How to cope with rice shortage....?

WHAT THE RICE IMPORTERS ARE DOING...

YOU will probably not taste the difference, but more of the rice noodles, or bee hoon, served these days are made from less expesive grains, rather than the more expensive imports from Thailand. This is what most beehoon manufacturers are doing in response to the global increases in rice prices.

Rice importers are seeking cheaper alternatives from Myanmar and China instead of Thailand. White rice from Myanmar is about S$200 (RM460) cheaper per 50kg bag than its Thai counterpart.This is the result of rice shortages across Asia, as producing countries curb exports to ensure adequate domestic supply.

REcently, the price of Thai rice, a global benchmark, jumped 30% to an all-time high of US$760 (RM2,432) per tonne after Egypt, a leading exporter, imposed a formal ban on selling rice abroad in a bid to stabilise soaring prices at home.

WHAT THE RETAILERS/FOOD SUPPLIERS ARE DOING.....

Some cut back on labour and electricity and are dishing out smaller portions. Others stock up or switch to lower grades of grain.

In the Philippines, rice the national staple, is offered free as an accompaniment to burgers and fried chicken by Jollibee as well as international rivals McDonald’s and Kentucky Fried Chicken. But much is wasted and the government called on restaurants last month to offer half-portions of rice as an alternative.

WHAT THE CONSUMERS SHOULD PONDER OVER AND DO.....

The human body is not meant to subsist on rice. While our genes have hardly changed in more than 30,000 years, our diet and lifestyle have changed dramatically. The caveman would hardly recognize our food or way of life.

The caveman never cooked his food as he did not know how to use fire. He ate his food raw -- fruits, vegetables, fish, eggs, nuts and meat. (Yes, even meat, since man has the enzymes for digesting it.)

However, rice -- like wheat and corn -- cannot be eaten raw. It must be cooked since we do not have the system of enzymes to break it down raw.

But now rice dominates our daily fare. In some parts of Asia, rice forms up to 85 percent of the plate. The rising demand of the growing population has eaten deep into the limited supply.

HEALTH RISK: For strategic and health reasons, let us keep to a minimum our rice intake. Rice may be great for our taste buds, but not for our body. Rice and other grains like wheat and corn are actually worse than sugar. Rice is chemically no different from sugar. When digested, it becomes sugar.

One bowl of cooked rice is the caloric equivalent of 10 teaspoons of sugar. It does not matter whether the rice is white, brown or organic.Brown rice is richer in fiber, has some B vitamins and minerals, but one bowl of it is still the caloric equal of 10 teaspoons of sugar.


Rice can be digested only when it is thoroughly cooked. However, when cooked, it becomes sugar and spikes circulating blood sugar within half an hour -- almost as quickly as when we eat a sugar candy.

LACKS FIBER: Rice is very low in the “rainbow of anti-oxidants,” which is needed for the effective and safe utilization of sugar.Fruits, on the other hand, come with a sugar called fructose. However, they are not empty calories as fruits are packed with a host of other nutrients that help proper assimilation and digestion.

Since white rice has no fiber, we end up eating lots of “calorie dense” food before we get filled up. Brown rice has more fiber, but still contains the same amount of sugar.

SURFEIT OF SUGAR: Rice is deceptively tasteless, unlike sugar which is sweet. We can take only so much of sugar before we feel like throwing up. Imagine swallowing 10 teaspoons of sugar (the equivalent of one bowl of rice) in one sitting!

We can take maybe two to three teaspoons of sugar. But some of us eat bowls of rice equal to 20-30 teaspoons of sugar in one meal! It is amusing to see someone eat five bowls of rice (equal to 50 teaspoons of sugar) and then ask for tea or coffee without sugar!

ALSO SALT: There is no real “built in” mechanism for us to prevent overeating of rice.How much kangkong can we eat? How much fried chicken? How much steamed fish? We cannot take too much of chicken, fish or cucumber, but we can eat a big amount of rice.

As rice is tasteless, we also tend to consume with it more salt -- another villain in high blood pressure control. We tend to flavor rice with curry laden with salt.(Good time to boycott Penang Nasi Kandar??!) We are also likely to consume more ketchup and soy sauce, which are rich in salt.

Worse, the more rice we eat, the less water we will drink as there is no mechanism to nip our overeating it.

HEAVY STUFF: Rice, wheat and corn sometimes come hidden in rice flour, noodles and bread that serve as rice substitutes. We often end up eating these hidden forms of rice that are digested into sugar.Rice is “heavy stuff.” Even when cooked, it is difficult to digest.


If you have digestion problems, skip rice for a few days. You will be amazed at how the problem just goes away. When taken in bulk, rice reduces the absorption of vital nutrients such as zinc, iron and the B vitamins.

Going riceless may not be easy, but we can still go with less of it. Take no rice or wheat at, say, breakfast. Go for eggs and nuts. Or go “western” once a week. Take no rice and breads for one day every week!

As our bodies acclimatise to eating less rice , we get healthier and Indirectly help to curb rice shortages and price increases.....Good Suggestion???!