Food That Burns Fat-Part 2

Right behind oatmeal, are yams and sweet potatoes a starchy carbohydrate.  Flavorful, all-natural, low in calories, and packed with nutrients and antioxidants like beta-carotene, Yams are great when cutting bodyfat because they are low on the glycemic index.  Waxy white potatoes (boilers) are high on the glycemic index, so they make an excellent post workout meal, but nothing compares with a yam the rest of the time.” It’s no wonder yams are a favorite carbohydrate among bodybuilders, fitness competitors and health-seekers alike.

If you’re carb sensitive, then the glycemic index should be given more weight in your choices.  Yams are one of the best.  Sweet potatoes are not exactly the same food as yams (they’re slightly higher on the glycemic index), but they’re otherwise similar, which also makes them good choices for fat burning diets.  You can identify a yam by its darker orange color, pointier ends and unusual sizes/shapes.  Combine a yam with a green veggie, a chicken breast, lean red meat or fish, and you’ve got yourself an ideal fat- burning, muscle building, metabolism boosting meal.

Benefits of Yams (Sweet Potatoes) Include but not limited to

Good source of vitamin B6, a nutrient needed by the body to break down homocysteine, an amino acid which can directly damage blood vessel walls.

Good source of the mineral potassium, which helps control blood pressure. Low ingestion of potassium, especially when coupled with high sodium intake, can often lead to hypertension.

Rich in fiber, they fill you up nicely without filling out your hips and waistline.  Complex carbohydrates are broken down into sugars, released and absorbed into the bloodstream at a gradual rate, (regulating blood sugar for diabetics) keeping you satisfied longer.