I ran across new research about a topic I’ve never heard discussed, resistant starch. While carbs get a bad wrap, some starches may hold the key to lasting weight loss. Potatoes haven’t always had the best reputation but they are now part of pivotal information along with corn, rice, beans and green bananas.
“Resistant starch has the potential to become the next hot nutrition trend,” says Leslie Bonci, RD, author of the American Dietetic Association’s Guide to Better Digestion (source).
Resistant Starch: The New Fat Loss Powerhouse
Many people have never heard of resistant starch but you’ve probably been eating them through out your life. This type of starch is present in potatoes starches, grains, green bananas and beans. It’s also been linked to some of the most successful diet plans and common weight training / bodybuilding meal plans. Resistant starch derived it’s name for it’s ability to “resist” digestion. This makes it an undeniable tool for weight loss and fat loss. It allows your body to burn more fat and stay full due to the fiber content and how it chemically affects your body.
Since you can’t digest or absorb this starch, it bypasses the process of converting into fat.
2 Ways Resistant Starch Can Impact Your Results
1.) Fermentation – Once these starches reach your large intestine, they become fermented. This process leads to the production of a “good” fatty acid, butyrate. This fatty acid prevents your body from using carbs as fuel. Since the body naturally wants to use carbs it tries to use those first. When it runs out, it then turns to fat. Butyrate, helps your body bypass this process. It turns to fat FIRST instead of reaching for carbs that are stored in the muscle, and liver.
“One study found that replacing just 5.4% of total carbohydrate intake with resistant starch created a 20 to 30% increase in fat burning after a meal.”
2.) It Puts a Stop to Hunger – In studies, resistant starch has been show to help the body release more of the hormones that keep you full. No wonder bodybuilders love sweet potatoes and brown rice 😉
The benefits of these types of starches don’t just pertain to vanity, they also help to combat heart disease, diabetes, and some forms of cancer. It also helps to boost the natural “good bacteria” in your gut. The help to boost your own probiotics making your immune system strong and healthy.
Background information from Prevention Magazine notes that just 1/2 a cup of cooled resistant starch could make a huge difference in your overall health.
Companies are catching on and cashing in by producing products such as “Hi-maize.” This product is derived from corn and can act as a natural fat booster in place of flour. It can alter an otherwise unhealthy, starchy food that could lead to weight gain.
*Fitness Tips – Try to buy organic rices, corns, beans and bananas. It is also recommend that you rinse these 5 -6 times before cooking them. All of these have been known to have high levels of mold. Rinsing decreases the mold toxins that can cause other negative side affects.
YES, They have to be cooled! In order to get all the benefits of resistant starches, you must allow them to cool. The beneficial starches are created as the food decreases in temperature. You can cool them at room temp or in the fridge (I like this option the best), but YOU MUST NOT REHEAT THEM. This will break up the beneficial crystals in the starch that allow it to resist absorption.
This research made complete sense to me. I have been using what I consider to be “body building staples” for almost a decade now. These include rice and sweet potatoes. However, I avoid beans because they upset my stomach. Resistant starches may not be new to the diet but hopefully more people will adopt a healthier lifestyle with this research and begin to eat them cold 😉
*Sources for this article
Living Lean,
Adria
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