Many women worry that eating rice can cause weight gain, so they almost dare not eat it. In fact, the latest nutritional research points out that the weight-loss effect of reducing staple foods is difficult to maintain in the long term. Moreover, a lack of carbohydrates can easily lead to insufficient energy in the nervous system, causing problems like memory decline, insomnia, and hypoglycemia.
How can you eat rice to maintain nutrition while keeping your figure? Nutritionists suggest that to reduce calorie intake, you can add foods rich in soluble fiber, such as oats and barley, to your rice. Soluble dietary fiber has a strong water-absorbing and swelling capacity; after absorbing water, it forms sols and gels, slowing down the rate of food emptying from the stomach.
In addition, you can also add foods rich in gelatin, such as kelp, wood ear mushrooms, seaweed, and konjac. The gelatin in plants has the effect of inhibiting fat absorption, nourishing and lubricating the intestines, and helping with bowel movements. Mixing rice rich in dietary fiber, such as black rice, brown rice, diced bamboo shoots, and bracken ferns, not only slows down the digestion of carbohydrates but also increases satiety. Rice made by mixing white rice with various beans like red beans and soybeans in a 1:1 ratio not only utilizes the complementary effect of proteins but also significantly increases satiety. Therefore, for the same portion of rice, adding different ingredients reduces the actual amount of rice consumed, thereby reducing calorie intake.
Experts remind us that rice with added ingredients is beneficial for both the body and skin, helping to prevent constipation, acne, hyperlipidemia, and cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. However, individuals with weak gastrointestinal function and patients with digestive tract diseases should control their intake of dietary fiber.