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Rice Method for Weight Loss: Benefits, Risks & How-to

Rice Method for Weight Loss: Benefits, Risks & How-to

In 1939, Walter Kempner, a physician at Duke University, introduced the “Rice Diet” to treat malignant hypertension (high blood pressure) and kidney failure. In the first experiment, 107 out of 192 patients significantly improved their blood pressure with a rice diet in combination with citrate-containing fruit juices.

In 1975, Walter Kempner and other researchers experimented on 106 patients to treat massive obesity. They used a rice/reduction diet in combination with exercise and motivational enhancement under their daily supervision. After the experiment, the average weight loss was 63.9 kg, while each patient lost at least 45 kg.

The diet regained its popularity after Kitty Gurkin Rosati published her book “The Rice Diet Solution” in 2006. Read this article to learn about the rice method diet to achieve your weight loss goal successfully.

Does Rice Method for Weight Loss Work?

The rice diet or method contains a lot of carbohydrates but is lower in fats and protein content. Which causes a caloric deficit in the body that directly results in weight loss.


According to the book “The Rice Diet Solution”, the Rice Diet focuses on limiting foods high in sodium to lessen the salt. This helps you shed excessive water weight by debloating your body. Also, this diet limits the foods and dairy products containing saturated fats.

Instead, this rice weight loss diet focuses on consuming foods high in fiber to make you feel full. It also includes carbs like fruits, vegetables, beans, and grains to maintain the nutritional content in the body.

Also, the diet highly focuses on portion size to limit the calorie intake per day. In the start, it is recommended to consume lower calories and then gradually increase to 1200-1500 calories a day without any exercise.

To control these calorie intakes, the book suggests three phases of diet. Each phase consists of different diet versions for a balanced approach to weight loss. These diet versions are:

  • Basic Rice Diet: It includes only starches and fruits.
  • Lactovegetarian Diet: It includes starches, fruits, vegetables, and nonfat dairy items.
  • Vegetarian-plus Diet: It includes starches, fruits, vegetables, and lean protein.

The Three Phases of The Rice Method Diet

Detox Phase

The first phase of the rice method for weight loss highly focuses on cleansing the body by lowering sodium (salt), toxins, fats, and water weight.

Following this phase, the person is permitted to follow a basic rice diet for one day per week. In the remaining 6 days of the week, you can follow the lactovegetarian diet.

Note: Meat and saturated fat-containing foods are prohibited in all phases.

Weekly Schedule for Phase 1:

Day 1: Only starches and fruits are allowed in each meal.
Day 2-7: Each meal can include starches, fruits, vegetables, and nonfat dairy products.

Weight Loss Phase

This phase is primarily designed to get rid of excessive weight. The length of this phase depends on the individual targeted weight loss goal. Throughout this phase, you can follow all three versions of diets every week. Mean you can eat starches, fruits, vegetables, nonfat dairy products, and lean protein. 

Below is the weekly schedule for Phase 2 of the rice method for weight loss:

Day 1: You can go with a basic rice diet that includes on starches and fruits for every meal.

Day 2-6: For 5 days of the week you can plan to include starched, vegetables, and nonfat dairy products in every meal.

Day 7: On the last day of the week you can eat starches, vegetables, fruits, and plant-based lean protein by following a vegetarian-plus diet.

You must follow phase 2 of the rice method diet until you reach a desirable weight loss.

Maintenance Phase

The final phase of the rice method weight loss will help you to maintain the new weight, achieved by following the previous phase. In this phase, you can add 200 more calories to your rice method diet by including healthy fats like nuts, avocados, and dairy products.

Following the final phase, you will be restricted to a basic rice diet for the first day, a lactovegetarian diet for the next four days, and a vegetarian-plus diet for the remaining two days of the week.

Week Schedule for Phase 3:

Day 1: You can consume starches and fruits in each meal of the day.

Day 2-5: You can include starches, fruits, vegetables, and non-fat dairy foods to plan your meal.

Day 6,7: Follow a vegetarian diet for the remaining 2 days that includes starches, fruits, vegetables, and plant-based lean protein.

Brown Rice vs. White Rice: Which Is Better?

It’s very common in people to ask which rice is better to eat during a rice diet. Well, white rice is suggest for eating during rice method for weight loss, because they are low in potassium.

On other hands, brown rice is unprocessed and is a whole grain containing more fibers and nutrients.

You can go with any type of rice but make sure to avoid any added fat and salt.

The white rice was used because it was easily accessible in market these days. But nowadays, brown rice is also easily available in the market or can be purchased online.

