If you’re looking for ways to lose weight, you’ve probably heard of the wonders of detox diets. And while there are certainly some gems in that vein, perhaps one of the most promising diets that you might not have heard of is the rice diet.
What is the rice diet? It’s pretty simple — instead of eating your regular meals, you eat only what is called ‘rice’, which is a grain similar to pasta.
Eating rice on a consistent basis might not sound like a bad idea at first. After all, the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization recently estimated that there were 786 million tonnes of rice in stock as of 2018. That’s a significant amount of rice to consume if you’re hungry.
But the key to weight loss with rice lies not in what you eat, but in how you eat it. To achieve healthy and sustainable weight loss, you need to put into practice a few lifestyle changes that will improve your odds of making it happen.
Eat More Frequently
Pasta is mostly made from wheat, which is high in starch. This type of food is rapidly processed by your body, thus rapidly releasing energy. For this reason, it’s often dubbed an ‘energy-dense food’. Eating the same food, regularly or infrequently, can lead to weight gain.
To ensure that you do not gain weight, it’s essential that you eat more frequently but not too much at once. Experts state that you should aim to eat three meals per day, and perhaps have a healthy snack in between. While it would be ideal to eat a lot, frequent small meals might prevent you from gaining weight.
Do Not Go Below 20% Of Your Normal Diet
The ideal ratio of carbs to protein to fats is known as the ‘Paleo Diet’ — and for good reason. Carbs should make up around 20% of your diet, proteins around 15%, and fats around 65%. Most healthy, active people will eat closer to these proportions, but this is something that you need to strive for.
When you eat too few carbs, your body will begin to hoard them, resulting in you gaining weight. The same goes for too little protein or fats. So instead of depriving yourself of food, try to include more of what your body needs. If you follow this pattern, you will not only lose weight, you will also feel much healthier.
No Simple Supplements
While it’s great to see dietary supplements making waves in the health and fitness industry, these are not the answer for everyone. Just because a product claims to be ‘good for your skin’, ‘heart health’, or ‘weight loss’ does not necessarily make it so. Be careful about taking supplements if you’re already following a healthy diet and lifestyle.
Experts state that supplements can interact with certain medications or nutritional supplements that you’re already taking. This could potentially lead to severe, even life-threatening side effects. Unless a drug’s prescribing information specifically warns you against taking it with certain supplements, you should not take them together. The same goes for protein powders and supplements that contain creatine. While these are all great products that can help you achieve your goals, they are not indestructible and should be used with caution by those who are already eating a healthy diet.
Consume More Fruit And Vegetables
In addition to eating more frequently, you should also be certain to include more fruit and vegetables in your diet. These are both rich in fiber, which helps your body to feel fuller for longer and thus prevents overeating. Crucifers like tomatoes and cucumbers contain special substances known as ‘indoles’ which make these foods a natural anti-depressant. If you’re looking for a way to reduce depression and anxiety, eating more veggies and fruit could be a great way to go.
More Water
To stay hydrated, you need to drink at least eight glasses of water per day. This will assist your body in maintaining its proper mineral balance. Minerals are essential for good health, and when you don’t get them in sufficient amounts in your diet, they will be drawn from your bones. This leads to osteoporosis and other problems. To avoid this, drink up!
Take Your Time
If you want to lose weight, you should never be in a hurry to do so. Otherwise, you will most likely end up overeating or even gaining weight because of stress and anxiety brought on by wanting to change too quickly. Instead, change your attitude and take things one step at a time. If you do this and watch what you eat, you will most certainly lose weight. But it will be a steady and sustainable weight loss, rather than a crash diet followed by regurgitation and weight gain.
Many people believe that crash diets followed by rapid weight gain are the key to quick and easy weight loss. While there is certainly some truth to this, it’s certainly not the whole truth. You should not believe that this is the key to weight loss because if it was, then everyone would be able to shed their pounds easily. But as we know, this is not the case. It takes dedication and self-control to lose weight and keep it off.
Rather than focusing on what you should and shouldn’t eat, why not try and adopt a plant-based diet that is rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Not only will you lose weight, but you’ll also improve your health and wellbeing. Adopting a plant-based diet is also known to slow down the aging process and improve the appearance of skin. So not only will you lose weight, but you might also look and feel younger too!