How Should we Consume Potato?

An Ayurvedic Perspective

Setareh Kiumarsi

Potato, according to Ayurveda, is one of the cold and dry vegetables, which is very astringent and weakens the Agni (digestive fire) and causes constipation!

Did you know that digesting French fries, this yummy and inseparable fast food side dish is so hard for your digestive tube, and most of it turns into undigested mucus and toxins?!

Did you know the combination of potato with the following foods creates toxins in your GI tract?! Rice, bread, starch, red meat, pork, egg and cheese… These foods are all mucusy and heavy. When you mix potato with them you make their digestion much slower and harder!
For example, think of the combination of steak and mash potato, or cheeseburger with French fries or mac and cheese! All these combinations are so hard to digest and stay in your intestines and colon like a sticky, indigestible mucus!

But along with these disadvantages,

Potato, according to Ayurveda, can also decrease the metabolic rate and  is considered as a great remedy for those whose metabolism is too fast and suffer from hyperactive thyroid!

So how should we consume potato?!

• Always cook potato with small amounts of natural oils (such as coconut oil, olive oil, ghee, etc.) and digestive spices (such as turmeric, cumin, fennel, thyme, etc.).
• Potato should not comprise more that 20-30% of your plate. The foods that are mostly comprised of potato are hard to digest (for example think of mash potato or French fries).
• Mix it with heating vegetables such as carrot, spinach, parsley, basil, green onions, beets, etc.

These all will make the potato more digestible!