For all of you that have read "The Potato Hack: Weight Loss Simplified," you may have found the chapters of resistant starch (RS) and potato starch (PS). I hope you read these chapters, this may be the most important part of the whole book beyond the quick weight loss experienced from eating a potato-only diet.
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| RPS |
He was on Dr. Oz about 2 months ago talking about rs
ReplyDeleteI guess it's safe to say he didn't credit you for it. Well, I am still a yuge fan of PS, and have 3 super heaping teaspoons full each evening.
ReplyDeleteDebbie
I do not expect credit. We know the truth, lol. The use of PS as a prebiotic fiber is widespread now, I would not expect people who recommend it to trace the advice back to its source. You could say I "stole" the idea from the hundreds of researchers who were experimenting with RS using PS as a source.
DeleteI take PS every day, too. I stopped for a while, and lo and behold, started having to take Tums after dinner and smelly gas.
Well you may not expect credit, but you surely deserve it.
DeleteHaha, yeah we know the truth. Anyway, maybe it's better this way, so you stay humble. When people become famous they tend to become power crazed and obnoxious! Remember this when the Potato Hack becomes a bestseller and they're fighting for the movie rights! ;)
DeleteDebbie
Of course I am kidding ;)
DeleteD.
So there are other prebiotic fibers that are NOT resistant starch? What's the difference?
ReplyDeleteD.
Sure. Tons. Inulin, FOS, pectin, beta glucans, dextrins, arabinoxlans,etc...
DeleteIn a research setting, each fiber type shows subtle differences in the bacteria they predominately feed, but I don't think it really matter. You just need to ingest a meaningful quantity each day. I like potato starch because it is easily obtained without harsh processing, you can even make it at home. 1 big potato yields 4-6TBS of starch.
The other fibers are all products of food processing and not easy to extract, and certainly not at home.
I think it's great that people experiment with the different fiber types and even make some custom blends to try. I keep going back to PS because of the price and its effect on me.
Many of the commercial fiber supplements in the supermarket are cellulose based and contain funky artificial colors and flavors.
If you search my blog here, you'll find a multi-part series "In search of the perfect fiber" from last year.
I'm going to re-read it. I'm feeling supplemented out here. At least with fiber you can't go wrong. I've added a potato to my daily diet for the heck of the perfect food. But I'll never give up my PS. I like the texture.
DeleteI only supplement Vit D in the winter. Other than that, PS year round. My go-to method is to dump however much I want in a bottle of water or a smoothie and sip on it.
DeleteI should do a blog post, but my favorite is to put 4-8TBS in a water bottle, a big squirt of maple syrup, and shake.
Have you even had horchata in a Mexican restaurant? This is better than that. It has a nice, sweet milky texture.
Otherwise, I mix in yogurt or cooled down oatmeal.
8 tbsp/day?! That isn't overkill? I thought too much would cause constipation
DeleteI can tell you that even 16TBS a day did not cause me to have constipation. Wilbur is on a regimen of close to 150g/day of fibers which would equal 16+ TBS of PS. I wonder sometimes if I was too cautious in my recommendations. Perhaps we should all be striving to get 100+ grams of fiber daily as our ancestors got.
DeleteThere were lots of old studies where they fed people even larger doses of raw starches with no ill effects.
I guess I've gotten a little paranoid about too much fiber after reading the fiber menace a few years ago.
DeleteYou should be cautious about what you eat! Some fiber types, ie. psyllium and guar gum, can expand many times their size when they get mixed with water. Lots of kids have been choked by psyllium.
DeleteCellulose-type non-fermentable fiber types are simple bulking agents and fillers, it would probably not be wise to megadose cellulose.
But inulin and RS, I think people never really take enough. The recommended serving sizes of commercial inulin products is usually 1tsp, 1-2X daily. This amount will ensure you do not fart, but I think it is way to small to make a difference. 5g? How about 50!
I really do not know the optimum dose. Likely it is variable for each person.
I make a smoothie out of a raw potato,sweetened stewed rhubarb and potato starch.Goes with lunch and is delish.
DeleteSo, I would think eating A LOT of PS it would mostly have to be in the form of mixed into liquid? Currently I eat it in a pasty mush, which I love. But I feel the dryer the mush is, the more constipated I become. Wondering if it can be mixed into coffee? I'm going to include plenty of inulin now too -
DeleteD.
Cold coffee, sure.
DeleteI just had my daily fix: 4TBS mixed in coconut milk with cocoa powder. I fill a small empty water bottle up with 4TBS of PS and cocoa powder, then fill with coconut milk. Keep shaking as you drink. It's delicious and you can just sip for a while with a meal.
Alternatively, I will mix it with yogurt. If I'm in a hurry, with water. I make cold coffee smoothies on the weekends with blueberries and PS.
The sky is the limit, really. Just don't heat it.
I did PS for six months, noticed no particular improvement and don't seem any worse without it. I have noticed a vast improvement with Psyllium husk daily before lunch. If I was to do very low carb it would be on my list.
ReplyDeleteI'm just the opposite...psyllium husks do nothing for me, but PS has been my savior. Just shows how different our bodies are and the need for figuring out what works for us!
DeleteI clicked the link...opened the transcript...located hamsters...case closed.
ReplyDeleteIndeed!
DeleteDoes the potato starch still carry the mineral load as the potato? How about the vitamin content? I'm thinking the mineral load would be less and definitely the vitamin content, but I figured you would know for sure. I think the potato is where it's at. I really think things work together to cull the gut biome, minerals and vitamins included, not to mention to affect how the diverse potato constituents are absorbed/transported cellularly. To just take the potato starch would slap those ideas in the face.
ReplyDeleteBut I prefer to think potato starch is helpful diagnostically. Like for you, the fact that it helps you is telling you something. What?
Terri F
I'm not suggesting to take PS in lieu of potatoes or other high fiber foods. Quite the contrary, just as a way to increase total overall fiber intake so that our gut bacteria is well fed and they can then extract nutrients and vitamins from the rest of what we eat.
