What Are Resistance Carbs?
Oh, carbs… such a confusing topic. As if figuring out the difference between simple carbs, complex carbs and refined carbs wasn't enough for dieters to worry about, there are also resistance carbs. There's a good chance you've heard this term before but didn't quite get it. Well, I'm going to break it down for you so it's easy to understand.
What Are Resistance Carbs?
When discussing carbohydrates, they can be separated into a few different categories. First, there are carbs that are digestible and carbs that are not. Next, we can take digestible carbs and separate them into two groups: slow digesting and fast digesting. Slow digesting carbs are resistance carbs. The name makes sense now, doesn't it?
Why Resistance Carbs?
So, now you may be wondering why you should eat resistance carbs, or why they are good for losing weight. Basically, resistance carbs do not cause your blood sugar to spike as rapidly as other carbs. This is good if you're trying to lose weight, because rapid spikes in your blood sugar are what cause your body to store calories as fat before trying to make use out of them elsewhere in your body.
What Are Some Resistance Carbs?
- Raw bananas and plantains
- Legumes (beans)
- Whole grains (brown rice, oatmeal, barley, whole wheat)
- Cooked and cooled starches (cooked potatoes, yams and pastas that have cooled off before you eat them)
As you can see, there's not much difference between resistance carbs and the healthy carbs you would be advised to eat following most any diet. The only ones that might seem a bit confusing are the "cooked and cooled starches." Some starches, such as the ones I listed (pasta, potatoes, yams) actually increase in resistance starch after they have been cooked but only if you let them cool off before you eat them.
Sources:
http://www.fcf.usp.br/7ifdc/pdf/session08/7ifdc_session08_02_terry_finocchiaro.pdf
http://etd.lsu.edu/docs/available/etd-1109103-211240/unrestricted/Garcia_thesis.pdf
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Published by Tom Servo - Featured Contributor in Health & Wellness and Lifestyle
I have been a professional freelance writer since 2007. I write under many pen names for a wide array of publishers. I am an excellent researcher and I like to write about any topic that interests me. In add... View profile
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