Rice, It’s Truly Nice

‘You say rice is ok for a diabetic but is it really ok? Isn’t it all carbs?’ Yup, carbs are the latest villain of the per­en­nially booming food and weight-loss industry. Carbs are what make you prone to central obesity, diabetes, etc, for no fault of yours, right? I mean, you were vegetating on the couch, office chair, car seat, stressing out over small issues, having sleepless nights because you were watching movies or completing assignments. No big deal, just avoid rice, especially at dinner, and everything will be okay.

Think again. The country you come from offers countless varieties of rice. Thousands of our varied cuisines never ever leave rice alone, blending it with pulses, vegetables, spices, seeds, herbs and turn it into a fibre-, mineral- and nutrient-rich meal. One that leaves the taste buds enthralled, stomach satia­ted and most importantly, the insulin happy and not overworked.

The people wearing the white coats—lab technicians who check your blood sugar, the dietitians who give two-page print-outs of ‘foods to avoid’ and the doctors who check you out in less than two minutes are not accounting for how rice is eaten in your community and in your home. The fact remains that rice meals—the ones you eat at home, like rice-dal-sabzi, dahi-rice-sabzi, khic­hdi-kadhi, etc, are complete meals with a full amino acid profile and all the nutrients you need. So, rice surely is not the culprit, extrapolating textbook/tabloid information without accounting for real life is.

Takeaway: Carbs are not the enemy, your lifestyle is. Rethink what you are willing to take off your plate.