We’re pretty much anti-grain (for the most part)
Ok, so as you know by now, we kind of fall into the ‘anti-grain’ lifestyle. This goes for most grains, most of the time, on most days. Occasionally, we’ll get asked the question about eating rice and we reply with the same answer “It depends on your body type and lifestyle.”
Although we don’t really recommend eating too much rice in the first place, some can actually handle it better than others.
So how about we take a deeper look into this whole ‘rice dilemma’ because there seems to be a lot of confusion regarding this topic.
Today we’re covering the great rice debate!
The first rice point
First off, the truth is that there are very harmful components within a single grain of rice. And what we’re about to say may shock you.
Whole-grain rice (you know…that “healthy stuff”) is actually NOT all it’s cracked up to be!
“WHAT! How is that possible guys?”
Well, let’s see here…
Whole rice is loaded with some major NO-NO’s – phyates, tripsin-inhibitors, and lectins to be a bit more specific – both white and brown rice (even if organic) can present some notable health issues, but that’s not to say you can’t ever eat it.
As you will soon see, there are some notable factors to weigh here…
It goes kinda like this – brown rice poses more of a toxic threat, while white rice poses more of a blood sugar risk, and both are obviously not all that crackin’
First off, whole grains are what we like to call ‘Mineral Robbers.’
Yup, they’re filthy little crooks!
In other words, they have the ability to take away from the body – not cool dude!
Sorry to say, but our ‘ohhhh-so-friendly’ health agencies have forgotten to, in a sense, let us in on this data!
Yes, some rice selections may present a few good qualities, but the bad outweighs the good here. It’s like a scale that is constantly off-balance. We’re also not too crazy of white rice because it can really pack on the pounds for some people.
Those in danger of developing conditions such as diabetes should be more aware of their starchy-carb intake, and that’s simply scientific fact…
So what else is there?
Well, let’s see…whole rice is also an enzyme inhibitor, and for those who don’t know, this can really affect one’s ability to digest proteins within the body – a slippery-slope definitely worth discussing.
The nutrition of white rice
The simple way to explain this topic is to say that “white rice is a whole bunch of nothing!”
It’s a stripped, starch-ridden food with little to almost NO benefit for some people.
Remember, white rice can really raise blood sugar levels, and for those who can’t handle it, this can be a real bad thing…obviously.
White rice is basically a starch powerhouse food that can ‘offset’ one’s blood sugar, and that’s pretty much what we’re driving at here. And with diabetes being a HUGE problem in our Western world, foods high in starch should most definitely be avoided – at least that’s our take on it…
Some people need rice
Now this doesn’t include everybody, for the simple fact that many societies use rice as a staple food source (as seen in many poor countries).
As we all know, world hunger is a major problem and eating cheap foods (like rice) can help keep millions of people alive – a very good thing! So we’re not saying that the less fortunate should avoid these foods, because they need such items to survive – simple as that.
Now, us FAT westerners who are addicted to sugar, refined grains, and Dr. Pepper, surely do not need the extra blood sugar push, and that’s the truth.
Do you see what we’re driving at here?
Americans are fat, and are definitely not starving (for the most part); therefore, our intake of such high-glycemic foods should most definitely be restricted.
It’s like this – our lifestyles are not equipped to deal with high-starch foods like other countries. We’re overweight and most definitely do NOT need the amount of carbohydrates that our government recommends.
It’s actually pretty simple to understand – we’re overloaded with starches and sugars and this trend is killing us!
Sugar is making us fat, not fat itself…
The other thing to look at here is that some people can deal with this ‘high starch load’ better than others.
We know people who can literally eat Burger King everyday and still have the body of a Calvin Klein underwear model – SO JEALOUS OF THESE PEOPLE!
This just goes to show that this whole ‘rice debate’ really depends on one’s metabolic type as well; yet another reason to get assessed.
If you’re a person that can eat almost anything and feel pretty good, you can probably eat rice from time to time with little to no complications. But people like us, can eat rice and feel like crap for 3 days.
Weird, but true…
Now, this doesn’t mean that a ‘heavy rice habit’ will not catch up with one in his or her later years.
Constant rises (and drops) in blood sugar have been proven to be unhealthy. Also, not all people with diabetes are fat! Keep this in mind if you’re a heavy grain eater. Repetitively spiking these sugar levels will work against anyone’s body in some way, shape, or form – no doubt about it!
Everybody has their own way of reacting to foods, and that’s the truth.
So what have we learned here? Let’s recap:
- Whole grain rice is loaded with good stuff and bad stuff. But the bad surely outweighs the good.
- White rice is NOT loaded with the same dangers as whole grain but poses a different set of risks.
- White rice can spike blood sugar, which is definitely bad for us Fat Americans!
- White rice is NOT good for people that have insulin resistance.
- We (Versatile Health) only recommend the consumption rice if your body can handle it. This can be found out by assessing your metabolic behavior.
That’s it for today.
Also, if you wish to take a quick look at an awesome resource we recommend, as well as how you can live a “grain free” lifestyle without feeling like you’re missing out on all the good stuff; definitely check out Primal Burn today! It will help you shake your rice habit no doubt!
We hope you got the rice information you were looking for. If you have any questions at all, don’t hesitate to hit us up. We’re here for you always, anytime! Peace.
- Joey and Chris
Also, for those interested in seeing where our “Asian Paradox’ has gone…read this
