There is my daughter who loves rice !

But it is small and certainly has no line problems.

But one day maybe this passion for rice will be an advantage if you want to lose a few pounds

Today I would like to talk to you about yet another diet, something that always has to do with balance and a healthy diet: the rice diet .

Maybe you’re interested: Personalized Diet

We are talking about a diet that was developed in 1939 by Duke University medical researcher Walter Kempner and has since been successfully used to treat obesity.

The diet is based on a simple observation by Dr. Kempner who argued, with good reason, that populations who consume a lot of rice have fewer problems with hypertension, obesity, heart problems and diabetes

According to the American Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than a third of US adults are obese and rarely engage in adequate physical activity.

A nutrient-poor diet and lack of exercise not only lead to excessive weight gain but to the elimination of obesity-related conditions.

Being overweight carries the risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke, among other chronic health conditions. However, even losing 8-10 pounds can help prevent and regulate these problems, says the American Diabetes Association.

The rice diet: what it is

According to Kitty and Robert Rosati Rosati, authors of the book “The rice diet solution”, the rice diet is “a detox diet, low in sodium and with a good level of carbohydrates”. This diet, followed consistently, can help you lose 9-10 kilograms in a month in the comfort of your own home.

The rice diet is based on healthy carbohydrates . Fiber-rich vegetables, fruits and grains make up the bulk of the diet. For the “detox” part of the days you can only eat fruit and cereals. The rice diet is also low in salt and low in fat.

“You lose weight in the first phase of the rice diet, because it is limited to about 800 calories per day, which is a low calorie intake,” says Yvette Quantz , a sports nutritionist, who also claims that “The American Dietetic Association says you they should acquire 1,600 calories per day to maintain good nutrition. “

After the initial detox phase you can stick to 1,000 calories per day until you reach your desired weight. In the final phase, which is maintenance, the calories go up a little more, but the diet continues to be low in calories, fat and salt and full of fruits, vegetables and grains.

Menu guidelines

The rice diet is divided into three phases , as we have seen. A diet entirely concentrated on starches, on healthy products, including dairy products, fat-free, fruit and vegetables. The each-game diet will contain nothing but these foods in phase 1, detoxifying, which lasts a week. In phases 2 and 3, you will be allowed one day a week with some fish, eggs or lean meat plus the basics of phase 1. Phase 2 lasts as long as you want it to last to reach your final weight goal. Phase 3, also called maintenance, is meant to be your diet plan for the rest of your life. At all stages, of course, we must prepare these ingredients without adding excess salt or other fats.

The diet: Phase 1

In the rice diet, what we call good carbohydrates are divided into four different groups: starches, fruit, vegetables and dairy products. The rice diet solution  book provides an example of a menu, along with recommended foods for each group already mentioned for phase 1 that limits the use of proteins:

Starches: a slice of bread, 50 grams of rice or 75 grams of pasta.

Fruit: a whole fruit or 150 grams of fruit.

Vegetables: 150 grams of raw vegetables or 75 grams of cooked vegetables

Dairy products: 240 ml of milk or yogurt or 75 grams of cottage cheese.

An example of Phase 1:

Breakfast: the choice goes on a starch and fruit
Lunch: three starches, three vegetables and a fruit
Dinner: as a lunch
After this first phase remember that you can add fish or lean meat to the menu.

So we’re on a high-fiber, low-protein diet right now.

The rice diet focuses on foods that are high in fiber to reduce the risk of heart disease and increased cholesterol. The Mayo Clinic claims that foods that contain fiber help maintain a healthy physique and relieve constipation. Fiber is needed for intestinal health. The only big problem with this diet is that it can lead to a loss of muscle tone as it is almost completely devoid of proteins but in phase 2 and phase 3 it is possible to reintegrate them little by little.

