THE POTATO DIET By Nutritionist Jo Beer
Jo Beer BSc (Hons) Grad Cert. Nutritionist and Diabetes Educator Jo Beer has been involved in the food and nutrition industry for over 20 years. She gained an honours degree in Nutritional Sciences in the UK and has recently undertaken extra studies to specialise in diabetes education. Over the years she has helped thousands of clients to achieve their health and weight goals through personal, group and corporate programs. Working closely with her medical husband Dr Trevor Beer, Jo brings the latest scientifically proven nutritional medicine to her clients using a no-nonsense practical approach to optimise health. Jo also developed the revolutionary Revitalise Portion Plate and Grazing Box that form part of her weight loss strategies and runs a unique 6 week weight loss program with on-line support for clients to follow in the comfort of their own home. Jo regularly speaks to schools, businesses and community groups on all areas of health and weight loss and contributes to newspapers such as the Sunday Times, The West Australian as well as other media such as Channel 9 and ABC Radio.
Martin Davidson, Photographer Martin Davidson has been a commercial photographer for over twenty-five years. During that time he has produced many images that have appeared in publications in Australia and overseas. Martin is also involved in design work and has shown images in several exhibitions. Martin is based in Western Australia, and in 2000 was awarded the honour of being selected as WA’s ‘Canon - Professional Photographer of the Year’. Born in Chesterfield, UK, Martin is an advocate of the slow food concept. He is increasingly interested in using fresh ingredients whenever possible and avoiding both packaging and convenience food.
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Kristie Dignam, ‘Biggest Loser’ As a wife, devoted mother of six, and as someone who works full time, I know there never seems to be enough time in the day, especially when it comes to preparing and cooking meals. Since appearing on Channel Ten’s The Biggest Loser, many people have asked me questions about diet. When so much information exists, I am amazed there is still so much confusion. I have found many people are searching for a magic pill, or have an all or nothing attitude toward being healthy. I have also noticed that often people get caught up with gimmicks or quick fixes at the expense of basic truths. Perhaps that’s because in recent years all sorts of fad diets have been promoted – many of which have resulted in incorrect information becoming commonplace, such as carbohydrates and particularly potatoes, being unhealthy and fattening. When I read this book I salivated over the beautiful photography and I was also impressed with the truth and simplicity of its message, it really resonated with me. It is packed full of useful information, practical advice and sustainable food plans. What’s more, the recipes are quick and easy to make, use basic ingredients as well as seasonal produce. I have to confess it did make me ‘feel good’! It is for these reasons that I am supporting The Potato Diet. It encourages families back into their kitchens by advocating a healthy diet plan without jumping on the fad bandwagon. I hope, like me, you enjoy this book and that the simplicity of the recipes and valuable nutritional information helps you to establish a more balanced healthy lifestyle. I hope too that you find the potato recipes as filling, delicious and ‘feel good’ as my family and I have. Enjoy! Kristie Dignam
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foreword
About Western Potatoes Let’s face it, in recent years potatoes have had a bit of an image problem. There has been a shift away from the traditional meat and two veg in favour of pasta and rice-based dishes. Whilst dietary variety is a good thing, we shouldn’t lose sight of the valuable role potatoes can have in all of our diets. Western Potatoes is owned by WA potato growers and encourages the consumption of this vital food through raising awareness of the health benefits, versatility and convenience of potatoes. We promote the use of fresh potatoes and educate consumers and retailers on the important nutritional role of potatoes. We are also actively involved in potato variety development, exporting and creating pre-prepared and value-added potato products. This book is produced and funded by Western Potatoes in conjunction with the Agricultural Produce Commission Potato Producers Committee and the Potato Industry Strategic Planning Group. We joined forces with nutritionist Jo Beer to create this book to ensure that it presents a scientifically sound, but also delicious diet incorporating potatoes as a staple food. We are passionate about potatoes and hope that this book will help you to take delight in this often underrated food. Enjoy the Potato Diet! Ray Wilson, CEO Western Potatoes
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International Year of the Potato
6
Why Fad Diets Fail
8
Feel Good about Potatoes
10
The Glycaemic Index
12
Varieties
14
Storage and Cooking
16
The Potato Diet – how to use the programs
18
What is a healthy portion?
20
Drink allowance
20
Snack allowance
20
The 5 day Potato Taster Diet
22
The 28 Day Potato Diet
34
Where to from here?
100
Vegetables and Fruit for Healing Report
102
Useful contacts
103
What Western Potatoes can do for you
104
Index
106
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contents
[ international T he 2 8 D ay P otato yearD iet of ] the
potato ]
Why potatoes are a crucial resource Potatoes feed the hungry The potato produces more nutritious food, more quickly, on less land, and in harsher climates than any other major crop Potatoes are good for you Potatoes are a great source of potassium, fibre and vitamins B and C. Compared to rice and pasta, potatoes have fewer and less processed carbohydrates Potatoes are grown worldwide
The United Nations has chosen 2008 to be the International Year of the Potato. This recognizes the importance of potatoes in feeding the world’s increasing population and their role in helping to address global poverty, hunger and threats to the environment.
