The White Potato Gets A Bad Rap

I love potatoes - sweet, white, red you name it. I'll walk a 

mile for a mashed potato and that is precisely the point of 

this article. WALK THE MILE.

I did a bit of research on the white potato just because:

• I love them
• I suspected they were getting a bad rap
• I wanted to eat them
• I wondered about their nutritional value
• I wondered about the addition of toppings

Doing the research, I re-discovered something that is really the main point of this article. What 's the most common reason for weight gain(you asked?)? I'll tell you what I found out now but you've got to promise to read rest of the article:

"Leading nutrition experts agree that weight gain is a result of consuming more calories than you expend, regardless of where those calories come from-carbohydrates, protein or fat."

I guess for most otherwise healthy people, we could just stop right there and EXERCISE, and eat what we want. At the risk of over-simplifying - and at the risk of making diet fad companies really mad, I found that to be basically true.

There may be many "yeah-buts" - Just hear me out, this was my experience:

What happened to me might not be typical, but since it was discovered by accident, it's probably worth my mentioning it. It goes along with my basic philosophy in life: we are mostly responsible for our own health (with the exception of genetics- but I'm not talking about extreme health issues; though I dare to predict that many of them are also "diet-no-exercise" related) as well as for our happiness ("People are about as happy as they make up their minds to be..." Abraham Lincoln - and he knew a LOT.)

A few years ago, I had gained a lot of what I called "stress" weight. That was my story and I was stickin' to it. It really meant I was so stressed out that I made excuses for not exercising due to being "too tired." Poor me.

So, I ate what I liked and the calories did what they liked, which was sit on my hips. I finally decided to change my response to stress. I got off the couch. I got out of the bed. I got up and walked 3 miles a day 7 days a week and guess what happened?

I did not change one thing I ate and I lost 40 pounds in 3 months. Yep. Who Knew? I huffed and puffed my way to almost skinny.

Did it hurt? Yes. Was it easy? No. Did I have to force myself? Yes.

But, from the very first day I began to feel better and better and better. Everytime I ate something, as the pounds dwindled, I thought "Hm, this will mean another 30 min walk." It changed the way I ate; sometimes I thought the slice of cake was worth it; sometimes I decided on jello.

Guess what else this lay-man nutritionist (me) found out? I no longer craved sweets; ate half plates of food; and craved walking like there was no tomorrow.

Hmmmm. So there. Simple did it again. All those other diet fads, beware. The simple solution is: Expend more calories than you take in, so you don't expand.

Now, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to also realize that more vegetables, less meat, less sodium, almost no refined sugar, good proteins, high fibers, are all good for you. So, while you're out walking, listen to a tape instructing you regarding the "right" foods. Opt for balance. Less additives, unless it's herbs.

We can keep it really simple by just remembering to walk, as we are built to do.

Here is where my research led me:

The Incredible Edible Potato - Is Nutritious

Inside its red, yellow, white or brown skin, a potato can provide many of the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of a number of vitamins and minerals.

For example:

• Potatoes contain about 620 mg of potassium-that's more than a banana.

Potassium is essential to the body because it helps to attain a high level of muscle performance and improves the nerves' response to stimulation.

• Potatoes contain Iron

Iron is essential in helping the body convert food to energy as well helping us to resist infection.

While the minerals in potatoes may not be unexpected, as they grow underground, potatoes are also a great source of:

• Vitamins - such as vitamin C, the sunshine vitamin.

Vitamin C is essential in maintaining healthy connective tissue and heal wounds. (Got aches from arthritis? Increase your C, another reason for a potato...)

• Varieties of potatoes are also good sources of B vitamins

B vitamins help the body make healthy red blood cells and amino acids.

• Potatoes contain no fat or cholesterol and minimal sodium. (so get out the Mrs. Dash and leave the extra salt behind!)
• Potatoes contain natural fiber in the skins

After a good scrub, those skins are delicious with a little olive oil on them, making them tender and easy to eat.

1 six-ounce potato contains 3 grams of highly digestible protein. That is almost as much as half a glass of milk.

Because of the variety of potato colors, shapes, sizes and textures and their versatility as recipe ingredients, why not include them for any meal?

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Here's a bonus for you: (diabetics read with caution, you have special needs; however, exercise still might allow some of you to eat like this; ALWAYS CHECK WITH YOUR DOCTOR, I'm JUST A LAYMAN.)

CARB FACTS

Carbohydrates also have been labeled as evil... Despite the media hype, scientific evidence indicates that when consumed in normal amounts... (AND I SAY ADD EXERCISE...)

• Carbohydrates DO NOT cause weight gain and obesity
• Carbohydrates DO NOT automatically cause blood sugar "spikes" and insulin "surges"
• Carbohydrates DO NOT cause diabetes, heart disease or cancer
• Carbohydrates are the body's primary fuel source.

Muscles prefer them and the brain relies on them. Carbohydrates are so vital to the body that if you severely cut them from your diet, your body will begin to breakdown muscle and other protein-containing tissues - such as your heart and other essential organs - in order to make them.

Again, we will find it easier to maintain a healthy calorie balance with a diet that is loaded with a variety of fruits and vegetables, because these foods tend to be low in calorie content, yet high in necessary nutrients.

I'm a veggie lover...and that includes the potato. There are many wonderful toppings, such as beans and chopped vegetables that make that potato hum, even butter has "gone healthy" with Omega3. So, shop ‘til you drop from hunger and then eat a healthy stuffed potato...stuff it with:

Chopped onions, squash, peppers, parsley, spices, red pepper flakes, tomatoes, avacados, chicken, ....I bet you can think of even more!

Enjoy a variety of foods, eat smaller portions, and walk and it will help you do all of the above.

The less complicated we make "dieting" the more likely we are to actually lose weight.

Note: You can read more information about the potato and decide for yourself if you want to add them to your diet.