Which rice is healthier ?

Which Rice is Healthier? There are an increasing number of different types of rice to choose from these days at the supermarkets long-grain, short-grain, white, brown, basmati, instant, wild, it can be a mind field to know which one to choose.

Brown rice still has the whole grain intact, this meaning that both the germ and the bran parts of the grain have been preserved. In contrast these are removed in white rice. When the germ and bran are removed rice is quicker to cook and flutter and lighter in taste.

As you would expect brown rice is higher in vitamins and minerals when compared to white rice. It also has more fiber. Fiber has many benefits, one of the benefits is that it slow down the speed at which carbohydrates are converted into blood sugar, fiber lowers the “glycemic load” of a food.  Fiber also helps sends your brain the signal that you're full. But if the fiber is taken out (as is the case with refined carbohydrates  such as white rice, this results in a fast-rise in blood sugar which triggers your pancreas to release a flood of insulin, the hormone that not only lowers blood sugar but also signals your body to store fat. A study from Penn State University compared how much belly fat people lost when they ate whole grains instead of refined grains, and the results were significant: The whole-grain eaters lost 2.4 times more fat!

Another study published looked at the importance of choosing whole grains such as brown rice rather than refined grain, i.e., white rice, to maintain a healthy body weight. In this study the Harvard Medical School / Brigham and Women's Hospital study, collected data on over 74,000 female nurses aged 38-63 years over a 12 year period, weight gain was inversely associated with the intake of high-fiber, whole-grain foods but positively related to the intake of refined-grain foods. Not only did women who consumed more whole grains consistently weigh less than those who ate less of these fiber-rich foods, but those consuming the most dietary fiber from whole grains were 49% less likely to gain weight compared to those eating foods made from refined grains.

There is however an exception to the rule and this is basmati rice, because this has the lowest glycaemic load, this is because of its higher amylose content.  Amylose is a type of carbohydrate that is more resistant to digestion, thus giving it a lower glycemic index. So over all brown rice is the more nutrient rich rice to go for however white basmali rice is better than long grain America rice.

Anderson JW, Hanna TJ, Peng X, Kryscio RJ. Whole grain foods and heart disease risk. J Am Coll Nutr 2000 Jun;19(3 Suppl):291S-9S. 2000. PMID:17670.

Osteoarthritis and diet

Q. I have been diagnosed with Osteoarthritis but want to go along the natural route and have been told that diet can help a lot with this condition. What foods should I be eating?

Osteoarthritis is a condition that affects the joints. It is the most common type of arthritis in the UK. The symptoms of osteoarthritis vary greatly from person to person, and between different affected joints.

The NHS state that there are three key characteristics of osteoarthritis these are:

1. Mild inflammation of the tissues in and around the joints

2. Damage to cartilage, the strong, smooth surface that lines the bones and allows joints to move easily and without friction

3. Bony growths that develop around the edge of the joints.

Arthritis means inflammation (itis) of a joint (arthron). There is no ‘cure’ for osteoarthritis, but the symptoms could be eased. The core of a nutritional based approach is based on the theory that osteoarthritis could be a result of underlying biological systems being out of sync. These underlying biological processes are dependant on nutrients, when we get the right nutrients in the body it could be possible to reduce inflammation and even reduce pain.

One of the single most important factors is keeping blood sugar levels even. This is of the utter most importance as one of the main causes of inflammation and damage to the joints is glycation, this is damage caused by sugar. Gylcation is inflammation that is caused by sugar imbalances. This could be why there is a strong link between diabetes and arthritis, and diabetics often have more severe arthritis than non diabetic sufferers (1). Balance blood sugar levels by eating regularly, swapping processed food for natural foods, and eating protein with carbohydrates.

Example of this are

Unsalted nuts with whole fresh fruit.