From the Andes to the Ukraine, potatoes are universally appreciated and in increasing demand: “The key to the potato’s value lies in its high yield and its almost perfect balance of nutrients. Potatoes can produce more energy per unit area per day than any other crop, and it is possible (though tedious) to subsist on a diet of spuds and very little else.”
More than 95 percent of future population growth will occur in developing countries, where pressure on land and water is already intense. Governments face enormous challenges to ensure food security for present and future generations, while protecting the natural resources on which we all depend. The potato will be an important and integral part of the efforts to meet those challenges.
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(Propitious Esculent: The Potato in World History, by John Reader. Economist 28th February 2008)
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As a nutritionist, I regularly see clients for weight loss who are quite amazed when I not only say they can eat potatoes, but that they can do so and lose weight! The potato is one of several foods that have been singled out as the culprits for our expanding waistlines. However, this is incorrect. Not only is the potato a low fat, low calorie food, it is never just one food that makes us put on weight. It’s a combination of factors, including portions, and this book will help you understand this by sorting out fact from fiction! Eating a healthy diet has become a complicated science. Daily we are bombarded by confusing information on the latest fad diets and foods to eat or avoid. So much so, that too often we end up grabbing a fat-laden take away and slump in front of the TV. Despite a billion dollar slimming industry with more books, pills and potions offering the latest ‘miracle’ diet, we are getting fatter. Recent research by The Melbourne Baker IDI Heart and Disease Institute (June 2008), says that Australians are now the fattest nation with more than half of Australian adults and 20 – 25% of children are overweight or obese. Research clearly shows a direct link between being overweight and chronic diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer. For us to change these statistics we have to make changes for life. Eating a healthy, balanced diet is not hard if we have the right approach and support. It’s something that the whole family needs to adopt, kids included. This book will help you do that. It takes away the uncertainty about making the right choices by cutting out the jargon and giving you the lifestyle essentials
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for optimum health for all the family with some great recipes. At the heart of this is a natural, healthy, virtually fat-free fast food that has been unfairly given a bad reputation - the potato. So, to help celebrate the International Year of the Potato we have developed a selection of delicious recipes, and included 2 programs to help you change habits, eat healthily and, if you need to, lose weight. The programs have been tested on a group of volunteers who I would like to thank for their feedback. This greatly helped in further refining the recipes and suggestions. I have always maintained that there is no reason why you can’t be healthy and have great-tasting foods. When I set out to select the dishes for this book, they also had to meet strict criteria: Limited ingredients - I hate a recipe with a long list, it puts me off straight away Easy, fast and fun - we are all busy, so this was very important Best nutrition - I wanted to know the food was giving me vitality oods that look good enough to eat whatever the F occasion Foods that help keep us trim and maintain a healthy weight for life I also wanted to make sure that the portions were right. Many people might choose a healthy option, but the portions are way too big. So, this book also includes easy to assimilate information about portion control.
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[ why T he
2fad 8 D ay diets P otato fail D ] iet ]
Our desire for ‘thinness’ is fuelling the rapidly expanding slimming industry, and new wonder diets are hitting the bookstands almost daily. The promise of swift weight loss is so attractive that 1 in 5 people who want to lose weight use a fad diet. However, the consequences of some of these ‘miracle diets’ can ultimately be weight gain, kidney damage, heart disease and vitamin deficiencies.
saturated fat – these diets can raise cholesterol and increase the risk of heart disease by as much as 50%. Other side effects include diarrhoea, weakness, headaches, dizziness and bad breath. Over time, high protein diets can produce toxic uric acid putting a strain on the kidneys which may lead to kidney disorders and gout. These diets are often low in calcium and encourage calcium loss which, long term, can produce osteoporosis.
Fad diets are popular because they sometimes give rapid weight loss in the first few weeks, fuelling motivation to continue. Often this is because they are simply low calorie diets in disguise.
Any fad diet followed for more than a few months may result in dangerous deficiencies of major minerals and vitamins causing skin, hair and nail defects, among other problems.
Several popular diets such as the Zone Diet, Dr Atkins diet and the Carbohydrate Addicts Diet promote low carbohydrate and high protein regimes. In these cases the weight loss in the first week is usually due to dehydration. Low carbohydrate diets can deplete muscle glycogen which encourages water loss – hence the dehydration and initial weight loss.
From my experience in the nutrition industry there will always be another ‘miracle’ around the corner, but so far none of them have worked long term. What we do know from scientific research is that a balanced diet with plenty of unprocessed, fresh foods in the correct portions, coupled with regular exercise, does work.
