Hi Vibrant Health Seekers
Starch is a complex carbo-hydrate which converts to sugar in your body and will mostly be converted to fat. Typically found in rice, potatoes and grains.
Resistant starch is the starch which is not absorbed in the small intestine and travels on to your colon where it can potentially feed the healthy bacteria.
There are several kinds.
- The starch in raw potatoes and green bananas. But very few of us consume these foods in their raw state usually preferring or bananas ripe and our potatoes fried, mashed with milk, cream or cheese or baked with toppings such as cream, cheese and bacon. This starch rapidly enters the blood stream.
- The most interesting kind of resistant starch comes from ordinary starch which has been cooled and re-heated. E.g. Instead of eating a bowl of pasta tonight which is like eating a cup of sugar, you cook it, then refrigerate it overnight and reheat it tomorrow night.
This left over pasta is still introducing a lot of sugar into your blood but some of it will not be absorbed. How much is variable, a large size penne pasta is better than macaroni which is not as good as a fettuccini.
A rice sushi roll is better than freshly cooked rice because it has been cooled.
- Resistant starch found in beans and seeds. These are an ideal source of healthy gut bacteria food without spiking your blood glucose resulting in increased insulin which can result in fat gain.
If you are seeking to be health and lose weight by limiting sugar and grains and processed foods then it is best to avoid these foods completely at least for the first month. This gives you the best possible chance of making a clear assessment about eating this way. Seeds and occasional beans are OK
After the month if you need to eat pasta then cook-cool and reheat are you best options. Unfortunately this won’t happen in a restaurant so you will just have to wear the consequences. You will soon find out if there are any side effects.
An occasional cheat meal shouldn’t be a problem, but that all depends on how insulin resistant you are and how long you have been over weight. A long term problem will take longer for your body to reset and take you comfortably into fat burning mode.
It’s all about testing and noticing your results, so keep track of your progress and setbacks.
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Wishing you Vibrant health and happiness
Ian Newton ND & Dr Susan Newton