Tag Archives: Weight Loss

Questions & Answers

Will Sweet Potatoes Help You Lose Weight?

Are sweet potatoes good for weight loss?

As soon as people hear the word “potato,” they jump to the conclusion that it’s a fattening food. But, turns out sweet potatoes aren’t even potatoes. Instead, they are a type of plant called a tuber.

Sweet potato is very good for your health. It’s, in fact, a traditional medicine in several countries like Brazil and Taiwan. Sweet potato belongs to the Ipomoea family or the Convolvulaceae family. In New Zealand, we call sweet potatoes Kumera. This tuber is very popular with the indigenous Maori who brought the Kumera from Polynesia and Hawaii five to six hundred years ago.

There are two types of sweet potatoes, the yellow one with golden flesh and the red one with the white flesh.

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I read an interesting study that looked at the impact of eating white-fleshed sweet potatoes. Subjects who consumed the sweet potatoes had improved blood sugar stability and reduced insulin response. As a result, sweet potato is an appropriate food for someone with diabetes.
Sweet potatoes are very high in fiber so they leave you feeling full. They also contain a substantial amount of potassium and sky-high levels of vitamin A. There are also a lot of essential minerals in sweet potatoes.

What I like about the sweet potato the most is its effect on the large intestine. It creates an excellent environment for healthy fermentation, so you’re going to get outstanding levels of bifidobacteria. High levels of bifidobacteria are associated with better energy, improved cognition, and a more positive mood. Feeling better overall means, you’re less likely to grab a big bag of peanuts or chips or a six-pack of beer. That fact that sweet potatoes leave you feeling full leaves you less likely to impulsively grab a candy bar at the supermarket checkout.

Sweet potatoes are also high in water content and have been shown to contribute to weight loss. I highly recommend including sweet potatoes in your diet.

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Questions & Answers

Oats And Weight Loss: What You Need To Know

“Will eating oats for my lunch and supper carb get in the way of weight loss?” is a question I’ve been asked before.

Firstly, don’t worry so much about carbohydrates when it comes to weight loss. Carbs are not what will make or break your diet efforts. As for oats, I think they are a great food, but twice a day is a bit much.

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Rather than eating oats several times a day, there are other options for increasing weight loss. For example, smaller portion sizes, chewing food properly, and eating at appropriate times. Make sure you have ample amounts of healthy food available and don’t skimp on protein.

I suggest limiting oats to once a day at most and then having a different carbohydrate at lunch or supper. For example, sweet potatoes are a great choice. You can bake them, boil them, or mash them, and they are very filling. I think that sweet potatoes are one of the best carbohydrates you can eat for weight loss.

Give that a go. I think you might like it.

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Questions & Answers

Do Eating Fruit And Losing Weight Go Together?

Fruit and weight loss, does it work?

Of course, it works. If you’re going to eat fruit and eat a lot less food, you’re going to lose weight. But it’s also essential to use your common sense.

Fruit contains a lot of sugar. If you get stomach upset and low blood sugar, you may be eating too much fruit or too many high-sugar fruits.

My favorite fruits for weight loss are those that contain beneficial enzymes like pawpaw, papaya, pineapple, and kiwi fruit. Pineapple and papaya contain the enzyme bromelain, and the enzyme found in kiwi fruit has a very positive effect on the pancreas. In my opinion, these fruits are particularly useful for weight loss.

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Kiwi fruit is remarkable. It has many compounds in it that help balance the microbiome. I find that most people can tolerate kiwi fruit, even if they have a yeast infection.

Watermelon contains the amino acid citrulline and can also be good for weight loss. But remember, watermelon is very high in sugar, so limit your intake if you have a Candida or vaginal thrush problem. In cases like this, I would suggest passing on the watermelon and having some pineapple, papaya, pawpaw, or kiwi fruit.

