Whole Foods and the Story About Rice

by Dr. April Gilliom, Naturopathic Physician & Health Education Lifestyle Coach

With Breast Cancer Awareness month being October, I would like to give a moment of recognition to the beauty and power of whole foods, through the lens of rice.

Whole foods are close to their natural state; how they’d be harvested from land or water. They have vibrant colors naturally, and are rich in integral fiber and minerals.

Whole foods represent traditional ways of eating, closer to nature and in their true form. For example, a whole grain of rice, has its bran and germ intact. The bran is the colorful brown, red, or black out layer of a rice kernel. The germ is a little spot in the seed where germination would begin, rich in vital nutrients. The nutty taste and warm chewy texture of native wild rice is amazing.

Just as these parts of the seed offer great protection and future growth of the rice plant, so do these parts offer protection to our bodies. Though processed, refined, simple white rice may be quick to cook and digest and easy to chew, when choosing grains for a balanced meal or snack, prioritizing whole varieties is a key step to cancer risk reduction.

With fresh rice harvests from early fall, this can be a great time to procure native wild rice varieties from Tribal-owned businesses, connect with our roots through whole foods, and chew a little longer to taste the complex flavors of a whole grain.

Join in our October Cooking Class, always fun, and a place to learn recipes that support your health resilience.