DeleteI think that what this tells me is that I don't eat enough fiber in my normal diet. I get stuck in eating ruts, and just do not have access to as much high fiber food as I wish I did. Plus, you know, life and all that...busy, busy.
Maybe some of us need more fiber than others? Maybe everyone needs more, but just does not realize it? Maybe once you get on the "fiber train" your second-brain demands more fiber?
I watched a very sad video from a Jimmy Moore Low Carb Cruise, where a doctor was explaining that humans are obligate carnivores and we need exactly ZERO fiber in our diet. Her "proof" is the shape of our teeth and the length of our intestines.
I may not have all the answers, but I am sure we are not meant to eat 100% meat diets and we need fiber to stay healthy.
I agree with Tim. I just want to add that today's plants bred for sweetness (lack of bitterness), tenderness, juiciness, ease of growing, etc. probably lack the fiber content of plants we evolved on. I read someplace that the Jerusalem artichoke was one of the few close to its ancestors, and many (most?) deride it as the fartichoke. But there's no comparison of, say, Vidalia onions to wild onions. I even ask at the farmers markets about stronger, less sweet onions, and the farmers all say that they can't sell them.
DeleteSo the ideal for me would be to eat noncultivated forms of veggies, but it's impractical. I do second best: I eat the veggies that are available according to how many calories I eat, and then augment with fibers.
Wilbur it sounds like you need to get into foraging.
DeleteYou like to cook isn't it? You've probably heard of Rene Redzepi - he seems to have sparked a whole food movement.
http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2011/11/21/the-food-at-our-feet
The photos on his instagram are gorgeous
https://www.instagram.com/reneredzepinoma/?hl=en
RM
You know that I personally used potato starch as an experiment to see if it would get my slow gut to move, so I definitely know it has it's place! For sure! And it did work. Which is wonderful--and without your dedication to it, I never probably would have known. And thankfully, your dedication to the potato has led me to transition to the same effect with potatoes. Yay! I get tired of powder all over my counter. :-) ------ I do wonder about the SIBO concern, though; I see a good amount of bloating with either form (real RS or RPS). But the colonic motility effect is worth it for me.
DeleteI was just thinking about it all put together. Mulling over how different the RPS would be over the "real deal." What do the minerals and vitamins in our foods do to our bacteria? How do they help select them? What would the potato select for over the RPS (or other processed or mildly processed forms of RS)? And so on.
I know life is busy. I know nothing is optimal. Pardon me and call me on it when I ever say otherwise! I like to keep it real!
Utmost regards!
A one pound (450g) potato contains approximately 20% starch by weight, so 90g of starch, or about 8TBS. The WheatBelly doc has his folks making a daily smoothie using "a small potato."
DeletePerhaps this is a much better approach, but I like the convenience of having a bag of PS in my desk drawer at work that I can mix with yogurt or water for a quick "fix."
I agree with you, it would be ideal to get all of the goodness of a potato. But the same can be said of all fiber supplements. On the other side, maybe there are some things in a potato best cooked out of them, making the advice for a raw potato even riskier.
I like to think the RPS is "for them" and cooked potatoes are "for us."
RM - That's a great article! Thanks. i have heard of his restaurant and would love to eat there sometime.
DeleteWildcucumber- what a great idea! Several of the farmers are already tickled with me because I show such an interest with their stuff. I even get trimmings, like broccoli leaves, for free since they throw them back into the field. They think I'm teasing them when I say the local organic store sells bags of "brocoleaves" for several dollars a bunch. It's just a short step to ask to explore their unplowed areas. I'll need someone to teach me the ropes, but there are people who do that.
I've found that I'm not good at growing my own stuff. Too many things to tend to as it is.
Attaboy Wilbur! Email me for consults any time :-)
DeleteI began using potato starch last year based on the information in this wonderful blog and the improvements in my sleep quality kept me on it. But then I ran across a story about a group of German soldiers at the end of WWII who ran out of food and had nothing to eat BUT raw potatoes. They literally cured themselves of several ailments on nothing but raw potatoes. This got to thinking about the original juicing guru Normal Walker and his respect for the wonders of raw potato juice. Voila I switched at once from potato starch powder to raw potato smoothies and have not looked back. The large amount of potassium alone is a huge benefit not to mention the many grams of potato starch. Now my wife sticks with the powder because the idea of a raw potato blended in the vitamix with some water is just not her cup of tea...
DeleteIs it actually safe to eat a raw potato daily like forever?
DeleteSure. No dangers from eating raw potatoes.
DeleteWilbur - Glad you liked it. Would love to try deep-fried moss one day!
DeleteHe also has a relationship with a farmer nearby and he and his staff go and forage. There was a doco I watched, can't remember the name now. So you might be able to find something similar.
He is closing his restaurant in the next few months, and reopening with his own garden. Hopefully the food will be cheaper if I'm ever in the neighbourhood!
Meanwhile this porridge looks doable, unlike most of his food.
https://www.instagram.com/p/9QXqbgDNF6/
RM
Tim, as part of my wishing to grow my own vegetables and seeds, I've looked at Permaculture and landraces. One chap has experimented extensively with landraces, and incidentally remarked that 15% of his potato crops proved poisonous. ??????
DeleteAs he survived them, I'll assume he meant "toxic" due to bitterness and lack of palatability, just not drop dead fatal.
By "landrace" I assume you mean saving potato seeds and planting the open-pollinated seeds as opposed to planting tuber pieces.
DeleteAnd no idea what 15% poisonous would imply, unless the resultant crop was all green. I've harvested potatoes before that ended up turning green, but usually it was due to improper hardening off procedures, or too little dirt covering the potatoes just prior to harvest.
Every year I have volunteer potatoes pop up from seeds. I've tried nurturing them and replanting, but they always fizzle out before I can get any mature potatoes.
I like to keep my potatoes going from year to year by replanting leftover potatoes in the spring. It seems after about 5 years, the harvest starts going down, so I start over with certified seed potato.