Fruit is fine, but don’t overstep the limits. Don’t eat twelve pieces of fruit and think that it will solve your weight problem. You need more than fruit in your diet to sustain good long term health, despite what fruitarians say. I’ve never had a client who feels good in the long-term by consuming primarily fruit, day in and day out.

Eat the right kinds of fruit and eat them in moderation. My favorite fruits are berries, and you can eat plenty of those without running into any trouble. And don’t forget that avocado is also a fruit. If you’re trying to lose weight, having one avocado per day is a fantastic idea.

Make sure you’re not eating canned fruit because it’s full of syrup and sugar. Opt for tree-ripened, organic fruit if you can. Consider fruit to be part of a balanced diet, not the end-all, and be all.

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Questions & Answers

White Rice And Weight Management: What You Need To Know

I think it’s entirely possible to eat white rice for breakfast and still lose weight. I would probably recommend opting for brown rice or a mix of three or four grains together. I like the combination of long-grain brown rice, black quinoa, and white basmati rice. Quinoa makes up about 20% of my mix because it can be a little overbearing.

I’ll mix the grains, put them in my little French cast iron pot, and steam it for 25 to 30 minutes. I think you will appreciate the flavors and textures of this grain combination more than just plain white rice. It looks better, tastes better, and has more nutrients to offer.

If you really want to have plain white rice for breakfast, I can’t see any particular problem with that choice. But I suggest having something else along with the rice; otherwise, it’s purely a carbohydrate breakfast. You could opt for egg or fish as the protein and some vegetables on the side. Even a few shiitake mushrooms are better than just rice on its own.

Further readings:

Protein helps make sure that your blood sugar doesn’t fall flat a few hours after you eat the rice.

I remember that when I spent time in India, I was amazed at the health of people that were just eating plain bags of white rice and occasionally a handful of lentils or some tomatoes and lettuce. That was the extent of their diet, and yet they seemed to be in excellent health. They weren’t obese. They didn’t have diabetes.

Sometimes simple everyday food is all you need. You don’t have to have the whistles and bells to be in good health.

When it comes to breakfast, I prefer oats. I think oatmeal is one of the best breakfasts you can have. But if white rice works for you, then do it.

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Questions & Answers

The Number One Way To Lose Belly Fat

I want to share with you the best exercise for losing stubborn belly fat.

Now you’re probably reading this thinking, “Oh man, here we go. This guy’s a scammer. They’re all scammers. All of these people who say you can lose belly fat instantly and you can lose the weight and all that sort of stuff and Mr. Bakker is just another one of these deluded fools who’s going to show us some kind of trick and some kind of BS.”

Well, I can tell you this isn’t marketing or hype. I know from years working with clients that the absolute best exercise for losing belly weight is to push your plate away. Yes, that’s it.

The best exercise for weight loss isn’t spending hours on the treadmill, it’s pushing your plate away, so you eat less food. Of course, walking every day helps, but it’s eating less which is the deal-breaker.

Further readings:

When it comes to exercise, sitting in front of the computer is the last thing you need to do. Less than 25% of North Americans get sufficient exercise.

When I go to restaurants, it’s unbelievable how much people will eat at a single sitting.
It can be hard to get used to eating less, but you know what else is hard? Living with diabetes and heart disease.

Learn to push the plate away at breakfast, lunch, and supper. Of course, eat sufficient amounts of healthy food, but you don’t need to lick your plate clean every time you eat.

Your brain likes the dopamine that is released in response to eating tasty food. But don’t let that lead you to years of overeating. I have maintained the same weight throughout my adult life, give or take a few pounds in the winter.

If you let your weight creep up a few pounds a year, then by the time you’re sixty, you’ll be courting obesity.

The obesity crisis is out of control. Take control of your own life. Not your doctor, not your husband, not your wife, nor your son or daughter. You need to manage your belly fat, and the best way to do that is by cutting back on how much you eat. It’s so simple; it’s almost laughable. I’ll leave you with it.

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