I Want My Brown Rice

Asians love rice! As you can probably imagine, China consumes the most rice per year. But lo, and behold! The Philippines is not far behind. Even being a teeny-weeny country, it was number 8 in the world from statistics I found for 2003-2004, after China, India, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Thailand, and Burma. Everyone I know here eats and loves rice--white rice that is. Now, white rice is long and white and pretty and yummy, but did you know that it is much, much inferior to brown rice?

Brown rice is unmilled or partly milled rice, and can be considered as somewhat whole grain. This is a type of rice where only the outer covering of the grain--the husk--is removed. Rice becomes "white" when layers of the rice kernel, not only the husk, but also the bran and endosperm, are removed. During this process, a number of vitamins and minerals are lost. It has been found out that the milling process that turns brown rice into white destroys 67% of the vitamin B3, 80% of the vitamin B1, 90% of the vitamin B6, half of the manganese, half of the phosphorus, 60% of the iron, and all of the dietary fiber and essential fatty acids. Isn't that a lot you are missing out? Brown rice is also rich in fiber and selenium. We already know how good fiber is for us. It helps us maintain a healthy digestive system, is  supposed to help keep weight in check, and can help prevent colon cancer by reducing the amount of time cancer-causing substances spend in contact with colon cells. Based on what I have read, selenium is a very important mineral that helps in various body functions, and aids in the prevention of not only certain types cancer, but also of heart disease, and for decreasing the symptoms of asthma and the pain and inflammation of rheumatoid arthritis. And if you have a problem with cholesterol, the rice bran oil found in brown rice has also been proven to help lower that.

Now, why am I suddenly becoming an advocate of brown rice, you might ask. Well, I've only been eating brown rice for a couple of months. I've known long ago that it's very good for you, but my family and I never switched, until I started reading healthful articles on SparkPeople and all over web earlier this year. I want to make people realize how good it is! And really, when you read something like what I just mentioned in this post, why stay with white rice? I am going to admit that it's a little bit difficult to switch, because when you eat brown rice for the first time, it tastes like cloth. But don't worry, once you get used to it, there's no turning back. Honestly for me now, it's white rice that tastes like cloth. Plus, brown rice makes you feel full faster, and for a longer period of time!

The problem I have right now is that: There. Is. No. Brown. Rice. For. Sale. In. The. Supermarket. There are only two supermarkets where I live (owned by the same company), and they have had no stock of brown rice for over a week. Because not a lot of people eat brown rice, there's very little supply. So uh, that's the ulterior motive for writing this post. I'm going to advertise brown rice so more people will eat, and more people will sell. And I'll be happy! Because I really do want my brown rice!