The diet: Phase 2

Phase 2 of the rice diet divides the weekly plan into three phases: one day you stay on the basic Phase 1 diet, five days on a lacto-vegetarian version of the plan and one day on the maintenance diet which includes optional addition of fish. The basic diet menu of the day is the same as in Phase 1 – two servings of cereals and two servings of fruit. The five-day lacto-vegetarian diet is based on a cereal meal with milk, toast with unsweetened fruit preserves and fresh fruit. On the last day there is the protein grant with meat or fish for dinner with corn, potatoes, Chinese cabbage, a salad with oil and vinegar, and fresh fruit.

The diet: Phase 3

Phase 3 has similar guidelines to Phase 2: one day you stick to grains and fruits from your basic diet, four days on the lacto-vegetarian diet, and two that allow you to eat proteins like lean meat, poultry or fish for a meal per day. Dinner during Phase 3 of the rice diet could include brown rice, an apple and a cup of grapes or 100 grams of rice cooked with tomato, 300 grams of cooked vegetables, 100 grams of salmon, and 150 grams of fresh berries such as blueberries. for dessert.

The Rice Diet: Pros and Cons

A diet that’s high in fiber like the rice diet has several substantial benefits, says dietician Bonnie J. Brehm , a professor of the College of Nursing at the University of Cincinnati, Ohio. “Fiber has many beneficial effects, such as lowering blood cholesterol and the risk of heart disease. Fiber is important for gut health and regular bowel function. On top of that, foods that are high in fiber are bulkier and make you feel full. So when you eat a high-fiber diet, it can help you lose weight, ”says Brehm.

Here are other opinions on the rice diet:

The first thing, also according to Duke University , concerns the fact that this diet, unlike the others we have talked about these days, is not a FAD Diet, that is, one of those trendy diets that promise substantial results in a very short time but that they are based on the lack of nutrients and the immediate loss of water.
The second point on which opinions agree is that the rice diet is beneficial to health. Nutrition experts agree that the low salt, low fat, and high fiber usage it is based on can improve blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease.
The other opinion we need to take a look at is that a complete program can be considered. The rice diet is not a diet in which you do not eat but you eat the right things, right to ensure that this can be the diet on which we will continue to base our diet over the years, but integrated with a greater intake of vitamins and of proteins to support our body and reach a compromise to maintain a more varied and balanced diet.

And as mentioned in the articles and in the previous pages we need a style to follow, a balance on which we can build our healthy relationship with food, we don’t need a diet that makes you lose 10 kilograms in a month but then it makes you film them in the same, short, amount of time. The rice diet includes exercise and basic nutrition education which are both necessary to maintain weight loss.
“The downside ”, Yvette Quantz always says, “of the rice diet could be that you don’t have enough calories for an active person. You will probably have a sense of hunger for a long time. The protein in this diet is limited and this could lead to a long-term drop in energy. “

Short and long term effects

“The rice diet has some good short-term benefits,” says Quantz. “Cutting down on salt and cooked and annealed foods so much that they are processed and then getting most of the calories from carbohydrates can be a good short-term strategy. But in the long run, I don’t think the rice diet provides enough calories or protein to support most people’s nutritional intake. “

The diet plan on which the rice diet is based is a proven short-term weight loss program. As with any diet, the long-term benefits will depend on how much you learn from the diet and how you integrate it into your lifestyle.

“To understand why it is better to eat one food than another, you need to learn what nutrition is best for you along the way you will come in your life,” says University of Texas Medical dietician Donna Logan. School of Houston. “You have to do this job yourself. There are no shortcuts here, but at the end of your journey that will be your diet. “

In short, what do you think of this rice diet? Can it be considered interesting?

From my point of view, you know that I have tried them all, I find it very easy to follow, there are no great dishes or great recipes, the choice to divide everything between starches, non-fat dairy products, cooked and raw vegetables and fruit it feels very detoxifying and very healthy to me. It is equally clear that such a diet cannot last long without the inclusion of proteins and more nutritious substances but it is clear, in fact, that this can indeed be a good basis for finding a balance with food for the rest of our life. life.

Have you found your balance?

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