Another Nutritional Mishap - Rice Sticks to your Gut

Rice Sticks to your GUT - said a colleague

Fifteen years ago, a comment like this would have sent me into a boiling rage, but now, I can look back and laugh.
I was enjoying a giant breakfast one day after a 30-minute strength training session and an hour of Nordic walking. Feeling energized and ready for the day, I sat down to a post-workout meal of steamed rice, carrots, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, and some salt—a nutritious mix totaling around 1000 calories.

One colleague was surprised to see me eating something that didn’t resemble a typical breakfast. As an athlete, fuelling up properly after a workout is essential, so my meal made perfect sense to me. However, another woman chimed in with a comment that rice isn't great for health because "it sticks."

Let’s put this in perspective. This comment came from someone who, while expressing concern over my choice of breakfast, seemed to overlook several key aspects of her own health. Wearing glasses, squeezed into narrow toe box shoes, doing zero physical activity, slightly overweight, using the microwave midday and with poor posture—her concern seemed misplaced.

Of course rice sticks—it's a starch! But here's the thing: humans need to drink 3 to 4 liters of water daily and consume a fiber-rich diet filled with raw fruits, vegetables, game meats, beef, beans, nuts, and seeds. Physical activity, like running, also aids in maintaining a healthy colon. When you neglect all other aspects of a healthy lifestyle and focus solely on what you eat, you might start to believe in myths like "rice sticks."

A healthy lifestyle requires a holistic approach. It's not just about the food or one single meal you eat but how you live your life overall. So, no, rice doesn't stick or cause health problems—unless your hydration consists mainly of coffee, soda, red wine, and orange juice, and you neglect raw vegetables like beets, purslane, dill, celery sticks or fennel. If you sleep only five hours a night with the TV on for six hours a day, use tons of creams, lotions, household chemicals, and makeup, then perhaps rice isn’t your biggest issue.

Avoid falling into the traps of fad diets, conspiracy theories, and extreme elimination lifestyles. Think critically and don't follow anyone blindly. Forge your own path to discover the best, most effective lifestyle for yourself. This will lead you to a unique and fulfilling way of living that truly works for you.

Here are some scientific researches to go through if you wanted extra insights :

Supporting Scientific References

  1. Water Intake and Hydration: Popkin, B. M., D'Anci, K. E., & Rosenberg, I. H. (2010). Water, hydration, and health. Nutrition Reviews, 68(8), 439-458. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1753-4887.2010.00304.x
  2. Dietary Fiber and Health: Anderson, J. W., Baird, P., Davis Jr, R. H., Ferreri, S., Knudtson, M., Koraym, A., ... & Williams, C. L. (2009). Health benefits of dietary fiber. Nutrition Reviews, 67(4), 188-205. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1753-4887.2009.00189.x
  3. Physical Activity and Gut Health: Monda, V., Villano, I., Messina, A., Valenzano, A., Esposito, T., Moscatelli, F., ... & Chieffi, S. (2017). Exercise modifies the gut microbiota with positive health effects. Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity, 2017. https://doi.org/10.1155/2017/3831972
  4. Holistic Approach to Health: Larsson, S. C., & Orsini, N. (2014). Red meat and processed meat consumption and all-cause mortality: a meta-analysis. American Journal of Epidemiology, 179(3), 282-289. https://doi.org/10.1093/aje/kwt261
  5. Balanced Diet and Long-Term Health: Mozaffarian, D., Hao, T., Rimm, E. B., Willett, W. C., & Hu, F. B. (2011). Changes in diet and lifestyle and long-term weight gain in women and men. New England Journal of Medicine, 364(25), 2392-2404. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa1014296
  6. Misconceptions About Starches: Slavin, J. L. (2005). Dietary fiber and body weight. Nutrition, 21(3), 411-418. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nut.2004.08.018
  7. Importance of Sleep for Health: Chaput, J. P., Després, J. P., Bouchard, C., & Tremblay, A. (2008). The association between sleep duration and weight gain in adults: a 6-year prospective study from the Quebec Family Study. Sleep, 31(4), 517-523. https://doi.org/10.1093/sleep/31.4.517
  8. Effects of Sedentary Lifestyle: Owen, N., Healy, G. N., Matthews, C. E., & Dunstan, D. W. (2010). Too much sitting: the population-health science of sedentary behavior. Exercise and Sport Sciences Reviews, 38(3), 105-113. https://doi.org/10.1097/JES.0b013e3181e373a2
  9. Impact of Processed Foods on Health: Monteiro, C. A., Cannon, G., Levy, R. B., Moubarac, J. C., Louzada, M. L., Rauber, F., ... & Jaime, P. C. (2019). Ultra-processed foods: what they are and how to identify them. Public Health Nutrition, 22(5), 936-941. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1368980018003762
  10. Psychological Benefits of Exercise: Callaghan, P. (2004). Exercise: a neglected intervention in mental health care? Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing, 11(4), 476-483. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2850.2004.00751.x

These references support the various aspects of a holistic approach to health, including the importance of hydration, a balanced diet, physical activity, adequate sleep, and a critical perspective on health fads.

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holistic health, balanced diet, physical activity, hydration, dietary fiber, gut health, exercise benefits, sleep quality, starch myths, healthy lifestyle, weight management, raw vegetables, hydration importance, post-workout nutrition, strength training, Nordic walking, food myths, starch digestion, health misconceptions, lifestyle choices, healthy colon, meat fiber, nuts and seeds, game meats, sedentary behavior, mental health and exercise, processed foods, diet diversity, hydration levels, adequate sleep, fiber-rich diet, colon health, raw fruits, running benefits, health fads, critical thinking, personal health path, unique lifestyle, fitness routine, healthy eating, proper nutrition, holistic living, workout recovery, hydration needs, vegetable intake, physical wellness, food variety, health awareness, long-term health

DOROGI Levente


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