Yacon Helps You Lose Weight

Yacon helps you lose weight, but what is yacon?
The botanical names of yacon are Smallanthous sonchifolious, Polymnia edulis, Polymnia sonchifolia.


Originally from South America and primarily grows in the Andes of Peru, Colombia, and Argentina. It was transplanted in small scale to different countries like New Zealand, Australia, Japan, China, South Corea, Philippines, United States, and the UK.


The plant can grow up to 2mt/6.5 ft. It is a perennial plant. Its tuberous roots are edible and taste like an apple/celery/watermelon flavor. This is why it is called Peruvian Ground Apple or Apple From The Earth


It is relative to the sunflower and the Jerusalem artichoke.
It is edible for human consumption especially the tubers. The yacon roots and plant have the potential to be used for animal feed too.

Nutrients in Yacon

Yacon is low in calories and refreshing. It is used as a sweetener.

Yacon Protein Sugar/Inulin Fat Fiber Ash
Fresh tubers 0.4-2.2% 20%
Dry tubers 6-7% 60% 0.4-1.3 6-7% 4-7%
Dry herbage 11-17% 38-41% 2-7%

Yacon tubers store carbohydrates in the form of Inulin instead of starch, similar to beets.
Inulin is a soluble fiber, a polymer of fructose with a glucose terminal unit.


To hydrolize Inulin, the intestine needs a specific enzyme, but humans do not have this enzyme, therefore inulin cannot be digested, absorbed and metabolized. This is a fiber.
Inulin is considered a prebiotic. Prebiotics are nutrients that promote intestinal health and aid digestion by feeding the good bacteria of the intestine.


Yacon contains Inulin made of the following sugars: Fructooligossacharide (FOS) and indigestible polysaccharides made of fructose. This is why the tubers taste sweet but are not digested or metabolized and have little caloric value.
Other roots like potato, yam, sweet potato and yucca store carbohydrates as starch, a polymer of glucose.


Yacon tubers are rich in Potassium, Calcium, and Phosphorus.The yacon roots and leaves have antioxidants:


1-Protocatechuis Acid (PCA) metabolite of polyphenol found in Green tea. PCA is antioxidant and anti-inflammatory.


2- Chlorogenic Acid is contained in peaches, potatoes, and eggplants too, and it is known to lower slightly high blood pressure; it can cause allergic respiratory reaction in susceptible people.


3- Cafeic Acid is found in mushrooms, coffee, argan oil, thyme, sage, spearmint, cinnamon, star anise, sunflower seeds, red wine, apple sauce, apricot, prunes, yerba mate, black chokeberry, lingonberry, barley and rye. Cafeic Acid inhibits cancer cell proliferation, reduces aflatoxin production, it is a natural fungicide. Cafeic Acid is antioxidant, antiinflamatory. Improves intestinal health.


4- Tryptophan: Tryptophan is an amino acid and a building block protein. It was thought that it was an antioxidant but now there are studies that show that it is not the Tryptophan by itself but its metabolites that are the antioxidants.


5- Ferulic Acid: Found in plants, popcorn , bamboo, wheat, flax seed, barley, yacon, blue and common beans, Chinese medicinal herbs – Angelica sinensis/ female ginseng, Cimicifuga heracleifolia/Cohosh, Ligusticun chuangxion/licorice root-, Ceuntarium erithraea/ European centaury tea plant, rice bran Chinese oil. It is released and absorbed in the small intestine. Ferulic acid is antioxidant and helps in the prevention of cancer and aging by reducing free-radicals and reactive oxygen species (ROS) that are related to DNA damage, cancer and aging. Topical preparations of vitamin E, ascorbic acid and ferulic acid help to prevent wrinkles and cancer of the skin.

Weight Fluctuation

This article is going to discuss weight fluctuation. You go to a scale and you weigh yourself in the morning, you may notice that you lost some weight, possibly a few ounces. When you weigh yourself in the afternoon, you are not always happy because you notice that you may have gained some weight since the morning.

