Australia: Man tries potato-only diet in 2016 to cure binge eating

An Australian father-of-two has found a cure for his binge eating and embarked on a potato-only diet for the entire year. Andrew Flinders Taylor from Melbourne concocted the health plan with his doctor and dietician after hitting his highest weight of 23 stones and 12Ibs.

"I thought it would be a big battle of mental toughness to stay with this for an entire year but so far I've really enjoyed it. It has been boring but somehow I've still enjoyed it and I'm not sick of it," said Taylor. "When you've got an addiction, let's say a drug addiction or an alcohol addiction, the best thing you can do is stop taking drugs or stop taking alcohol. Unfortunately you can't do that with food, you gotta eat. So I thought what else can I do? Perhaps I can choose one kind of food and just stick with it."

After careful research and discussions with his health practitioners, 36-year-old Taylor found that not only do potatoes supply a sufficient source of protein but that they also contain vital amino acids. "I'm getting over 600% of my daily iron retirements and over 400% of vitamin C, as well as heaps of fibre – all things that so-called experts have said I'd be low in today," said Taylor. "The only thing of concern was calcium, potatoes have calcium but maybe not enough. To be sure I'm using a calcium fortified organic soy milk to make mashed potatoes."

Since the potato diet will be low in fat content, Taylor might have to consume some fat to remain healthy, however, he is regularly doing a blood check to ensure he adds the necessary fat to his diet when needed. However, health expert Dr Joanna McMillan warned that the potato-only diet could result in Taylor having several deficiencies.

"There's no one food that gives you all of the nutrients that you need to support your body. [Mr Taylor] will be getting plenty of carbohydrates but not fat and protein [or] nutrients. He'll fall short on iron, zinc, calcium, iodine, omega-3 fats, antioxidants and several vitamins. He'll be iron-deficient, potentially Vitamin C deficient," said McMillan, according to a 9News report.

"He's not getting enough soluble fibres unless he's eating [potato] skins, so he may be prone to constipation and possibly haemorrhoids. I'm concerned about his gut health. Long-term, bowel cancer [could be] a problem."

Taylor has managed to lose nearly two stone after 34 days on the diet despite no exercise in the first month. He has also found himself sleeping better under the sweet and white potato diet plan. Taylor has advised against trying his potato diet without a doctor's consultation. "I wanted to change the way I thought about food so that it's not really controlling my life. Food is fuel kinda thing," said Taylor.