Boiled And Mashed Potato

[dibble]

I have taken up an exercise programme in the last 6 weeks with weights, sprinting and walking.

Ive been eating Peaty with high sugar (honey, fruit, OJ), lowish fat (some butter, some coconut oil and Brie for high K2) and have had good results.

After browsing the forum and reading some of Westside pufas posts, this week I have switched from sugar to starch, specifically, mashed potato starch.

The results have been incredible. The main differences I have noticed are a complete removal of pain post workout muscle discomfort, a general feeling of far more energy throughout workouts and the day in general and overall feeling of great wellbeing. I have also lost stomach fat and maintained overllal weight so assume my muscles are growing well.

I know some on here arent fans of starch but I believe looking at Rays work there is a strong argument for mashed potato consumption.

I found this...
Dr. Ray Peat: Yes, these are the equivalent carbon framework of the essential amino acids but they lack the ammonia needed to make the complete essential amino acid. And potato happens to be very rich in these, probably a lot of fruits are, but they haven't been analyzed. But we did -- we juiced a potato and ran it on paper chromatograph and saw that it was very rich in all of the equivalents of the essential amino acids but when you test it chemically it has a very low amount of protein in the potato but when you eat it, these keto acids are changed once they get into your bloodstream just by absorbing ammonia they change into the essential amino acids and can support protein synthesis. So if a person has a very low kidney function and can't get rid of a lot of urea instead of needing dialysis, if they eat these keto acids instead of protein, they can recycle their ammonia over and over instead of making it into urea that needs to be excreted. And potatoes are a very rich source of this protein equivalent such that if you mash two pounds of potatoes, you can think of it as being equivalent to a quart of milk for protein value and it also has a good balance of all the other nutrients, so that if you choose it and get rid of the starch, then you have an extremely concentrated high-value nutrient.

and I further interested in this work, Westside PUFA has already posted.
McCarbthyism

This focuses on the unique ability of starch to be stored as energy in muscles which I think explains the wellbeing I have felt this week - I have seen some argue scientifically against this, but for me, empirically, I have seen a significant difference in only one week...

Thoughts?

 

[dibble]

One other thing to note, my sleep has improved a lot, at least a natural extra hour every night, I now sleep 7 rather than 6 hours. I had wondered why my sleep had reduced when training and assumed a natural hormonal response to exercise stress but why has starch changed this....I read somewhere that a sugar diet produces more norepinephrine compared to starch, could this be it?

 

[Wagner83]

I love potatoes if I can find the right ones: creamy/smooth when steamed (they melt easily in the mouth) and are dark yellow rather than whitish. Other potatoes can give me nausea.
To answer your question potatoes are not necessarily seen as a bad food it depends on how they affect you individually, it's high inphosphate though.
How much proteins did you consume before introducing potatoes?

 

[dibble]

One other thing to note, my sleep has improved a lot, at least a natural extra hour every night, I now sleep 7 rather than 6 hours. I had wondered why my sleep had reduced when training and assumed a natural hormonal response to exercise stress but why has starch changed this....I read somewhere that a sugar diet produces more norepinephrine compared to starch, could this be it?

I would say around 100-120 grams per day. I drink a lot of milk and have recently switched to skimmed milk so I hope this balances the phosphorous? I also now eat Brie which is much higher in K2 than milk fat to prevent calcification. All this learnt as a lay person on this forum :)

 

[raypeatclips]

Glad you are feeling better, I too feel much better eating potatoes than not. Ray is always very positive about potatoes and only says negatives if someone is allergic to them. I don't think his negative comments regarding starches apply to very well boiled potatoes

 

[nikotrope]

Potatoes with less amylose and more amylopectin are more easily digested. Floury potatoes are whiter and contain more amylose, that's what you buy to bake or fry. Waxy potatoes have a darker yellow and contain more amylopectin, that's what you buy to boil. The latter also have a sweeter taste IMO, I can enjoy them without anything else.

 

[schultz]

I am curious, when you say that you replaced sugar with potatoes, does that mean you replaced white sugar with potatoes, or did you replace something like cherimoyas with potatoes?

EDIT: Sorry I now notice that you said honey, fruit and OJ. How much honey though?

My initial thought when reading that was that you are now getting some nutrients with the potatoes that you weren't getting before. Potatoes have a pretty solid nutritional profile. Ray has even gone as far as saying that they are almost a perfect food.