Weight fluctuation is frustrating, especially if you have followed your diet and exercise plan. However, it is normal for your weight to fluctuate during the week, and even throughout the day.

Bathroomscales

Eating A Low Calorie Meal Is A Good Way To Lose Weight

Eating a low-calorie meal is a good way to lose weight. There is no need to compromise between low calories and good taste.

Here a recipe for a very nutritious low-calorie meal, it includes protein and vegetables and is rich in antioxidants from vegetables and spices. You can accompany it with white rice.
This recipe will give you the nourishment of a good meal and will also help you lose weight.

Chicken Spring
(Aprox. 300 calories/cup, protein, Protein: 65gr)

Psychology Of Weight Loss

Psychology Of Weight Loss

This article discusses the psychology of weight loss and how can we help ourselves to maintain the weight that we accomplished. This is done using mind exercises that will develop the acceptance of the new body image.

Eating right and exercising are very important pillars for good health.
When we lose weight, sometimes is difficult to keep it off for a long period of time. We begin to feel shame that the results of our efforts did not last.

Sometimes we find that is not easy to walk away from unhealthy food.
We have to improve our self-esteem and take control of our lives.
For that we have to make a commitment to ourselves: to be present to avoid distractions and feelings of dissatisfaction that push us to overeat.

Tough decission

Obesity In America

Obesity in America is a big health problem that leads to other chronic diseases like heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.

Millions of people always think about food. When the next meal will be, what will be eaten, and is there time for a snack? They think these thoughts not because there is a shortage of food, but because their thoughts revolve around food. Food is a tangible good that is able to create a sense of happiness, fulfillment, and anticipation.

Toothache Natural Remedy

This article about a Toothache Natural Remedy will relate my experience about how a tooth ache almost ruined my Winter Holidays and how I fixed it 100% naturally until I go to the dentist.

Happy New Year to all my readers !!.We get together with friends and family to celebrate the end of the year holidays.

NewYearEve2008 TimeSquare

Phier at English Wikipedia [GFDL or CC BY 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons
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From the Christmas cookies and Seven Fish Feast to the meatloaf, panettone, eggnut, the twelve Grapes at midnight and the New Year Turkey, the ham, the roast pig, potato latkas and soba noodles made from buckwheat noodles like in Japan. We have corn bread, green leafy veggies salad and black eye peas and

Walk Your Weight Off

Walk Your Weight Off

Walk your weight off and feel relaxed in the process. Walking is not a strenuous activity. You don’t need to be a PowerBuilder to walk around. You can take a few minutes to walk around the neighborhood , the local park or a treadmill and it will improve your mood, attitude, and body.

People walking in Hyde Park, Sydney

INTERVAL TRAINING FOR WEIGHT LOSS

INTERVAL TRAINING FOR WEIGHT LOSS

Interval training for weight loss is an important topic to consider.

The parasympathetic system and the sympathetic system of the body are part of the nervous system. The parasympathetic system is associated with the “digest and rest” reflexes where the body is calm and relaxed. The sympathetic system is associated with the “fight or flight” reflexes when the body feels threatened. Adrenaline pumping, fast breathing, and increased heart rates are all results of the sympathetic system reacting to escape the danger.

Thanksgiving Meal Menu

Here a Thanksgiving Meal that you will enjoy :

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OVEN-ROAST TURKEY BREAST

I prepared only the turkey breast, my family is small (8 Portions). Turkey breast is low-calorie and a good source of protein.

Ingredients:

1- 5 lb Turkey breast already de-thawed , follow the instructions on the package.

2-  Spice Islands Turkey Rub Savory Herb ~ 1.75 oz

3- 1 TBS of Kerrygold Pure Irish Butter – Salted

Preparation:

Pre-heat the oven to 365 degrees F. Wash the Turkey breast with cold water. Let it dry for five minutes. Rub butter and Spice Islands Turkey Rub Savory Herb ~ 1.75 oz under and over the skin of the Turkey breast and in the cavity.