Lesser Evil of the two - Rice or Wheat page

[maba]

I've been trying to get my mother to eat primal but to no avail. Her doctor has asked her to avoid meat, SFAs, egg yolks etc, which is completely against what I tell her. So her diet comprises primarily polished rice, veggies, lentils and lean protein. I'm trying to help her make better choices, in that, eat the least worst of the evils. She's slowly started eating more whole wheat and cutting down on white rice, since I started asking her to cut down on refined carbs. Is whole wheat better than white rice? Primally speaking I know they're both bad, but would she be getting some benefits at all or less damage from WW?


ETA: Apologies for the non-primal nature of this question.

[Mr.M]

Whole wheat is much better than white rice.


White rice is probably the worse carb you can eat, at least from my experience. Its basically 100% sugar, with no real nutritional value.


However, if your mom were to eat brown rice, I personally would opt for that.

[Clint]

A lot of it matters on what you're trying to avoid as well. In The PB, Mark makes the argument that whole grains are feasibly worse than their processed counterparts.


Both contain the carbs that will spike insulin, but the whole grains still have all of the anti-nutrients and plant toxins still intact that can cause inflammation where the processing/bleaching take them out.


So, it's kind of hard to answer this question from a health standpoint since, as you stated, they're both bad.


From a psychological one, I guess if you can get her to eat whole grains, that might get her to think about healthier food choices which may make her more receptive to The PB lifestyle down the road. Or, it could just make her more set in CW and harder to convince.


I really sympathize with your plight and I wish you the best of luck!

[maba]

@Mr.M, Thanks. Brown Rice would have been the go-to choice, but unfortunately where she lives, it's not easy to come by. Can you believe this is the case in the region where the traditional diet comprised unpolished rice + primal-like food.


@Clint: Thank you. That was my main concern. She's started eating WW after I advised her to cut the refined carbs and I've been having this nagging doubt of whether I gave her the wrong advice. I strongly feel she'll be much better if she ate the way her mom (my grandma) ate instead of listening to the doctors who are pumping her with statins and aspirins. I'm determined to stick to primal to prove them all wrong.

[OnTheBayou]

@Mr. M, there isn't any sugar in rice, it's starch. Prolly had a brain fart there.


Brown rice has been available in regular grocery stores for a long time, no Hole Foods needed. Not sure why it's hard to find unless you on one of the Aleutian Islands. You can also order it by mail, of course. Even the islands get air mail/freight service!


The difference in whole grain foods vs. processed isn't so much the nutrients; they can be obtained from vegetables, meat, and supplements. The difference is in the rate of carb absorption and insulin reaction. I don't know if that is of concern with your mom. Is she overweight?

[maba]

OTB, my mum lives is a small town in India. Yes, she is overweight and needs to lose atleast 40 lbs. She was diagnozed with high cholesterol about 5 years ago and she's been on statins since then. Although she's been slightly on the heavy side all her life, she's always been very active and back when we ate the traditional way - lots of coconut, ghee, meat, organ meats, but also white rice - she was healthy with excellent lipid profile and the only person to never catch a cold or fall ill in our family. But in the last 5 years or so (post-menopause), she's been complaining of body aches and joint pains and she's put on a lot of weight. Also, the intake of good fats, thanks to CW and physicians, has dropped drastically and has been substituted with vile stuff like refined sunflower and rice-bran oils. I've convinced her to use unrefined coconut oil which she's now using, so I'm really thankful for that. I'm trying to get her to take baby steps now even if she doesn't or can't go fully Primal. I'd be the happiest if she stops taking those darned statins.

[SerialSinner]

Maba i think the lesser evil would be the one that has a lower GI. Also, the lower the quantities, the better. You could try to reduce carbs by replacing them with fats to enhance satiety as well. Best of lucks.

[OnTheBayou]

Ah, yes, maba, now I remember your ancestry. Worse than the Aluetians, eh? She can get statins but not brown rice. Is there some irony in that?

[Clint]

OTB-


I think Mr. M meant that your body basically reacts to white rice just like sugar as far an insulin response and so forth.


(Unless he literally meant that rice has sugar in it. Then that would classify as a brain fart!)

[Popa Murph]

Rice all the way for me.