The Whiter the Rice, the Closer to Christ

There are some long held food traditions in my family. One of our most sacred (or economically viable) traditions is white rice. Seems simple enough, right? I remember while growing up virtually every meal consisted of this white, fluffy (if we were lucky) grain. The rice, along with sweet peas or pork n' beans most nights, was consumed gratefully or begrudgingly without much thought right up to a few years ago. But the times, they are a changin' and we must fully consider everything we consume especially our bleached or enriched meal traditions.
Let's begin with white rice. White rice is made by stripping away the brown outer layers of the rice. These "layers" contain the bran (fiber) and most every other type of nutrient that can be found in the rice. Manufacturers then add powdered vitamins and minerals back onto the rice to enrich it. Most of the vitamins and minerals added by the manufacturers are synthetics making them unusable by the body and thus void of almost every nutrient it is supposed to be enriched with. Another thing to consider is that rice is a starch and therefore a carbohydrate. It's the bran (fiber) in brown rice that slows the absorption of the carbohydrates which is very important. White rice is virtually void of all fiber which allows for the rapid absorption of the carbohydrates which spikes the blood the sugar and puts undo stress on the pancreas as it works feverishly to crank out enough insulin to handle the excess sugar load. 1/2 cup of brown rice contains 1.6 grams of fiber or 53 times more fiber than white rice which contains about .03 grams of fiber. White rice puts the body under stress and is a diabetic nightmare.

The Whiter the Bread, the Faster You're Dead

These titles are more than catchy tongue-in-cheek phrases. They may be fun but they depict a level of accuracy that isn't very laughable. White bread is derived principally from flour that has been bleached (please pay attention to the word "bleached") and/or enriched. The excessive milling and bleaching of the flour removes its germ and bran (fiber). This renders the wheat void of nutrients such as thiamine, niacin, essential fatty acids, fiber, and zinc. Some of these nutrients are replaced with powdered versions that are synthetic and unrecognizable by the body which could lead to an immune response because the body sees the fake nutrients as foreign bodies or pathogens and attacks it. Also, like rice, since the fiber is stripped away the carbohydrates are quickly absorbed elevating the blood sugar rapidly which causes stress on the body through increased insulin production. The poor pancreas ends up pulling double shifts especially if you consider many people consume white bread and white rice with the same meal.

There is one other thing to consider: The bleaching process. How do you bleach white laundry? Do you use chlorine bleach? Perhaps you go old school and add a little peroxide. The makers of white bread like the way you think! To make flour white it has to be bleached and there are three main ways to do it. The are Potassium Bromate also known as Potassium Salt or Bromic Acid, Benzoyl Peroxide and Chlorine Dioxide.

Potassium Bromate is fatal if swallowed, causes kidney damage, is considered an inhalation hazard and is readily absorbed through the skin.

Benzoyl Peroxide is a known irritant in large quantities. Benzoyl Peroxide is also used as an antiseptic but consumption outside of a clinical setting or counsel is not advised.

Chlorine Dioxide is used as a pesticide and as a strong disinfectant. Consumption or exposure can be hazardous.

What to Do?

Consuming white rice and white bread is nothing more than a stomach filling exercise that spikes blood sugar. Void of almost all nutrition and potentially laced with chemicals these modern marvels leave our bodies desiring proper nutrition and a nap once the blood sugar levels crash. Please be considerate when makers of white bread and white rice products make nutrition claims keeping in mind the heavy use of synthetics. Also beware of "brown breads". Just because they are brown and appear to made from whole wheat does not necessarily make it so. Be sure to read the labels. Some brown breads have been bleached and had caramel or some other coloring agent added to it to make it appear brown and wholesome. Try to consume minimally processed brown rice and bread that is unbleached and whole (i.e. whole grain, whole meal flour, etc). We need proper nutrition to not just survive but to thrive and live life to the fullest without the negative side effects of eating foods that are void of nutrients and robbing us of our lives. Just food for thought.