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Does
Eating Rice Make You Fat?
Rice
is one of the primary staple foods for many people around the
world. People notably in asian countries consume rice on a daily
basis. As obesity is soaring across the globe and nutrition is
becoming a notable concern, some people are asking themselves
does eating rice make you fat? Well let the truth be told and
let's cut to the chase. You don't get fat automatically by eating
a specific food. Usually it's eating too much of something which
is the culprit for overweight and obesity issues. You should avoid
large portions and eat in moderation per meal. Rice is no different.
If you control your portion sizes, your body will be able to assimilate
and manage the calories more efficiently making you less prone
for adipose tissue which is the storage place for fatty deposits.
Don't overeat. To be able to achieve that, when you eat, always
eat about 3/4 of your capacity and not 100% full.
Rice
is basically carbs and they provide energy for your daily activities
since they are converted to glucose in your bloodstream which
is then shuttled to your glycogen stores(energy storage cells).
Glucose is blood sugar. If you eat quite a lot of rice in a
single meal and your body can't process all the glucose for
energy, the excess will get stored as fat. Eating excess calories
make you fat and it's the same for any other type of food like
bread, pasta etc... apart rice.
There
are different types of rice like white rice and brown rice.
White rice is usually more popular due to its taste. White rice
has normally higher Glycemic Index(GI), hence the terms "simple
carbs" are coined for them. High GI simply means the carbs
are fast-digesting and are converted to glucose quicker for
energy. White rice is predominantly popular for exercise enthusiasts
post-workout when your body needs instant energy at this critical
point in time. Hence, white rice provides a rapid release of
energy for depleted glycogen stores to recharge your energy
cells. So to completely omit white rice from your diet plan
is not necessarily a good idea, well depending on your goals.
But
the major problem with white rice is it's not very filling and
you tend to overeat to feel satiated and this can lead to overweight
issues with time. It's not uncommon to see people eating 2-3
big dishes of white rice. So if you want to lose weight quickly,
it's better that you avoid or limit simple carbs and stick with
complex carbs and whole grains.
For
people with health issues like diabetes who are insulin-sensitive,
white rice should preferably be avoided as it disturbs the hormone
insulin which regulates the amount of glucose in your blood.
Consequently, this results in a spike of your blood sugar levels
and this can worsen an existing diabetes condition or making
non-diabetic people more prone to contracting diabetes.
On
the other hand, brown rice is "complex carbs" with
a lower GI value and are preferred for health reasons as they
are slow-digesting, more filling, don't raise glucose levels
fast and are more nutrient-dense with high dietary fiber, magnesium,
potassium, zinc, iron and vitamins like Thiamine, Riboflavin,
Niacin, Pantothenic acid, B6. In addition, it's better for people
with weight loss diets and also for people with Type 2 diabetes.
Also, you lessen the risk of contracting diabetes. Bodybuilders
are also fond of eating brown rice usually accompanied with
lean steak or skinless chicken breast and some vegetables like
broccoli or asparagus.
Getting
fat by eating rice whether white or brown has also to do with
the condiments you add to your rice. If you usually eat fried
rice which has a bit too much oil, of course the calories will
add up because oil has fats and fats have more calories than
carbs. Limit the oil intake. Your best bet is eating moderate
portions of steamed white/brown rice along with some veggies
and protein with a drizzle of olive oil. This is healthier and
better for weight loss.
Next
time you ask yourself "does eating rice make you fat?",
refer back to this article and remove your doubts.
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