RICE misconceptions - read on!

[Juicygirl]

Rice has time and time again been criticized for not having a nutritional value, but that is so untrue! It is actually beneficial to bodybuilders and has more to offer than you imagined, I'm sure. I found an article compliments of Muscle and fitness and I am going to share it with you as I found it to be quite interesting and full of information. I will also post a couple of rice based recipies in the days to come. I always test them before I post them to make sure I'm not giving you guys dog food....

Rice deserves the overused designation superfood, as it is low in calories, provides energy for your muscles, is easy to digest, provides key nutrients and fiber, and is cholesterol free, and is almost devoid of fat and sodium. Best of all, it costs pennies per serving.
Why, then, do so many otherwise fearless bodybuilders run the other way in desperation at the mere mention of rice? Sure, some top athletes gobble the stuff like popcorn, but many reject the grain out of mis-informed prejudice.
If it's high carb reputation didn't turn you off, the idea of cooking it might have. After all, even renowned chefs have a hard time doing much with it. Here's why you should no longer be afraid of the forbidden grain:

THE ENERGY FOOD
Many bodybuilders have heard that starch, a nutriendt in rice, is their enemy, making them fat or sabataging their chances of sucess. NOT TRUE!! Just as humans store carbs as glycogen and us use it for energy, plants may store their carbs or energy as starch. It's simply part of nature.
Rice is an excellent source of COMPLEX carbs, and carbs is the body's main energy source. During medium and high intesity activities, the body uses carbs to fule 60-100% of its exertion. For bouts of activity such as weight training, the body used carbs almost exclusively. Simply put, if you don't get enough carbs, you won't have the energy to train.
One-half cup of rice contains approximately 100 calories, less than 1 gram of fat, about 20g of carbs, and 2 grams of protein.

RICE AND THE GLYCEMIC INDEX

you may have heard that rice rates poorly on the glycemic index(GI), a scale that explains how fast the blood glucose rises and how quickly the body's responses return the blood glucose to normal after you eat a certain food. Differnt varieties of rice, however, run the gamut from low to hit GI.
Classified by their glycemic index, foods are said to be low, moderate or high. High GI foods are absorbed quickly by the gut and rapidly raise blood sugar levels, whereas low GI foods are absorbed slowly and have a moderate effect on raising blood sugar levels. Some of the low-fat or nonfat heavily processed foods (such as nonfat cookies and cakes) tend to have a high GI due to the addition of simple sugars when the fat is taken out. Minimally processed high-fiber foods with little fat (such as a slice of multigrain bread with peanut butter), on the other hand, tend to have a lower FI.
GI scores are useful for helping people choose varieties of the same type of food with a lower GI. Some people find it very easy to eat two bowls of rice or past but harder to eat 2-3 potatoes, so if weight control is an issue, it would be wise for the athlete to choose carbohydrate rich foods, which are relatively more filling. For rice, this means generally adding varieties such as brown or basmati rice.

i'm going to post the GI on each type of rice tomorrow. Hope this helped clear up the mis-conception of rice. I had the same doubts about the food until I read this article. Very informative, and maybe it can add some variety to your diets while training. I know it gets sickening eating broiled chicken breasts and tuna all the time... J

[Big Al]

Im cuban and im on the Atkins. In my house there is rice made everyday. Too bad I cant have it.

Nice Article Juicygirl.

[Riftwood]

Nice one juicygirl. Some of those recipe's of yours are very appetising friend. You get a thunmbs up from me mate .

And to all the other good bros on truemuscle, I got first dibs on some tasy meals hahahaha! lol.

[ September 20, 2001: Message edited by: Riftwood ]