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Trying to lose weight in a hurry? Most of us will cut out carbs like pasta, sugar and potatoes, but recent reports warn you should not be so hasty -- while the pasta and sugar can probably go, potatoes are actually a powerful weight loss tool.

Here's the thing: Most people assume potatoes will make them fat because they're typically regarded as having a high glycemic index. But according to a study by the British Journal of Nutrition, this is technically not true -- the GI of a potato depends on the type and how it's cooked. Plus, experts are quick to point out that potatoes aren't in the same carbohydrate league as sugary sweets and refined flour -- eating them will help you stay full longer than you would eating simple carbs like sugar.

Still not convinced that potatoes are for you? Here are some spud stats to keep in mind:

When I invented this recipe years ago, I told my husband what I was making and a big fat question mark suddenly appeared over his head. He looked at me like I was a bit insane, but didn't say those words. I think he was afraid to hurt my feelings.

But vindication came as he took his first bite. Sweet Crusted Chicken Nuggets are to die for. As my husband did that day, every single guest in my house has cleaned their entire plate when I make them. I imagine yours will be received in a similar way.

My secret formula is available in the online recipe book at my site Fitzness.com. They're very easy to make and don't take a lot of time either.

Serve them with grilled veggies, a sweet potato or on top of a salad to round things out in a healthy way. Enjoy!

I was a cheerleader back in my high school days. When my squad was training for competitions, we really worked out long and hard. Many times, the muscles in our legs would visibly shake with strain. Our coach, restricted from recommending vitamins or anything of that sort, always brought bananas with her to practice to help us with muscle weakness and muscle cramps. Bananas aren't my favorite fruit, but I have to admit that they helped.

While bananas are a decent source of potassium, there are many other options. Potassium-rich foods are important for your diet. Not only do they help with muscle cramps, but they can also have a positive effect on blood pressure. Good sources include:

• Avocado
• Baked potato with skin
• Edamame
• Papaya
• Sweet potato
• Salmon
• Tomato sauce
• Winter squash
• Cantaloupe
• Dried apricots

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I'm so excited to share with you the recipe for my Protein Power Potato. It's something I've been eating several times a week, and it really has served me well. I insist that my food be: low cal, low fat, high fiber, often high in protein and overall nutritious. This Protein Power Potato fills me up, and gives me the energy to get through tough workouts or wild days with my kids. (It keeps me really trim too.)

I've included an option for making this a vegetarian or carnivorous option as well. Since I understand food, and know what I want out of it ... sometimes I just look in my fridge and concoct something that's going to give me what I need. That's how we got this meal. Did I mention this thing is delicious too? Mmmmm. I could eat it every day!

To give it a try, visit the Recipe section available at Fitzness.com, page 42.

Remember how happy we all felt when Lay's introduced Baked Potato Chips? I do. It was a feeling of relief for me. I had given up chips in lieu of a hard fit body. Fair exchange I thought! But then, there was this company telling me that they weren't going to fry all of their chips anymore, and yes ... there would be a healthier version for people like me. Yahoo!

Once again, snack lovers get to rejoice. The LesserEvil brand snack company has created an amazing variety of popcorns and krinkle potato sticks to make just about everyone drool. Most single servings contain about 110 calories of which about 20 come from fat. Not bad!

The Classic Kettle Corn is the perfect combination of sweet and salty, and thank goodness my bag was a single serving. If it weren't, I could have devoured nine! It was better than any of the junky stuff they sell at carnivals for sure! The Black and White Kettle Corn made my children's "movie night" here at home an even more special event. Good news for me ... I didn't feel the slightest bit bad about giving it to them. The Zesty Pizza Krinkle Sticks were odd to my husband and I though. Why? Because we could not figure out how they made them taste exactly like pizza! It was both weird and wonderful at the same time.

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I've got two sweet potatoes sitting on my kitchen counter. They're for lunch tomorrow -- one for me; one for my husband. We're planning to microwave them and then add a little low-fat sour cream or perhaps some low-fat cottage cheese, maybe some flax, some nuts, and some broccoli too.

I have Fitz to thank for this healthy meal idea. She told me the other day she's been eating sweet potatoes lately and is really enjoying them. I think we're going to like them too.

The sweet potato -- also referred to as a yam -- is one of the most nutritious vegetables around. Containing unique root storage proteins that have lots of antioxidant capacities, sweet potatoes have great healing properties and are known for combating free radicals and fighting inflammation. With just 114 calories per potato and a sweetness even kids will enjoy, this is one food we all ought to incorporate into our diets. I'm starting tomorrow -- how about you?

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Often associated with mold and decay, the color blue is typically not a popular one when it comes to all things food related. That's why you won't see too many blue plates in restaurants -- just not too appetizing, say food experts. Interestingly, you don't typically see too many blue foods either. Well, in Ireland you might. And other places too if you really look around. But let's stick with the Irish story.

The blue potato, once introduced by a family producing vegetables for 200 years, became all the rage in Dublin not long ago, where parents began urging kids to eat their blues.

Who knew the blue potato -- the color comes from the antioxidant anthocyanin -- would be such a hit when marketed to the masses. The idea was to appeal to children by selling them something with a little novelty. It worked -- initially. But interest may be waning. Why? The color.

How do you feel about blue? I'm OK with it. I like blueberries and blue chips, and well, I can't really think of anything else. Blue potatoes? I'd try them. How about you?

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For years now carbs have a much maligned food for people watching their weight. But there's some new and exciting research out there that gives us a reason to put potatoes, corn and rice back in our diets. Experts have found that these foods contain resistant starch, which is a kind of fiber that may actually aid weight loss, especially when these foods are cooled. They increase your body's fat-burning ability and are filling so you're less hungry.

