The Rice Diet is the basis for a medically-supervised, live-in program designed for rapid weight-loss over a period of 2 to 4 weeks or more, in the treatment of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, hypertension and renal disease. The program operates as part of Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, USA.
The originator of the Rice Diet was Walter Kempner, born Germany 1903, who joined Duke University’s Department of Medicine in 1934. Kempner investigated the effect of diet on diseases including hypertension and diabetes, and found that they were rarely problems for people using rice as a staple food.
Kempner developed a diet of rice, fruit, juices, sugar, plus vitamin and iron supplements to help people with these and related health problems. The Kempner diet or Rice Diet has been used since 1939 in treating, often with dramatic results, more than 18,000 patients from around the world suffering from diabetes, obesity, heart disease and hypertension.
Available in book form: The Rice Diet Solution by Robert Rosati
The Rice Diet is not like fad diets which come and go, but has developed into a complete, proven and well-respected program for improving health. As well as meals using the Rice Diet, the program provides classes, groups and workshops for stress management and exercise, nutritional lectures, and personal medical supervision.
Participants in the program have a limited menu selection initially, then choose from a range of items comprising fresh fruits and vegetables, grains, fish, and legumes (beans), varied daily. The name Rice Diet is somewhat confusing (the diet origins being the study of rice as a staple), as more than 30 food items are available, including a number of rices.
Day One: Basic Rice Diet
Days Two through Seven: Lacto-Vegetarian Rice Diet
Basic rules of thumb on serving sizes:
Salt is restricted in the Rice Diet, since the body swells with salt (sodium) and water. Most people’s diet contains approx. 4-7 grams of sodium, yet less than half a gram a day is necessary for normal body function.
Salt is a problem for patients with high blood pressure and kidney failure, and this is true also for most people if present in higher quantities in the diet. Salt stimulates the appetite, whereas herbs and spices simply flavor the food.
Limiting salt reduces several health risks, including cholesterol, blood pressure, heart size and weight, as well as reducing the need to medicate for these problems.
As well as being low-salt, the daily diet contains 5 gm or less of fat, about 20 gm of protein, and not more than 150 mg of sodium.
On completion of the program, resources are available for participants to continue with a healthy lifestyle, and to maintain the improved health gained while on the residential program.
The Rice Diet Solution by Robert Rosati (released December 2005)
Rice Diet Program - Official Site
May 22nd, 2008
That looks like a pretty delicious program.
May 31st, 2008
YOu should check your facts more carefully before publishing. The Rice Diet does not limit sodium to 150mg, that would be dangerously low. The Diet limits sodium to 300-500mg in the first week, then 500-1000mg afterwards (p.24, The Rice Diet Solution).
July 15th, 2008
The Rice Diet is dangerous. It restricts calories to very low, and destroys the metabolism in the process. If you’ve followed it for awhile, and that takes ENORMOUS discipline, if you go off of it you will gain back all the weight and then some VERY quickly because your metabolism has simply been destroyed. It’s not healthy, even though it was developed BY ACCIDENT by a physician and is still a big money maker at The Rice House. That doesn’t make it good for your long term health–it just makes a a drastic weight loss diet that a lot of people have paid big bucks to follow. Almost no one can follow it without being at The Rice House to the tune of over $5,000 a month.
July 18th, 2008
using this as a tranition diet is fine then moving to exercise and veggies and fruits is awesome but sticking to this diet is DANGEROUS and can cause physical and emotioinal illness (fun fact just like being dangerously over weight or obse) so i say u choose but be smart and don’t live on it for the rest of ur life.
July 26th, 2008
Im pretty sure people hailing from the Asian continent have been eating rice for a very long time, and before the days of mass production and intensive farming, just 1 bowl a day would suffice, albeit a big bowl.
At the moment im on a rotating workout regime, doing moderate weights, jogging every day, and eating 1 bowl of rice, while also taking vits n mins in the morning, with tea and fruit juice thru out the day. And for some reason ive started taking freezing showers aswell in the mornings…
September 15th, 2008
Rice will absorbe some of the fluids in your stomach making you feel full but your not
September 17th, 2008
I’ve had the Honor of meeting some Gentlemen who were on a rice diet for 3 yrs on average- as Prisoners of War of the Japanese. They are still suffering the effects of it today. Read about Bataan or Corrigedor & you will learn about a rice diet.
September 27th, 2008
I have been on this diet before,it was twenty years ago but did not have any problems health-wise.I think my health improved.
October 1st, 2008
i’m looking for former members
i was energizer tweety before(maybe 2 years ago)
looking for New Beginings/yogabell/Traci/rhonda
please e-mail me at lovemytweety@bellsouth.net
hi jane…i’m thinking of joining again
how do i go about that….i’m bluedaffidils/caniac’s sister
please contact me…..thanks debra
October 9th, 2008
so every type of fruit is ok ?
December 15th, 2008
I think this diet is maybe a good choice for me. See, I live in Asia and eat rice but I am slightly overweight. Now, I realize I need to reduce the quantity of food I eat. Wish me luck!
December 23rd, 2008
In the early 1970s I became the youngest person ever admitted to the “rice house.” It is a very dangerous diet. At that time we were given only small amounts of rice 2xday. After months,we received bit of tomato sauce on top. I never saw any fishand would have gotten on my knees and beggedfor a piece of fruit. I was so low on nutrients that fainted and fell into the bath tub. Iam now in my 50s and have battled my weight all my life because this diet ruined my metabolism. I warn all of you to go with a more moderate diet plan. This diet ruined my health and well-being.Take care and use your common sense.
December 27th, 2008
The rice diet is amazing.
I did it for a week and 1/2 and lost up to about 12 lbs.
Its the most effective plan I’ve ever been on.
The reason why I only did it for such a short time was because I did it with a partner when she had a big mac I figured why should I keep going. STUPID. So I started again today.
Yes your first week will be hard.
But you’ll love the results its worth it.
When I noticed my face was no longer pudgy, I was happy.
If you are considering going on this rice diet plan def. go for it. Don’t give up on the second day give it a week and you will not want to stop because you will be seeing the pounds drop!
January 4th, 2009
I just did the phase II, skipping the phase one. I added a bit of olive oil each day, maybe a tsp, and didn’t always do the cleansing day. Of course, i didn’t just eat rice - you can have any whole grain pasta, couscous, etc. I got creative cooking with fruit, and lost 25 pounds in 12 weeks, which is nothing short of miraculous for this former Weight Watchers lifer, where weeks could go by and maybe I lost a pound or two. This was a great diet for me. I still need to lose more, but I have to say I feel great. I really needed that olive oil, though….