Why villify white rice?

JessLLoser

I live in Japan. I am American. The Japanese eat white rice three times a day. Most usually eat the equivalent of 1 1/2 cups for each meal.

Any diet advice tells you white rice is bad. And yet, we would all agree that the average Japanese is thinner than your average American. Not one woman I know works out. Most take walks every day and clean the house. When they diet, they usually walk a little more. Or not eat sweets for a while. There are cake shops and bread shops on every corner. These women drink beer, they eat cake, they eat rice. They do not work out. And they are slim! They don`t look like athletic models but they look good even into their 60`s and 70`s.

Who eats brown rice in Japan? No one!

Why is the stapel food of India, Vietnam, Japan, Cambodia etc... made evil in the diet world? The populations who eat it are surely thinner.

Can one lose weight while eating normal food? Are we going to find out that the low carb lifestyle is just as bad for us as the low fat lifestyle was?

I`m not sure because as you can see from my ticker, I haven`t lost any weight yet, despite counting my calories since March.

Rice is healthy.

mmarin81

Interesting and I have always wondered that myself.

YoungDoc2B

I've noticed the same. Interested to see what others think.

Establishedn1986

I eat white rice! I love it. I actually REFUSE to give it up. I wont eat as much as I used to, however I will still eat it. I have still lost weight!

knowwhentoshutup

I think it becomes an easy target, but in the end comes to calories in vs. calories out, metabolism, and genetics.

Crochetluvr

Its a pure carb with low nutritional value. Its digested very quickly so it great for quick energy. But for me and my diabetes, its not a good food.

Sidesteal

Because people fail to consider the diet as a whole and instead like to pin obesity on things other than energy surplus.
Because people are grossly mislead into thinking that brown food is arbitrarily better than white food regardless of an individuals needs and his or her total food consumption,
Because some people still think glycemic index matters when for most people it doesn't.

VeganPanda

It's because the other foods which the people in those countries consume is mostly healthy.

I don't think any food should be vilified, but Americans are fat because of McDonald's.

EngineerPrincess

I agree. There's less obesity in the middle east too and they eat tons of rice. Rice is like, a given at most of our dinners and unless carbs become too much of your nutritional intake it's not a problem. I think that different bodies have different tolerances of different levels of carbs/protein/fats so no one ratio is good for everyone, it depends on your ethnicity and genetics and allergies and just your body type in general. I can personally eat as much rice as I want, but when I eat too much bread I get sick/gain weight.

asmendiola

I feel your pain. I am a Pacific Islander, who loves to eat white rice. It is part of our daily diet. The Japanese are tiny because it's in their genes. I eat rice every day because that is what I grew up doing. But since dieting, I've limited the amount of rice. I eat about 1/3 cup every meal, which has helped. You may want to try that. Good luck!

hiphopfrog

White rice is definitely a staple for me! A 1/2 cup with some sort of stew is filling & cheap. Plus I have a rice cooker, which makes it very easy. Have lost 13kg (29lb) while eating white rice.

unrulygurl

Brown rice has more iron & vitamins. I've been eating a lot more of it. However, I still eat my sticky calrose rice anytime I'm making an Asian dish. Sushi made with brown rice is just not appealing to me.

itsafrappe

there will always be someone who can find something wrong with any kind of food. i say leave me and my white rice alone!:grumble:

Pebble321

It's a good question - in my opinion, white rice is the victim of two things: the low-carb trend (people get upset it I call it a fad, so I'll call it a trend!) and the "white is bad" trend.

I think brown rice has a bit more fibre and few more nutrients, but that doesn't make white rice bad.
Too many carbs don't agree with SOME people, but for many people (like me) they can fit just fine into a healthy and varied diet. Rice is great, especially when you eat it with lots of veggies and a moderate amount of meat or seafood (like many traditional asian dishes).

I have lived through the "must eat low-fat" years and I suspect that the "must eat low-carb" trend will peter out in the just the same way too. I can only assume that in another 10-15 years we will be hearing "must eat low-protein'!

So, my theory is that no food is evil, and there is no one "right" way to eat. It's about each of us finding out for ourselves what makes us feel good and full of energy, as well as working out what fits into our own lifestyle. For me, I know I am healthier and happier when I eat a good variety of veggies, meat, seafood, rice, pasta, dairy etc and limit the amount of chocolate, cakes, biscuits etc. Just cutting out "carbs" leaves me hungry and grumpy - so that's not right for me.

shalinimunjal

The problem is not the white rice or the white flour. It is the overabundance of fast food, overindulgence on individuals part, little to no opportunity to walk anywhere. Similar to Japan, people in India (especially the south) eat rice 3 times a day. They eat it with a little clarified butter and spicy lentils.It's absolutely delish.

No one eats brown rice in India either. Most haven't heard of it. They walk everywhere and every day. They walk for pleasure, socializing, and out of necessity!

mustgetmuscles1

I love rice and I love sushi. The problem is not the rice or any other food. I dont believe in good food vs bad food. It is that people over eat.

DrKittyCat

There isn't necessarily "less obesity" in these areas anymore. Obesity, type II diabetes are on the rise globally. This mostly has to do with food being readily available and people having to work less to get that food. The decrease in activity, and increase in consumption, is what makes us fat. This isn't just true in America, but everywhere. White rice isn't the culprit, but if white rice is all you eat and in large portions, you aren't doing yourself much good. It isn't the most nutritious food out there.

abetterjune

I had a trainer who said white rice was better than brown because it was more easily digested... just my 2 cents

OSC_ESD

~ It doesn't have anything to do with the calories or fat ... it's the nutritional value :

Basically, white rice ends up being brown rice with its nutritional crown stripped away.

While both white rice and brown rice provide close to the same amount of carbohydrates, calories, and calcium, brown rice outpaces white rice in almost every other regard. Brown rice provides four times as much fiber, additional protein, and has a lower Glycemic Index.

Bottom line is you get more nutrition from brown rice vs white rice ... but I can tell you my Sushi taste just as good with either ! I would never tell someone " white " is bad ... it's just brown is nutritionally better.

:flowerforyou:

catniss

If you click on the link, there is a well informed article about the nutritional difference between white (refined) and brown rice.

http://arp.optimalhealthsystems.com/showeduc.asp?id=7

Another thing to consider is that while so many peoples of the world may be eating white rice, they aren't eating all the other junk.

Dave198lbs

. They walk everywhere and every day. They walk for pleasure, socializing, and out of necessity!

:drinker: