Yes, I have been slacking big time and this is long overdue, but I thought it might be good to quickly discuss one of the world's most popular grains, rice. Why rice? Because, like most good things, rice has been destroyed by the internet "health" gurus. You know them. They tell you that all saturated fat is bad and that whole wheat will make live longer. Wheat is garbage. But more on that in another post...we're talking about rice here!
Most of you probably grew up with enriched white rice. And then somewhere, somebody published a study that says white rice is virtually devoid of nutrients and will make you fat. And then it caught on like wildfire. After that, what appeared that would save us all? BROWN RICE!!!
Brown rice has fiber! It has more nutrients! It's untouched by mills!
OK, let's start with fiber. Most of us know the primary reason we need fiber, but the bottom line is that if you are eating enough fruits and vegetables, you do not need fiber from grains. Period. There is a vicious rumor going around that you need oatmeal and brown rice to make your digestive system operate. Whoever came up with that obviously hasn't discovered raspberries. Most brown rice has about 4 grams of fiber per cup. Raspberries have 8 grams. There are plenty of other examples like this, but I like raspberries...
So how about those nutrients? While it is true that brown rice contains more thiamine, niacin and iron then white rice, it also contains much higher quantities of anti-nutrients like phytin (phytate), trypsin inhibitor, oryzacystatin and haemagglutinin-lectin. What the heck are those? Think of your nutrients like a basketball and they need to go into the hoop to do any good in your body. Then antinutrients like phytin are the seven foot tall basketball player waiting there to block your shot. And unlike the other antinutrients listed, phytin will not cook out of your rice. So it will do everything to block that extra niacin you're getting. Hey, but doesn't brown rice contain protein?! Yes. The only problem is, unlike animal proteins like beef and chicken, grain proteins are inferior and produce an inflammatory response. Antinutrients and bloating to boot...sign me up!
When white rice is made, they basically strip it down and then enrich it again with vitamins. Pull out the bad stuff and the good stuff and put the good stuff back in...sounds good to me. In addition, white rice is easier to digest and easily assimilated into the body.
All that being said, white rice is still a carb. That means don't stuff your face with it. As with most carbs, enjoy them in moderation AND eat most of them in your post-workout afterburn (2-3 hours) and you will be in good shape. Eat a giant mixing bowl of white rice 10 hours after your workout or worse yet, while watching others work out and you may have some weight issues.
So next time you go to a restaurant and they offer you the "healthy" brown rice, tell them they can have their cardboard and you can happily eat your white rice to the shock and awe of the hyper-inflamed people around you.
