Can Potatoes Be A Part Of A Six Pack Abs Diet?
People often wonder if they can eat a potato
in their six pack abs diet and still obtain a six pack as a result. The potato
is a favourite of many, but commonly thought of as one of the worst foods for
health. It is commonly believed that food must taste bad in order to be
healthy. The truth is however, many healthy foods taste amazing, and some foods
such as the potato, can potentially be healthy depending on preparation
methods.
Learning to eat food that you love in a
healthy manner, is truly the best way to get a six pack. If you attempt to
force down food that you think is disgusting, solely because you believe it is
healthy, is not a good method of improving your diet. This will not really do
you or your body any good because you will not stick to the diet, and will
revert back to eating poorly, which will nullify what little progress was made
during the short lived diet. People who do not exercise regularly often try to
"work off a cake" or others hear a product such as kale is a super
food and eat it once. Although this does not harm you, it is essentially a
waste of time and does not actually do your body any good. Your body forms as a
result of the lifestyle you live, not by one time efforts. Indulging in
whatever food you want, thinking that you can work it off is just silly broken
logic and wishful thinking. You can not out train a poor diet, so the best way
to get a six pack is to master the six pack abs diet, and lifestyle that
results in six pack abs.
Returning back to the topic of the potato, it
is important to realize that this plant is actually a vegetable that contains
many healthy nutrients. Many people do not realize the previously mentioned
fact, and the confusion comes as a result of common preparation methods of the
potato. The actual potato itself does not contain that many calories, yet it is
satisfying to both your taste buds and appetite. It is true that the french fry
and potato chimps commonly eaten should not be consumed often for optimum
health and prevention of weight gain, but it is the preparation method that
causes the health concerns and not the potato causing the problem. To back up
my claim, think about a caramel apple for example. This snack is not exactly
low calorie or perfect for weight loss and optimal health, but it is the
caramel not the apple causing the health concerns. Nobody really puts blame on
the apple in this scenario, so why should we blame the potato for chips and
fries? The preparation, refinement, and use of unhealthy oils is the cause of
the nutritious potato to lose its value. Furthermore, a baked potato is often
accompanied with butter, sour cream, and bacon bits, that are grouped in with
the health value of the potato. To fairly assess the potato, you need to look
at the properties of the potato by itself in order to evaluate the effects it
has on your health and body.
It is important to mention however, that
although potatoes are a vegetable, they are a starchy vegetable and they are on
the higher end of the glycemic index. Some people are against them for these
reasons. The glycemic index measures how fast carbohydrates enter the blood
stream. Processed food, along with simple carbs, tend to have values on the
glycemic index, and are associated with weight gain, insulin resistance, and
diabetes. These are the main fact based arguments against potatoes for a six
pack abs diet.
Even though there are some claims against the
potato, proponents for the potato have a strong case for defending claims made
against it. The majority of the nutrients in the potato are in the skin, and a
half an inch into the potato. Some of the nutrients contained are potassium,
magnesium complex carbohydrates, fiber, protein, calcium, niacin, zinc,
carotenoids, phosphorus and vitamin C and the vitamin B Complex. The remaining
portion of the potato contains about 90 percent simple carbohydrates. For this
reason, peeling the potato and throwing away the skin is not recommended, and
healthy potato skin recipes are a good choice for a six pack abs diet. With
regards to the glycemic index, it is important to note that for this specific
vegetable, the value can be variable. The value commonly quoted on glycemic
index charts is often much higher than it needs to be for a potato. A common
russet potato baked has an index value of 76. However, a boiled red potato that
has been stored in a cold environment, has a value of only 55. This is the same
value as brown rice, which is often considered to be a healthy carb source.
There are many different types of potatoes(even a purple potato), and they all
differ in the actual glycemic index value. The cooking method and environment
they are stored in also plays a role in the glycemic index of the potato. These
reasons mentioned defend the claims made against the potato for its high
glycemic index value. As seen in the russet vs red potato scenario, the
potato's actual glycemic value can be quite variable.
The sweet potato is an alternative to the
common potato that is often recommended by people who are even against the
potato for health. Actually, the sweet potato is not technically a potato but
it is a fine vegetable for your diet if you enjoy the taste. Since it is not
technically a potato, it differs in nutritional composition, but it is not
necessarily better. Sweet potatoes are extremely high in vitamin A for example.
The lower value in the glycemic index of the sweet potato when compared to the
white potato, can be attributed to the forms in which it is consumed. White
potatoes are commonly eaten in unhealthy forms, where as sweet potatoes recipes
are typically written specifically for health conscious individuals. If
consumed correctly, both make fine choices as healthy carbohydrate sources.
Although potatoes are high in in carbs, they
have a preference of being stored as glycogen in your muscle rather than as
fat. This property is also seen in both rice and oats. This property combined
with the quick digestion associated by the glycemic index, actually make the
potato an ideal carb source for weight training sessions. After weight training
is an example of a specific time periods known as your anabolic window, where
your body is at its peak ability to handle carbs. It needs carbohydrates to
replenish the glycogen reserves, since carbohydrates are your bodies preferred
source of energy. If your glycogen is too low for too long, your body will
begin to catabolize, or eat the muscle as a fuel source. One of the main
focuses for the best way to get a six pack and lose weight should be on gaining
muscle. This increases overall metabolism and fat burning. These facts further
support keeping the potato in your six pack abs diet.
Even though I showed that potatoes can be kept
in your diet for abs, and actually provide value for your health, let me state
that they should be consumed in moderation. Do not mistake the article to read
that the more potatoes you eat the more weight you will lose, or the more
muscle you will gain. The article simply suggests that potatoes can play a role
as a healthy carb source in a healthy diet. It is still important to know the
correct time to eat them, as well as healthy preparation methods, before you
include them into your six pack abs diet. Carbs can be a tricky macromolecule
to master, but through learning and practice, you can consume many of your
favorite foods and still see health improvement results.
Another important note to mention is that
potatoes are part of the dirty dozen. This means that they are one of the most
sprayed crops in agriculture. If you know the importance of buying organic food
items, but need to consider which are the most important for budget reasons,
these should make your list as high priority. Sweet potatoes however, tend to
be considered for on the list of clean crops.
Nutrition Facts Approximations For One Medium
Russet Potato
Calories: 150
Carbs: 33.5
Fat: 0
Protein: 4
Quentin Montgomery, majored in Biology and has
a passion for fitness, and healthy dieting. He has practiced what he preaches
in his website designed to encourage and empower the readers to live a healthy
lifestyle, while learning the best way to get a six pack.
[http://mysixpackabsdiet.com]
You do not have to suffer through gimmicks,
fad diets, and giving up all good tasting food forever to see abdominal
definition. Everyone is capable of having the body they desire if they give up
the gimmicks and learn what works. Check out My Six Pack Abs Diet and apply
what you learn to improve your life. It is that simple to lose weight, gain
muscle, and obtain the body you always wanted with My Six Pack Abs Diet
[http://mysixpackabsdiet.com]
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Quentin_J_Montgomery/1643410
