Thornaby man Ben tackles ten diets in charity bid

9:00am Tuesday 8th May 2012 in News By Chris Webber

Before diet: Ben Azadi on his wedding day

A MAN who once weighed in at 31 stones has been inspired to try ten popular diets in ten weeks.

Ben Azadi, 28, of Thornaby, near Stockton, is taking on a new diet a week, some of which have been criticised as fads, to raise money for charity.

He has already had a week of the Atkins diet but will also try the cabbage soup diet, the caveman diet and even the Special K breakfast cereal diet.

He hopes to raise the cash in memory of his niece, Rose McNaughton, who was stillborn.

The money will be given to the Stillbirth and Neonatal Death charity, which helps parents and campaigns for more and better pregnancy scanning.

Mr Azadi, who works in online marketing, weighed 31 stones in November 2010, but is now down to 23-and-a-half stones after having a gastricband operation last year.

He is also stepping up a fitness regime, has taken nutritional advice and has worked out a programme and variety of techniques to make sure he does not harm himself and has enough energy and nutrients.

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Ben tucks in to ten diets in ten weeks in memory of niece

While pizza, dessert and soft drinks are all common favorites for adolescents, compliance with a gluten-free diet often excludes these food experiences from children and families when dining away from home. To accommodate guests with special dietary needs, Chuck E. Cheeses has added gluten-free options to its menu. The new food items, which include a gluten-free pizza and chocolate cupcake, will begin testing at all Minnesota Chuck E. Cheeses locations to gauge demand for future national availability.

"Weve received an overwhelming response from families requesting that we add gluten-free products to our menu items for their kids who love to visit us but cant enjoy a Chuck-E classic, pizza, because of special diet needs, said Joe Elliot, Chuck E. Cheeses vice president of research and development. "In light of growing concerns and sensitivity to this lifestyle, we listened to their feedback and wanted to provide options that better help everyone enjoy the full flavor of Chuck E. Cheeses.

Dining out safely remains a primary concern for food-allergic customers under strict dietary limitations. To avoid cross contamination or accidental exposure to gluten ingredients in Chuck E. Cheeses kitchens, the personal cheese pizza, manufactured by USDA/FDA-approved, gluten-free facility Contes Pasta, will arrive to stores in frozen, pre-sealed packaging. The bake-in-bag pizza will remain sealed while cooked and delivered and until opened and served with a personal pizza cutter at families tables by the adult in charge.

Under the same procedure, gluten-free, chocolate fudge cupcakes naturally sweetened with fruits, vegetables and grains from Fabes All Natural Bakery will remain in pre-sealed, single-serve packaging through preparation and until opened and served at the table. To ensure high taste, integrity and quality standards are met before a national launch, testing these menu options helps Chuck E. Cheeses deliver the same type of consistent, great-tasting food products that are expected from the leader in family entertainment and dining.

"From delivery to table, our procedures ensure that families can feel confident knowing their meal is completely within gluten-free guidelines, said Elliott. "Were happy we can provide a place Where a Kid Can Be a Kid and enjoy great fun and food guilt- and gluten-free.

Although these menu options are not available at every Chuck E. Cheeses location at this time, the restaurant is evaluating the possibility of introducing gluten-free birthday parties and other special dietary products nationwide if test markets perform well. In addition to the successful launch of its new pizza recipe last year, Chuck E. Cheeses plans to continue adapting its menu to offer dishes that accommodate the changing tastes, dietary needs and lifestyles of families all over the country.

Guests can find more information about Contes Pasta at http://www.contespasta.com/ and Fabes All-Natural Bakery at http://www.fabesnatural.com/.

About CEC Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE: CEC):

For more than 30 years, CEC Entertainment (NYSE: CEC) has served as the nationally recognized leader in family dining and entertainment and the place Where a Kid can be a Kid.

The Company and its franchisees operate a system of 555 Chuck E. Cheeses stores located in 48 states and seven foreign countries or territories. Currently, 506 locations in the United States and Canada are owned and operated by the Company. CEC Entertainment, Inc. and its franchises have the common goal of creating lifelong memories for families through fun, food and play. Each Chuck E. Cheeses features musical and comic robotic entertainment, games, rides and play areas as well as a variety of dining options including pizza, sandwiches, a salad bar and desserts. Committed to providing a fun, safe environment, Chuck E. Cheeses helps protect families through industry-leading programs such as Kid Check.

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Chuck E. Cheeses To Offer New, Gluten-Free Options on Food Menu

MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

While pizza, dessert and soft drinks are all common favorites for adolescents, compliance with a gluten-free diet often excludes these food experiences from children and families when dining away from home. To accommodate guests with special dietary needs, Chuck E. Cheeses has added gluten-free options to its menu. The new food items, which include a gluten-free pizza and chocolate cupcake, will begin testing at all Minnesota Chuck E. Cheeses locations to gauge demand for future national availability.

Weve received an overwhelming response from families requesting that we add gluten-free products to our menu items for their kids who love to visit us but cant enjoy a Chuck-E classic, pizza, because of special diet needs, said Joe Elliot, Chuck E. Cheeses vice president of research and development. In light of growing concerns and sensitivity to this lifestyle, we listened to their feedback and wanted to provide options that better help everyone enjoy the full flavor of Chuck E. Cheeses.