Tim, We had already put potato starch on our shopping list for tomorrow. It's been awhile since we used it and decided to give it a try on our "days off." Found another delicious way to prepare potatoes---our favorite so far. Shred raw, squeeze out as much liquid as you can and form into patties. 'Fry' in non-stick skillet, not turning until they are almost done. Turn only once so they don't lose their patty shape. Refrigerate, re-heat, enjoy! I'm thinking a little bit of potato starch in there could also help hold them together. Will try it next time. Keep up the good work!
ReplyDeleteThanks! Those potato patties sound great. Good job on the potato starch!
Deletepotato milkshake,,,,one cooked and cooled boiled potato,,half a banana...frozen strawberries or blueberries,,kefir milk ,,adjust thickness with water,,
ReplyDeleteThat one blogger also said PS can make people fat. That's why I was scared off it; plus the feeding colon cancer. I'm alarmed about the psyllium. I drink a mixture of metamucil/inulin/ground chia/pectin powders - never thought about the choking aspect.
ReplyDeleteRose
Many studies show increased weight from PS! Well, they are studies of growing piglets or growing baby rats. Unfortunately, you can make studies say whatever you want them to say. I try to cut through all that and just give good facts and links for people to check all this out on their own. Everything you do should pass your own "sniff test."
DeleteWilbur, don't you have room for a garden? Can you get an allotment? There are definitely nurseries out there you can get these older varieties from and grow your own.
DeleteSome growers can be talked into letting you come to them and forage. They get free weeding, you get nettles and docks and dandelion, it's win/win.
Resistant starches, potato starch in particular, have really been one of the best things I have implemented in my diet. My BG response to potatoes is still way out of control, so it is awesome to have my little container with a variety of RS starches and flours that cause zero rise in blood sugars. I am up to about 6 TBS a day and the fartage has finally lessened. I mix it with kombucha or yogurt or just plain water and usually do 2 TBS three times a day. Not only do I enjoy the taste, I am feeling better than I have in years. Thanks again, Tim, for all the great information you continue to share.
ReplyDeleteGreat to hear! I've experimented with all sorts of fibers. My "Spidey-sense" tells me it's best to keep fibers in the proportions found in nature. Inulin, cellulose, and RS are by far the largest group of fibers found in nature. Inulin and RS are highly fermentable, cellulose is fermented to a much lesser extent. Also found in nature are other fiber types, such as pectin, beta-glucans, etc. These are always in much lesser amounts. I'd have a hard time recommending that people take 4TBS of pectin, or even 4TBS of potato starch without lots of plants in the diet. I think that inulin and/or RS from potato or corn is a great base for other fibers in a fiber blend if you wish to supplement.
DeleteI am curious what the effects people will see should they choose to go even higher, up to 100-150g/day of fiber through real food or supplements. One very fast thing I noticed, quite a bit of gas at lower levels of PS (1-2TBS) and almost none at higher levels (6-8TBS).
Valorie, could you tell me which RS sources have you put in your blend. I like the idea, and have been thinking of making a blend myself.
DeleteAs a matter of fact, I have started taking PS again. I couldn't in the past as it paid havic with my blood sugars, but since paying more attention to feeding my gut flora, I am hoping that this time things will go better. But I am a firm favourite of mixing RS sources as much as possible. Only supplementing with PS would be like putting all my eggs in one basket, something our ancestors definitely didn't do. They ate a huge range of fiber rich vegetables.
Jo tB
Jo TB (and anyone else interested) - here is a great paper out of Iran from late 2015 showing many improved health markers after supplementing with 10g/day of RS2. The test subjects were T2D women. Quite impressive!
Deletehttps://www.dropbox.com/s/xiripyvwko9bjd4/RS_Iran.pdf?dl=0
Based on what I'm reading here from Tim and Valerie, I'm going to up the PS! I've been consuming 4 heaping teaspoons/night mixed into this weird mush I eat (don't ask). In my quest for normalcy in the bathroom department, I'm going to start consuming a lot more throughout the day. Valerie, if you could shed light on what else you're using in addition to PS, I'd be really interested.
DeleteDebbie
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteRight now, my blend consists of 2 parts PS, 1 part plantain flour and 1 part tiger nut flour. I then add 1 TBS of a "superseed" blend I found at Costco that contains ground flax, chia & hempseed. Once a day, I add about 7-8 grams of inulin and a probiotic (I will change the brand of probiotic each month to make sure I am getting a variety). For the first time in YEARS, my chronic constipation is gone!
DeleteI am planning to add some pectin into the mix and perhaps change out one of the flours for mungbean. It's not that anything is wrong with the mix I am taking, but that I want to provide more diversity by changing things up once in a while.
Tim, your observation about gas diminishing at the higher levels of RS could explain why I'm now noticing a lot less! I recently upped things from 4 TBS to 6. I am now contemplating going a bit higher especially if the Iran study is showing improved health markers at the 10g per day level.
I am logging/tracking my blood glucose faithfully now to see if adding the blend before a meal helps control my levels and to see if they improve long term. It's an ongoing experiment but at the same time, I feel more in control of my health than I have in ages.
Thanks, Valorie!
DeleteThanks - the 4 tablespoons or so of PS worked pretty well for a long time - I too have chronic constipation. Now it's not so good. Do you mix this blend just with water?
DeleteD.
Interesting article. The study was carried out using Hi-maize 260, National Starch LLC, which I believe is not available commercially in Holland at least. Can we reproduce those effects using potato starch?
DeleteI can maize starch, inulin powder, still can't find plantain flour.
Valorie, thanks for giving your blend. I will definitely give it a try.
Jo tB
PS and Hi-Maize are both RS2. Interchangeable as far as I'm concerned.
DeleteAnonymous...I mix the blend with a variety of things, depending on what I feel like at the time. I use either yogurt, water, or kombucha. Supposedly, resistant starch will help any good bacteria, like those found in yogurt and kombucha, reach the large intestine alive by encapsulating them. I take my probiotics with RS for the same reason.
