Recently, I haven't eaten rice and noodles for some time. Today, when I weighed myself, I found that I had lost a considerable amount of weight. Why does the weight drop so quickly once one stops eating rice and noodles?
Wang, 26 years old, was very slender when she just graduated. Affected by high work pressure, Wang occasionally overate. She is from the north and loves all kinds of noodles. As a result, her weight soared significantly.
About three months ago, she made up her mind to lose weight and persisted in rope skipping exercises every day, but the weight loss effect was very slight. Until half a month ago, she followed the advice of netizens and started to reduce the intake of rice and noodles. As a result, her weight dropped by about five kilograms... The impact of staple foods on weight is so significant? Then which one, rice or noodles, is more likely to increase weight?
Which one is more likely to increase weight if eaten frequently, rice or noodles?
There has always been a saying in China that "people in the south prefer rice while people in the north prefer noodles". People in the south love rice, rice noodles, and porridge, while people in the north are keen on steamed buns, dumplings, steamed stuffed buns, and noodles... Which one of rice and noodles is more worth eating and how should one eat them healthily?
When it comes to the nutritional comparison of rice and noodles, both mainly provide carbohydrates and calories. At this point, they are comparable. In terms of protein, flour contains 12.5g/100g while rice contains 7.9g/100g, with rice being slightly inferior.
In terms of dietary fiber content, the insoluble dietary fiber of wheat is originally 18 times that of rice, but after processing, it remains at 0.8 g/100g, almost the same as rice. As for other vitamins, minerals, etc., the content of nutritional components is not much different.
So which one is more likely to cause weight gain? A study of 100,000 people found the answer.
The research team from Xi'an Jiaotong University, based on the data of 105,840 participants collected in the prospective cohort in the five northwestern provinces, recorded their dietary preferences. The results showed that those who love noodles are more likely to be overweight!
Among those who love noodles, the higher the intake of wheat, the greater the risk of overall obesity and central obesity for men, while the risk of central obesity for women also increases. The specific situations are as follows:
① Compared with men who eat noodles less than once a week, those who eat noodles 4-6 times a week and every day have a 55.3% and 57.5% increase in the risk of overall obesity, respectively;
② Among women, those who eat noodles 4-6 times a week or more have a 12.9%-19.9% increase in the incidence of central obesity.
If an equal amount of rice is substituted for noodles, it is associated with a 19.4% reduction in the risk of overall obesity in men; among women, it can also reduce the risk of central obesity by 8.2%.
Why is it easier to gain weight from eating noodles? The researchers analyzed that it might be related to the following three reasons -
Second, the energy density is different. Rice has strong absorbency, and the energy density of cooked rice is generally lower than that of noodles. Eating the same weight of staple food, you get less calories from eating rice;
Third, as well as different eating habits, ramen, noodles with soybean paste, stewed noodles... Notice that no bowl of noodles is a meal alone without any side dishes. While when eating rice, one usually needs to have vegetables and meat together. Rice is more likely to achieve a balanced diet and reduce the risk of obesity.
If you want to eat noodles without gaining weight, you can appropriately reduce the proportion of staple food and cook it with eggs and green vegetables to help better control the calories. When eating noodles, it is best to choose clear soup. Noodles like oil-sprinkled noodles and noodles with soybean paste have a higher proportion of oil, salt, and sugar, which is prone to increasing the risk of obesity.
The reason why the weight can drop quickly after reducing the intake of rice and noodles is mainly because refined white rice and white noodles are both "big sources of carbohydrates". Therefore, when the intake of rice and noodles is appropriately reduced, it is helpful for rapid weight loss. However, the weight lost in this way is prone to rebound. Therefore, it is still not recommended that everyone lose weight by eating less/no staple foods like rice and noodles.
However, appropriately reducing the intake of high-carbohydrate foods is helpful for controlling weight, especially these kinds: chestnuts, potatoes, baked sweet potatoes, sugar-containing beverages, desserts, etc.
Is white rice the "worst staple food"?
There are many rumors online such as "rice is the worst staple food" and "eating too much staple food leads to an early death". Is there any scientific basis for this?
The reason why white rice is labeled as the "worst staple food" is that it can rapidly increase blood sugar after consumption, causing blood sugar fluctuations; second, excessive intake can easily cause fat accumulation; third, rice is finely processed and has relatively simple nutrition.
Is there nothing redeemable about rice? No, Wang Zhong, the director of the Clinical Nutrition Department of Chengdu Fifth People's Hospital, gave an explanation:
The daily consumed rice has reduced nutrient content due to fine processing and the removal of the "outer layer". If one eats rice for a long time, it can only enhance one's satiety. Moreover, rice has a fast absorption rate and rapid glucose release. Long-term intake does indeed affect pancreatic islet function.
However, different foods have different digestion and metabolism times in the human body. For diabetic patients, it is recommended to consume foods with a low glycemic index. But for healthy individuals, their pancreatic islet function can completely control the blood sugar level in the body, and they can consume rice with confidence.
Eating staple foods incorrectly can really shorten lifespan!
There are certain rules to eating staple foods. These incorrect eating methods may cause harm to the body:
Incorrect eating method 1: Loving fried staple foods
Fried staple foods such as fried dough sticks, fried cakes, and fried rice cakes are one of the poorest in nutrition. The fried method not only doubles the calories of staple foods but also destroys vitamins and minerals. Moreover, starch after frying may produce acrylamide, which is carcinogenic to humans.
Incorrect eating method 2: Eating only one type of staple food
Many people like to eat a single type of staple food. Some like to eat only rice, and some like to eat only noodles. There are many types of staple foods. Peeled miscellaneous beans, potatoes, whole grains are all staple foods. Trying each type can ensure a balanced nutrition.
Incorrect eating method 3: Skipping staple foods during weight loss
Many people refuse to consume rice and other starchy foods during weight loss. This approach is not advisable. It should be known that the glucose provided by staple foods is to maintain daily metabolism and help the body utilize monosaccharides to maintain the normal operation of brain cells, renal medullary cells, and red blood cells.
If the intake of staple foods is insufficient, it is easy to cause cell function damage, resulting in memory decline, anemia, etc.
Incorrect eating method 4: Eating only coarse grains as staple foods
Coarse grains are beneficial, but they should not be eaten at every meal. If one eats coarse grains at every meal, it is easy to cause abdominal distension and indigestion, affecting the normal function of the stomach and intestines and disrupting the body's rhythm.
Healthy eating of staple foods should follow the principles of eating less refined foods, more coarse grains and miscellaneous grains; varying the types; increasing the proportion of vegetables and reducing the intake of rice. Both rice and noodles are important staple foods. As long as one learns to combine them, one can eat healthily and with peace of mind.
