By  Jeani-Rose Atchison

Guest Writer for  Wake Up World

Rice accounts for 80% of the total calories consumed by half of the world’s population.

This makes rice a very important crop to look at as far as its impact both on the health of the planet and ourselves. Besides the chemicals used in crops like insecticides and herbicides, another practice used on conventionally grown rice is fumigation. According to The Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) on January 14th, 2012, “…Sulfuryl fluoride is currently also registered in Australia as a fumigant to control insects in buildings and other structures including those used for storage of some food commodities.” It is not necessary to remove the food before treatment.

Only in Australia?   No, the forerunner of all these questionable practices is the U.S. where they have just this year decided to phase out sulfuryl fluoride fumigation. Unfortunately Australia has not decided to follow suit. According to the Rivermouth Action Group and the Fluoride Action Group, “Sulfuryl fluoride or ProFume (brand name) gas has been shown to leave residues in stored commodities and remain there for up to 46 days. Under freezer conditions this time lapse can even be 180 days.” It is greatly disturbing then, when the makers of ProFume, Dow AgroSciences, say to allow a minimum of just 24 hours before consuming fumigated commodities. With all of the recent research available on the toxicity of flouride it is unbelievable that we would still use these products. No thanks, I will stick to organic choices.

Brown rice has a shelf life of apx 6 months so if you have had brown rice in the past that just didn’t taste fresh, it probably  wasn’t. That is one of the reasons big food manufacturers love white rice.   It can stay on the shelf forever! But because brown rice is nutritionally superior (with bran and oils intact) to white it is recommended that you purchase smaller amounts of rice that is grown relatively close to you so that you can be assured of its freshness.

Some of the health benefits of brown rice include it being rich in Selenium, Anti-Oxidants, Manganese and naturally occurring healthful fats. Rice also has a high fibre content to promote healthy bowel function as well as being helpful in stabilizing blood sugar levels. I love brown rice on its own or mixed into recipes like the following;

Organic Macadamia Nut Burgers W/Minted Plum and Red Bell Pepper Salsa

1 medium organic onion

1 large clove organic garlic

1 organic vegetable cube

1 Tbs organic olive or coconut oil

2 cups of cooked organic brown rice

1 1/2 cups of raw organic macadamias

1 Tbs organic Tahini

1/4 cup nutritional (savoury) yeast

1 organic carrot, shredded

Sauté’ onion, garlic and veg cube in oil over medium heat until onion is golden and soft.

Chop macadamias in a food processor until it forms a coarse meal and add all other ingredients except carrot. Pulse until the rice is partially broken down yet still with texture. Do not make smooth!

Mix in carrot and form into 6-8 patties and let sit for 10 minutes.

Using a medium-hot skillet, saute’ the patties in a little oil until golden brown on each side. Serve with salsa.

Salsa

1 light fleshed organic plum, chopped coarsely

2 small organic bell peppers, red and yellow, chopped coarsely

1/4 of an organic red onion, sliced thin and chopped

1 finely chopped organic chili, jalapeno for a little bite, birds eye for a lot, it is your choice!

1 small organic garlic clove, minced

2 Tbs fresh organic mint, minced

1/4 tsp sea salt

juice of 1 organic lime

2 Tbs organic olive, flax or hemp oil

Stir all ingredients together and let sit for 15 minutes before serving.

Sources

members.optusnet.com.au/rivermouth/sulfuryl

fluoridealert.org

apvma.gov.au

About the Author

Jeani-Rose Atchison is a health advocate, and  home-schooling  mother of five who also finds time to write about nutrition, whole foods and environmental concerns. She authored,  Every Day Vegan  – 300 recipes for healthful eating which is a mainstay in vegetarian kitchens. Atchison’s latest book,  Food for Thought  – Thought for Food is chock full of delicious whole food recipes. It also takes a controversial look at the food we eat today and the processes involved in bringing it to your table. Can your food make you ill? The answer may shock you!

To find out more go to Jeani-Rose’s  Facebook  or  Website