Category Archives: Food

My Top 10 Favorite Diet Foods of All Time

Being on a diet is NOT the end of the world! Sure, it’s usually the end of your enjoyment of food…at least, for awhile…like until you’ve paid for all your PREVIOUS enjoyment of food. But know this: it doesn’t have to be like that the WHOLE time.

It’s all in how you LOOK at the foods you’re eating…

So I’ve compiled a list of my top 10 all-time favorite diet foods. Though let me tell you right up front, these foods have made it onto the list by virtues that may not be immediately obvious (you’ll see what I mean in a second).

You see, they’re NOT your typical diet foods like rice cakes and chicken breasts…

10. Triple Cheeseburgers

This is a STAPLE diet food that should be on everyone’s list. Why? Because you will burn a TON of calories constantly catching that middle burger patty that keeps shooting out the back of the bun from all the grease every time you bite into it.

And if you’re worried about getting too many calories from the sandwich itself, just remove the lettuce and tomato – all that healthy crap does is slow down the fatty meat clawing its way through your digestive tract.

9. Pizza

Pizza is the PERFECT diet food, according to the Government Food Pyramid. How so, you ask?

Just look at it! First, you’ve got “grains” making up the bottom of the pizza (just like the bottom of the pyramid)…a delicious, thick nutritionless white flour gob. Next up, you’ve got the dairy group – cheese, of course (lots of great calcium to be found there, which can enhance fat-burning by up to 1/25 of a percent)! You’ve also got your vegetables (unless you get your pizza with no vegetables, in which case you’ll have to count pepperoni as a vegetable, which I am FINE with, by the way). Finally, you’ve got the meat group…right on top.

Good eating and a perfect match to the food pyramid, in structure if not intent!

8. Cold Beer

Do you have any idea how many calories your body burns simply warming up cold beer to body temperature in your stomach? No? Good…because ignorance is VERY important for making this tip work.

You see every time you eat or drink a food that is colder than body temperature, your body must expend heat warming that food up. A single bottle of cold beer will cause the body to burn almost 8,000 calories (give or take) warming it up to body temperature.

And believe me, there have been studies that back this up. In fact, the more beer that was “studied,” the higher that number went up!

This technique works well with soda, too. But not that “diet” garbage – you want to go with the REAL stuff. It has to contain at least 48 grams of high fructose corn syrup per 30 gram serving to maximize fat burning (that GIANT insulin spike followed by the tremendous crash in blood sugar burns a TON of calories).

7. Rice Krispie Squares

Everybody knows Rice Krispies are made up almost entirely of air. So eating Rice Krispie squares is just like eating air. That thick layer of fudge on the top is just required to keep the squares from floating away. It’s a totally guilt-free snack. In fact, eat the whole pan and you’ll actually get LIGHTER because you’re eating so much air.

6. French Fries

It’s a FACT that French people have lower blood pressure and cholesterol than Americans. Obviously, this is because they eat more FRENCH Fries. So the trick is to eat more French Fries. I’m telling you…ya just can’t make this stuff up.

5. Pizza Again

It’s just that good of a diet food. I mean, how many foods do you know that you can dramatically change their calorie content just by how you slice them?

Think about it…let’s say in a normal large pizza, you cut it into 8 pieces. That’s a LOT of calories and you PROBABLY won’t lose weight when you eat the whole thing. But cut that same large pizza into FOUR slices? You’ve just cut your calories in HALF. So when you eat the whole thing, you’re only eating HALF the number of slices. Do the math and you’ll see.

Also, pizza is a round food and everybody knows that round foods have fewer calories than square foods – no corners…duh.

4. Anything That Has Fallen On The Floor

It automatically loses ALL calorie content. This rule only applies, however, if it happens by ACCIDENT. And the dog gets first dibs.

3. Twinkies

Since Twinkies cannot technically be considered food (in a nuclear war, they will outlast even cockroaches), you’re welcome to eat as many of these as you want. They are also VERY valuable for appetite control. Don’t believe me? Eat a dozen of these colon-stoppers and see how your appetite is.

2. Chinese Food

I’m not talking “American” Chinese food with the almond chicken and ginger beef…I’m talking CHINESE Chinese food. And if you’ve been to China and have seen the things hanging in the unrefrigerated shop windows, you know EXACTLY what I’m talking about and why eating those things will help you lose weight FAST…

1. “Sports” Water

In other words, water with that great “sporty” taste of corn syrup, artificial flavor and fresh-squeezed potassium benzoate! In fact, I have to say “kudos” to the corporations who found a way to create a market out of complete BS!… And then lash out for people having to do (GOD FORBID) MORE exercise, to burn off those 60 extra ass-growing calories found in the other guys bottle of stupid sports water. Like just being alive for an extra 45 minutes won’t burn THAT off. Cripes.

