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In term of whole grains, Brown rice
is definitely the preferred choice because it's easily digested by our
body as compared to other grain products (eg: wheat) and some people are
allergic to wheat without knowing it (Gluten intolerant ) . As we all know
, there are two main types of rice , namely the brown rice and white rice
.The milling process that removes the bran layer of brown rice is what
making the shiny and beautiful white rice. Unfortunately , the removal of
such layer comes at a price , a nutritional loss that makes white
rice less desirable for true health seekers. The following chart shows the
nutritional difference between white rice and brown rice. As can be seen,
the difference in minerals, vitamin and fiber is obvious .
| |
Brown Rice (one
cup) |
White Rice (one
cup) |
|
Calories
|
232 |
223 |
|
Protein
|
4.88 g |
4.10 g |
|
Carbohydrate
|
49.7 g |
49.6 g |
|
Fat
|
1.17 g |
0.205 g |
|
Dietary Fiber
|
3.32 g |
0.74 g |
|
Thiamin (B1)
|
0.176 g |
0.223 g |
|
Riboflavin (B2)
|
0.039 mg
|
0.021 mg
|
|
Niacin (B3)
|
2.730 mg
|
2.050 mg
|
|
Vitamin B6
|
0.294 mg
|
0.103 mg
|
|
Folacin
|
10 mcg |
4.1 mcg |
|
Vitamin E
|
1.4 mg |
0.462 mg
|
|
Magnesium
|
72.2 mg |
22.6 mg
|
|
Phosphorus
|
142 mg |
57.4 mg |
|
Potassium
|
137 mg |
57.4 mg |
|
Selenium
|
26 mg |
19 mg |
|
Zinc
|
1.05 mg |
0.841 mg
|
Data obtained from
http://www.drlam.com/opinion/brown_rice_vs_white_rice.cfm
How do you cook brown rice ? I found that the
following site contains the step by step instruction on how you should
cook your brown rice .
http://quantumlab.net/howto/cook_brown_rice.html
-
Wash 2 cups of brown rice in
pressure cooker. Wash and rinse rice repeatedly until water drains out
clear.
-
After final rinse, add 4 cups of
drinking water to the pressure cooker and seal it closed.
-
Cook on high and set timer for
30 minutes.
-
At around 10-15 minutes, it will
begin to give off steam. Continue to let it cook.
-
At around the 28-30 minute mark,
begin to smell the steam. As soon as it begins to smell noticeably but
slightly burnt (but beyond roasted), turn off the flame. Adjust the time
depending on the size of your flame.
-
After the rice cooker cools so
that the safety valve goes down on its own, which may be up to another
20 minutes after turning off the flame, it may be served
For those who are trying to lose some pounds, Brown rice is
definitely the more superior choice because it contains more fibers,
vitamin and minerals than the white rice . For individuals with issue on
insulin resistance and Diabetes . White rice and other flour based
products should be avoided like a plague because there can cause
an upsurge of blood sugar level with their disproportionate ratio of
carbohydrates vs other nutrients .
Since brown rice retains some of the natural oil which may go
rancid in few months of usage ( esp opened storage ) . It may be wise to
use up the rice in couple of months . Rancid oil generates harmful free
radicals inb our blood stream that lead to cell aging in our body.
Please bare in mind that brown rice is still a carbohydrate rich
food though it's in complex form ( slower to convert to glucose in our
blood stream than the refined white rice ). Therefore, It should be
consumed in moderation to avoid insulin related diseases.