Low carbohydrate diets can also promote muscle loss which means your body will need less calories, making it ultimately harder to lose weight. They also cause other harmful chemical changes (ketosis) leading to low energy and nausea. Often high in fat – particularly
introduction
The Potato Diet encourages just that and is something you can do for life. So, sit back and enjoy a new lifestyle program that enables you to eat well, feel good, and lose weight if you need to.
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pic
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introduction
[ feel T he 2 good 8 D ay
about P otato potatoes D iet ] ]
Potatoes are the new vitality food! 10 reasons to Feel Good about eating potatoes every day: 1. Potatoes are virtually fat free 2. Potatoes contain no cholesterol 3. Potatoes are a good source of fibre and complex carbohydrates 4. Potatoes provide vital nutrients such as vitamin C, folate, iron and potassium 5. Potatoes have the same number of calories as protein 6. Potatoes are cheap 7. Potatoes are quick and easy to prepare 8. Potatoes are a superb alternative to pasta if you are wheat intolerant 9. Potatoes provide essential energy to keep your body functioning at its best 10. Potatoes are versatile and can be cooked and served to satisfy all tastes. Here is a nutritional comparison between a 100g serving of potatoes, rice and pasta: Potatoes Rice Pasta Calories (Kj)
67 (279)
126 (526)
122 (512)
Fat
0.1g
0.2g
0.3g
Carbohydrate
12.8g
28g
24.6g
Protein
2.1g
2.3g
4.0g
Folate
26 g
4Âľg
3Âľg
Vitamin C
6mg
0mg
0mg
Potassium
280mg
54mg
25mg
Fibre
1.2g
0.1g
0.9g
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A great weight loss food One serving (150g) of potatoes contains only 5 – 10% of your daily energy intake. This makes it a great food for all those wanting to lose weight. Not only does it fill you up for just over 100 calories, it tastes good and as recent research has found, keeps you full for longer (see Satiety Index page 13). A good source of vitamin C for you and your kids Vitamin C is essential for energy production, collagen and bone formation, as well as being a powerful immune booster. It is also a potent antioxidant and assists in the absorption of iron. This is an essential part of any diet but especially so for children. Just one serving of potatoes will provide 50% of their daily requirements of vitamin C. With so many ways to serve a potato even the fussiest of eaters will be satisfied. Potatoes are a great way to make sure your children are getting their vitamin C especially if they are not a lover of other vegetables.
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An ideal food to keep your potassium levels up Potassium is essential for cardiovascular health, maintaining muscle contraction and helping the body retain calcium. Whether you are young or old, a serving of potato will provide up to 50% of your daily needs. A great source of fibre The fibre content of a potato with skin equals that of many whole grain breads, pastas and cereals. It contains 50% of its total fibre within the potato itself, so even if you prepare your potato without the skin, you still reap benefits. In addition to vitamins, minerals and fibre, potatoes also contain an assortment of phytochemicals, such as carotenoids and polyphenols which are potent antioxidants that help maintain health and prevent disease.
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Potatoes are:
Potatoes
have 40% less calories, fat and carbohydrate than rice or pasta.
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[ glycaemic T he 2 8 D ay
inde P otato x ]
The Glycaemic Index (GI) The amount a carbohydrate raises blood sugar levels is measured by the Glycaemic index (GI). Foods are rated from 1 – 100, with glucose being 100. Low GI
55 or less
Medium GI
56 – 69
High GI
70 +
Foods with a high GI produce a rapid rise and then fall in the blood sugar level,. While this gives you a temporary energy boost, in the long term it can increase your risk of diabetes. More complex carbohydrates release sugars slowly producing a gradual increase and then decline in blood sugar. This is more desirable for your health, weight and well being.
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However, before you cut out hot potatoes, remember that low GI alone is not the answer to a healthy diet. Ice cream, chocolate and butter are low GI foods, but eating lots of them is not going to help your waistline or health. Also, the GI measures only one food and not the whole meal. For instance, adding fat such as olive oil to a food reduces the overall GI of the meal, but at the same time it increases the calorie content. GI is not the end of the story on blood sugar, however. It’s also important to consider the Glycaemic Load (GL). This takes into account how much carbohydrate there is in the food. It is a simple calculation: Glycaemic Load = (GI x carbohydrate per serving) / 100
The GI of potatoes varies considerably depending on the type, origin, cooking method and even whether they are eaten hot, cold, mashed, cubed or consumed whole.
The GL of a typical serving of potatoes is about 15, compared to around 21 for rice (jasmine rice is 46) and around 18 for pasta. These values are fairly similar because potatoes have fewer carbohydrates than rice or pasta despite a higher GI.
For instance, when a potato is cooled after cooking it develops resistant starch. This is a type of dietary fibre that is not absorbed by the body. Studies show that this helps to ward off hunger pangs and improve blood sugar control.
GI and GL are both important in determining what foods to have. This can all sound rather complex, but fortunately, by following the simple dietary principles in this book, we can easily ensure that our diet includes foods with an appropriate GI and GL.
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