Because resistant starch is bulky, it takes up space in your digestive system which means you can't absorb it so it's not stored as fat like most carbs. That's a pretty impressive reason to be smart about the carbs you eat.

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Did you know that frying starchy foods can produce a cancer-causing substance? Me neither. It turns out that when starchy foods such as potatoes are cooked at high temperatures acrylamide is created. So when you fry, bake, grill, or roast potatoes you could be generating potentially harmful carcinogens.

A British study reveals that simply soaking potatoes can greatly reduce acrylamide and any subsequent health issues it could cause. Specifically, if the potatoes are washed the levels were reduced by as much as 23%. If soaked for 30 minutes, levels decreased up to 38%. And the decrease rose to 48% when the potatoes were soaked for two hours.

Martha recently showed us why potatoes don't really deserve their bad rep. If you want to create a healthy potato side dish, try some of these recipes from Prevention.

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Carbs are generally considered the enemy when it comes to weight loss, so we fervently avoid pasta, bread and potatoes, usually without seeing the results we wanted. What's behind the notion that carbs are a no-no for weight loss? And is there any truth to it?

Evidence shows that at least one carb--potatoes--isn't counter-productive to weight loss, and in fact can even help you lose weight. How so? Here are the reasons you shouldn't give up on 'taters:

• They can boost your metabolism
• They help curb hunger hormones
• They can prevent cancer and heart disease
• They can help boost your immune system.
  

Want to know more? Click here. But remember, French fries and potato chips don't count. When eating potatoes, stick to ones cooked with as little fat as possible.

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Whoopi Goldberg is all about honesty these days. She just recently declared her own personal war on smoking -- "Whoopi Kicks Butts" is the slogan used on her talk show The View -- and now she's speaking out about her love for junk food, the love that's caused her to gain 50 extra pounds.

"Folks don't tell the truth about sex and money or about what they eat," says Whoopi in the November 11 issue of Parade magazine. "But I'm not going to lie to you: I love potato chips, big bags of them. I love junk food. Not sweets. I like salt."

Whoopi isn't hiding the fact that she's been indulging of late. The extra pounds aren't hiding either, she says, which is why she's back on her diet. It's meat, vegetables, protein, and fruit for this Oscar-winning star who knows this is the way she's supposed to eat.

Whoopi has quite a challenge ahead of her. She wants to be completely done with smoking by December 15, and now she's taking on a major diet overhaul. The work may be hard. But the rewards will be oh so sweet.

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Sodium is usually the first to go for someone diagnosed with high blood pressure. There's also another way to fight this condition, though, without drugs.

It's a simultaneous approach that involves cutting back on sodium intake while increasing consumption of potassium-rich foods. For greatest benefits, sodium should total 2,300 milligrams per day while potassium milligrams reach 4,700. Avoiding processed foods is a wise choice if you're watching your blood pressure -- sodium is added to most of these foods -- and upping your intake of potassium should come from foods, not supplements. Do check with your doctor about the amount of potassium you need. Some people with kidney ailments may have trouble processing potassium.

Once you get the go-ahead to pack some potassium power into your diet, here's what you might eat:

1 baked sweet potato, 694 mg
1 small baked potato, 610 mg
8 ounces non-fat yogurt, 580 mg
3 ounces cooked halibut, 490 mg
1 banana, 422 mg
1 cup milk, 380 mg
1 cup cantaloupe, 368 mg
1 cup orange juice, 355 mg
1 cup oatmeal, 120 mg

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Each week, we'll be offering original recipes and unique ways to use those Super Foods that pack nutritional power. After all, you are what you eat -- make it count!

Food power -- it is what we are looking for from this feature, right? So if you aren't eating sweet potatoes, here are some good reasons to start.

• Low in calories -- One sweet potato is about 95 calories.
• Antioxidants -- Not only are sweet potatoes high in vitamins A and C, but they contain unique root proteins that are powerful antioxidants.
• Sweet potatoes help stabilize blood sugar levels.
• Anti-inflammatory -- May help fight arthritis, asthma and other inflammatory diseases.
• The vitamin B6 in sweet potatoes helps fight heart attack and stroke.

If sweet potatoes conjure thoughts and images of Thanksgiving dishes, try some of these unique and healthy recipes using sweet potatoes.

Asian Style Chef Salad -- with sweet potato, radishes, baby eggplant and tuna
Warm Sweet Potato and Green Bean Salad -- with a red wine vinaigrette and watercress
Caribbean Sweet Potato Crock Pot Stew -- with chorizo sausage, tomato and exotic spices
Sweet Potato and Greens Soup -- spinach or kale adds even more nutrition
Roasted Sweet Potato Risotto -- with onion, garlic and fresh herbs
Hoisin Kebab with Grilled Flank Steak -- with Asian style marinade

Other ideas?

• Try using sweet potatoes anywhere you would have used white potatoes.
• Cube them into salads and soups.
• Make a sweet potato hash for breakfast. Add green veggies, too.

What's your favorite way to eat a sweet potato?

Actually, they are. Green potatoes contain a toxic substance called solanine that nature intended as a defense against insects, but unfortunately it's also effective against humans and can cause nausea, headaches, and neurological problems if eaten in large enough quantities. Generally speaking the average adult would need to eat an entire large (16 oz) fully green potato in order to notice any symptoms, so although it is there the threat isn't that large. Solanine develops in potatoes when they are exposed to light and warm temperatures, so you can easily avoid the issue by storing your spuds in a cool dark place, and by cutting off any green spots before you eat them.

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