Carbohydrates are always a group of foods that can cause confusion when it comes to wanting to lose weight, but the truth is that they should be part of our diet because they provide us with a high amount of energy that will help us to be healthy and energetic for cope with our daily routine. If you want to lose weight, you do not have to stop eating products such as bread, rice, or pasta. But you do have to limit their consumption and take it in a specific way to make the most of its benefits and reduce caloric intake. In this article, we are going to reveal the question of whether rice is fattening so that you know how to include it in your daily menu.
Benefits of rice
Within the food pyramid, there are healthy products such as meat, fish, healthy fats, and also complex carbohydrates, that is, bread, pasta, rice, etc., which provide a large number of carbohydrates that will be used by our body as a source of energy. It is essential that your diet contains these products, even if you want to lose weight, think that it is the food group that will give you the most energy and vitality.
Thus, rice will provide us with a large amount of energy that we take in thanks to the fact that the carbohydrates it provides us are slowly absorbed, that is, our body can use them in a dosed way during the day to have the vitality we need. Simple carbohydrates (pastries, sweets, etc.) are quickly absorbed, so if they are not burned immediately, they end up accumulating in the body as saturated fat; however, rice, being slowly absorbed, provides us with carbohydrates throughout the day, thus preventing them from accumulating in the body.
In addition to this, rice is an easily digestible food that contains little fat. And it is rich in minerals such as phosphorus and potassium, as well as B vitamins. But to eat rice in the healthiest way possible, we recommend that you eat it whole grain, the refining process can lose numerous nutrients in addition to removing the shell of the grain, which is where a greater amount of fiber is concentrated.
Obviously, if your goal is to lose weight, you should not eat fried rice or with plenty of sauces or oil, against it. It is best to choose to cook it boiled or steamed and season it with a drizzle of virgin olive oil; a very healthy option is also to sauté it with vegetables such as artichokes, mushrooms, wild asparagus, etc. Very good and nutritious!
So, when asked if rice makes you fat, the answer is NO. You must include rice in your diet but in a healthy way. In its integral form, and accompanied by vegetables or cooked lightly.
Eat rice to lose weight
So if you are on a diet to lose weight and you are wondering if rice can be part of it, now you know that it is. But, as we have pointed out before, it is important that you take it integrally. Because when the refining processes pass. And it becomes common white rice, what is produced is a great loss of vitamins, fiber, and minerals; in fact, it is considered that approximately 50% of minerals are lost with refining, and 85% of vitamins.
In addition, the whole rice husk is rich in Sicilian, a perfect component for bones and to treat fractures, injuries, or osteoporosis; It is also in this part of the grain where the greatest amount of fiber is found. An essential nutrient to improve digestion, and intestinal transit and maintain a feeling of satiety for longer.
Next, we are going to tell you how to eat rice so as not to gain weight. As we have mentioned before, different factors must be taken into account. Thus, rice is not fattening if :
- Steamed or boiled
- It is seasoned with vegetables, spices, or aromatic herbs
- You accompany it with vegetables or low-fat proteins
- you eat it for lunch
And now we are going to introduce you to the other side of the coin. That is, the situations in which rice does make you fat :
- You accompany it with another carbohydrate (potato, pasta, etc.)
- You take it with tomato sauce, abundant oil, fried, etc.
- Eat it during dessert like rice pudding, for example
- You take a plate with a lot of quantity
- You eat it at dinnertime
We must emphasize that, although rice is a slow-absorbing carbohydrate. The truth is that the energy it provides us must be burned during that day. Otherwise, it will be stored in the body as fat. For this reason, it should never be taken in the afternoon. Or at night since the body prepares to rest and will not use that energy; At the end of the day, it is best to eat protein with vegetables to satisfy your appetite without the risk of gaining weight.
The rice diet
Rice is one of the food bases of cuisines such as Oriental or Latin American. And it is a product full of nutrients that gives us the energy we need for our body to function properly. Walter Kempner, a German doctor, is the creator of the rice diet. A dietary method that uses the benefits of rice to treat conditions such as diabetes or hypertension.
This method is designed to improve our health but also to keep our bodies in optimal condition. To stabilize our ideal weight and prevent us from recovering it.
The rules of the rice diet are as follows:
- No salt: salt is totally prohibited in this diet as it causes swelling of the body as a result of the union of sodium (salt) and water.
- Steam or boil rice: avoid greasy cooking methods such as sauces or frying. If you want the rice to have more flavor. You can add a stock cube to the water to make it taste tastier.
- Accompany rice with vegetables or low-fat proteins (lean meats, white fish, and egg whites).
- Drink 2 liters of water a day to improve the absorption of nutrients. Your intestinal transit, and the functioning of your metabolism.
- Take it at noon: as we have already pointed out, it is essential to take it during mealtime. Because at night we will not take advantage of its energy and it will accumulate in the body.
- Never as a main dish: to avoid going overboard with the portions. It is best to use it as a companion to other products (meat, fish, vegetables, etc.) and serve it on the same plate. Thus, it will give you a feeling of satiety and not you will overdo it
In addition to this, it is important that you do some physical exercise 4 or 5 times a week that will help you keep your body in perfect health.