Dining out safely remains a primary concern for food-allergic customers under strict dietary limitations. To avoid cross contamination or accidental exposure to gluten ingredients in Chuck E. Cheeses kitchens, the personal cheese pizza, manufactured by USDA/FDA-approved, gluten-free facility Contes Pasta, will arrive to stores in frozen, pre-sealed packaging. The bake-in-bag pizza will remain sealed while cooked and delivered and until opened and served with a personal pizza cutter at families tables by the adult in charge.

Under the same procedure, gluten-free, chocolate fudge cupcakes naturally sweetened with fruits, vegetables and grains from Fabes All Natural Bakery will remain in pre-sealed, single-serve packaging through preparation and until opened and served at the table. To ensure high taste, integrity and quality standards are met before a national launch, testing these menu options helps Chuck E. Cheeses deliver the same type of consistent, great-tasting food products that are expected from the leader in family entertainment and dining.

From delivery to table, our procedures ensure that families can feel confident knowing their meal is completely within gluten-free guidelines, said Elliott. Were happy we can provide a place Where a Kid Can Be a Kid and enjoy great fun and food guilt- and gluten-free.

Although these menu options are not available at every Chuck E. Cheeses location at this time, the restaurant is evaluating the possibility of introducing gluten-free birthday parties and other special dietary products nationwide if test markets perform well. In addition to the successful launch of its new pizza recipe last year, Chuck E. Cheeses plans to continue adapting its menu to offer dishes that accommodate the changing tastes, dietary needs and lifestyles of families all over the country.

Guests can find more information about Contes Pasta at http://www.contespasta.com/ and Fabes All-Natural Bakery at http://www.fabesnatural.com/.

About CEC Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE: CEC - News):

For more than 30 years, CEC Entertainment (NYSE: CEC - News) has served as the nationally recognized leader in family dining and entertainment and the place Where a Kid can be a Kid.

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Chuck E. Cheese’s To Offer New, Gluten-Free Options on Food Menu

Throw away the fruit? ... dramatic approach to dieting.

Dieters are often made to feel bad about their pursuit of skinniness, but why shouldn't we celebrate it, asks Venice A Fulton, author of the controversial e-book, Six Weeks to OMG.

"You can talk ethics all day, and constantly blame the media, but the truth is if you have a problem with others wanting to get skinny, you've got a problem with our body's design," he says. "The minute we carry extra chunk, we're adding to whole host of [health] problems, a list so long, it's too scary to look at ... people who look after themselves aren't vain, they're smart."

Fulton is certainly no shrinking violet. Nor is he afraid to go against the status quo.

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Among the contentious claims in his book are that it's good to skip breakfast; certain fruits instantly block fat loss; small frequent meals are damaging; juices and smoothies cause overeating and that broccoli carbs can be worse than those from Coke.

Understandably, there has been a strong reaction. In an op-ed article titled Six weeks to OMG: the diet that will make you disappear, writer Marianne Kirby of The Guardian said: "With its exhortation to 'get skinnier than all your friends', has a self-help book ever been as direct in its appeal to base instincts?

"But beyond the ludicrous guidelines ... I'm not sure a diet book has ever been this 'honest' about the root of the motivation that a lot of women (and men, who seem to increasingly be falling prey to this) feel for dieting. This book is indeed using psychology but it's using it against its readers."

Yet, despite its critics, the book is outselling The Dukan Diet on iTunes and Fulton is unrepentant.

"Of course, there are critics," he says. "I remember telling a doctor, 'Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, to skip'. He walked away angrily, and lit a cigarette. Science knows that the world isn't flat, and yet its so hesitant to set sail and reach new horizons."

Read more:
OMG! Bestselling diet breaks the rules

NOTTINGHAM, England, May 7, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

The majority of us think we need to stop eating carbohydrates such as biscuits, cakes and crisps when we go on a diet. A UK-wide survey has revealed a common belief that these types of foods are a 'no no', with 63% thinking that successful weight loss requires cutting out certain types of foods (1).

But studies of 7,592 dieters who signed up to lose weight online show the reality is quite the opposite - people who cut down rather than cutting out food groups not only lose weight, but are creating a more healthy relationship with food, which is really important for keeping weight off long-term (2). An overwhelming majority (86%) of Nutracheck.co.uk (3) dieters who lost enough weight to improve their health did so while continuing to eat biscuits, chocolate, pizza, cakes, crisps and ice cream (4).

'People tend to class foods as'good'or'bad', which is not helpful when trying to change your diet. Denying yourself something you enjoy leads to psychologically negative emotions, somany peopleassociate weight losswith denial, hunger and feeling miserable', explained UK leading weight loss doctor and obesity expert Dr Ian Campbell.

'Many dieters are unnecessarily too hard on themselves. Taking a more relaxed approach, including some treats, makes losing weight successful and sustainable as it builds in a long-term positive attitude towards food.'

Val Langthorne, 54 from Wensleydale, Yorkshire lost 4 stones 7lbs in 12 months: 'I have just discovered I like cake! I never used to eat cake pre-Nutracheck because it was alwaysa definite'NO'on diets. My life has been without cake since 1975. Now Ijustcount it into my calorie allowance.'

Editor's Notes

Percentage of 7,592 members who lost 10% & 5% of body weight and continued to eat the following foods:

The rest is here:
On a Diet? Why You Can Have Your Cake and Eat it!