DeleteNot much talk of beans here for fiber. I'm not sure why. Make a crock pot full of beans, potatoes and a bag of frozen peas or corn a jar of organic salsa - refrigerate for a day and you have a low calorie, high fiber, FEAST for a couple days. The salsa has onions and garlic in it for an inulin boost.Not many foods have more fiber than beans do.
ReplyDeleteI'm in the UK and eat dried whole peas,yellow,green or carlin daily.Today I made a pease pudding to use up some split Pigeon,green and Chana cooked with onion and herbs/spices then stirred in some Miso and coarsely mashed it then stored in fridge.Ring the changes and you never get tired of it
DeleteHello Tim,
ReplyDeleteI would like to try mung bean noodles that you have mentioned are fairly high in RS. Do you think this brand is high in RS? Thanks for your time and all that you do! http://www.amazon.com/Dynasty-SaiFun-Threads-Noodles-5-29-Ounce/dp/B000H27I5G/ref=sr_1_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1461863821&sr=8-1&keywords=saifun+mung+bean+threads
Those look great.
DeleteHi Tim! I recently came off a pretty lengthy and heavy antibiotic run (Ugh) and I was wondering what you thought about gut re-population. I'd like to add in more potatoes and fiber (and RS down the road) but my flora is low and in need of a little lovin'. Are there any probiotic strains you might recommend (along with prebiotic fibers & fermented veggies) to replenish gut flora and help me get some sort of balance?
ReplyDeleteI went through several days of broad-spectrum antibiotics in December, and then was on opiod pain killers for a couple days. My gut was sooooo messed up, I can't even begin to tell you.
DeleteWhat I did. went to Walgreens and bought 3 different probiotic blends containing different mixtures of bacteria. I took them at about 5X the recommended dose for two weeks. Also, I started drinking those blueberry, oat bran, fiber smoothies we talked about last summer (search this blog if you have not seen!). Within a few days, I was over the opioid-induced constipation and things were moving along fine. After a couple weeks, it was as if nothing had happened. Oh, also was drinking sauerkraut juice and lots of yogurt.
I'm not a big fan of expensive probiotics. I think that brands containing lacto... and bifido... are fine. These are only needed to prime your immune system when you are weak, as we all are after antibiotics.
Eat lots of fermented foods, high fiber foods, especially cooked and cooled starches. Take probiotics if you like.
I had to go through a relatively mild dosing of amoxicillin a few weeks back. Turns out I didn't need it, but that's another issue. As far as I can tell, it had absolutely no effect on the functioning of my gut.
DeleteI do not know if what I did had any meaningful impact on the outcome. But from the start I used Garden of Life Raw Probiotics. The reason is that when I was first starting my project, they gave me terrible gas. That's how I knew they were doing something. They did not give me gas this time, or at least any extra. I've heard good things about Florastor, which I also used. Double dosage. I also made excuses to eat more sauerkraut and kimchi (kimchi and Brussels sprouts are an amazing combination). Also more raw organic veggies and roots for their endophytes as a form of probiotic (thanks, Gemma, but hope I understand correctly).
Couple of things. First, I tried to time my probiotics to be separated from the antibiotics. Second, there is some evidence that prebiotics (fiber) can interfere with the absorption of antibiotics. So I put the pre and pro together but separated from anti by hours.
Thank you both, Tim & Wilbur! I appreciate your thoughtful responses. I will definitely be trying out your suggestions :)
DeleteI forgot to mention something I read someplace. I think it was Blaser's Missing Microbes book, but I can't find it now. It was something along the lines that it seems that people who begin working on their gut through pre and probiotics tend to have better outcomes if they have had a round of antibiotics shortly before. That's my vague recollection anyway.
DeleteTim, So what happened to the composition of your gut microbiota following the antibiotics, probiotics and prebiotics? Does your new microbiome respond differently to your old diet? I would be interested to know how much of your old microbiome was permanently lost, since essentially none of the old would be present in the probiotics and fermented products that you ate subsequent to the antibiotic treatment. Much of your original microbiome must have been preserved in biofilms, safe from the antibiotics.
DeleteI'm curious, too. I sent in a uBiome sample a couple weeks ago. Curious to see how it differs from those I did last year.
DeleteGlad I still have an appendix!
Dr Ayers, a most interesting point you make. Wouldn't the fermented products, as long as it is homemade, would have the bacteria in it from before the probiotic use. Isn't your gut biome largely made up of the bacteria found around you? Isn't that the reason why gut composition can change when traveling to other countries?
DeleteJo tB
Sorry, that should read antibiotic use.
DeleteJo tB
I've just started juicing a couple of potatoes in my centrifugal juicer. I thought it would be healthier to get all the other benefits of raw potatoes as well as the starch. Plus it makes my green juice a fraction more palatable as it's so bland - ughh I hate the green juice lol, but it's a good way for me to keep up with my greens. I'm amazed at the amount of starch produced. I'm thinking of increasing the amount of potatoes I juice to see if it has any effect on the stiffness in my hands. I no longer have arthritis pain ther since doing the potato thing, but still have a little stiffness.
ReplyDeleteSynelg - You must lead an unsavory life, you always go straight to my spam folder, lol.
DeleteI know, I was impressed with how much starch you can get with a juicer from a regular sized potato. It was probably the biggest reason I am so drawn to using and promoting PS. If it took 2 tons of spuds to make 1 cup of starch, it would be a different story.
Not sure if you remember, but here's a blog post I did a while back on making starch and the benefits of potato juice:
http://vegetablepharm.blogspot.com/2014/09/tatertot-brand-potato-starch-new.html
I remember that post now Tim!
DeleteHey - I just now heard from a friend of mine. I persuaded her to get some potato starch. She's had a lot of gut issues in the past - she cannot tolerate many foods and has been told she probably has Leaky Gut.
She ate a quarter teaspoon of PS with sheep yoghurt. A few hours after, she got a "grizzly gut, kinda like a curdling gut, feels a bit upset, wind, BMs and generally felt unwell for a few hours. The second day was better, wasn't too bad but still awful".
