Still, they’re starchy and rank high on the glycemic index – meaning, they’ll raise your blood sugar and insulin levels quickly.
Instead of French fries, opt for pigmented potatoes, such as purple potatoes or even sweet potatoes. A 2012 study states that, “pigmented potatoes contain high concentrations of antioxidants, including phenolic acids, anthocyanins, and carotenoids.” In other words, they can help manage blood pressure in obese people without impacting their waistline, regulate blood pressure and may even prevent certain forms of cancer.
“Purple sweet potatoes have high contents of anthocyanin, which is a pigment that presents the purple color in the vegetable. The pigment can produce red, blue and purple colors depending on the source’s chemical structure, such as in foods like blueberries, red grapes and red cabbage,” the findings read.
Per the Kansas City University study, “anthocyanins have been epidemiologically associated with a reduced cancer risk, but the anti-cancer ability of the purple sweet potato has not been well investigated.”
Of course, the secret to a long, healthy life is a balanced diet. The American Heart Association suggest placing an emphasis on a variety of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy products, skinless poultry and fish, nuts and legumes, non-tropical vegetable oils, as well as limiting saturated fat, trans fat, sodium.
As you can imagine, regular physical activity is also high on the list. For overall health, aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity or 75 minutes of vigorous physical activity – or an equal combo of both weekly, the AHA says.