by Maya Vokes-Didier

Created on: March 05, 2009   Last Updated: January 30, 2011

I'm aware of the good press that brown rice has got over the years. The nutritional advantage it has over its white counterpart, and all the other arguments favoring it over white rice. I even read about how switching to brown rice helps against global warming! For me, that is taking it too far when making a choice for something as personal as weight loss.

I wish to share my experience with how I experimented with both varieties of rice when I made it a part of my weight-loss diet regime last summer. I was aware that rice (whether brown or white) contains more calories than most other grain products. Yet, I was too fond of the fragrant stuff to give it up even for a short period of time. So, when it was time to shed my excess baggage - a total of 6 kgs (13 pounds) - I decided to switch to brown rice because of all the praise I had read about it in the media. It was the first time that I was trying it out and I believed that it will contribute in its own humble way towards my weight loss.

How I incorporated it

Obviously, switching to brown rice was not the only change I adopted in my lifestyle over the ensuing few weeks. I increased my protein intake, worked out regularly at the gym, drank plenty of water, consumed antioxidant fruits and drinks, and boosted the fibre in my diet by including raw fruit and vegetable with a generous sprinkling of wheatgerm. In short, I did all the right things that I knew would help, while consuming brown rice in moderation (a bowl a day) during mealtime. Since I was on a calorie-reduction program, I counted the calories in every morsel that passed my lips. And like every dieter who is eager to see quick results, I went on the bathroom scales every single day!

The downside of brown rice and how I coped

Since I had never tried brown rice prior to that experiment, I was totally unprepared for the following.

1. It took ages to cook. I began soaking it in water long before I was ready to cook it. Invariably on busy days, I forgot to soak so I went without rice on those days. Soon, I learnt the art of pressure cooking it in a few easy steps.
2. The time was summer, and I found that the brown rice will not stay long and often turned rancid very soon. I began putting away unfinished or precooked portions in the refrigerator. It made sense to precook and store like that, as I was the only one in the family consuming brown rice, and all I needed was a bowl of it everyday.
3. I suffered from flatulence and abdominal cramping for the first three

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