>>>
a
washington state
man has decided to eat nothing but potatoes, 20 a day, he says, for 60 days straight. he began
october 1st
. he wants to show potatoes aren't just the stuff of snacks and
side dishes
, but there is real nutritional value here. chris is on the phone with me now. you have a vested interest in people knowing the nutritional value of potatoes because you're the director of washington's potato commission. but 60 days?
>>
yes. 60 days, contessa. thank you for having me on the program. i appreciate it.
>>
sure. why 60 days?
>>
i'll tell you what, because i think that was kind of a meaningful test.
30 days
pretty much anybody can do anything for
30 days
. but i thought 60 days, that's kind of really pushing the envelope and, plus, we'll learn nutritionally how like at the end of 60.
>>
you started this by going to your doctor and making sure that this was a safe diet. what did your doctor have to say about it?
>>
they had a couple of concerns, one is obviously they're not going to recommend this diet to anybody. there is no one
food product
that can meet all of your nutritional needs. but they said at the end of 60 days, i should be doing pretty good. their only concern was potatoes are rich in potassium, more potassium than a banana. they had to make sure i had normal kidney function before i entered the diet because that could be to your health.
>>
it is a good source of
vitamin c
and loads of other vitamins, but when you talk to nutritionists this he say most of the time when we eat potatoes here, we're getting them from
french fries
. the calorie count on
french fries
here, 539 calories, 7 grams of fat, that's a large fry. if you look at i cup of
mashed potatoes
, 237 calories, you're doing this without cheese and
sour cream
and owl tall the things that make potatoes delicious, but what about the
glycemic index
? what is your response to those concerns?
>>
i'm trying to bring some reality to this. i've been monitoring my
blood sugar
and it is very similar to where i started the diet. and so i don't understand the
glycemic index
aspect of it. they say when the sugar converts quickly, you'll feel hungry right away. but it is very filling. i'm struggling to eat 20.
>>
what is the weirdest way you had your potatoes prepared then?
>>
juiced. i don't think i would recommend that for anyone.
>>
i heard your wife made you potato
ice cream
too, i imagine without sugar. i can't imagine that was tasty, but it varies it a little bit. chris, good luck to you. 30 more days
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