February 6, 2009
6 month results of the Rice Diet:  2 people lose over 70 lbs each. Hypertension, diabetes, arthritis reversed.

November 28, 2009
Data results of the first 8 weeks of the Rice Diet program. Click here for more details.

September 23, 2009
Watch our testimonials to see our success stories. Click here.

September 16, 2009
Data results on the first 4 week session a great success! Click here for more details.

August 4, 2009
The Rice Diet of Central Florida began the first group sessions. Congratulations!

May 25, 2009
The Rice Diet will be administered and medically supervised by Dr. Douglas Sprung, as an extension of the dietary management of obesity and other medical illnesses, provided through the Gastroenterology Group.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is it called the Rice Diet?
 
The diet is not only about eating Rice. Dr Kempner had been conducting basic research on the effects of salt on kidney cells and in the damaged kidney for some time when he discovered that very low sodium had salubrious effects. When he applied it to a woman with severe hypertension, she had a miraculous improvement and the Rice Diet was born. After a basic wash out period when only rice and fruits are ingested, the diet gradually expands to eating vegetables, poultry, fish and lean meats, and ultimately pasta and low sodium breads/crackers. In other words, it is a very normal balanced diet that can be maintained for your entire life. The variations that may be called for depend on the individuals particular medical conditions, and therefore vary by their medical needs. The diet initially needs to be under medical supervision.
 
Why is it so important to limit salt in this diet?
 
Most people who are obese have excess salt in their bodies and therefore excess body fluid, since salt attracts water. Cleansing the body of excess salt has the beneficial effect of making a person feel better as well as improving hypertension, heart failure many complications of diabetes and some aspects of kidney dysfunction.  At the same time eradicating the extra fluid weight helps improve foot and joint pains, and make people more comfortable with less hand and joint edema.
 
Does it matter what kind of rice you eat?
 
You can eat white rice, brown rice, Basmati rice, Jasmine rice, converted rice…..they are all very similar in content of protein and lack of sodium. If you suffer from constipation the brown rice may be favored, otherwise you can eat the one that tastes best to you.
 
Is this a diet that I can stay on long term?
 
The Rice Diet is actually a life style. If you want to be successful at dieting, it must be a lifelong project. You will need to stay on a maintenance plan for your entire life if you want to maintain the benefits you achieve short term. With the Rice Diet, if you can achieve your ideal body weight and maintain it for 2 years, Dr Kempner always maintained that you would be able to keep your weight and all the healthy effects of the Rice Diet from then on. That was his experience over 50 years. If you stop watching what you eat and how you prepare your food, you will usually fall back to all the same old habits that caused you to fail in the past, and all the old problems will reoccur. So for this diet to be successful, it has to become your lifestyle, and the Rice Diet is very natural, holistic diet and compatible with long term use.
 
I have failed many diets in the past, why would the Rice Diet be good for me?
 
The Rice Diet is a simple and logical diet. There are no gimmicks. It is sound and well balanced. The are no special potions or special foods that are only sold to participants. The food can be obtained anywhere and anyplace you may travel around the world. You will learn how and what to eat, and become very knowledgeable about the realities of how food effects ones health and their future wellbeing. The only reason you may fail the Rice Diet is if you are not adequately motivated. “Thou shalt be motivated” is the first commandment of the Rice Diet. If you are, then you will likely succeed, and with flying colors! Of course the Rice Diet is the only diet that can affect great medical benefits beyond just weight loss, for those with hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, sleep apnea, fatty liver, hyperlipidemia, strokes and many other ailments. That is why “The Rice Diet is the right diet”.

How is the local Rice Diet program conducted?

This is a program whose premise is that you are going to have to lose weight and maintain that weight loss in the real world, and therefore we are trying to teach you how to conduct yourself in that environment from the beginning. You will never be in an artificial environment devoid of the usual stresses of your everyday life. You will learn to cook, shop, exercise and take care of your family all at the same time. You will learn to read and understand food labels and learn how to pick foods that are permitted and which are not. There will be a progression of permitted foods and you will receive recipes and benefit from the support of a group and the creativity of the group. Dr Sprung and Denise Sprung will be leading the lectures weekly and provide first hand instruction. Handouts, recipes and emotional and psychological aides will be given out weekly. The program is designed to last as long as necessary for each individual….until you attain your ideal body weight or attain your endpoint in control of your health problem.

How much weight can I lose in one month?

The local Rice Diet has graduated its first class, with outstanding results! There was an average weight lose of almost 17 lbs, with women averaging 15 lbs and men 22 lbs. The most weight lost was 28 lbs (by a man). It is terrific to be able to lose weight quickly, but more important is sticking with the program until you attain your ideal body weight, so you avoid the yo-yo syndrome.

Why is it that even though I don’t eat very much I am not able to lose weight and sometimes I even gain weight?

Paradoxically, people who are distinctly overweight have a slower metabolic rate than a person who is of ideal body weight. Therefore, even if you don’t eat much you still may be exceeding allowable calories for your metabolic rate. To increase metabolic rate and the burning of calories (and therefore promote weight loss) you will need to combine exercise with calorie reduction. Sometimes the degree of caloric restriction needs to be severe. By gaining more muscle mass through exercise you will also increase your metabolic rate, which is one reason men may lose weight quicker than women (because of a greater muscle mass). Through the right combination of exercise and diet everyone can lose weight, although the rate varies widely amongst individuals.

Who can benefit the most from this diet plan?

The Rice Diet is right for anyone suffering from obesity, or any of the following medical problems ( even if you are not obese): hypertension, coronary artery disease, peripheral artery disease, history of heart attacks, strokes or heart failure, arthritis, sleep apnea, fatty liver, gastro esophageal reflux, high lipid levels and diabetes or its complications. It may help to decrease the chance for colon and breast cancer as well.

Please feel free to ask any questions you may have by emailing us at info@ricedietcf.com.