white rice

Chances are you already know to avoid those high-carb, low-nutrition white foods like white potatoes, rice, and bread. A new report from Harvard released this week further confirms that regularly eating white rice is not a good idea. The study, published in the British Medical Journal, found that each serving of white rice you eat a day increases your risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 11 percent.

The researchers reviewed data from 352,000 participants, including major studies in Asian populations, where participants ate up to four servings of white rice a day (compared to only one or two servings a week in Western countries). The results of the review found that those who ate the most rice increased their risk of developing diabetes by one and a half times, and in general each 5.5-ounce serving of white rice they ate increased their risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 11 percent.

Numerous studies have already shown that white breads, pastas, and rice lead to a spike in blood sugar levels, which is a risk factor for developing type 2 diabetes. And since white rice is rapidly digested, you'll be more apt to be hungrier sooner (and therefore overeat) if your meal includes a big bowl of the grain. The new finding isn't a reason to avoid all your favorite white foods altogether, but a reminder that regularly choosing more nutritious foods like whole grain bread and pasta or brown rice helps not only keep you full but also reduces your risk of developing chronic disease. Ready to ditch the rice? Here are five grains you should be cooking with instead.

It's been about six years now that I haven't been able to eat gluten. Through trial and error, after finally cutting out bread, pastas, cakes, pizza, beer, and more, the tumultuous stomach tailspins stopped. Brown rice became my savior, since I was easily able to add it to many dishes and I was able to make the switch to brown rice pasta, brown rice bread, brown rice crackers, and more (and no, contrary to belief, it doesn't taste like cardboard!).

I like to have a glass half full outlook on life, so when I learned that my croissant-obsessed days were over, I got creative in the kitchen, real creative. And not only that, but what I learned is that staying away from white rice and its cohorts is actually much better for me healthwise! Compared to white rice, brown rice is light years ahead in terms of nutritional value. Did you know that if you eat just two servings of brown rice a week, you can reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, while eating white rice on a regular basis increases the chances of type 2 diabetes by 20 percent? Here's a little tip for all you sushi lovers: If a restaurant doesn't offer brown rice sushi, ask them if they can make your sushi without the rice. Tell them you're not a stickler if it falls apart and they'll usually oblige.

White rice is what's inside brown rice after the brown rice is polished down, removing the bran and the beneficial nutrients. Keep reading to see a white rice vs. brown rice comparison chart.

Confession: I am a white rice junkie. And no matter how hard I try, I just can't get into brown rice. But as most of us know, it's way better to eat whole grains over their refined counterparts. If you need further proof, a new study from Harvard says that eating just two servings of brown rice a week can reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, and that eating white rice on a regular basis increases the chances of type 2 diabetes by 20 percent.

Whole grains are better for you for the same reason that apple and potato peelings are — the vast majority of the nutrients are contained in the skin. When polishing brown rice down to white, the bran covering is lost, which along with other beneficial nutrients contains a lot of fiber. Now if you're like me and think that your veggie stir-fry just isn't the same with brown rice, or can't imagine tossing fresh broccoli rabe with whole grain pasta, do what I do and mix it up. At home I mix brown and white rice together in equal parts and store that in a jar. I've found that this is the perfect ratio for still enjoying the taste of white rice but getting the nutritional benefits of brown. And depending on the sauce, I'll do the same when cooking pasta. Since whole grain pasta usually needs to be cooked longer I toss it in a few minutes ahead of the regular pasta I use. For those of you who also have a hard time sticking to whole grains, what tricks do you use to get more of them into your diet?

Source: Flickr User Special*Dark

While I've watched his television shows countless times, before the South Beach Wine and Food Festival, I had never seen Emeril Lagasse live. I wasn't disappointed: his demonstration was packed and the energetic chef was absolutely fabulous! He made Brazilian fish stew and talked about the importance of tasting your food while cooking. He also recommends seasoning everything with salt and pepper, including the individual vegetables in a salad. Lagasse served the stew with plain white rice and spent a lot of time discussing this sometimes overlooked side dish. To see his technique for cooking the best pot of rice ever, read more