Too Good to Resist!

I was never a fan (or follower) of low-carb diets; I always felt they were more hype than help and frustrating for those stuck in a cycle of weight loss and re-gain.

Recently, I’ve been reading about the growing interest in “resistant starches” and their potential to expedite weight loss, prevent high blood pressure and protect against diabetes. 

While you might not know much about resistant starches, I’m willing to bet you’ve been eating them for a long time.  That said, I thought I’d devote today’s entry to this good-for-you carbohydrate.

Resistant starch is actually a type of fiber found naturally in potatoes, beans and legumes (black-eyed peas, kidney and soy beans, lentils, etc.) and grains (brown rice, barley, etc.).  How it got its name is that it “resists” digestion and doesn’t go into the bloodstream, and since it can’t be absorbed or digested, it doesn’t act like other carbohydrates which are stored as body fat when you eat too much.

Here are some other benefits:

• Resistant starches help control blood sugar levels.  After you eat a meal containing resistant starches, blood sugar and insulin levels are depressed.  This is encouraging news for those with diabetes.
• Research indicates that butyrate, a good-for-you fatty acid produced by the digestion of resistant starches, may help prevent
  colon cancer
• Resistant starch also triggers satiety-inducing hormones, so a meal including potatoes or beans may prompt you to eat less
  and feel full sooner

So, add yams, corn and bananas to your shopping list and do your body good!