OK, if you want to start eating better – here is 1 easy way to do it: switch from white to brown rice

Why is brown rice healthier than white rice? Brown rice has a nuttier more complex taste, and contains more fibre and manganese, iron and zinc than plain white rice, which has been stripped of these nutritional bonuses in order to remove the hull. Because it contains more fibre – about 7 times more fibre than white rice – it fills us up more, so we eat less other stuff, and we all need to eat more fibre in order to protect against bowel cancer.

Why are insulin spikes a problem? Brown rice has a lower Glycaemic Load (GL) than white rice which means it contains less carbohydrate per serving, which is good because high levels of carbs from high sugar foods such as white rice can mean your insulin levels shoot up; and when the sugar doesn’t get used up, it is dumped in the body’s fat cells, which is obviously bad news. Because insulin spikes become troughs, hunger sets in rapidly, we feel tired and the body craves glucose and we are more likely to make poor food choices as we try to ‘pep’ ourselves up from the preceeding sugar crash. However, brown rice takes a little longer to digest, and so evens out the insulin spikes associated with refined, white foods, such as white rice, white bread and white pasta.

Insulin spikes can also be a problem because we are more likely to become irritable when our insulin levels drop quickly, which can be a particular issue for those with depression or anxiety.

My weight loss clients all know that brown basmati rice has the lowest GL (glycaemic load) of all different types of rice, so this is always a good choice.

Cooking guidelines  Brown rice can take a little longer to cook, according to the type you buy.

Anti-inflammatory powers If you want to make brown rice more fun for the kids, try adding a teaspoon of turmeric powder whilst boiling, to make the rice turn yellow. I happen to know that this is very useful when using the rice to make a picture of the sun… Anyway, turmeric is also thought to be helpful for those with inflammation issues such as arthritis, because of its anti-inflammatory characteristics, although it shouldn’t be used in conjunction with Diclofenac as together the two could reduce the speed at which blood clots. Nor should it be taken in pregnancy.