Everything you need to know: White Rice and it's Benefits
White Rice. The most "controversial" form of rice known for it's bad nutritional value. If you are a beginner to weight training and looking to gain muscle, I'm sure the first thing your trainer or nutritionist has advised you is to give up White rice. They might be right because they don't know how to utilise the carbohydrates you get from the White rice for your benefit.
In some cases, I have seen coaches advising White rice but their client end up gaining fat instead of muscles. There is always a strategy when you are dealing with something so complex in nature and simple in carbs. Here are some tips and benefits of using White rice, but before we get there let us have a look at its nutritional value.
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| White Rice- Nutrition Facts |
- Looking to pack-on some muscles, try White Rice:
White rice can help you gain muscle faster, but only if you use it properly. The white rice consists of only simple carbohydrate which is the reason why people tend to avoid it, but if you have a strategy to utilise white rice, you can use them to gain muscle too!
If your goal is muscle building, you can take a small portion of White rice within 45 to 60 minutes post-workout and repeat this after one-hour. This will help you restore your degraded muscle glycogen level post-workout which means you'll be able to recover at a much faster rate after some intense activity.
The reason why I'm talking about the muscle glycogen level and not protein is because your muscles will only get bigger and visible when their glycogen levels are restored and that way you will be able to train harder the next day.
2. Power House of Energy and other Nutrients:
Because white rice is a source of simple carbohydrate, it is a good source of energy too. About 100 grams of cooked white rice can provide you with 130 calories, which is great if you are looking to gain weight and hit your daily calories intake. A good portion of white rice can help you provide energy to do intense activity for about two hours.
The nutrient which is responsible to pack-on muscle, i.e. Protein is also available in the white rice besides carbohydrate. Now you must be thinking that the amount of protein is just 2.7g, per 100g which is very much low. Let me tell you that the amino profile is also not perfect. Then why I am recommending it?
Well, the reason is simple. When the white rice is combined with other plant-based protein foods like pulses, it hits all the amino acids making it a complete source of protein. So, if you are a Vegan or a Vegetarian, try this to gain muscle.
3. Suffering from Kidney problem or Hypertension, White rice to your rescue:
If you are someone who is dealing with kidney problem or high-blood pressure, white rice can simply be your choice because it is known to be sodium-free. We know how medical professionals talk about cutting down your sodium intake if you are suffering from kidney issues and/or hypertension. Well, they won't say no to white rice as the amount of sodium content is negligible and it can help in maintaining your blood pressure.
But, this does not mean you have got the liberty to eat white rice with all your meals. When you are dealing with high-blood pressure, you need to make sure that you keep a check on your body weight. If you are someone who is not following an active lifestyle, then try and avoid white rice with all your meals as it will add some extra pounds very easily.
4. Want to hit your Micros, add White rice to your diet:
We all know how much the bodybuilders and fitness experts love macro-nutrients like Protein, Carbohydrate and Fat. They can tell you everything about them, but if ask them about the micro nutrients like vitamins, minerals, sodium, manganese, etc., most of them will go blank.
The truth is micro nutrients are equally important, if not more, as macro nutrients. If you want to hit your micros you can surely look for something like white rice, as it consists of some very important vitamins and minerals like folate, thiamine, iron, niacin and selenium. It is also a good source of calcium, magnesium, phosphorous and manganese as well.
So, if you are someone who wants to hit both micros and macros, then consider adding White rice to your diet.
5. Still consider Brown rice to be better, check on the Arsenic levels:
If you are still not convinced with the above arguments, then you must consider the arsenic levels present in the brown rice. Arsenic is one of the most toxic element in the world. There are two forms of Arsenic, i.e. the Organic and the Inorganic. The organic form of arsenic found in the plants and animal tissues, whereas the inorganic one is found in the rocks, making it more harmful.
Studies have proven that the brown rice consists upto 50 per cent more of inorganic arsenic which can be harmful for your health. The reason is the rice bran which is available on the brown rice, but removed in the processed one. This level of arsenic is enough to make you fall sick and can cause major health issues like cancer, heart disease and hypertension. It can act as a "slow-poison", if you are someone who is consuming brown rice on a regular basis.
I'm not saying that white rice is the most healthy option available out there. All I am saying is that white rice has it's own benefits like any other food item and must not be neglected. If you are someone who believes in "Carb-cycling", a state where you keep on fluctuating your carbohydrate levels everyday, then you can surely choose white rice on your High and Medium carbs day. This can be a game changer for you.
I hope you liked the post and you will consider this while designing your own diet plan. Remember, this is just my opinion on White rice based on some facts and you can have a different opinion. If you have any suggestions or if you disagree with something, please feel free to reach out to me at powerhousenutritionindia@gmail.com or ygupta603@gmail.com