A simple trick to support blood sugar, gut health, and digestion.

Let’s be honest, rice is love. If you’re from anywhere in Asia, it’s more than just a grain… it’s comfort, tradition, and a staple on the plate. And while white rice sometimes gets a bad rap, I’m here to share a simple way to keep it in your life while making it work a little harder for your body.

This isn’t about cutting carbs. It’s about working with your body and making a small tweak that delivers big benefits.

🌾 The Rice Hack You Didn’t Know You Needed

Here’s the trick:

Cook your rice. Cool it completely. Then reheat and enjoy.

Yup, that’s it. It’s a proven way to increase something called resistant starch, which comes with some amazing perks.

If you want to take it one step further? Add coconut oil while cooking. Let’s break it down:

🔬 What’s Resistant Starch & Why Should You Care?

When rice is cooked and then cooled, part of the starch structure changes through a process called retrogradation. This forms resistant starch, a type of starch that “resists” digestion in the small intestine.

Instead of being absorbed as glucose (which can spike blood sugar), resistant starch moves into the large intestine where it feeds your good gut bacteria. It behaves more like fiber than sugar — and that’s a very good thing.

✅ Benefits of Resistant Starch:

• Helps stabilize blood sugar (goodbye, energy crashes)

• Feeds the gut microbiome, acting as a prebiotic

• May slightly reduce the calorie load of the rice

• Leaves you feeling fuller and more satisfied

🥥 What About the Coconut Oil Hack?

Adding coconut oil during cooking (about 1 tsp per ½ cup dry rice) can increase resistant starch even more. The fat binds with some of the digestible starch, helping it convert more efficiently into a resistant form when cooled.

But here’s the thing:

Even without the oil, just cooking and cooling your rice still gives you those gut-loving, blood sugar-steadying benefits.

🍴 How to Use Your Upgraded Rice

This rice is totally meal-prep friendly and works beautifully with:

• Curries and stews

• Stir-fries or chili prawns

• Breakfast bowls with eggs and avocado

• Leftover grain salads

Just cool it completely in the fridge, store, and reheat as needed.

Food isn’t just fuel — it’s culture, connection, and joy. And yes, that can include rice.

So next time you’re cooking up a pot, try this method and give your gut (and blood sugar) a little love with every bite.