She's happy to keep going, and I told her to get some probiotics and take them as well. I will listen to the 'lone voice' link you gave us above shortly, and will re-read your series on leaky gut etc, but would you say to continue for a bit longer?
I don't know about unsavoury Tim, I think it's because I'm a Kiwi lol. We're pretty scary! All those hakas.......
I think it's worth a shot to keep going with the PS. It usually takes a week or two to really see a difference. A quarter teaspoon? I have more than that stuck in my mustache, lol.
DeleteI find it hard to believe a quarter tsp, what, 1 gram? Did so much damage. My guess is that it was totally unrelated. Has she ever eaten a handful of potato crisps? More RS there than in 1/4 tsp.
Good point. I'll talk to her. Thanks Tim.
DeleteIt is common for those with health problems to experience strong reactions from tiny amounts. The Chronic Fatigue forums are full of people unable to tolerate even 1/4 of a teaspoon of PS. Those who find it hard to believe have pretty good health in the first place, despite their feelings to the contrary.
DeleteShe could try lowering the dose and starting up with a range of probiotics.
Did not mean to sound insensitive. But really, if 1-2 grams of fiber that every human should be able to digest completely messes you up, you "gots" some serious troubles!
DeleteI remember Dave Asprey, the "bulletproof" guy said 1tsp totally wrecked him. Someone else commented, "well that doesn't seem very bulletproof."
So, yeah, I have no doubt it happens.
"should be able to digest" I probably should have worded that better...you know what I mean, lol.
DeleteCanned potatoes ok?
ReplyDeleteI guess. Seems you'd need a lot of cans and it would be just as time consuming opening cans as it would be cleaning and cooking real potatoes.
DeleteCanned potatoes would be a good enough emergency source. On the road and only fries available? Crack open a can of spuds.
DeleteChocolate soylent breakfast: 2 c whole milk (use almond or rice or whatever if you'd like but I like cow's milk), 2 smallish green bananas (peeled, idiot), 4 tbsp RPS, 2 tbsp cocoa powder, 2 tbsp almond butter, 1 tbsp oat bran, 2 tbsp whey protein if you prefer (if you can afford it), pinch of salt, and 1/4 cup chocolate chips. It's good.
ReplyDeleteOr substitute peanut butter for almond butter and 1/2 c blueberries for cocoa powder and chocolate chips. PBJ. In a cup.
haha, I've made almost that same exact concoction.
DeleteHi Tim, I read your book over the last two days and it was an eye opener to say the least! Thank you. I have a question about doing the potato hack after coming off a 21 day water fast? Of course I will have a few days of watermelon and juice before eating a regular meal, but what do you think about a 3-5 day potato hack after that?
ReplyDeleteI really have no idea if this is a good idea or not, sorry. Personally, I'd think a week or two of normal eating to replenish anything you've depleted during the fast, then try the potato hack.
DeleteBut what are your long term goals, here? Weight loss, I presume?
Thanks for promoting the sale on your kindle book over on MDA! can't beat 99 cents today
ReplyDelete-Austin
Greetings from Madison! Tim, you are never going to believe this, after all the food intolerances and digestive hell I've dealt with for decades, but somehow, I'm getting better. A string of serendipitous events:
ReplyDeleteIt started in winter, when I discovered I could tolerate dried fruit and nuts in Earthling-like quantities. (Thank you, Larabars!)
For months, if not longer, I was struggling with night eating syndrome. I would go to sleep, and usually 45 minutes later, I would wake up starving, and have to get up to eat. In March, I got the flu and had an aversion to dairy that lasted a few days after I got over being sick. Slept PERFECTLY.
Since dairy was out, when my girls and I went out for ice cream, I got soy instead. Fully expected a noisy rest of the evening. I was wrong.
During this time, I was taking Imodium at the suggestion of the gastroenterologist I am seeing. I do not get diarrhea, but it was to slow things down. Also experimenting with lomotil, an Rx strength antidiarrheal med.
I went to a conference not quite two weeks ago where I requested a gluten free/dairy free lunch. I knew I would get a salad. It had garbanzo beans, which I love but rarely ate because I would feel so miserable afterwards. But I ate some anyway. I got home and realized there had been nary a peep. That night, I had eggs for supper, and felt awful.
Since then, I have been following a gluten free vegan diet. I have tried this and every other possible remedy many times. I have no idea why, but I am getting better with each passing day. Slowly adding things back in. I am actually digesting beans better than a lot of normal people. I have them 2-3 times a day.
I don't know if the medication slowing things down is allowing food to be digested in the proper place, but the dried fruit and nuts predate that. My divorce was final in March, and everyone expected some improvement, but this is nothing short of a miracle.
Maybe some day I can be omnivorous again. But I will happily trade eggs and dairy for oat groats cooked in soy milk with dates and cashews. I feel like I am out of food prison.
If things continue to go well, in a week or so, I think I'll try some raw potato starch again. I have a feeling the results are going to be very different this time around!
I also linked to your book on my Facebook page. Hope I drummed up some business!
She-Devil! Great to hear. Who knows what magic combination you stumbled on, just try to keep moving forward. I'd recommend getting back on the meat wagon (and not meaning the "bar scene") lol. Or at least supplement with B12 until you do.
DeleteKeep us posted!
Thanks! I'm seeing an intergrative medicine PA, and she is following my B12 levels. I think my instincts will tell me when to try some meat again.
DeleteI won't be testing out the other sort of meat wagon for awhile. My judgment in that department leaves something to be desired. The only dates in my life for the foreseeable future are going to be the fruity type.
I want to give things awhile to heal first. There's still a degree of inflammation left to deal with.
Kathy, if this helps at all: I went lactose intolerant about a year after I bought my business. Then 29 years later I sold it. Weirdness or what but I can digest lactose again. Stress? Toxic environment? I have no idea but earlier this year I bought regular milk because the store didn't have lactose free and I thought, two days and I'll buy the lactose free so if I get the 2 a.m. crampy trip to the bathroom, it won't be too bad or last too long. But I kept drinking the regular milk and still am and not getting the ... you know....
