Newsflash: Carbs Are Good Again

Growing up, I was taught that carbohydrates were an important part of a balanced diet. As an adult, during the fat is bad, Susan Powter era, carbohydrates became a dominant food. This was quickly followed by the low-carb craze. As America grew tired of an all-meat diet, we were left to find safe ground in the land of good and bad carbs. Meanwhile, Americans followed all the trends and packed on the pounds. Now, according to a Today Show Eat Smart Today segment, and also prevention magazine, carbohydrates aren't as bad as we think they are. In fact, they are very, very good. The word you want to familiarize yourself with here is resistant starch. Apparently, these resistant starches give a completely new meaning to the term good carbs.

Resistant starches are the hottest new thing, and are found in age old no-no's of the diet world. Foods that include resistant starches are potatoes, beans, and grains, the same food you grew up on and the same foods that you pushed away from when you wanted to lose a few pounds. So what has changed, you might ask. Apparently, the temperature at which you eat these foods makes a big difference. Starchy foods apparently resist being digested when they are eaten in a cool state or at room temperature.

These starches are made resistant during the cooling stage after being cooked as starch portions crystallize making them immune to digestion. Reheating foods unfortunately lowers the resistance. This is good news for me, as I prefer room temperature foods.

Resistant Carbohydrates that you will want to add to your diet are:

Bananas: Bananas are more resistant to digestion when slightly green

Beans: Black beans served cold in salads, chilled bean dip, and hummus

Barley: Mix barley in Tuna or chicken salad to add to vegetable salads

Brown Rice: Brown rice is best in sushi and as a cooled breakfast cereal.

Corn: Corn should be served on salad, in salsa, and as a relish

Potatoes and Yams: Potatoes should be served cold in salad (without mayo), or pureed and chilled. (For me, that would mean I could eat a modified version of sweet potato salad.) Also, if you prefer white bread to wheat, you should try potato bread.

In addition to filling your tummy and aiding in weight loss, resistant starches are also rumored to prevent cancer, fight diabetes and heart disease and boost the immune system. Experts suggest you add 1/2 to 1 cup of cooled starches to your diet each day. Have the experts found the magic bullet this time, or are we headed for a dangerous downward spiral. Only time will tell.