ENDORSEMENT: Uncle Ben's Rice

For years nutritional purists, faddists and the supergeeks at pharmaceutical companies have told us that white rice is a carbohydrate landmine. Like whole eggs, white rice has shared the trenches with other foods deemed gastronomically incorrect in our super-civilized environment where pharmaceutical companies, government agencies and "Registered Dieticians" tell us what we should and should not eat according to their computerized modules, data, errata, etc.

For decades they preached that refined, white rice was "extremely bad for Americans" as well as "bereft of nutritional profit" because the best part of the rice was removed in order to "speed production."

My bullshit detector went off.

Years ago, I was eating at a sushi restaurant in Seattle, Washington when I met an Asian doctor and bodybuilder one table over. Although I never got his name we chatted for the better part of our meal; then the subject turned to white rice. I had ordered brown rice for my dish and in seconds, he leaned over and made the following statement about the internecine, commando effects of refined (read: evil) white rice:

"White, refined rice is excellent for the stomach, stomach disorders especially ulcers, with its unique ability to act like a sponge and soak up excess acid, foreign liquids [ that have not been broken down ] and then allow itself to be excreted from the system. It's an incredible carb and has about the same nutritional value as brown. We've been misled for years about brown and white. Although brown has substantial nutritional value, the physical supplementation of white rice makes it the best of the two. The problem is, no one wants to beleive it."

When I asked him why, he replied: "Well, I don't want to blame anyone, but it could be racial [ white rice comprises nearly 75% of the caloric intake of Laos, Bangladesh, Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam. Source: Walton Rice Supplementation ] or it may be Hollywood, the ultra vegan community or what I beleive to be true - agriculture and economists within the food industry. Its been the staple for nearly 400 million people; as you know Asians have, per capita the lowest rate of aortic, intestinal and stomach cancer."

When I got home that night, I tried out his hypothesis.

He's right.

I threw down a major protein shake and like clockwork, became bloated. I cooked half a packet (1/2 cup / 80gr) of 90-second Uncle Bens Ready Rice (white) and ate half the portion.

Within thirty minutes the bloating had ceased.

Later in the week, I went out bar hopping with my co-workers and tied on one-too-many. When I woke up the next day (blitzed out of my mind with the customary fatique and hangover), I fixed the same white rice but ate the entire portion (1 cup / 160gr). Within an hour, my stomach ailement was gone as was the hangover and nauseousness. Move over Menudo! Alcoholics unite!

Several weeks later, I had a major stomach ache from an increased workload at the clinic brought on by stress and way too much coffee (Seattle is the capitol of the coffee world); I consumed half a bag (1/2 cup / 80 gr) and the stomach ache dissappeared in under thirty minutes.

I also noticed that my stools were stronger and healthier and that my overall gastrointestinal health was better. I was won over and now preach the gospel about white rice.

Uncle Ben's White Rice: PASSED.
Nutritional Advice: add this item to your diet.

[ NOTE: This is an unsolicited, non-monetary endorsement of Uncle Ben's READY RICE (Master Foods USA, Inc.) No one at the company paid me squat. I received no compensation. It's a product that WORKS and works well. -Mike Stewart ].