240205 The Potato

The potato is a humble food, but one enjoyed by many people.

My Irish, German and Polish ancestors all ate potatoes. In 1845 until 1852 many of my Irish ancestors died because of the potato famine caused by a blight in the potato crop that killed the leaves and the tubers. Between 20-25 percent of the population died because of the famine. That is when many of the Irish left their homeland and began coming to America. They were not welcome here and they suffered discrimination as the Italians did and the Polish did.

It is my understanding that wealthy people who eat in fancy restaurants with sky-high prices aren’t served potatoes in their meals. If this is true, I feel sorry for them. They are missing out on delicious food.

There are many varieties of potatoes, small ones in pretty colors, gold colored potatoes and it doesn’t matter which one you like because they are all good to eat. Potatoes haven’t changed much in centuries and there’s no need for them to do so. When you have a near perfect food and it’s tasty, why try and change it? Potatoes are one food that supplies vitamins and minerals and fiber and a person could live a long healthy life on just potatoes. That’s amazing for a humble tuber.

Way back in time, humanoids lived on animal meats that they killed. That and whatever plants and berries they found during the summer. They did not live a long life. The Chinese and Japanese rely on rice as a staple in their diets and they live long lives and look younger than Americans do when they are in their upper years.

Here’s a thought that was once explained to me. Cows have all molars, no incisors for teeth. They can only eat grass and plant foods. Wolves have sharp incisors to rip apart animal flesh they survive on. We humans have both molars and incisors, therefore we are designed to eat plants and meats. While we Americans have a tendency to overeat, being seduced by “All you can eat” at various restaurants, it is not a healthy thing to do. It’s hard to turn down all the wings you can eat, never ending french fries and three tiered hamburgers with extra cheese and bacon on top, it’s so bad for our health. Americans have more diabetes and obesity and heart failures than any other country.

At the other end of the spectrum, we have vegans. They abhor any meat or dairy products. They are the skinny ones. If a public speaker asks “how many here in the audience are vegans? No one raises their hands because they are too weak to do it. It was a bad joke but I thought it was funny.

No two people are alike. It’s difficult to not overeat in a country that has so much to eat. Going to a gym and working out will not take the weight off. Only cutting back on what we eat can allow us to lose weight. Of all the pursuits in the world, eating less in a country like ours is the most difficult thing of all.