Monday, February 15, 2010

Let's Eat: Crazy Eastern European Rice Diet


A few weeks ago, I embarked on a Crazy Eastern European Rice Diet with my flatmate Zuzanna. She's apparently done this diet lots of times before (and each section of the diet is supposed to last for 9 days or something ridiculous like that). I was only willing to commit to one day for each of the four sections, just to try it out. Each day consists of 3 meals of the following:

Day 1: just wholegrain brown rice

Day 2: 75% wholegrain brown rice and 25% selected steamed vegetables

Day 3: 65% wholegrain brown rice, 25% selected steamed vegetables, and 10% legumes

Day 4: 60% whole grain brown rice, 20% selected steamed vegetables, 10% legumes, and 10% fresh vegetables

It was not a pleasant 4 days for me. I can see the value of this diet for someone who has a meat, dairy, or fat heavy lifestyle. It's a stripping down to very basic food elements of whole grains and vegetables, without any salt or fats. But I'm a lifelong vegetarian and an almost 10-year vegan who tends towards raw foods, so this diet, for me, just felt very limiting. No fruit and only certain vegetables [ones that are supposedly "cleansing"] prepared in certain ways.

I did not feel particularly "cleansed" by this diet. Mostly I felt tired, but I did not feel especially hungry, which I suppose was a good thing. One side effect was my skin [which is normally fairly clear] looked like a 15 year old male pizza delivery boy's face. It's getting better now, but I was not pleased. Zuzanna said its the toxins in my body coming out through my pores. I'm not sure that I buy that, but I do not like having gross skin, so I'm happy my skin is returning to normal.

So would I recommend this diet? Only if you're really eating poorly and need a dramatic change of pace. Otherwise, just try to eat more vegetables and fruits and less burgers and fries.

PS - the picture is from Day 3 of a mixture of wholegrain rice, steamed vegetables, and legumes.

4 comments:

  1. That explanation is a BRILLIANT bit of marketing from the designer of the diet - on a par with the most successful religions! Check out the claims:

    If the diet makes you feel better - then it is working. Stay on it.

    If the diet makes you feel worse - then it is helping your body release its toxins, and is working. Stay on it.

    If the diet has no effect - then it is preparing your body in subtle ways to either make you feel better or release toxins, and is working. Stay on it.

    If anyone doubts that it is working - then the Lord shall smite them to pieces like shards of pottery, even unto the tenth generation. As it is written:

    "...And the righteous shall wash their feet in the blood of the wicked, which will help release toxins."

    ReplyDelete
  2. Durand should I take from this that you are as anti-religion as you are anti-diet? :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. How disappointing - an Eastern European diet without potatoes? ;)

    ReplyDelete