"Starch like potatoes, are almost a perfect food if they are very well cooked, because you want to break down the starch, and the non-starch ingredients of a potato have almost a perfect balance of nutrients, B vitamins, the essential amino acids, carbohydrates in the right proportion and the only thing is lacking in a pure potato diet would be vitamin A and vitamin B12."

I think starch can be a nice addition to a workout program. Insulin is anabolic. I like to eat white rice or potatoes after my workouts.

 

[Wagner83]

Potatoes with less amylose and more amylopectin are more easily digested. Floury potatoes are whiter and contain more amylose, that's what you buy to bake or fry. Waxy potatoes have a darker yellow and contain more amylopectin, that's what you buy to boil. The latter also have a sweeter taste IMO, I can enjoy them without anything else.

Yes good explanation, in my experience though most of the potatoes I have access to and which are labelled "to be boiled or steamed" have nowhere near the same quality, finding the right ones takes some time and possibly luck.

 

[Such_Saturation]

Thoughts?

I imagined eating potatoes and now I feel heavy

 

[damngoodcoffee]

I imagined eating potatoes and now I feel heavy

 

[James IV]

Potatoes are basically a starchy fruit. You probably just needed more glucose for your weight training.
Nothing wrong with potatoes, especially for weight lifters. Weight training up regulates glut receptors so less insulin is required for glucose uptake.

 

[Wagner83]

Potatoes are basically a starchy fruit. You probably just needed more glucose for your weight training.
Nothing wrong with potatoes, especially for weight lifters. Weight training up regulates glut receptors so less insulin is required for glucose uptake.

That's interesting as I've been pondering the possibility that regular work outs (say 3 times a week) led to feeling extremely good on potatoes, no issues with food coma or anything, on the other hand without working out for a while there are more issues but it's still one of the best foods. Maybe it's just a clue I need a lot less carbs if I don't work out.

 

[tara]

this week I have switched from sugar to starch, specifically, mashed potato starch.

Do you mean you switched from nearly all of carbs as sweet foods (fruit, honey) to ~ 100% carbs as potatoes?

I'm finding I have more reliable physical energy if I eat regular starchy meals (eg 5ish a day), but I'm not ready to go back to my old nearly-sugar-free diet. My current assessment is that some of each can keep me going better, but more starch than sugar.

I'm currently going with the idea that there is value to getting some regular fructose, but that my system can get overloaded with it if I have too much (I start to feel sick), more easily than it does with the glucose. Possibly because the liver can make good use of a limited amount of fructose, but working muscles want glucose and glucose-filled glycogen? Plus sweet foods make easy-to-carry snacks.

 

[Wagner83]

I'm currently going with the idea that there is value to getting some regular fructose, but that my system can get overloaded with it if I have too much (I start to feel sick), more easily than it does with the glucose. Possibly because the liver can make good use of a limited amount of fructose, but working muscles want glucose and glucose-filled glycogen? Plus sweet foods make easy-to-carry snacks.

This what I'm considering as well and ripe fruits seem quite unlikely to lead to such effects (compared to fruit juices and sucrose). Also I'm not sure about the following but I ponder the possibility of liquid fructose/sucrose being way more negative for me (as in having serious health issue) compared to solid food, it may have to do with the sheer quantity of sugars. I had imporant issues with juices and soda however it seems I can eat an honest bit of ripe peaches, strawberries (etc...) and be fine. Perhaps too much malic and citric acids are an issue.

 

[Westside PUFAs]

After browsing the forum and reading some of Westside pufas posts, this week I have switched from sugar to starch, specifically, mashed potato starch.

The results have been incredible. The main differences I have noticed are a complete removal of pain post workout muscle discomfort, a general feeling of far more energy throughout workouts and the day in general and overall feeling of great wellbeing. I have also lost stomach fat and maintained overllal weight so assume my muscles are growing well.

Thanks and keep up the good work and stay inspired. Just take it one day at a time and live in the day.

The biggest problem in eating so much potato is preparing and cooking it. But once you become a potato master, it becomes very easy. I've dramatically upped my knife skills over the last 3 years. You learn which potatoes are "ripe." You learn which ones will come out the best. I like russets and yellow. Yellow potatoes are naturally "buttery" without butter added. There's also other kinds too. I liked baked sometimes but I mostly stovetop steam.

.