Rice Weight Loss Diet Benefits

The rice diet is mainly used for weight loss nowadays as it works well in it. But it also makes other beneficial changes in you and your body. Some of these positive results include:

  • It helps you understand to control the portion size for mindful eating.
  • It makes you love eating vegetables with its flavorful rice recipes with vegetables.
  • It can better the health of heart patients as it is lower in fats and salt.
  • Cooled cooked rice contains resistance starch, a carbohydrate that slower digestion to prevent hunger.
  • You don’t have to limit the carbohydrate intake for weight loss by following this diet., The rice diet limits fats, salt, and protein instead of carbohydrates that our body requires to perform certain important functions.
  • The diet not only helps in weight loss but also proves a placed approach to manage the new weight by following phase 3.

Possible Risks of Following Rice Diet

All three phases of the rice method of weight loss are highly restricted to consuming whole food groups, especially meat. The insufficient intake of protein and fats way cause the following negative outcomes:

  • Loss of Muscles: Lowering the protein intake may cause loss of muscle mass in some people.
  • Nutritional Deficiency: Restricted foods like meat, fish, and eggs are also rich in many other nutrients instead of protein. These nutrients are difficult to get in sufficient amounts from vegetables, starches, and fruits.
  • Low energy: Calories are essential for the body as a source of energy. All phases of the rice diet are restricted to some amount of calorie intake may result in feeling less energetic throughout the day.
  • Lower in essential fatty acids (EFAs): Healthy fats are good sources of essential fatty acids (EFAs), e.g. fishes are rich in omega-3 fatty acids that have numerous health benefits.

Best Cooking Recipes: Rice Hack For Weight Loss

Exotic Rice Hack

There are many different types of rice available to replace white rice that contain more fiber and nutrients. These rice include brown rice, black rice, red rice, and wild rice which can be more beneficial in the weight loss journey.

The exotic rice hack also has a lower glycemic index (GI) than white rice. Low glycemic index carbohydrates promote the feeling of fullness and can be helpful to control blood sugar levels. Exotic rice can also help improve metabolism which is essential for burning calories more efficiently.

Cooking Recipe:

  1. Take any type of exotic rice you want, and rinse it through cold water to remove extra starch.
  2. Boil the water (for 1 cup of rice take 2 cups of water) by avoiding or adding a little amount of salt for flavor.
  3. Add the rice in boiled water, cover the pot and set the heat to low.
  4. Simmer the rice until the water is fully soaked by rice.
  5. Fluff the rice with a fork for a beautiful airy texture.
  6. Serve with steamed vegetables like cauliflower for weight loss.

Parboiled Rice Recipe

Parboiled rice is processed rice to enhance its nutritional content than regular rice. The process involve the partial cooking of the rice in its husk by following three steps soaking, steaming, and drying. After passing through the process the rice is milled and we get slightly yellowish colored Parboiled rice. These rice are rich in vitamins and minerals than simple white rice.

Cooking Recipe:

  1. Take a desired amount of Parboiled Rice and rinse under cold water to remove extra starch and any dirt.
  2. Boil twice as much water as rice, and avoid or add a pinch of salt, as sodium can lead to weight gain.
  3. Add parboiled rice in boiled water, set the heat to low, and cover the pot.
  4. Simmer the rice for 15-20 min or until the rice absorbed the whole water.
  5. Use a fork to fluff the rice and serve it with steamed vegetables or plant-based lean protein.

Low Starch Rice Hack

This hack can be incorporated into the rice method to lose weight by removing maximum starch from the rice. You can choose any type of rice for this simple rice hack to reduce their caloric content.

Cooking Recipe:

  1. Rinse the rice through cold water to remove extra starch and any remaining dirt.
  2. Boil 5 times more water in amount than rice (for 1 cup of rice boil 5-6 cups of water).
  3. When the water starts to boil pour rice in it and cook for 15 min uncover so that some starch dissolves in the water.
  4. Use a fine-mesh strainer to strain the rice. To remove more starch you can additional rinse the rice from clean hot water.
  5. Use a fork finely for the fluffier and airy texture of the rice and enjoy them with desirable cooked vegetables or lean protein.

Sources:

https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/hypertensionaha.114.03946

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1200726

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/rice-diet

https://healthera.co.uk/conditions/obesity/what-is-the-rice-method-for-weight-loss

https://merosmedia.com/what-is-the-rice-method-for-weight-loss/

https://www.healthline.com/health/rice-diet-effectiveness-and-recipes

contributor
Nikki Sam is a dedicated health and fitness writer with a special focus on nutrition. With years of experience in crafting well-researched content, Nikki Sam aims to empower readers with practical tips for achieving a balanced and healthy lifestyle. Passionate about fitness and wellness, Nikki Sam stays updated on the latest trends to provide valuable insights.

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