Believe it or not, sweet potatoes and skin health go hand in hand!  So many people try and eliminate carbs in their diet (to lose weight), but what they don’t realize is that a BALANCED diet includes 45 – 65% carbohydrate intake in your daily food consumption routine.

Sweet Potatoes  – A Healthy Complex Carbohydrate

Your body LOVES a balanced diet.  When I eat a healthy complex carb like sweet potatoes, I’m full for a REALLY long time!  Since sweet potatoes aren’t a processed carb like most baked goods, i.e. breads, crackers, pastas, sodas, etc., they are so important to include in your eating regime!

 

Sweet Potatoes Have the Following Benefits

1. Stabilizes Blood Sugar
2. High in Antioxidants
3. Boosts Brain Function
4. Enhances Immunity
5. Promotes Vision Health
6. Aids in Weight Loss

Number 4 (enhances immunity) caught my attention. Because sweet potatoes are loaded in Vitamin A.  Vitamin A helps stimulate the production of immune cells that fight off disease and infection. (not bad, since we’re now living in a time where everyone is concerned about catching the dreaded COVID 19!)

Vitamin A is also key for maintaining healthy skin, vision, and organ function.

It helps breakdown free radicals that break down collagen which contribute to fine lines and saggy skin.  Vitamin A also provides some natural protection from redness and pigmentation irritation caused by sun exposure.  (Not a replacement for sunscreen, however!)

Groups of People Whose Diets are High in Sweet Potatoes and the Results of that Lifestyle!

1.  The people of Okinawa, Japan are known for having one of the longest life expectancies in the world!  Besides eating minimal meat, dairy, eggs, and processed foods, guess what they eat a LOT of?  Yep, you guessed it, Sweet Potatoes!  They get a whopping 60% of their calories from sweet potatoes.  It’s not unusual for them to live to be 100 years or older!
2. The Papua New Guinea Highlanders are known for almost never experiencing heart disease, strokes or other modern chronic diseases.  (Based on a study published in the Journal of Internal Medicine in 1994)

These are great examples of lifestyles that I want to emulate. Eating whole foods plus  a diet high in Sweet Potato carbs seems to have worked for them.  I’m going to give it a try too!  Now all I need is a few recipes for sweet potatoes!

Check out my Sweet Potato and Chicken Cashew Recipe video below!

 

There are so many whole foods that are incredibly delicious when cooked or prepared with other wholesome foods.  The combinations are endless!  This 18-month Journey to Subtract the Years has so far been  so amazing!  I’m learning a lot and I feet GREAT!  It’s definitely worth doing!

 

My next Subtract the Years post coming soon!