Since 1939, Rice House in Durham, North Carolina, has offered a live-in weight loss program based on the rice diet developed by Walter Kempner, a faculty member of Duke University's Department of Medicine. The Rice Diet integrates meals, medical supervision, exercise, workshops and classes, and stress management to combat hypertension, diabetes and obesity. Rice House strongly recommends the use of brown rice in the diet but does not restrict dieters to brown rice. Some brown rice cleanses follow aspects of the Rice Diet for home detox routines.
Daily Meals
The daily menu on the Rice Diet begins with Phase One, the basic introduction. Dieters who follow the plan at home are urged not to eat the Phase One menu for more than one day a week because it is a strict cleanse. At Rice House, dieters are under daily medical supervision and they may eat the simpler, basic menu longer. Phase One consists of two starches and two fruits for each meal, three meals a day. Phase Two expands the cleansing menu to a long term lacto-ovo vegetarian diet that is low sodium and low fat. Breakfast consists of a starch, like whole-grain cereal, low-fat dairy and one fruit. Lunch and dinner are three starches, typically brown rice is included, as well as three vegetables and one fruit. A serving of fish is included in Phase Two once a week.
Brown Rice
Processed white rice has lost most of its vitamins, minerals and fiber. According to the Harvard School of Public Health, white rice is associated with an increased risk for type 2 diabetes while brown rice lowers the risk for the disease. Temple University School of Medicine researchers are testing results that show brown rice can help to lower blood pressure and prevent hardening of the arteries. The Rice Diet recommends brown rice over white to help meet the program's fiber goals of at least 50 g of fiber a day.
On the Menu
The choices at Rice House are organic local foods, minimally processed and served with rice and rice dishes. The basic diet for Phase One is restricted to grains and fruits. Phase Two stretches the daily menu to encompass about 30 different food choices, beginning with grains and fresh fruits but adding fresh vegetables, beans and a moderate amount of fish. Phase Two meals might include dishes like banana breakfast muffins, vegetarian chili, butternut squash risotto, french onion or vegetable bisque soup, black bean burgers, pumpkin in scapece and salmon with mango coulis. The only coffees and teas allowed are decaf.
Health Benefits
The Rice Diet claims to lower cholesterol in 86 percent of live-in program participants and significantly decrease the need for insulin among diabetic patients and blood pressure medications, in some cases eliminating the need for medications entirely. The severely restricted sodium and fat result in low calorie intake, which can lead to significant weight loss and lowered risk for diseases like hypertension, diabetes, heart disease and other serious conditions. Detox diets based on brown rice, steamed vegetables, fruits and limited amounts of plant-derived oils are meant, in contrast, to provide a quick cleanse and weight loss without the supporting behavioral changes the Rice Diet offers. Before attempting either home-use of the Kempner Rice Diet or a short-term brown rice cleansing diet, check with your doctor to determine what is healthy for you and which eating plan will give you the greatest risk-free health benefits.
References
- The Rice Diet Program: What Is the Rice Diet?
- Every Diet: Rice Diet
- Harvard School of Public Health; Replacing White Rice with Brown Rice or Other Whole Grains May Reduce Diabetes Risk; June 2010
- Temple University School of Medicine; Temple Study Points to Cardiovascular Benefits of Brown Rice; Virginia Sheaffer; May 2010
- The Rice Diet Program: How We Can Help
- Just Cleansing: The Brown Rice Cleanse
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