Special to The Herald-Sun
DURHAM -- Over the years, there have been grapefruit diets, liquid diets and low-carb diets. But one Durham-based diet program has been more than a passing fad.
Based in a small white building on Cole Mill Road, the Rice Diet Program has been around for 70 years. The program will celebrate its anniversary with free events for the public from Friday to Nov. 2. The free events include dance lessons, a nature walk, massages, cooking classes and a Halloween party.
Originally designed by Walter Kempner to help people with high blood pressure, the diet is now used most often to lose weight. The diet program is not designed for casual weight loss. The average person in the program is 50 to 100 pounds overweight, says Kitty Gurkin Rosati, the nutrition director of The Rice Diet Program. In the first phase of the diet, participants, called Ricers, restrict their sodium intake to 50 milligrams a day. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the average person consumes about 3,500 milligrams of sodium a day.
"When you come here, you make a huge commitment," says Dr. Robert A. Rosati, director of the Rice Diet Program. "You pull yourself out of your own environment."
Jennifer Fusaro, 35, left her life in Narragansett, R.I., in July to move to Durham and get serious about her health. "This is the best decision of my life," Fusaro says. "It's a whole paradigm shift in lifestyle." While on the diet, Fusaro has lost an average of 4 to 6 pounds a week with diet and exercise. After not being able to bike for three years, Fusaro has recently been able to take to the trails once again.
Though Fusaro declined to comment on her starting weight, she has lost 60 pounds since July. Her goal is to lose 100 pounds. "It has been an amazing journey," she says. "It makes you feel so much better."
Before moving into a condominium in Durham, she researched and participated in various diets but she says they "pale in comparison" to the Rice Diet because it offers daily medical checks and three meals a day 365 days a year. Fusaro is choosing to spend Thanksgiving at The Rice House instead of going back home.
The low-fat, low-salt diet began in 1939 under Kempner for people with high blood pressure. At that time, people with high blood pressure could have died before they turned 40, Gurkin Rosati says.
Kempner worked to help people proactively reverse heart disease naturally, Gurkin Rosati says.
"He was interested in empowering people to step up to the plate and to take responsibility for their lives," she says.
Gurkin Rosati says the program helps heal the root of the problem. On the other hand, she says bypass surgery and medications treat symptoms rather than causes. "The fast way isn't always the best way," she says.
The 40 to 45 Ricers in the program meet daily with doctors for medical checkups. During the day, Ricers can attend workshops on topics such as healthy cooking, recipe experiments, menu planning, and long-term motivation.
The average stay is one month, says Rosati. In women, the average weight loss in four weeks is 19 pounds; in men, it's an average of 29 pounds. Participants in the program pay $2,300 for the first week, $1,800 for the second, $1,000 for the third, $800 for the fourth and $665 per each additional week. The program does not cover housing. Local hotels and housing complexes offer reduced rates for participants.
The dramatic changes are the result of the low-sodium foods the program offers--no meal has more than 250 milligrams. Gurkin Rosati says salt can sometimes sneak into foods. "Most salt in foods is hidden," she says. "It's not always from a salt shaker." The foods served at The Rice House are local and organic. No salt is added to any of the foods. "It cost us more, but we feel we have to be consistent in what we preach," Gurkin Rosati says.
Gurkin Rosati says salt can trigger food cravings. By reducing salt intake, people can eat and recognize when they feel satisfied. Phase one of the program acts like a detox, and Ricers only eat grains and fruits. Ricers consume 1,000 calories a day and 50 milligrams of sodium. In the second phase, participants learn how to have long-term healthy eating habits, such as eating organic foods and grass-fed beef. They still consume 1,000 calories a day, but they move up to 250 milligrams of sodium. Phase three is for participants when they leave The Rice House. They are recommended to eat 1,000 to 1,500 calories a day and 500 to 1,000 milligrams of sodium.
Gurkin Rosati says the fact that participants can almost immediately see results distinguishes the diet from its competitors.
"The results we get here are so dramatic that coming into work is a joy," Gurkin Rosati says. "It works. People like results."
