The old saying “calories in, calories out” for weight loss is actually oversimplification of a much more complex problem, but the sad truth is that Americans eat too much. According to the USDA, the average American eats 500 more calories daily than needed, while some experts are suggesting that people in the USA eat 100% more food than they need. This is a 20% increase since the 1970s, or on average, an extra steak sandwich per day!
Sudhair James from the College of Chemical Sciences in Sri Lanka, recently presented a new way of cooking rice which should cut the caloric absorption by 50-60%. He found a way to make the rice become a resistant starch which can resist the absorption of starch or sugar from entering the bloodstream.
Starches such as rice are easily digestible and converted to glucose in the blood. And while most of it goes to muscles and liver as glycogen, excess glucose is stored as fat, contributing to obesity and other health problems. Resistant starches on the other hand, pass through the small intestine undigested and becomes food for the beneficial bacteria in the large intestine while reducing the risk of excess glucose in the blood. It will also help with healthy elimination and natural fat burning.
Coconut oil – the secret ingredient
To increase the resistant starch content of rice you need to follow these steps:
Add a teaspoon of coconut oil in boiling water, then stir in half a cup of rice once the oil dissolves. Simmer the mixture for 40 minutes until the rice is cooked – some scientists are suggesting that you could boil it for 20-25 minutes instead. Try the rice to make sure it’s well cooked. Put the mixture in the fridge for 12 hours afterwards.
This procedure will increase the resistant starch content by up to 10 times!
How does it work?
James says that coconut oil enters the starch granules during cooking and makes the sugar resistant to digestive enzymes, so it won’t break down and be digested. The cooling process of the rice for 12 hours binds the starch to molecules on the outside of rice and turns the sugar to resistant starch, so reheating won’t affect its levels.
In order to learn which type of rice and coconut oil would be best for this process, further studies are underway.
And while this is great news to rice lovers, as with anything else, you should not overdo it. Overeating on rice can disrupt your blood sugar levels, so you should eat it moderately. Include more fiber and nutrient rich foods in your diet such as sweet potatoes, quinoa, barley, leafy green vegetables, cauliflower and mushrooms.