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 desert, 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 as 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 less 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.