DeleteWilbur
ReplyDeleteFrom all the results you ever reported, the faster healing of wounds (or bruises?) impressed me the most. Improved healing, repair, regeneration... what else should one hope for?
Gemma
DeleteI've been reading about nictinoide riboside lately. I do not take it, but I'm wondering if I've tapped into something similar. It is present in some beers, which I like.
I think it's much more than quickly healing wounds. I think I'm being healed in ways I do not know. I used to feel my age. Achy creaky, low energy, that "feeling old" thing. I laughed reading a study that says people who feel three years younger than their age are healthier - I feel 30 years younger. I can spontaneously sprint, jump, pick up something heavy, duck, etc. without worry. I'm now walking over 2 hours per day, every day except when it rains, and I do not feel it. It's amazing, and I'm very happy. It was something that took time, and it's slow enough that I do not realize certain things have I,proved until something triggers a memory of what I used to feel.
Wilbur
DeleteFascinating. So it's something deeper than repair and regeneration. Is it... rejuvenation?
Gemma -
DeleteI think so. But it's also the totality. Much lower stress. Great sleep. Feeling of happiness. All those contribute. But there is a feeling that my body is better.
I hope it's not too forward, but would you be willing to give a hint at your approximate age? Feeling thirty years younger must be wonderful.
DeleteHey Wilbur, I second Charles' question.
DeleteNot at all. Old enough that the first step is remembering which year it is now...
Delete48
Oh yes - 18 would be a good approximation! ;)
DeleteWow. Thank you. An amazing and inspirational story.
DeleteLOL Wilbur, why would anyone want to feel 18 again??
DeleteBut I get your point, and good for you.
Wilbur, you have 'spring fever'. LOL!
DeleteWildcucumber
DeleteI see your point too. It's sort of like a wiser, experienced 18 year old! Better, actually. Without the teenage angst but with a body that simply does not interfere. The stuff about the nicotinamide riboside looks at cell energy and regeneration, the mitochondria, and suggests that as we get older, we lose cell regeneration. But that can be corrected. So rats that are 60 years old in human terms appear 20 years old. That seems close. I'm not taking RN, but what if what I'm doing does something like that?
I have two hounds. I spontaneously feel the urge to chase them. Let them chase me. I love the play. They love it too. I love to sprint in my pool. I love 8 mile walks. I am fascinated by philosophy, science, and things that would have bored me a couple of years ago. Something has changed. I'm a new person!
Well, since you started it...I'll confess that I used to come home from work, drink 3 or 4 beers, eat a big, nasty dinner of Hamburger Helper or some other conflagration of food, then a couple more beers and a can of Pringles while laying on the couch watching TV and moaning about my gouty feet.
DeleteYeah, I don't do that much anymore, lol. Now I am just a bundle of energy and I can't read enough or discuss all this enough. People will often start an email, "Sorry to bother you..." Really, they are never a bother, even if asking "Can I eat sweet potatoes?" lol.
I eat simply, supplement with one or two RS's, exercise a lot, lay in the sun every chance I get, to bed by 10 up at 6.
Wilbur - interesting, I've been looking into nictinoide riboside also. I tried niacinamide as a cheaper (less effective?) alternative. It was reported to be a novel anti fungal. I ballooned like a house end for the night! Oh well like potato starch etc - I might just need more time! I will look at whole food sources of NR
ReplyDeleteNicotinamide riboside. Autocorrect makes it difficult to type correctly! "Ballooned like a house end for the night?" Not sure what that means.
DeleteFor whatever reason, I seem to be attracted to barleywine style ales. I can't explain why. Maybe the bugs know why. I have had no luck getting info on which beers might be best for NR. Let me know if you find something!
Ballooned - my lingo for bloating! No Internet this week - on hols (currently got signal on phone in barbers!)
DeleteI had a look at whole food sources - only thing seemed to be ales, milk and brewers yeast, which I may try.
Ballooned - my lingo for bloating! No Internet this week - on hols (currently got signal on phone in barbers!)
DeleteI had a look at whole food sources - only thing seemed to be ales, milk and brewers yeast, which I may try.
You might find this new study of interest...
ReplyDeleteIntestinal Microbiota and Microbial Metabolites Are Changed in a Pig Model Fed a High-Fat/Low-Fiber or a Low-Fat/High-Fiber Diet.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27100182
I know we prefer to obtain fiber in it's natural state, but my mother (in her late 70s) has asked me which of the dietary fibers (like psyllium powder or Benefiber or forget the commercial names of wheat dextrin or inulin, etc.)...she could pack in a ziploc and put in her suitcase - she doesn't have "irregularity" problems when she eats at home, but when she travels, since restaurant food is much lighter on fiber than whole foods eaten at home - she is looking for something to mix with water that does not clump or get slimy on her....I know you all are fiber fans, so wondering if someone here can make a recommendation?
ReplyDeleteI never travel without potato starch. I usually put it in a Benefiber or some other type container, it looks awfully suspicious in a baggie, lol.
DeleteI'd recommend sticking with inulin or potato starch, but if she has a favorite, that's fine, too. Some of the fibers I've seen in the store don't look so great, lots of fake colors and flavors, or full of non-fermenting cellulose. If you look at my A-Store tabs, there's a prebiotic blend "Prebiotic+" a really good, but quite expensive, blend.
I have traveled with fibers too but generally prefer road trips, and I take my full lot. It takes up a good sized cooler. I have taken a few plane trips though, and I've had no troubles. I usually get pulled aside for a swab test for bomb residue, but it takes just a few minutes and I've never had trouble. My wife takes a jar of inulin on her many travels, with no issues.
DeleteIf Ihad to restrict myself, I'd take potato starch, inulin, baobab, and banana/plantain flour, in that order.
But don't forget that the best antidote to bad food is not eating it! I find it enjoyable to use the opportunity to fast. Getting up early, skipping the McD's, skipping the onboard pretzels (if they are even offered), skipping lunch, and so on feel good to me.
