When it comes to losing weight, SATIETY is KING!! Those who regularly consume foods that increase satiety (satisfaction/fullness/low hunger) find that “eating less” just “happens” naturally…so does their weight loss.
Weight loss researchers have known for some time that foods rich in fiber, water, and protein do far better at producing satiety than foods high in sugar, fat, and sodium. As a result, those of us trying to lose weight have been jamming down chicken breasts, egg whites, and protein-fiber shakes ever since.
But what if we have been unknowingly ignoring a food that can potentially give us 200 TIMES more satiety than other commonly consumed “weight loss” foods? Who would have thought that the humble potato may be one of the most effective weight loss foods you can consume?!
That’s right, you heard me correctly—POTATOES!!!
If you’ve been avoiding potatoes because someone…somewhere…somehow has convinced you that potatoes make you fat, YOU MAY BE MAKING A BIG MISTAKE! You’d also be missing out on some of the amazing fat loss and health benefits of the humble but often maligned spud.
In fact, one man decided to eat NOTHING BUT POTATOES for two whole months to prove how much of a spud (whoops, I mean “stud”) he could become. To view a short video clip of his diet, click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=146S3h6BMqQ
To see the results of Chris Voigt’s experiment, check out his website at: http://www.20potatoesaday.com/
To see why natural bodybuilder and doctor, Dr. Spencer Nadolsky, finally became convinced that adding potatoes to his diet was just what he needed to get stronger and healthier after years of following a low-carb diet, check out his very entertaining blog post entitled “Dear White Potato I’m So Sorry”: http://drspencer.com/category/all-blog-entries/page/2/
Potatoes are not only loaded with fiber, water, vitamin C, and Potassium, but…
A study published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition entitled “A satiety index of common foods” by Holt SH, Miller JC, Petocz P, Farmakalidis E. from the Department of Biochemistry, University of Sydney, Australia, found that potatoes scored HIGHEST when it comes to satiety.
A 240 calorie serving of white bread was used to establish a baseline to measure satiety. It was given a score of 100. Anything that received a score higher than 100 provided better satiety than white bread. Anything lower than white bread provided even less satiety.
Here is the list of the foods they tested with the most satiety-producing foods listed first. A 240 calorie serving of boiled potatoes won hands down at 323%!!!! Croissants scored lowest…just below cake, doughnuts, and peanuts. Even eggs and beef scored lower than potatoes at 150% and 176% respectively.
Wow!!
- Potatoes, boiled 323%
- Ling fish 225%
- Porridge/Oatmeal 209%
- Oranges 202%
- Apples 197%
- Brown pasta 188%
- Beef 176%
- Baked beans 168%
- Grapes 162%
- Whole meal bread 157%
- Grain bread 154%
- Popcorn 154%
- Eggs 150%
- Cheese 146%
- White rice 138%
- Lentils 133%
- Brown Rice 132%
- Honeysmacks 132%
- All-Bran 151%
- Crackers 127%
- Cookies 120%
- White pasta 119%
- Bananas 118%
- Jellybeans 118%
- Cornflakes 118%
- Special K 116%
- French fries 116%
- Sustain 112%
- White bread 100%
- Muesli 100%
- Ice cream 96%
- Crisps 91%
- Yogurt 88%
- Peanuts 84%
- Mars candy bar 70%
- Doughnuts 68%
- Cake 65%
- Croissant 47%
So what is it about potatoes that make us feel so satisfied?
Although the researchers did not all agree as to why the boiled potatoes were so filling, it may very well be due to their high “resistant starch” content. Resistant starch is sort of a “new” discovery when it comes to the health and nutrition world. While researchers have been aware of resistant starch for quite some time. They have only recently begun to discover how healthy it is and how much it can help with weight loss—especially with satiety, building up our immune system, and developing our gut biome.
Resistant starch “resists” (thus its name) digestion and is instead partially broken down in the large intestine by bacteria (probiotics). This means that when you eat a boiled potato, you can only absorb a small portion of the calories you just ate—one more reason why a “calorie is not just a calorie” when it comes to weight loss!!
What’s even weirder is that resistant starch is increased when a cooked starch is cooled. This means that you will have more resistant starch in potato salad than you will in a fresh baked potato. I know—weird.
To learn more about the health benefits of potatoes and resistant starch, check out the attached links:
So if potatoes are so good for us and help us to lose weight, why is it then that the simple spud has become so maligned in recent years…after all, they don’t call an unfit person a couch potato for nothing, do they?!
That is a great question! I’m glad you asked. However, this is a question that I will be attempting to answer in my next blog post where we will look at the MYTH surrounding the whole “CARBS MAKE YOU FAT” propaganda.
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