Jonny Nutrition

I know what you’re thinking, “First potatoes, now rice?! Go Fu*k yourself Jonny-Nutrition!” I’ll do my best, but in the mean time, I have to tells you the truth!

Unfortunately, like potatoes, white rice is a pretty useless carbohydrate. First, we must consider that it is a refined version of brown rice. The process of milling removes the outer layer of the rice (known as the bran), and turns brown rice into “white rice”. The bran contains most of the vitamins, oils, and fiber from the grain, which is the main reason white rice absorbs faster (as there is less for the body to deal with), causing it to have a higher Glycemic-Index (GI) value than it’s brown counterpart. In most situations, a faster absorbing carbohydrate is NOT better, as foods that have a higher GI value are more likely to cause weight gain, diabetes, hypoglycemia, and a host of other conditions.

In the end, brown rice is much higher quality food than white rice, as it absorbs at a more efficient rate, provides more fiber for proper elimination, and helps keep our blood sugar more stable. Unfortunately, it takes about 3 times as long to cook as white rice (about 40-45 minutes), but keep in mind that you can precook a larger quantity to have on hand for a few days if time is an issue.

Better yet, another grain I recommend is Quinoa (pronounced “Keen-wah”). It has a lower GI value than brown rice, and provides more protein. In addition, it cooks in 12-15 minutes, much in the same fashion as white rice (1.5 to 2 parts water to 1 part grain). Just make sure to rinse the grain in a fine mesh strainer before cooking it as quinoa often has some powdery residue that you want off before you cook it. More information and recipes for quinoa can be found here :

http://www.quinoa.net/

Until next time, stay healthy, and stop telling me to go fu@k myself!