Quite a few Asian stars are revealing that they are incorporating sweet potatoes into their diet for weight control. They say that when paired with other low calorie foods, they can achieve fast results. Here is why.
There are a number of reasons why sweet potatoes are touted as a weight loss aid. They are low-calorie, low-fat and satiating. They have high insoluble fiber content, which has a good stimulating effect on intestinal peristalsis, promotes regularity, and has the special ability to prevent sugars from turning into fat. Additionally, they are nutritious, offering vitamins A, B, C, fiber, potassium, iron and other minerals.
These benefits become widely known after Japanese dietitian Maaki Ninomiya pointed out in a health-focussed TV program that the sticky white fluids coming out from sweet potatoes when they are cut contains hornetin, which can regulate the intestines and activate gastrointestinal motility. Moreover, the rich dietary fiber helps digestion and accelerate the excretion of waste and toxins from the body. To demostrate this, he invited comedian Natsuko Yokozawa to try the “sweet potato diet”. After just two weeks, she lost 2 kilograms (4.4 pounds) in weight, her body fat lowered from 29.1% to 28.5%, and her waist circumference was reduced from 80cm to 77.5cm.
Here is how you can try the sweet potato diet︰
Just replace your staple food to sweet potatoes–other side dishes can be eaten as usual. On the left is my daily breakfast. Instead of bread, I have some sweet potatoes (pictured on the right). Not only do they help digestion and elimination, they also contain minerals such as magnesium and potassium, which can prevent edema and iron. Plus, they have plenty of vitamin C, which has a beautifying effect on the skin. They are very satisfying and can easily substitute staples such as rice and bread for a weight loss effect.
Korean actress IU once shared what she called the “Sweet Potato Diet from Hell”. She said when she first debuted on screen, she would eat one apple in the morning, two sweet potatoes for lunch, and drink one cup of low-fat milk for dinner (no solid food). She claimed she lost 10 pounds after following this routine for five days. But not everyone is so extreme.
It is perhaps easier and evermore effective to incorporate sweet potatoes into your breakfast, , because what you eat first thing in the morning has a big effect on your body’s metabolism throughout the day. In fact, your stomach and intestines naturally want to discharge waste after a night’s sleep. Eating sweet potatoes in your first meal can speed up and improve the process.
For those who are watching their sugar/carb intake and wanting to increase muscle mass and reduce fat, you can store steamed or roasted sweet potatoes in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 hours to increase the resistant starch of sweet potatoes and reduce calorie absorption. The digestibility and absorption rate of previously-frozen sweet potatoes is lower than those of ordinary starch. In addition to prolonging satiety, it can also reduce glucose peak, thus avoiding large fluctuations in insulin in the body.
Carina Lau, a perfect model for graceful aging, has also been advocating sweet potatoes. Her regime goes like this: four days each month, she will abstain from meats and eat two sweet potatoes with a small bowl of rice with two kinds of vegetables for breakfast every morning. She says it has good detoxifying and slimming effects.
And here is my favourite sweet potato recipe︰
Roasted Sweet Potato and Kale Salad （Serves 2）
– Ingredients：
3-4 Sweet potatoes
dash of olive oil
pinch of salt
fennel bulb
8-10 cherry tomatoes
dash of balsamic vinegar
1 avocado
200g kale
Step 1 ：first we prepare the sweet potatoes for roasting. Peel the sweet potatoes.
Step 2 ：Cut sweet potatoes into long strips.
Step 3 ：Sweat the sweet potatoes by sprinkling a small amount of salt on top and let stand for a few minutes. You can use this time to rinse and dry the kale.
Step 4：Drizzle with olive oil and mix well.
Step 5 ：Season with salt. Mix well.
Step 6 ：Bake for 30 mins at 350F。
Step 7 ：Cut fennel bulb into thin strips
Step 8 ：Cut cherry tomatoes in halves
Step 9 ：Add olive oil and balsamic, mixing well.
Step 10 ：Slice avocado and place on top of the kale leaves. The sweet potatoes should be about ready any now.
Step 11 ：Add the chopped fennel and cherry tomatoes to the salad and serve.
Tips︰how to choose the best tasting sweet potatoes？
Some sweet potatoes are round, and some are elongated. Which one should you choose? Japanese TV station TBS invited Professor Riyoshi Yamakawa from the Department of Horticulture at Chiba University to a program in which the live audience was asked to select sweet potatoes just by visual inspection. Most chose the round ones, but it turned out that the elongated tubers were sweeter.
One can also look at the skin of sweet potatoes to help find the sweeter ones. Mr. Sugimoto Sang, an expert in the Japanese vegetable and fruit industry, explained on TV Asahi program “Aiba Mamaya”that freshly dug sweet potatoes are starchier, but after one to two months of storage, the starch will convert into sugar, making it sweeter in taste, silkier in texture, and more delicious to eat overall. Thus, if the skin on the sweet potato looks too fresh, it may not be as sweet to eat.
Sweet potatoes are nutritious and a wonderful addition to our diet, but there can be too much of a good thing. Raw sweet potatoes may cause hiccups and bloating after eating. Although cooking them would lessen these problems, some bloating can still occur, depending on the person’s digestive ability. Enjoy in moderation!