Also, there are foods that travel well in case one gets hungry. I carry a bag of dried fruits, like Turkish figs (I love the Indus brand figs from Amazon), dried apricots, and prunes. More exotic, but tasty and full of inulin are dried yacon roots. Then there are things like whole (un hulled) pumpkin seeds, almonds, other nuts.
Depending on the timeframe, one can add raw sunchokes or raw potatoes. We usually try to get a refrigerator at our destination, so baked potatoes and some greens, like dandelion greens, are a possibility.
I'm a believer that spices are important for the gut (thanks Ashwin Patel from some time ago), so a bag or vial of freshly ground cumin, fenugreek, black pepper, and chile powder to put on restaurant food is a plus.
I've had much success asking people to cook veggies less in restaurants. A veggie omelette with minimally cooked veggies is different from one with fully sautéed veggies.
I used to have the usual problems with gastric "disturbances" when traveling. Need to go but can't. Or can't stop going when I need to. But I've found that with these ideas, bathroom worries are a nonissue. Plus I mostly avoid the discomfort of bloating and change in habit.
Salt is another issue. People use way too much salt!
thank you - does the inulin mix well with water? room temps or cooler? texture is palatable? (realize that is somewhat subjective....just not too thick or clumpy or slimy to get down the gullet easily I guess)
DeleteIt has a sweet taste, clumps a bit more, but also mixes better. It mixes really well with milky drinks.
DeletePS - cool Tim! I see you're spreading the word about the salt potatoes of my youth. We had them at every every picnic or barbecue growing up - they were typically boiled on top of the barbecue grill - with the melted butter, they could get a little messy....so outdoor eating was perfect - of course on the hack, we are butterless :)
ReplyDeleteWhat protocol do you recommend for SIBO? Can enough good bacteria beat out the bad or does a person need to weed out the bad first before starting to promote the good bacteria. I get very bloated on any RS.
ReplyDeleteI don't have any protocols for anything, and the protocols I've seen that other bloggers present only lead to more and more complicated protocols when they discover their first protocol did not work on anybody as advertised.
DeleteIf I thought I has SIBO, I'd make an appointment with a doctor of some sort that understands gut health. There are tests for SIBO. There are steps that a doctor can take to try to cure it. If you want to try yourself, after doctors and bloggers fail you, there are many things to try.
What it seems works best for people is high dose garlic, onions, and antimicrobial herbs and teas such as circumin, nettle...(help me out Cuke and Gemma!!!).
Go crazy on these for a couple weeks, then start adding in your honey, mushrooms, broths, potatoes, rice, beans.
If you seem to be making progress, then try the fibers if you want inulin, potato starch, Larch AG, etc.
Wilbur here seems to have cured himself in this way, and is doing near 150 g of fibers daily now.
I'm loath to outline any specific protocols just because everyone is so different. My information is intended to give you ideas and courage to try things.
I think it depends very much what one means by "SIBO". That's become such a catch-all for so many different sorts of digestive distress that there can't possibly be any one protocol.
DeleteAnd how these things start matters. From a course of some kind of meds? From bad diet? Beer drinking? All of the above? What else has been done to try to relieve symptoms? Are there food intolerances? What's the lifestyle like?
Lastly, personality type matters, too. An anxious person will have a more difficult recovery.
Tim, I think I've finally found the true risk of the potato hack...
ReplyDeletehttp://www.charlottestories.com/i77-shut-friday-morning-due-major-potato-spill/
Isn't this nice?
ReplyDeleteDo microbiotas warm their hosts? (2016)
"All natural animals and plants are holobionts, consisting of a host and abundant and diverse microbiota. During the last 20 years, numerous studies have shown that microbiotas participate in the ability of their hosts to survive and reproduce in a particular environment in many ways, including contributing to their morphology, development, behavior, physiology, resistance to disease and to their evolution. Here we posit another possible contribution of microbiotas to their hosts, which has been underexplored - the generation of heat. We estimate that microbial metabolism in the human gut, for example, produces 61 kcal/h, which corresponds to approximately 70% of the total heat production of an average person at rest."
Gemma -
DeleteInteresting. Since I started my gut project, I've had about an hour every night where I get very warm. About 6-7 hours after my evening fiber drink. I've found that I can move that warm period around by varying the timing of my drink, or avoid it completely by skipping it or taking substantially less fiber. I should have a warm period during the day, but maybe I just don't feel it or adjust without thought.
Are you familiar with the Gaia Hypothesis? The earth might control, among other things, its temperature through microbial metabolism and feedback to best promote life (not necessarily human life!). I'm just starting to learn about it, but I think it's going to be fun.
I'm surprised frankly that the heat generation thing in a host is underexplored.
Nice one Gemma!
Deletehey Wilbur, speaking of Gaia, ever read any Stephen Harrod Buhner? And speaking of microbes controlling the atmosphere, this one is fun:
http://www.gizmodo.com.au/2016/05/this-might-be-the-weirdest-thing-thats-ever-happened-to-earths-atmosphere/
Wilbur
DeleteYes, I am familar with various hypotheses....
Now or never! Here's the story of forest aura:
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/05/160504084458.htm
When I was researching "cold thermogenesis" I was finding evidence that gut bacteria are important in heat stability. But, the body can adjust in their absence, just as the body can adjust to air temperatures. Having an intestine full of healthy bacteria is probably much similar to living somewhere warm, your body does not have to do as much work to stay warm.
DeleteThis could potentially lead to weight gain! The name of the game in nature is energy conservation, right? But on the other hand, these bacteria and fungi need a healthy host, so hopefully they put ideas in your head to not overeat and to remain active.
Quite a balancing act with a McDonald's on every corner.
Wildcucumber I might have read an article by/about him. I'm going to have to get one of his books. I believe the idea. There is so much I was completely unaware of before starting my project. I can't read fast enough!
DeleteGemma I would not be surprised if somewhere there is a supersmart fungus using us humans as tools. This really is fun stuff.
