What if I told you…

There’s a way you can eat potatoes, rice, and oatmeal that helps you:

And what if I told you, you've been lied to about these foods.

For years, you were told they were the enemy. That these carbs are the reason you can't lose weight, feel bloated, and don't feel like yourself anymore.

So you did what anyone would do…you cut them out entirely.

But here's what nobody told you…

Those carbs you cut out? They might be the exact reason you lost control of your body in the first place.

All because you stopped eating them.

How many times have you heard this?

"Carbs make you gain weight."

"Carbs spike your blood sugar."

"Cut carbs if you want results."

Now there is a sliver of truth in there. Processed carbs like chips, white bread, and sugary cereals?

Yeah, those aren't doing you any favors.

But here's where everyone else gets it dangerously wrong.

They lump all carbs into one category. Potatoes get treated the same as Pop-Tarts. Rice gets grouped with Rice Krispies. And oatmeal somehow ends up in the same conversation as Oreos.

That couldn't be further from the truth.

Because potatoes, rice, and oatmeal aren't just ‘not bad’ for you…they're some of the most powerful foods you can eat in your 40s, 50s, 60s, and beyond.

I bet you weren’t expecting that!

The reason why all starts in your gut.

Did you know you have trillions of creepy, crawly little bacteria living in your gut? Wild, right!?

With these bacteria, there are both bad and good bacteria. The bad bacteria can make you feel anxious, depressed, low energy, and bloated. And the bad guys feed on processed food.

But the good ones are harder to feed. Because they eat something specific that you don’t eat if you cut out carbs.

Your good gut bacteria feed on something called resistant starch. Think of it like fertilizer for a garden. Without it, the good bacteria weaken. The bad bacteria take over. And the anxiety, depression, and bloating we talked about come in.

But when you feed your gut the right fuel, aka this resistant starch, something incredible happens.

Your cravings quiet down. Not because you're white-knuckling your way through the afternoon…but because your good gut bacteria are finally fed.

Your blood sugar stabilizes. Resistant starch slows down digestion, which means no more spikes and crashes. No more 3pm energy cliff. Just steady, even energy that carries you through your day.

And you actually feel full. Like, genuinely satisfied after a meal. Not the kind of full where you ate a giant salad and were hungry 45 minutes later. Real fullness. The kind where you forget about food for a few hours because your body has what it needs.

The wildest part of all is that potatoes, rice, and oatmeal are some of the richest sources of resistant starch on the planet. The very same foods you were told to avoid.

But not any old potato, rice, or oatmeal will do…there’s a specific way to prepare them (don’t worry, it’s not complicated) to get the most resistant starch from them.

There’s one simple step to increase the resistant starch in potatoes, rice, and oatmeal to help feed your good gut bacteria.

Cook them.

Then before you eat them, let them cool for 12-24 hours in the fridge.

Because when you cook a potato and then let it cool in the fridge, the starch structure changes. It becomes more "resistant" to digestion. Meaning it passes through to your gut where the good bacteria can feed on it.

The same thing applies to rice and oatmeal.

And when you reheat them, the resistant starch stays.

So you’re not stuck eating cold potatoes or rice (unless you're into that, no judgment 😆).

1) Cook a batch of potatoes or rice at the beginning of the week.

Let them cool in the fridge overnight. This is the step that creates the resistant starch. Then reheat and use them throughout the week in whatever meals you want.

2) Make overnight oats.

This is the easiest win. Mix your oats with Greek yogurt or milk the night before, let them sit in the fridge, and eat them cold or gently warmed in the morning. The cooling process does the resistant starch work for you while you sleep.

You get the gut health benefits and a high-protein breakfast if you use Greek yogurt. Two birds, one bowl 😜.

3) Start with one meal a day.

Pick one meal and add a serving of your favorite resitant starch food.

Maybe you add cooled-and-reheated potatoes or rice to lunch or dinner.

Maybe it’s overnight oats for breakfast.

Whatever you decide, start with 1/2 cup and slowly build your way to 1 cup over the next few weeks.

4) Pair your carbs with protein.

This is the move that ties it all together. A potato on its own is good. A potato with chicken or salmon? That's a meal that fuels your body, feeds your gut, and keeps your blood sugar steady for hours.

One Quick Note: Your gut bacteria probably haven't been fed properly in a while. So give them time to adjust. If you go from zero to five servings a day, your stomach won’t very happy with you…if you know what I mean 💩

Now I know this goes against everything you've been told.

Eat more carbs? Really, Ben?

Really…

Because here's the thing…when you cut carbs, you cut what fuels your body. And when you cut your fuel, your body doesn't lose fat like you were promised.

It loses energy. It loses motivation. It loses your strength and confidence.

I've seen this more times than you can imagine. A woman comes to me eating almost no carbs, she’s tired all the time, and can’t sleep.

And she was frustrated more than you imagine. Because she felt like she was doing everything right but her body just wasn't responding.

So I told every single one of them we were going to do something crazy. And I just needed them to trust me for a few weeks. We added back some potatoes, rice, and oatmeal.

And within a few days, I get texts like:

“My body feels like it’s coming back to life”

“I slept through the night for the first time in years”

“I wanted to workout today without having to force myself”

All because they started eating more of the right things.

Next time you hear someone tell you to avoid potatoes, rice, and oatmeal because carbs are bad, remember this:

Your gut needs them. Your energy needs them. Your body has been asking for them.

If you want to feel like yourself again, you don't need to eat less. You need to eat more of the right things. And these three foods are some of the best places to start.

So tonight or tomorrow, cook some extra potatoes, put them in the fridge overnight, and reheat it tomorrow with some protein and veggies.

Congratulations, you just nailed your resistant starch goal!

And know it’s normal to feel a little skeptical of this. But just see how you feel first. I think you'll be surprised.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have potatoes in the fridge I’m going to reheat for dinner ◡̈

Your friend and coach,

Ben Miknis