When we think about eating healthy or starting a new diet, one of the first things that come to mind is cutting carbohydrates. For any food enthusiasts, it’s almost painful to say goodbye to pasta, bread, and rice…
But nowadays there are plenty of alternatives that can (almost) completely satisfy your cravings. Particularly with rice, you can substitute it with brown rice for a similar taste and texture that also gives you lots of benefits!
One cup serving of brown rice contains 10% of the daily recommended protein and 14% of the daily recommend fibre. But neither of those are the stars of the show, because brown rice contains a mind-blowing 88% of the manganese you need in a day in one serving!
What’s manganese good for?
Manganese is a mineral and it plays a crucial role in a lot of processes in your body. For example, manganese turns carbohydrates and proteins into energy, helping with your metabolism. It also supports your nervous system and helps 
produce cholesterol to generate sex hormones, like testosterone and estrogen. Manganese is also necessary for normal brain and nerve function; so it’s an important mineral to have in you!
According to researchers at Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH), "Brown rice is beneficial to the cardiovascular system, digestive system, brain, and nervous system. It is loaded with powerful antioxidants which provide relief from a range of ailments such as hypertension, unhealthy levels of cholesterol, stress, mental depression, and skin disorders. High nutritional content in brown rice proves effective in various medical conditions such as cancer, obesity, diabetes, neurodegenerative disorders, and insomnia. It has anti-depressant properties and helps maintain healthy bones and stronger immune system."
So you know that brown rice is good, but how is it compared to white rice?
Actually, white rice starts out the same as brown rice, but then it is processed where its bran and germ layers are removed, along with all the vitamins, minerals, fibre, and even fatty acid. Brown rice hasn’t been stripped, so it maintains its fibrous content along with all the nutrients that were lost in white rice. People with diabetes are advised to not eat white rice as it spikes up their blood sugar levels, but brown rice does not produce the same amount of increase after being eaten. In fact, studies have shown that there is a correlation to eating brown rice and lowering the risk of type 2 diabetes, the opposite effect of white rice!
Of course, just because brown rice is good for you, doesn’t mean its calorie free. If you are looking for nutritional benefits while cutting back on food and calories, an excellent solution is WaterVive.
A liquid supplement, WaterVive will give you all the nutrients and benefits of over 80 plant based ingredients, including brown rice. Unlike white rice which is processed and bleach, all ingredients in WaterVive are cold pressed, ensuring even the most delicate nutrients are safely kept in their purest form. Especially if you’re a busy individual who’s looking to improve your diet but just don’t have the time, WaterVive takes under a minute to get you the micronutrients you need for the entire day. WaterVive will save you time, money, and the calories!
Reference:
Ehrlich, Steven D. "Manganese." University of Maryland Medical Center. 31 May 2013. Web. 01 Mar. 2016. <http://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/supplement/manganese>.
Higdon, Jane. "Manganese." Micronutrient Information Center. Oregon State University, 2001. Web. 01 Mar. 2016. <http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/minerals/manganese>.
Mercola, Joseph. "What Type of Rice Is the Healthiest?" Mercola.com. 23 Nov. 2015. Web. 01 Mar. 2016. <http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2015/11/23/rice-types-benefits.aspx>.
Weil, Andrew. "Cooking With Grains: Brown Rice." Dr. Weil's Healthy Kitchen. Web. 01 Mar. 2016. <http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/ART03179/How-to-Cook-Brown-Rice.html>.
