Potato Recipes for the Gerson Therapy
Potatoes were brought to us from the Peruvian Andes. Potatoes were a major component of the Inca diet. The Incas cultivated more than 4000 varieties of potatoes on on terraces between mountain peaks. Dr. Gerson made potatoes the basic ingredient of his cancer diet, prescribing them twice daily for lunch and dinner for their high potassium and protein content.
| Potassium: | more than a banana |
|---|---|
| Vitamin C: | 45% of daily requirement |
| Vitamin B6: | 8% of RDA |
| Vitamin B1 or thiamine: | 6% of RDA |
| Zinc: | 2% of RDA |
| Iron, magnesium and phosphorous: | 6% of RDA |
While Peru still cultivates about 4000 different species of potatoes, only about 200 varieties exist around the world. Here in the US, the most common varieties are Russet, red, white, yellow, blue/purple, fingerling and petite. For the sake of food preparation, potatoes are either starchy or waxy.
Waxy potatoes have a thin skin, are low in starch and hold their shape when they cook. Examples are red potato or new potatoes. Starchy potatoes like Russets are low in moisture and disintegrate easily. They are ideal for the Hippocrates soup and light and fluffy mashed potatoes. A second choice for mashed potatoes is the Yukon gold with a medium starch content.
In the collection of potato recipes that follow, we will make mashed potatoes from Russet or Yukon gold potatoes.
