Tuesday, August 30, 2011

On Fiber, Getting Enough of it, and Why?

The longer you live on this earth, the more you dread seeing your doctor.

Just kidding!

The more you dread getting your blood work done, is more like it!

I don't want to be thin, and I'm not. I want to be HEALTHY! I want my numbers to reflect that.

If I just ate what I really wanted, it would be pasta with butter and cheese, or bread with butter. And croissants, or better yet - ensemada! Note that these are all things involving white flour. And add to them white rice!

Instead, most of the above are relegated to a single serving every couple of months. Except for the bread - I need to a slice or two at least once a week . With butter.

And think about it: white EVERYTHING is boring! I need to eat fresh tomatoes several times a week, orange fruit, and green herbs.

I asked a friend if she ate brown rice; she told me she does NOW. A doctor's visit after bloodwork convinced her to make the change. Her cholesterol level was 300+! The doctor wanted to put her on medication IMMEDIATELY. She told him to give her a year to change.

By eating more fiber, fruit and vegetables, and less of the things she loves - pasta, white bread, pastries - she brought her cholesterol level down 100 points. She now eats Gen-Ji-Mai, a polished brown rice, as well as quinoa - a seed with lots of protein - and other fiber and nutrient-rich foods.

If you think all brown rice tastes the same, try the brown rice sushi at Nijiya - heaven! So good - this is something I crave! They must use Gen-Ji-Mai or something similar. There is also a delicious Gen-Ji-Mai 12-grain rice mix, which I cook in a 1:1 ratio with long grain white rice. Still healthy and lots of fiber. Add some chicken base or a little salt for more flavor and leftovers used as a salad base taste better.

Having said all that, I ate WHITE rice and umeboshi - pickled plums - for dinner tonight. Comfort food!

Do you eat brown rice? If not, why not?

4 comments:

  1. Soos! You have a blog!! I love it. We don't eat anything BUT brown rice anymore. And my husband is a born and bred local boy from Kekaha, Kauai. Once we got used to the taste/texture, it's really good. The chewiness and flavor is much more satisfying than white rice, in my opinion! Lately we've been starting our days with a green smoothie and I have so much more energy. We use 1 banana plus whatever fruit we have on hand (leftover grapes, apples, papayas, pineapple, etc...) and 3 handfuls of spinach. Blend it all up and drink! It's an easy way to drink your fiber :)) xoxo

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  2. Mahalo for reading, Erika - I have TWO blogs! I am so happy to see YOU are blogging again. Your smoothie is a great idea - YAY, fiber!

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  3. We have now switched to brown rice. It took me a little while to like it as much as white rice but now I am hooked!

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  4. Change can be difficult, don't you think, Harshleen? My friend who brought her cholesterol down 100 pts - she and I are in the club who still love cookies, pastries, pasta and bread. Just not indulging in them as often, and eating more fruit and veggies.

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