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The Rice Diet Solution
The husband and wife team, Kitty and Dr. Robert Rosati, call their plan a “high complex-carbohydrate, low-fat, low-sodium and whole-foods diet.” The diet recommends no more than 500 to 1,000 mg sodium per day (just to compare, the government’s new recommendation is <2,300 mg/day) and unlike what the name suggests, the diet is not centered on rice, rice is just one example of a healthy grain which is naturally low in sodium. The authors’ theory is that salt is an appetite stimulant, therefore, when you reduce your salt intake you are less inclined to overeat. In addition, The Rice Diet Solution supposedly detoxes your body, ridding it of excess water weight (approximately 5 to 10 lbs), sodium and toxins from processed foods and the environment. And the authors claim that the fiber-rich whole-foods recommended in the diet will fill you up and make it “easy” to limit caloric intake. Foods on the menu include fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, non-fat dairy, olive oil, seafood, eggs, tofu, lean meats, poultry, nuts and seeds. You’re encouraged to buy organic foods and to drink 40 to 72 oz. fluids per day. Foods OFF the menu include salt and other sodium-rich ingredients, with limits placed on saturated fat and processed foods. The diet also encourages regular, moderate exercise (i.e., walking) as a key to losing weight and being healthy.

The diet is designed in three phases. The book presents guidelines and the portion sizes for each phase, then you decide which foods to eat from the “allowed” food list.

Phase One: lasts one week and claims to cleanse your body to ready it for true lasting weight loss. This phase is VERY restrictive. It contains approximately 300 mg. sodium/day and <1,000 calories/day. You begin the first day with the Basic Rice Diet (see below) consisting of only grains and fruits. For the other six days you’ll add in vegetables, whole grain cereal or bread and non-fat dairy, preferably soy.

Sample Menus for Phase One

Day One: The Basic Rice Diet

Breakfast

• 1 cup cooked oatmeal
• 1 peach plus 2 tablespoons raisins

Lunch

• 2/3 cup cooked brown rice
• 1 cup pineapple chunks plus 1 cup grapes

Dinner

• 2/3 cup cooked brown rice
• 1 cup mixed berries plus 1 cup melon

Days 2 to 7

Breakfast

• 1 slice toast
• 1 cup non-fat soy milk
• 1 peach

Lunch

• 1-1/2 cups of any cooked grain or pasta
• 1-1/2 cups cooked broccoli
• 1 cup fresh fruit salad

Dinner

• 1 cup cooked rice
• 3 cups raw or 1-1/2 cups cooked cabbage
• 1 cup berries

Phase Two: (until goal weight is reached) approx. 1,000 calories/day.

You begin each week with one day of the Basic Rice Diet, then you’ll follow five days of fruits, grains, vegetables, non-fat dairy, regular whole grain cereal or bread and then on the seventh day add in one protein source (e.g. fish, dairy, eggs, lean meat).

Phase Three: Approximately 1,200 calories/day — claims to show you how to maintain your weight loss. Same basic plan as phase 2 but adds more choices and more protein.

The Bottom Line
Pros: The foods allowed on the plan are healthy, nutrient packed selections (i.e., brown rice, oatmeal, fresh fruit, vegetables and soy) and eliminates the processed foods high in sodium, sugar and saturated fat that people often eat. Plus, this low-salt diet may reprogram your taste buds to do without the salt shaker.
Cons: Phase One and Two are too restrictive in calories — and could set you up for future binging, fatigue, headaches and irritability. Furthermore, these plans are deficient in protein, which can increase the breakdown of lean muscle mass as you lose weight (and potentially slow your metabolism). This is not a realistic plan for eating in the real world. 

To learn more about Joy Bauer and healthier eating habits, visit JoyBauerNutrition.com.

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