Wilbur
DeleteWow. What a beautifully sinister thought!
Gemma, what an interesting find. According to a test I had done last year, my bacteria count is low. That could be one reason why I am constantly cold, and have great difficulty keeping warm.
DeleteJo tB
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteHi there.
ReplyDeleteJust wondering if you've seen this:
Resistant starch content in a selection of starchy foods on the Swedish market
ECJN
June 2002, Volume 56, Number 6, Pages 500-505
http://www.nature.com/ejcn/journal/v56/n6/full/1601338a.html
Cheers
Yes, thanks. There are also similar papers describing the RS in US, Chinese, and Taiwan diets. I think that when researchers started seeing that RS was an incredible prebiotic, they wanted to see how much people were eating. The answer was: "not very much." And then along came the low-grain, low-carb diet crazes and what little RS people were consuming flew right out the window.
DeleteThanks!
Hi Tim,
DeleteI've been following your posts abt RPS for qt sometime :)
i then decided to trial the RPS. i started with very low dose of 1/4 tsp once a day and slowly increased to 1.5tsp twice a day. Each time i combined with 1 cap of prescript assist. i noticed my BM was greatly improved, but sadly the bloating & gas persisted.
When i was at 1tsp twice a day last wk, i impatiently increased the dose to 1.5tsp twice a day (empty stomach before breakfast & before bed), plus added 1 cap AOR 3 probiotic to the mix. then all hell broke loose :( since 4 days ago, i've been feeling really bloated, belching & reflux. i also noticed the flatulence changed from odourless to have some odour. i then stopped both the RPS and AOR and immediately noticed my BM isnt as good as when i was on RPS.
from last night i switched to 1tsp banana flour just once before bedtime. but so far the bloating still persists.
i wonder whether it's the AOR probiotic causing this? or is it the RPS has trigerred sibo hence the reflux and change of flatulence odour?
from your posts i somehow believe that people must at least have got bifido bacteria in their gut to benefit from the RPS. those who have zero bifido will not benefir from RPS diet. i did cdsa test last year and the report showed i do( at least at that tm) have bifido.
fyi, i have ibs-c and the test also showed i have low butyrate & low scfa, so i desperately Hi Tim,
I've been following your posts abt RPS for qt sometime :)
i then decided to trial the RPS. i started with very low dose of 1/4 tsp once a day and slowly increased to 1.5tsp twice a day. Each time i combined with 1 cap of prescript assist. i noticed my BM was greatly improved, but sadly the bloating & gas persisted.
When i was at 1tsp twice a day last wk, i impatiently increased the dose to 1.5tsp twice a day (empty stomach before breakfast & before bed), plus added 1 cap AOR 3 probiotic to the mix. then all hell broke loose :( since 4 days ago, i've been feeling really bloated, belching & reflux. i also noticed the flatulence changed from odourless to have some odour. i then stopped both the RPS and AOR and immediately noticed my BM isnt as good as when i was on RPS.
from last night i switched to 1tsp banana flour just once before bedtime. but so far the bloating still persists.
i wonder whether it's the AOR probiotic causing this? or is it the RPS has trigerred sibo hence the reflux and change of flatulence odour?
from your posts i somehow believe that people must at least have got bifido bacteria in their gut to benefit from the RPS. those who have zero bifido will not benefir from RPS diet. i did cdsa test last year and the report showed i do( at least at that tm) have bifido.
fyi, i have ibs-c and the test also showed i have low butyrate & low scfa, so i desperately need to increase my butyrate producing bacteria.
the test also showed i have overgrowth klebsiella & proteus. i did the antimicrobial treatment. did the fecal transplant afterwards. all before starting the resistant starch diet but i wonder now whether i've been still feeding the pathogenic bacteria w my RS diet :(
would u mind to share some advice on what i should do now?
i'm really confused of whether i should stop or persist with the RS.
i've been to the best GI doctors in australia, but i know they cant help mucheed to increase my butyrate producing bacteria.
the test also showed i have overgrowth klebsiella & proteus. i did the antimicrobial treatment. did the fecal transplant afterwards. all before starting the resistant starch diet but i wonder now whether i've been still feeding the pathogenic bacteria w my RS diet :(
would u mind to share some advice on what i should do now?
i'm really confused of whether i should stop or persist with the RS.
i've been to the best GI doctors in australia, but i know they cant help much
Sorry about my crazy blog comment section, I get the gist of what you are asking.
DeleteI am very hesitant to give you any advice beyond ensuring you are eating a very healthy diet filled with plants.
I'd stop with the RS, try some of those great green bananas that Oz is famous for instead. Eat a small green banana every day and see if that does anything for you.
Just simply too many variables for advice past that, sorry.
forgot to say thank you in advance :)
ReplyDeleteCan you utilize 8 + tbsp of rps in one sitting or does it pass on through?
ReplyDeleteI suspect this completely depends on the present condition of the gut flora. Possibly after a lengthy adaptation period one can utilize well more than 8TBS.
ReplyDeleteWhat are you thoughts on Bimuno powder? Is it worth a try?
ReplyDeleteIt was once only available in the UK, I thought it looked great, but not worth the expense. Now I see it's available from a US supplier on Amazon. Anything is worth a try.
DeleteThis stuff: http://amzn.to/1U6tZit
Bimuno contains GOS, a man-made prebiotic fiber made of cow's milk. Supposedly this stuff simulates the fibers found in human breast milk.
It's a prebiotic, just like potato starch, inulin, glucomannan, etc. For people that cannot tolerate PS and inulin, certainly worth a try.
Hi Tim, Can you check this out? I thought it was heating AND cooling the potato.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.hippressurecooking.com/pressure-cooker-potato-nutrition/
Even if pressure cooked, they still need to be cooled. I think the article implies the cooling, but it is kind of lost. The differences in RS formation between baking, boiling, pressure cooking, etc.. then cooling are just a few percentage points. Best bet is to fix your potatoes in a variety of ways and use different potato types. No sense really trying to overthink things or buy expensive cooking equipment.
Delete