Ultimate Guide of The Rice Diet

The rice diet is one of the many diet plans created to help people fight obesity and start a healthy living.

Studies revealed that a large percentage of the adult population throughout the world are obese (1). Lack of physical activity and improper diet is the culprit of this health condition.

This diet plan claims to improve poor lifestyle and control unhealthy weight gain. If you’re struggling looking for the best way to lose weight, then you must study and try the Rice diet plan.

What is Rice Diet Plan?

The main concept of the Rice diet plan is to reduce intake of calories, fat, sugar and salt. It is based from clinical experimentation in which diabetes and hypertension patients were given rice diet.

The Rice Diet was first developed by Walter Kempner, a medical researcher. It has been used to treat not only obesity but also diabetes, hypertension and heart disease.

This diet plan aims for taking the maximum of 1200 calories each day. But, this is a low level of calorie that’s why you must consult first your doctor prior of starting it.

Rice Diet Menus

The Rice Diet is an aggressive and restrictive weight loss plan and also aims for healthy living. Processed foods and those that have higher content of fat, salt and sugar are strictly prohibited.

Aside from calorie, it also limits protein intake. Hence, you should know the foods that you should consume including the following:

• Low sodium beans
• Fat-free dairy products
• Brown rice or quinoa rice
• Selected fruits and greens
• Lean proteins

The diet menu is categorized into three phases, each with individual goal to prepare your body for the next phase. Every phase has a particular purpose.

Phase 1

The first stage is also called as pseudo detox phase that helps an individual in transition from normal diet to a restricted diet. It typically lasts for 2 weeks and allows 800-1,000 calorie intake for a day.

• On the first day, you are required to integrate two approved fruits and starches for all three meals.
• For the remaining days, you’ll follow the Lacto Vegetarian Rice Diet. This involves one serving of fruit, starch and non-fat dairy every breakfast. On the other hand, three servings of vegetables and starches and one serving of fruit every meal during lunch and dinner.

Phase 2

This phase is focused to weight loss. The duration of the second stage depends on the weight goals of the dieter. If you want to lose more weight, then you need to extend the second phase.

• During day one, you’ll follow the Basic Rice diet. The following five days, you need to follow the Lacto Vegetarian Diet.
• The diet has individual menu for every meal. For breakfast, you can eat one fruit and two servings of starch. During lunch, you can take three servings each of vegetables and starches and one fruit. For dinner, three servings of vegetables and starches and one fruit. You can also choose either two servings of non-fat dairy or three servings of lean protein.

Phase 3

This is the final stage of the Rice Diet plan in which it requires the dieter to add about 200 calories every week. The weekly diet plan would be:

• On the first day, you need to follow the Basic Rice Diet.
• For the next four days of the third phase, the dieter should follow the Lacto Vegetarian Rice Diet.
• The remaining two days will be completed by following the Vegetarian Plus Rice Diet.

The Rice Diet lacks vitamins, minerals, calories and protein, making it more effective for weight loss. The creators of this diet have updated the plan by integrating calcium supplements and multi-vitamins. But, this is a low-calorie diet that’s why it is important to seek for medical advice prior of starting the diet.

Rice Diet Recipes

Aside from knowing the menu plan for three phases of the Rice Diet, it’s also important for a dieter to know the Rice diet recipes that you can do on your own.

Obviously, the main ingredient is the brown rice or quinoa rice along with the other food items recommended by the creators of the Rice Diet. To help you cook your own rice recipe, try to consider these:

Savory Rice

Ingredients

• 1 cup brown rice, cooked
• 4 tbsp. onions, chopped
• 2 tbsp. parsley, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 tsp. paprika
• ½ tsp. savory, dried
• 1 chicken boullion cube

Preparation:

Heat garlic, onion and rice for a few minutes under low heat. Stir in the rest of the ingredients and steam for several minutes.

Chicken Pilaf

Ingredients:

• 2 cups rice, cooked
• ½ cup fresh tomatoes
• ½ cup chicken, cooked and diced
• Chicken stock
• Cayenne

Preparations

Combine the rice, chicken and tomatoes and add stock enough to moisten the ingredients. Cook them for five minutes and use cayenne for seasoning.

Fried Rice

Ingredients

• 4 cups brown rice, cooked
• ¼ cup onions, chopped
• ¼ cup ham, diced
• ¼ cup mushroom, cooked and chopped
• 1 ½ tbsp. vegetable oil

Preparation:

Saute’ the brown rice in vegetable oil for few minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and continue cooking until the fried rice is well done.

As you notice, the rice recipes are very easy to prepare not to mention the availability of the ingredients. Those recipes have the right proportion of fats, carbohydrates and protein.

Likewise, the potassium and sodium content are well-balanced. Most of the ingredients are fiber and vitamin-rich that’s why you can ensure that your body can benefit the nutrients needed.

Rice Diet Results

Just like any other diet plans, the Rice Diet claims to be effective in losing weight. Rice is high in fiber that offers many health benefits such as reducing the risk of heart disease and blood cholesterol. It can also improve regular bowel function and other intestinal issues.

Following the Rice diet can help you lose weight as it curbs food cravings. It’s because rice will make you feel satiated for longer time.

This diet plan can provide good short-term effects for some people. But, since it limits calorie and protein intake, most people may not able to sustain it for long time.

The Rice Diet results vary from one person to another. Men can lose more pounds than women during the first month of following the plan.

Another possible result is that it can detoxify your body making it free from toxins. Likewise, it also makes your skin glowing and healthy.

If you want to achieve the best possible results, it is recommended to integrate exercise while taking the Rice Diet plan. You must also abide with the rules and food choices.