The Benefits Of Adding Rice To Your Diet

Trim Your Waistline With Rice

Through the last few years, we have seen an increase in the number of individuals who have jumped on the 'low-carb diet' wagon in order to lose weight. For many, this type of diet has been helpful. There is no denying that eliminating some specific carbs from your diet will result in weight loss. However, we repeat; "specific carbs." These are the so-called "bad carbs" that the low-carb diets warn you about.

With that said, there is some confusion over whether or not rice should be included in a low-carb diet. In fact, some may believe rice causes weight gain regardless of what diet a person follows.

Well, I'm here to dispel the rumors that rice is the culprit causing the increasing waistline and climbing scale numbers. As a matter of fact, the opposite is true. Research has now shown that people who eat a combination of white rice and brown rice, are more likely to enjoy seeing a shrinking waistline and lower numbers on the dreaded bathroom scale.

The studies indicate that people who eat white and brown rice have developed other eating habits which contribute to a healthier lifestyle. The results show that subjects in the study who eat rice consume:
less fat, less saturated fat, and less added sugar; fewer calories from fat, and; more dietary fiber, more fruit and vegetables, and a greater percentage of whole and and enriched grains.These same subjects in the study also were more likely to have a lower BMI (body mass index) which is body weight relative to body height. The BMI value is not only a weight indicator, but a health indicator, as well.

The question now is, does adding rice to your diet ensure weight loss because eating habits change or is there something inherent in rice that causes weight loss? We believe the answer is both - rice consumers change their diet habits AND rice has nutritional elements that help in weight loss.
Let's take a look at a few reasons why rice may help you keep your weight down.

Feeling Full

Everyone who has ever been on a diet knows that being hungry is a definite diet disaster. Keeping your tummy feeling full means less midnight snacking and backsliding on the diet plan. Rice, especially whole grain brown rice, is loaded with fiber and is a very slow-burning carbohydrate. Even a half cup of cooked brown rice in the morning can keep you from visiting the doughnut wagon before lunch. A rice salad or rice soup for lunch will keep you on track all the way through to dinner time. Any diet will warn you about avoiding the empty tummy snack attacks, and rice does an excellent job of this.

Slow Burning Carbs

We mentioned the slow burning carbs in rice, but, aside from keeping you full, these 'good carbs' or complex carbs  also provide energy to help burn fat and build muscle.  The good carbs in rice also eliminate the blood sugar spikes that fast burning carbs, or 'bad carbs,' create. A diet high in bad carbs will keep that blood sugar bouncing around which not only causes that darn belly fat but may also create the beginnings of a dangerous diabetic condition.

Less Fat More Flavor

Rice is free of trans fat, saturated fat, sodium, and cholesterol. Rice needs no fat to cook and is delicious all by itself. Rice doesn't need a lot of sauce or additives. As a matter of fact, some of the best rice dishes are made by tossing simple, healthy ingredients together with the rice. A traditional stir-fry is a good example.

Hooked On Rice

Once rice is added to a person's diet, he or she sees how easy it is to cook rice and enjoy it on a regular basis. Now that person is hooked and rice becomes a part of their diet. The easier it is to throw together a healthy meal, the more often a person will eat healthy. And you can't get much easier than rice! Every time we add rice to a meal, we also enjoy the added 'feel good' benefits of serotonin, which elevates mood, creating more reasons to eat rice. We also reap the benefits of more than a dozen vitamins and minerals that rice provides, which helps our entire body feel and function better with every serving of rice.

So, what is the answer to the question; "Can I whittle my waistline if I eat rice?"  According to some very important studies, the answer is "Yes!" It sure looks like there are plenty of reasons to add rice to your diet when looking for ways to lose weight and feel better.