Brown Rice: The New White
Rice Is Life
Rice Is Life
Rice is a predominant energy source in many parts of the world. It is more so in 17 Asian and Pacific countries. Rice is synonymous with food in many Asian countries and is consumed as many as three times a day for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Growing up in China, I can attest to the creative ways to incorporate rice into our daily meals.
There are over 40,000 varieties of rice in the world. Each region also has its own indigenous varietals. For example, in Asia, three types of rice are commonly consumed:
1. Indica: It is slender and longer in shape and fluffy in texture. Two great examples of indica rice are Indian basmati and Thai jasmine rice.
2. Japonica: Shorter grain and plumper in shape. When it's cooked, it's turned into sticky clumps and chewier in texture such as sushi rice.
3. Javanica: This is shorter in shape, sticky and glutinous in texture and opaque in color. It's often used in dessert such as coconut sticky rice with fresh mango.
Rice is generally classified based on its shape (long, medium and short grain), color (white, opaque, red, and purple) and how the rice is processed and polished.
Say Hello to the New White
Brown rice has been gaining popularity these days. It is known for its nutritious value, nuttier flavor and chewier texture.
Contrary to the misconception, it is not another rice color or type of rice. It is, in fact, a byproduct from a milling process. Rice processing entails three steps:
1. The first step is to remove the husk.
2. Germ and bran are removed in the second step.
3. The step is to polish and bleach.
Brown rice is produced through the first step. Its nutrients come from the germ and bran being intact. It's packed with fiber, vitamins and minerals.
White rice, on the other hand, has gone through further processing by removing the bran and germ. The white color and refined texture are achieved through a polishing and bleaching process. Much of the nutrients and fiber is stripped during the second and the third processes.
Why Is It a Superstar?
Let's turn our attention to brown rice and understand why it deserves to be a superstar.
High in Fiber and Low in Risk
Dietary fiber in brown rice is approximately 4.5 times more than that in white rice. The bran oil has been shown to reduce the bad cholesterol, also known as LDL. In the meantime, the diet high in fiber also increases the HDL cholesterol, the good cholesterol. Fiber also helps maintain a healthy body weight.
White rice, white breads and white pasta are now being blamed for weight gain as well as increased risk of insulin resistance. The insulin resistance is a precursor of type 2 diabetes. Eating brown rice and other whole grains high in fiber can protect against this and other diseases.
What Role Does Manganese Play?
Eating a cup of brown rice will provide you with 88% of the daily value of manganese. As a trace mineral, manganese has a big job to fulfill. It plays an important role in helping our body form connective tissue, bones, sex hormones and so on. It is also instrumental in metabolizing fat and carbohydrate, regulating blood sugar and calcium absorption.
Magnesium: A Hero in Energy Metabolism
Tripled the amount of magnesium in brown rice vs. white rice, magnesium is essential for more than 300 biochemical reactions in the body. For example, it is vital in keeping a healthy immune system, maintaining a normal nerve and muscle function, and regulating blood sugar levels. Magnesium is also known for energy metabolism and protein synthesis.
What Are the Excuses?
One question might pop up in many people's heads are: Why aren't we eating more unprocessed rice? You might have guessed it. Excuses!
1. We are creatures of habit. Take myself for example. I've been eating white rice all my life. I am intimately familiar with white rice such as how to cook it perfectly and how to pair it with other dishes. I know the aroma and texture. Switching to brown rice takes a very concerted effort. It's like a major paradigm shift.
2. Cooking brown rice is like dealing with a PMS woman. Nothing against women, I am one of them. It's very tricky to get the variables just right among rice, water, temperature and the cooking method.
3. Due to the bran oil, the shelf life is much shorter. It will get rancid very quickly if not stored properly.
4. It's more expensive.
Maybe it's time for us to forget about the lame excuses and focus on eating more brown rice. For every problem, there is a solution, right?
It's Doable
To start off, you may want to mix half white with half brown, then transition to 100% brown rice.
How to Prepare Brown Rice the Right Way
Learning to cook brown rice correctly will enable us to enjoy the nuttiness and the al dente texture. There are abundant rice cookers on the market that are designed to cook it flawlessly without any additional effort. One of the most recognized brands is Zojirushi. Made in Japan, most of the Zojirushi rice cookers have a menu setting for brown rice. If you can follow a few simple instructions, you can cook a perfect pot of brown rice.
How to Keep It Fresh
Buying a small quantity at a time and storing it in an airtight container in the refrigerator will help prolong the freshness for about 6 months. Instead of buying 50 pounds, maybe consider getting a small bag of 5 to 10 pounds.
You Are Worth It
Yes, it's a fact that the cost of brown rice is almost doubled compared to that of white rice. Are you worth it to have a healthier body and more energy?
Hopefully you are convinced that brown rice has earned its superstar status thanks to the many health benefits. Now it's time for you to make the switch.
by: Lily Wang
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