 

[Amazoniac]

Thanks and keep up the good work and stay inspired. Just take it one day at a time and live in the day.

The biggest problem in eating so much potato is preparing and cooking it. But once you become a potato master, it becomes very easy. I've dramatically upped my knife skills over the last 3 years. You learn which potatoes are "ripe." You learn which ones will come out the best. I like russets and yellow. Yellow potatoes are naturally "buttery" without butter added. There's also other kinds too. I liked baked sometimes but I mostly stovetop steam.

.

West!!
Another thing is their density. Next time compare ones that are extremely heavy for their size to the styrofoam ones. The heavier ones are usually better.
This also applies for things such as eggs, liver, fruits, and so on.
So if your hands drop a bit when picking them up because the weight was unexpected, it's probably a good sign.

 

[Milena]

West!!
Another thing is their density. Next time compare ones that are extremely heavy for their size to the styrofoam ones. The heavier ones are usually better.
This also applies for things such as eggs, liver, fruits, and so on.
So if your hands drop a bit when picking them up because the weight was unexpected, it's probably a good sign.

Always a good sign with fruit, too. Although with watermelons a good tap helps (you want a resounding thud, not a dull thud)
Minerals are some of the last things taken into fruit (Not sure about starchy veg)

 

[raypeatclips]

@Westside PUFAs @Amazoniac @all potato eaters. Do you eat them only fresh or do you refrigerate any to reheat? Have you noticed any different effects of the reheated potatoes?

 

[jaywills]

Anybody notice a slow down in bowel transit time when eating more white potatoes, sleeping longer but awaking feeling less rested, apetite lowering and a heavy stomach? Is this an allergic reaction or does it take time for the microbiome to adjust to the increase in fibre or specifc potato proteins?

 

[Amazoniac]

Do you eat them only fresh or do you refrigerate any to reheat? Have you noticed any different effects of the reheated potatoes?

Cook one time a day and reheat them.
Yes, because once they're cooled, it's enough to make them more indigestible (link below). But as long as your intestines move fast, it's not a problem for most. They also become less stimulating, which is something related to this.

I'm sharing this for mere curiosity, it's unnecessary, it's preferable to store them with minimal seasonings, they tend to keep better and you don't damage stuff when reheating. Just an opinion.

Starch Retrogradation: A Comprehensive Review - Wang - 2015 - Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety - Wiley Online Library

"Temperature and length of storage are the major determinants of the extent of starch retrogradation."
"The hardness and springiness of retrograded starch gels increase during the initial stage of storage at a constant temperature, but then change only slightly on longer storage (Ji and others 2007; Park and others 2009; Singh and others 2012)."
"At constant temperature, shorter storage induces fast retrogradation of amylose molecules, which is responsible for the initial decreased digestibility of retrograded starch. Longer storage makes a smaller contribution to the decreased digestibility of retrograded starch, due to the slower retrogradation of amylopectin molecules (Chung and others 2006; Zhou and Lim 2012). In a study by Cui and Oates (1997), the degree of digestion of a retrograded sago starch gel (40%, w/w) dropped rapidly from 78.3% to 45.4% after storage at 5°C for 1 h. Extending the storage time to over 6 h had little further effect on the degree of starch digestion."

"Glucose, ribose, fructose, sucrose, maltose, and water-soluble maltodextrins all can retard starch retrogradation."

"The addition of NaCl during processing or storage can alter greatly the extent of starch gelatinization and retrogradation."

"Although a minor component by weight, lipids can have a significant role in determining the properties of starch and starch-based foods. Lipids can interact with starch to form inclusion complexes by entrapment in the amylose helical cavity (Putseys and others 2010). The addition of lipids to, or the presence of free lipids in, starch-based food systems generally retard starch retrogradation after food processing followed by storage (Copeland and others 2009). For different types of lipids, the shorter the fatty acid chain, the more effective retardation of starch retrogradation (Germani and others 1983)."

"The addition of tea polyphenols to rice starch significantly retarded starch retrogradation in a concentration-dependent manner (Wu and others 2009). Similarly, addition of the flavonoid rutin also greatly retarded the retrogradation of normal and high-amylose rice starches. The retrogradation of normal rice starch was completely inhibited by the addition of rutin, as measured by DSC (Zhu and Wang 2012)."​

If you're dealing with some sort of gut infection, you know when the father talks to mother's belly during pregnancy?
liferegenerator and get your belly really close to the speaker.