Some people say "I need a beer", I say, "I need rice"?
October 20, 2014 3:10 PM Subscribe
I've noticed that lately eating a small plate of plain, cooked brown Jasmine rice has a wonderful calming effect on me. If I've had a stressful day, just thinking about cooking up some rice in my rice cooker makes me feel happy. I love the smell of fragrant rice cooking. And when I eat it, I feel absolutely amazing.
I'm not a drinker, but in the few times that I have had wine, I know how wine makes me feel happier after just one glass. I feel the same way after eating some plain rice. I only eat brown, organic, non-GMO rice, whether plain, Jasmine, Basmati or wild/mixed.
I don't make pasta as much, but when I do, the plain freshly-cooked pasta has the same effect as rice.
Has anyone out there felt the same way / knows what I'm talking about? Is there something about rice / pasta that makes it so addicting? This is a new thing for me; in the past I never cared much about either food, but now I'm starting to get hooked. I know they can be unhealthy if eaten too often, so I do have limits and make sure I'm aware of how much I'm consuming.
Also does anyone know if brown rice is a good post-run snack? I'm training for my first 5K and I run every other day, right now averaging around 7.8ish miles a week (slowly increasing as I work through my training plan).
I'm not a drinker, but in the few times that I have had wine, I know how wine makes me feel happier after just one glass. I feel the same way after eating some plain rice. I only eat brown, organic, non-GMO rice, whether plain, Jasmine, Basmati or wild/mixed.
I don't make pasta as much, but when I do, the plain freshly-cooked pasta has the same effect as rice.
Has anyone out there felt the same way / knows what I'm talking about? Is there something about rice / pasta that makes it so addicting? This is a new thing for me; in the past I never cared much about either food, but now I'm starting to get hooked. I know they can be unhealthy if eaten too often, so I do have limits and make sure I'm aware of how much I'm consuming.
Also does anyone know if brown rice is a good post-run snack? I'm training for my first 5K and I run every other day, right now averaging around 7.8ish miles a week (slowly increasing as I work through my training plan).
Whole grains are full of healthy energy and B vitamins. If the pasta is whole grain as well, then you're probably jut happy because you're getting what you need.
posted by serena15221 at 3:18 PM on October 20, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by serena15221 at 3:18 PM on October 20, 2014 [1 favorite]
It's because carbs are amazing. Sure, they may not be a healthy food choice and you may crash in a couple of hours but that moment when you tuck into a hot fresh white dinner roll, or rice or mashed potatoes, the world is a gentler place and each bite tastes like home.
posted by saradarlin at 3:19 PM on October 20, 2014 [11 favorites]
posted by saradarlin at 3:19 PM on October 20, 2014 [11 favorites]
I've noticed this with rice but only the rice that my college roommate used to make. It was amazing and wonderful and I haven't really experienced rice like that since.
I think there's two parts: psychological and physical.
The first part is that in stressful moments you start thinking of the things that calm you. You start looking forward to it. Then you experience it and it tastes just as good as you imagined. This is kind of like a placebo effect. You expect it to work so it works.
The other part is blood sugar. I know sometimes when I haven't eaten in awhile and I feel tired and crabby, and then I eat something sugar-y or carb-y I feel noticeably better all over my body very quickly. Rice and pasta are good for that.
posted by bleep at 3:20 PM on October 20, 2014 [2 favorites]
I think there's two parts: psychological and physical.
The first part is that in stressful moments you start thinking of the things that calm you. You start looking forward to it. Then you experience it and it tastes just as good as you imagined. This is kind of like a placebo effect. You expect it to work so it works.
The other part is blood sugar. I know sometimes when I haven't eaten in awhile and I feel tired and crabby, and then I eat something sugar-y or carb-y I feel noticeably better all over my body very quickly. Rice and pasta are good for that.
posted by bleep at 3:20 PM on October 20, 2014 [2 favorites]
It sounds like you're describing a side effect of being "hangry".
I often forget to eat and become gradually more and more irritable (in a way I'm not conscious of in the moment) until I eat something, and then I'm flooded with a feeling of comfort. Because I was hungry, not because "carbs = drugs" or somesuch nonsense.
posted by Sara C. at 3:32 PM on October 20, 2014 [3 favorites]
I often forget to eat and become gradually more and more irritable (in a way I'm not conscious of in the moment) until I eat something, and then I'm flooded with a feeling of comfort. Because I was hungry, not because "carbs = drugs" or somesuch nonsense.
posted by Sara C. at 3:32 PM on October 20, 2014 [3 favorites]
The reason (or at least a reason) that carbs so often make us feel better is because they make tryptophan more available to the brain, and tryptophan is a precursor for serotinin. Your rice is basically a delicious, fragrant antidepressant.
posted by mysterious_stranger at 3:41 PM on October 20, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by mysterious_stranger at 3:41 PM on October 20, 2014 [2 favorites]
Yep, when I binge it's almost always on savory carbs. It's my #1 form of self-medication, and for me it is absolutely a drug with psychological and physiological addiction components. And under normal circumstances it is not in reaction to a glucose crash, because I don't have those when I keep my carbs low.
You should be eating protein in the hour window before and after exercise for optimum recovery and muscle-building anyway.
posted by Lyn Never at 4:04 PM on October 20, 2014 [2 favorites]
You should be eating protein in the hour window before and after exercise for optimum recovery and muscle-building anyway.
posted by Lyn Never at 4:04 PM on October 20, 2014 [2 favorites]
I feel that way about sushi and am pretty sure it's the rice, which is also usually sweetened. I'll find myself dreaming about sushi and sushi-like dishes when in need of comfort.
posted by BibiRose at 4:23 PM on October 20, 2014
posted by BibiRose at 4:23 PM on October 20, 2014
Has anyone out there felt the same way
Everyone feels this way. Because, as stated: carbs.
posted by DarlingBri at 4:25 PM on October 20, 2014 [2 favorites]
Everyone feels this way. Because, as stated: carbs.
posted by DarlingBri at 4:25 PM on October 20, 2014 [2 favorites]
I recently fell down an internet K-hole about resistant starches. Mood stabilization is one of the
commonly stated effects. I'm not sure I buy in but it's an interesting thought.
posted by Deodand at 7:25 PM on October 20, 2014
commonly stated effects. I'm not sure I buy in but it's an interesting thought.
posted by Deodand at 7:25 PM on October 20, 2014
Also, rice really does smell wonderful.
posted by redfoxtail at 8:02 PM on October 20, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by redfoxtail at 8:02 PM on October 20, 2014 [2 favorites]
Are you allowing the brown rice to soak at all? If so, it might've germinated and it's possible you have GABA rice. It contains higher levels of GABA (as a result of the sprouting process) and can be purchased or made very easily (perhaps even unintentionally). GABA is a neurotransmitter inhibitor and is generally associated with a relaxed state/reduced excitability (in adults).
Barring that, nthing the 'carb high' and the glorious feeling of sating your hunger.
posted by stubbehtail at 12:31 AM on October 21, 2014
Barring that, nthing the 'carb high' and the glorious feeling of sating your hunger.
posted by stubbehtail at 12:31 AM on October 21, 2014
When I go on a lower-carb diet, each year during Passover, I find that I'm pretty irritable by the end of the eight days. Maybe something like this is going on for you as well?
posted by Anne Neville at 8:55 AM on October 21, 2014
posted by Anne Neville at 8:55 AM on October 21, 2014
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by The Hyacinth Girl at 3:13 PM on October 20, 2014 [20 favorites]