Wholemeal bread and poached eggs with tomatoes and mushrooms

Salmon and rice served with fresh steamed greens

Almond nut butter on oat cakes

Herbs and spices are also another important ingredient, not only for adding flavours to dishes but research has highlighted that they could also be very effective at reducing pain caused by inflammation. The most interesting being:-

Curcumin found in turmeric, Quercetin found in tea, red onions and apples, ginger, Bromelain found in pineapples, and hydroxytyrosol found in olives. These work within the body in a similar way as the most popular anti-inflammatory drugs NSAIDs, they block COX-1 and COX-2  which produce thromboxane and prostacyclin which cause pain and inflammation.

Make sure that you increase your consumption of these foods and include them in your daily diet.

There is mounting research that conclusively shows that fish oil supplementation can help reduce the inflammation of arthritis. Fish oil is high in Omega 3, eating two servings of oily fish such as salmon, mackerel, herring or fresh tuna is advisable.

Before supplementing your diet, even with over the counter nutrients always check with a qualified professional. As many nutrients do similar jobs to medication for example both aspirin and fish oil both thin the blood, the same is true for medication such as warfarin. So it is always best to check that the supplements you want to take are compatible with any medication or existing condition that you may have.

If you require any further information why not book a one to one consultation and get your own personalised diet.

1 L.Sokoloff ‘Endemic forms of osteoarthritis’ Clinics in Rheumatic disease vol 11 1985

2 R.J Goldberg ‘A meta-analysis of the analgestic effects of omega 3, polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation for inflammatory joint pain’ Pain vol 129 2007

Alcohol and pregnancy

Is it safe to have a few alcoholic drinks when im pregnant?The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) advises that women who are pregnant should avoid alcohol especially in the first three months because of the increased risk of miscarriage. The Department of Health recommends that you avoid drinking alcohol altogether if you’re pregnant. This is because if you drink when you are pregnant the alcohol passes to your unborn baby through your placenta. In the developing immature body of your baby alcohol is broken down much slower than in an adult's body. As a result, the alcohol level of the baby's blood can be higher and remain elevated longer than the level in the mother's blood. This could cause the baby to suffer lifelong damage. No level of alcohol use during pregnancy has been proven safe. So it would be wise to avoid alcohol whilst pregnant to ensure you and your unborn baby is in the best possible health.

supplements and diet

I’m eating a healthy diet do I need to take any vitamins? I believe that a good, varied diet is of paramount importance. I do not believe that you cannot replace food with vitamin and mineral supplements, or with meal replacement drinks and be healthy. However, sadly our food is not what it used to be. With nutrient depletion in the soil due to intensive farming, and long-distance shipping and storage of fruits and vegetables, levels of nutrients in our food has been steadily declining over the last fifty years. Additionally, refined foods, such as white flour, pasta, bread and rice have had up to 90% of the minerals stripped from them during this refining process.

For these reasons, I think that a good all round multi-vitamin and mineral is a good 'supplement' to your diet. It will help to make up for those minor dietary indiscretions that are inevitable through life and will boost their intake of the nutrients that are vital wellbeing.

Boost your libido through diet

I’m a 32 year old female is there any way that food can help boost my libido? At night all I want to do is go to sleep!! Your libido is driven by your hormones, and a disruption in these can affect your sex drive. The most important hormone for libido for both sexes is testosterone; nutritionally speaking this is dependent on the production of zinc and vitamin B6. To boost levels of zinc eating shellfish, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds as well as pine nuts, lentils and poultry. Vitamin B6 can be found in bananas, tuna, avocadoes and chickpeas. If you’re tired, stressed, unhappy, overweight or just generally unhappy about your body this can make it hard to feel desirable. Eating a healthy diet of whole unprocessed natural foods with a wide range of fruit, vegetables, fish, meat, nuts and seeds can help boost your energy and mood. Our perception of ourselves is also affected by what we eat, do you feel better after you have eat a bowl of homemade stew and crusty wholemeal bread or a fast food take away?

If after making all these changes you still don’t feel better, it could be worth getting your hormone levels checked out at your GPs.