is the only recommended food, but rice is a staple food, cheap and easy to cook. My suggestion is to take unpolished rice or brown rice.
@gvnath2007 (84)
•
2 Apr 07
Rice is never harmful.but the present rice grown with chemical fertilisers and use of pesticides making the rice harmful. i am aged 59 years. in my childhood,thereare no chemical fertilisers . we got land and my father used to grow up paddy with natural manures. there are no rice mills then. the paddy is being crushed manually and the outer layer of paddy removed, and the remaining rice is consumed. the outerlayer of rice consists of vitamins and healthy. now the latest technology of milling makes the paddy into white rice polishing well removing all the healthy substance over the rice. thus the rice became only carbohydratre and thus causing health haphazards. I saw the cultivators using raw rice four times a day and are healthy till 80s .hence it is not correct that rice is harmful.Rice is the main food in so many countries. There are many alernative foods but rice will only give satisfaction nd strenthin countries like india
2 people like this
@winjzz (157)
• Malaysia
2 Apr 07
I always thought about the history of rice, i mean, why my fathers and grandfathers and forefathers cultivate rice and eat them. Then it hits me that back in those days, people were doing agro (agriculture! not that MMO aggro) under the baking sun, sweating it out and use up a lot of energy. So that's why they cultivate and eat rice.
But now, we're not doing all those high energy stuff anymore. I have an office job and definitely use less energy than those guys did. So what i do is, cut out the carbos and take up more stomach filling fibres like salads and fruits plus a little sushi now and then. Yeah, i'm going to do it, caveman style.
Btw, thanks for the info Zelmarq. Enjoy your lamb chops and salad.
2 people like this
@Zelmarq (12585)
• Cebu City, Philippines
2 Apr 07
hello winzz!
Yes, lately I have been eating less of rice, but sometimes I just cant help it. Specially when I eat outside and go to grilled bars and eat grilled chicken, its really best when eat it with rice. Hay!
But anyways, I have started modifying mylifestyle and hopefully it will get where I want it.
1 person likes this
@Suze05 (480)
• United States
2 Apr 07
That's interesting.. I never really thought about it before, but I guess you're right..I always thought rice was relatively healthy for you. I don't eat a lot of rice anyway..I prefer potatoes or noodles..but I do like rice once in a while..I tend to eat it with lots of veggies though whenever I do eat it.. It's like a lot of other things, anything in moderation isn't that bad for you. But..its the same thing as with corn. I loove corn a lot, its my favorite veggie and i tend to eat a lot of it, but our bodies don't digest corn and it is high in sugar, but I don't care because it tastes so good and it's not necessarily bad for you..just not really good for you LOL I try to eat a lot of veggies and not a lot of meats and junk food.
1 person likes this
@Zelmarq (12585)
• Cebu City, Philippines
3 Apr 07
Yes, we can still eat rice but we have to cut it down if we are eating too much. Its ok to eat if you will be able to burn that through daily activities or your work does require a lot of energy. But like me im an office girl and I just sit down all day with my computer so I have to really think about cutting my rice consumption for my owmn welfare.
@fatteh_kateh (187)
• Australia
2 Apr 07
WOW! This is an excellent post! It has really opened up my eyes! I am a really big rice eater and eat it 5 times a week or more. I should re think my dinner tonight then!
2 people like this