What is "Skinny Starch"?
Have you heard of resistant starch? Resistant starch is sometimes called the "Skinny Starch" because it can improve digestion, stabilize insulin and blood sugar, provide longer lasting energy, improved digestion and gut bacteria - all of which could potentially mean flatter bellies and weight loss.
Resistant Starch is a type of carbohydrate that "resists" digestion, meaning it passes through the stomach and the small intestine relatively unchanged. When it reaches the colon, it serves as a prebiotic fiber. A prebiotic is different than a probiotic. A prebiotic feeds the probiotic (good) bacteria. So you want both - in order to keep the good bacteria (probiotics) in your colon happy - you need to regularly feed them (prebiotics).
Types of resistant starches:
Certain foods contain resistant starch naturally such as plant-based foods with a cellular structure that offers some resistance to digestion - like legumes, tiger nuts, cassava, and whole grains.
Certain kinds of starch are naturally resistant to digestion in their raw or unriped state - like green bananas, raw potatoes, and green plantains.
Some starches become resistant to digestion after they are cooked then cooled - such as potatoes, rice, or pasta. Note: if you reheat these foods they will lose some of the resistant starch, but will also retain some.
There are also man made resistant starches, called "superstarch" - which is a food that has been modified/changed in order to be more resistant to digestion.
Butyrate
When resistant starch reaches the colon - it creates a short chain fatty acid chemical called butyrate - which changes the pH of the colon and has been shown to reduce inflammation, improve intestinal permeability, improve digestion, elimination and the metabolism. It also makes the colon a less hospitable environment for bad bacteria and even for colon cancers to develop. So regularly consuming resistant starch could potentially reduce our risk for colon cancer - the 4th most common type of cancer. (Read more)
Mark my words - resistant starch is pretty cool - I would even call it a "metabolism hack." But before you run out and start to load up on resistant starch - realize that like any fiber - especially a prebiotic one - you want to incorporate it slowly, or it could potentially cause digestive upset. So start with a 1/2 teaspoon or less to see how you do first.
My Favorite Resistant Starch - Tiger Nuts
One of the best sources of resistant starch in my opinion comes from a small tuber called a tiger nut. You can eat the nuts whole, or use tiger nut flour. In addition to making raw desserts with it, I like to add a Tablespoon of Tiger Nut flour to my smoothies.
Can Resistant Starches Help You Sleep?
Another benefit of resistant starch is that it can also help some people sleep - so this Tiger Nut & Cashew Horchata drink I created could be a nice thing to have before bedtime.
Healthier Desserts?
Because resistant starches provide longer lasting energy, help feed good gut bacteria, they are a great ingredient to use for desserts. Just make sure to choose a healthier option for sweetening your desserts - like dates, coconut palm sugar, yacon, or monkfruit sweetener like Lakinto.
To learn more about resistant starch get my eBook The Skinny Starch - it includes delicious recipes like cookie dough balls, pudding, smoothies, and more!
LIsten to my podcast episode about Skinny Starch.
