About the Diet

The Rice Diet consists of rice, fruits, vegetables, grains, breads, fish, and chicken. It can be relatively high in fiber, depending on which fruits and vegetables are eaten. Specific recommendations would be made for those suffering with constipation.

The original Rice Diet consisted of daily rice and fruit servings with the subsequent addition of vegetables and, finally, small amounts of fish and chicken.

The Rice Diet of Central Florida incorporates vegetables earlier in the diet and uses a congee preparation of the rice. Congee is essentially rice porridge, that can be thin or thick consistency, but unlike rice in its granular form. The congee allows a variety of presentations and advantages:

1. A bowl of congee rice is only 1/8 the calories of a bowl of plain rice.
2. It is easy to mix vegetables and fish or chicken into congee to make a tasty dish.
3. It is easy to add spices like Mrs. Dash, which do not have salt, but taste good and make the food quite flavorful.
4. Congee can be made into a variety of consistencies, which makes it appealing to a greater number of individuals. It can be soup-like, pudding-like, or a consistency in-between.
5. Breakfast congee is like porridge and can be garnished with fruit, honey, raisins, cinnamon, yogurt, splenda, etc.
6. Lunch/Dinner congee has more spices and vegetables.

Along with the congee rice, there is an allowance of 5 fruits per day that can either be divided within the 3 meals or eaten as snacks. As the diet progresses, other low calorie snacks are incorporated, each around 100 calories and very low in sodium.

The diet is low in fat and low in sodium. Low sodium helps lower blood pressure, reduce appetite, and lead to a feeling of improved overall health. The protein content is moderate, and a daily vitamin supplement is required.

After 1-2 weeks of the basic diet, vegetables are added to the lunch and dinner menu. Presentations will vary according to the Chef’s whim, which will allow you to sample a great variety of possible dishes and pick those you like best to continue eating at home.

In the final week, fish, chicken, and bread will be added to the menu.

We recommend drinking water; however, tea, decaffeinated coffee, small amounts of regular coffee, and certain low sodium flavored waters are permitted.

The diet is incomplete without daily walking exercise. Distance and speed will be determined by one’s physical health and ability. The more exercise one can do, the more they are likely to lose. Those who are severely limited will have a slower rate of weight reduction, but can also be successful. Those who are more fit may do other exercises at the nearby gym facilities to maintain and augment muscle mass.

The diet content and calories will change during the weeks you are on the program depending upon one’s results and goals.

There are 3 meals a day at the Rice Diet Center, 7 days a week. Weigh-in and medical checks are before breakfast. On weekends, after the morning check-in, you will have free time to do your walking, exercise, explore stores, malls, and engage in other sources of entertainment. It is also a good time for catching up on your thoughts, meditation, and writing a diary of your progress and growth. Information about local churches or synagogues can be obtained, if requested.