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Endocrinologist reveals why she freezes bread before eating: ‘Cooling down starches changes the…’

Don't eliminate carbs from diet because they raise blood sugar. Try this endocrinologist-approved hack for better blood sugar management. 

Published on: Mar 27, 2026 6:11 PM IST
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Carbs are often vilified for spiking blood sugar. But what if you could use a smarter strategy for consuming them, one that reduces the risks of blood sugar spikes? Simple adjustments in how you prepare everyday foods can help you with blood sugar management.

ALSO READ: Endocrinologist shares best and worst fruits for blood sugar spikes: Know where berries, grapes, bananas, apples stand

To turn your bread healthy, consider freezing them! (Pexel)
To turn your bread healthy, consider freezing them! (Pexel)

There are many approaches to curbing blood sugar spikes, from changing the order in which you eat foods to smart food pairings. One more hack is present, and this one involves temperature. New Jersey-based endocrinologist Dr Alessia Roehnelt shared in a March 22 Instagram post that cooling your carbs is another simple and effective option.

“Always freeze your bread. Cooling down starches like bread, potatoes, rice actually changes the structure of the starch,” she said, suggesting how a simple change can make your everyday carbs healthier. The starch molecules reorganise, turning a bit healthier.

Why should you freeze your starch?

Further elaborating on the molecule reorganisation, the endocrinologist noted that freezing foods like bread, potatoes, and rice results in resistant starch. Why is this healthier? She elaborated,“ Resistant starch is a special type of fibre that your body digests more slowly. This leads to less of a blood sugar spike and more stable energy levels.”

Besides better blood sugar management, she also highlighted one more benefit: improved gut health. This is because resistance starch also acts as a prebiotic, feeding good bacteria in the gut, which can reduce inflammation and improve the gut microbiome. It is a win-win situation: not only are you managing blood sugar, but you are also improving your gut health.

What's the trick

The doctor shared a simple trick for eating these foods: "The trick is to cook them, then cool them, and then either eat them cold or reheat them, just an easy way to make those starches a little better for your body,” she stated. This sequence enables your body to process carbs much better.

What does this suggest? It means your usual foods, even the carbs which get a bad rep, can be optimised with a simple technique. In this case, it is all about temperature management to enhance foods. You can cook foods like, as the doctor mentioned, potatoes, rice, pasta, oats, or lentils, then cool them, and enjoy them either cold or reheated. This simple hack helps improve digestion, stabilise blood sugar, and support gut health.

Note to readers: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.

This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice.

  • Adrija Dey
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Adrija Dey

    Adrija Dey’s proclivity for observation fuels her storytelling instinct. As a lifestyle journalist, she crafts compelling, relatable narratives across diverse touchpoints of the human experience, including wellness, mental health, relationships, interior design, home decor, food, travel, and fashion that gently nudge readers toward living a little better. For her, stories exist in flesh and bones, carried by human vessels and shaped through everyday endeavours. It is the small stories we live and share that make us human. After all, humans and their lores are the most natural and raw repositories of stories, and uncovering them, for her, is akin to peeling an orange under a winter afternoon sun. Always up for a chat, she believes the best stories come from unfiltered yapping, where "too much information" is kind of the point. A graduate of Indraprastha College for Women, University of Delhi, and an alumna of the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), Delhi, Adrija spends her idle hours cocooned with herbal tea and a gripping thriller, scribbling inner monologues she loosely calls poetic pieces, often with her succulents in attendance. On lazier days, she can be found binge-watching, for the nth time, one from her comfort-show holy trinity: The Office (US), Brooklyn Nine-Nine, or Modern Family. Dancing by herself to her peppy playlists, however, is an everyday ritual she swears by religiously.Read More

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