If you are diabetic (or have been diagnosed as pre-diabetic) no doubt your doctor has advised you to cut back on high-carb foods like pasta, rice and potatoes, as well as the more obvious things like sweets and cakes. 

These foods all contain starch, which is turned into glucose by the body. They can cause your blood sugar to spike, with an accompanying surge in your insulin levels.

If you're diabetic or pre-diabetic then you want to prevent these spikes from happening if you can.

But how do you do that? And do you have to drastically change your diet?

Most people who are newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes are either told to change their diet, or they’re given medication to control their condition. Or it's often a combination of the two.

Dietary changes are preferable to taking medication, which can have some unpleasant side effects. And you may have to increase the dosage as time goes on to get the same benefits.

But unfortunately, changing your diet can mean cutting out some of your favourite foods. Depressing isn't it?

One of the problems is that our western diet is heavily based on carbohydrates; we eat a lot of bread, potatoes, rice and pasta. Think toast or cereal for breakfast, a sandwich for lunch then a bowl of pasta or a burger and fries for our evening meal. That’s a lot of carbs in one day.

The good news is, research has shown that by pre-cooking and cooling foods like pasta, rice and potatoes you turn the simple starches into something called resistant starch. This type of starch is made from glucose molecules that form long chains, tightly bonded together. 

They're able to resist the efforts of the digestive enzymes to break them apart so they can pass through the stomach and into the intestines, slowing down our digestion. 

This is great news for our gut, as resistant starch feeds our microbiome, or good bacteria. These friendly bacteria are very important to our overall health, not just the health of our gut. The more of these little guys we have, the better.

We are now beginning to realise how crucial these microscopic organisms are. The microbiome is an organ that's just as important as our liver, heart and our other vital organs. 

See this article from Harvard for detailed information on the microbiome and foods that help to support this important part of our digestive system.

Resistant starch is good news for those living with type 2 diabetes, or who have recently been diagnosed with the condition. In the past, eating rice, pasta or potatoes caused a surge in insulin production. 

This is a problem if you're diabetic, as by the time you get the diagnosis, your pancreas is likely to be worn out and can no longer produce the insulin you need. 

But cooking your rice or pasta first, allowing it to cool down in the fridge, then reheating it has been shown to turn the starch into resistant starch.  This passes through your stomach without causing the spike in blood glucose levels that you would usually have. 

The result is that you can maintain your blood glucose levels, and keep them more stable, while still being able to tuck into your favourite dishes. 

This process also works for potatoes. So you can enjoy mashed potatoes, roast potatoes and potato salad knowing that you're not causing a surge in your glucose levels by enjoying them. 

For more information please see this article on resistant starch and how it can help you. 

It's not clear whether eating more resistant starch will help you to lose weight, but if your glucose levels are stable then it will slow down the production of fat cells. Also, it reduces the appetite, and cravings for sweet things too. This can only be an advantage if you want to shed a few pounds.

Resistant starch is naturally found in foods such as oats, barley, green bananas, legumes and peas. Eating more of these foods can be a good way to get more gut-friendly foods into your diet. Good news for those trying to cut the carbs and who want to make friends with their good bacteria.

Pasta salads are a great way to eat more resistant starch. Add things like chicken, tuna or vegetables. Cooked and cooled rice can be turned into fried rice or pilau rice with just a few extra ingredients. Or a middle eastern pilaf, with fruit and nuts. There are endless possibilities.

So if  your doctor has just told you that you have type 2 diabetes, don't despair; you can still eat your favourite foods, without harming your health.