Men’s Fitness magazine featured sweet potatoes as their “fit food” for October 2007. The following list gives you six reasons why you should add sweet potatoes to your diet.
- Carotenoids – plant compounds help fight cell damage that happens in everyday life and during physical activities like a work out
- Vitamin E – prevents free radicals from coverting LDL (bad) cholesterol into artery-clogging particles
- Potassium – necessary for muscle contraction, bone health, nerve transmission, water balance, and healthy blood pressure (higher potassium content than bananas)
- Fiber – keeps you satisfied
- Copper – helps produce connective tissue such as collagen which keeps your skin looking young and your muscles healthy
- Quercetin – this phytonutrient helps your body fight allergies (for example, asthma and hay fever)
Ref: Men’s Fitness, October 2007, p. 30
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Laurel,
Need I say again that I believe you have the greatest healthy site on the web. A perfect dose of information presented in a fun way that people can try today! I know I certainly respond well to your healthy tips presented in a way that I can actually start now, rather than saying “thats nice,” and…
I read your post and asked a good friend who is an excellent cook for a recipe idea. He recommended slicing the sweet potatoes thin, sprinkling them with olive oil, a little fresh cracked pepper and sea salt, and baking them slowly at 250 degrees F. A child here for a sleepover said they tasted better than McDonalds french fries. Thanks!
Lynne Eldridge MD