Walter Kempner, a physician and researcher, created the original rice diet while serving in the Duke University Department of Medicine in Durham, North Carolina. After observing that diseases such as diabetes and hypertension were rare in cultures where rice was a major part of the diet, Kempner used rice as the primary staple in a special diet for disease prevention and treatment. The rice diet requires progression through several stages, the first of which is known as the basic rice diet.
Background
Kempner named his diet the rice diet because patients ate a serving of white rice with every meal, although the diet formula included juices, fruit and vitamins. The rice diet focused on low sodium and consumption. Kempner expanded his research to include the rice diet's effect on high cholesterol and other diseases, such as kidney and cardiovascular disease. Kempner's original rice diet might appear in slightly altered forms, but reputable organizations and resources adhere to the principles that are based on Kempner's research.
Basic Rice Diet
The basic rice diet, or Phase I, is the detoxification and cleansing phase that restricts food choices to grains, vegetables, fruits and beans. The Rice Diet Program recommends participants remain on the basic rice diet for about two weeks, although the length of time in Phase I depends on individual needs. The food choices for a typical menu during Phase I might result in the daily consumption of 5 percent fat, 6 percent protein and less than 90 percent carbohydrates.
Other Phases
The length of time spent in the remaining phases of the rice diet depends on individual needs. Phase II of the rice diet allows more than 30 different food choices, which continues to limit food choices to grains, fresh fruits and vegetables and legumes, and could result in daily consumption of about 7 percent fat, 13 percent protein and 80 percent carbohydrates. The rice diet, as used by the Rice Diet Program, allows Phase III dieters to choose from fish and nonfat dairy products and prescribes a goal of 10 percent to 20 percent fat intake, 15 percent protein and 65 to 75 carbohydrates to prevent or reverse the targeted chronic diseases.
Fat, Sodium and Portions
The rice diet restricts sodium consumption to what is needed for normal body function, which is less than 500 mg daily, to prevent fluid retention and the diseases and conditions that are caused by high sodium intake. According to the Rice Diet Program, restriction of salt, which acts as an appetite stimulant, can reduce overeating. Although food choices are limited, the rice diet menu changes each day to provide variety.
Tips and Warnings
See your doctor before starting the rice diet. Because the basic rice diet phase, and the second phase, severely limits sodium, participants often complete the first two phases in inpatient programs to receive medical supervision. Duke University and other organizations offer the rice diet in medically supervised residential programs for rapid weight loss. Some organizations offer the diet as a supervised outpatient service. You can also find books that help you to follow the rice diet.
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