Brown Rice: Weight Loss Food Extraordinaire

Yes, losing weight is hard work, but if you can eat foods that will keep you full longer, then it will be so much the easier. Brown rice is one of these foods. Why will eating brown rice help you lose weight? The answer lies in the high fiber content of this nutritious grain.

To understand the benefits of brown rice, let's take a look at how it's produced and how it differs from white rice. The production of brown rice removes only the hull, leaving a lot of the fiber and nutritious value intact. The bran, or the brown skin, is still intact on the rice grain. White rice, in comparison, is only the starchy middle of the rice grain, which has much less nutritive and fiber value. In fact, the process of polishing brown rice into white rice destroys 90 percent of the vitamin B6 and over half of the manganese, phosphorus, iron and other nutrients. It also removes all of the dietary fiber, which is what we are concerned with.

The fiber takes up volume in your stomach, keeping you full longer. To see the benefits of the brown rice fiber first hand, eat a large bowl of the pure brown rice accompanied with generous amounts of pure water. This food will keep you full surprisingly long based on the amount of it that you eat. In fact, a cup of cooked brown rice will provide 14 percent of the daily value for fiber! Not too many other foods can match that.

To complement your brown rice diet, eat lots of other high fiber, low fat foods-and lots of water. A high fiber diet requires the consumption of a lot of water. Some of my favorites are plain, boiled or steamed vegetables with your choice of seasonings. Seasoned pepper can add a calorie-less kick to otherwise bland vegetables, as can an assortment of herbs. Also eat as much fresh fruit as you desire.

Another thing that will complement your brown rice diet and keep you fuller longer is eating plenty of lean protein. This does not mean gorging yourself on bacon or any greasy meat. Rather, eat lots of tuna fish (packed in water, not oil) or super-lean chicken breasts or eggs. Plain boiled eggs with some soy sauce or salt is an idea.

Remember, the benefits of high fiber go beyond weight loss! For those worried about colon cancer risk, eating brown rice and other high fiber foods will help keep your colon healthy and polyp-free. The high fiber content increases bowel movement, reducing constipation, and decreasing the amount of time that dangerous cancer-causing agents are exposed to your colon cells.

So grab a pot and cook up some brown rice. Many people actually find the texture and sweet tinge tastier than white rice. And you'll know that you're getting your daily dose of vitamins and fiber with every bite. And losing weight at the same time without getting too hungry. Sounds like a good food to me.