Food Focus: Brown Rice
Okay, I know… brown rice is quintessential hippy food. Lots of people still scoff at it, but it really is a fantastic food staple and should be embraced by all, hippies or not. When you say ‘rice’, most people think white, but lets work on changing that, ok? White rice is the stripped and processed remnants of brown rice, a mere shadow of it’s former self. Aside from being almost nutritionally void, white rice is pure carbohydrate, and breaks down in our systems quickly, elevating our blood sugars and giving us unsustainable, superficial energy. Brown rice provides four times the amount of insoluble fiber as white rice, and an impressive roster of vitamins and minerals such as concentrated B vitamins (which help nervous systems and mental depression), niacin, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, selenium, and even some vitamin E. This whole grain also contains a small amount of high-quality protein in the form of the amino acid lysine, which helps boost the body’s ability to fight viruses, especially those that cause cold sores.
Brown rice is a complex carbohydrate and therefore burns more slowly in the body, providing a steady stream of long lasting energy, while increasing the brain’s levels of serotonin, the chemical responsible for the feeling of well being… great for extended Greateful Dead concerts. Just kidding. Only hippies like the Greateful Dead. And I don’t know about you, but I’m no hippy. People who consistently eat brown rice report steady energy levels, and an overall feeling of calm and balance in their lives. Sound like any hippies you know? But really, calm and balance are things we are likely all seeking, so cast off your long harbored feelings of disdain for your patchouli doused, dreadlocked breathren, and cook yourself up some brown rice.
For brown rice, and whole grains in general, the majority of digestion occurs in the mouth through chewing and exposure to saliva. But seeing as you read the previous entry in this newsletter, you already knew that! In addition to brown rice, there are many great tasting whole grain rices you can try. Here are some of my favorites:
Wehani Rice
Black Rice
Wild Rice (technically a seed and not a grain, but still delish)
Bhutanese Rice
Jasmine
Basmati
Some of these are nutty, and others are sweet and fragrant. Experiment or mix & match, just don’t forget to chew.
Tags: food focus