Sorry…bit of a tangent there.

CONCLUSION:
If, at this point, you’re still wondering if this is a SERIOUS article, the answer is “yes.” I really, truly, totally believe triple cheeseburgers can be part of a balanced diet…

But only if you’ve got one in each hand.

Are the Foods You Eat Making You Sick? Identifying Food Allergies

We have all heard the old saying, “You are what you eat.” Unfortunately, for many people, food is a source of chronic illness. Food allergies and food intolerances can create a host of health problems–from hives and anaphylaxis, to eczema, asthma, headaches, sinus infections, celiac disease, digestive issues, depression, fibromyalgia, autoimmune diseases, and many others conditions.

Over fifty million people–that’s one out of five people in the U.S. suffer from allergies. According to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, one out of twenty children under the age of five and one out of twenty-five adults are allergic to at least one food. The number of people affected by food intolerances is suspected to be higher.

Food Allergy or Food Intolerance

The terms food allergies and food intolerances are often used interchangeably, although they have two different definitions. A food allergy is when the body’s immune system generates an immunological reaction when exposed to a food allergen. The symptoms of a food allergen appear quickly, such as eating a peanut and then getting hives or a skin rash or even anaphylaxis minutes to hours later. The term food intolerance is used to describe reactions to foods, however the immune system is not directly involved. People with food intolerances can experience a variety of symptoms including headaches, brain fog, fatigue, depression, stomach aches, eczema, asthma, colic, joint pains, insomnia, and many other symptoms, but the symptoms are usually delayed and can occur hours to days after eating the irritating food.

The Top Ten Food Allergies

The list of the most common food allergens includes: wheat, eggs, dairy, soybean products, corn, citrus fruits, nightshade vegetables (tomatoes, eggplant, peppers and potatoes), peanuts, shellfish and alcohol. Babies and young children are most often allergic to milk, eggs, wheat, soybean products, and peanuts. Older children and adults are most often allergic to peanuts, tree nuts (walnuts, almonds, cashews), fish and shellfish.

The Elimination / Rechallenge Diet

The gold standard for assessing food allergies is the elimination/rechallenge diet which involves eating a restricted diet, avoiding any potential food allergen for four to six weeks, then reintroducing a suspected food allergen into the diet and observing any reaction. The advantages of this testing method include:

• People can easily identify an adverse reaction to a food when they reintroduce it to the diet
• There is no added cost or expensive testing involved with this diet

The cons to this diet include:
• Many people find it difficult to stick to a restricted diet for 4 – 6 weeks
• It takes extra effort to buy and prepare hypoallergenic meals

ELISA (Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay) Testing
This method of food allergy testing is done through a blood test where serum is measured for specific immune markers–IgE and IgG antibodies–to specific foods. The advantages of this testing include:

• Less time consuming than the elimination/rechallenge diet
• It can be safer than skin prick testing if a person has anaphylaxis reactions to foods
• The results can be very motivating for people to change their diets

The disadvantages of this test include:

• This testing is not 100% accurate or reliable
• Some people show high levels of immune markers, such as IgE antibodies, but when they eat the food they do not have adverse reactions

How to Heal from Food Allergies and Intolerances

Healing from food allergies or food intolerances usually involves some avoidance of the foods that aggravate symptoms for a period of at least 3 to 6 months, sometimes longer. The avoidance of food triggers will help decrease inflammation in the body and give the body time to heal. There are a variety of supplements used to help heal the lining of the intestine. Probiotics are an essential component of reestablishing the bacterial balance in the digestive tract and encouraging intestinal healing. The probiotic strains with the most research include lactobacillius rhamnosus GG, bifidobacteria and saccroymyces boullardi, which is actually a strain of yeast that helps balance intestinal flora. Other nutritional supplements used to heal the gut include:

• Digestive enzymes used to help breakdown food
• L-glutamine, an amino acid used to heal the lining of the intestine
• Whey protein powder used to strengthen the immune system in the gut (not recommended for people with dairy allergies)
• Quercetin, a bioflavonoid used to prevent histamine reactions
• Drinking green tea can decrease allergic reactions

Healing food allergies and food intolerances requires effort. It requires the willingness to change your diet and your lifestyle. There are many health care practitioners who specialize in treating food allergies and food intolerances. Consider consulting with your local health provider to learn more about identifying and healing food allergies.