I'll say it upfront: I don't think most diets work. There are people -- with severe problems like advanced coronary disease, celiac, major intolerances, etc. -- who need to be on very restrictive diets. OK. But for the rest of us, from all my research and observations, diets just don't work.

Sure, at first you tend to lose a bunch of weight -- Yee-hah! But before you can say "Paula Deen," it's creeping back on again, and then some. Why is that?

I think the answer has to do with the fact that with most diets you're always hungry. And what's worse, when you do finally get to eat something, it's rarely something you enjoy eating. There's all that delicious food out there, and what do you end up with? A celery stalk and some brown rice. Washed down with some green tea. Blech!

Food is one of life's great pleasures. It can soothe the soul, enhance romance, stimulate the mind, lift your spirits, please the senses. It has inspired great art and literature and served as a platform for diplomacy. Surely we weren't meant to ignore the wonders of the culinary universe just to drop a few pounds and clean out our arteries?

OK, that being said, I find myself in the position -- like many of us -- of having for too long abused a basic tenet of that universe: Thou Shalt Not Partake of Too Much of a Good Thing. Which is why I find myself in the shape that I'm now in, and why I have to even consider the question of diets.

So what's a boy chef to do? Naturopath Dr. Martin Milner explained that it's not diabetes per se that kills you. It's the things diabetes can cause -- heart disease, circulation problems, blindness, to name a few. Then -- with a straight face, I swear -- he strongly advised me that I should go on a strict, plant-based (aka vegan) diet, with a mere 10 percent of my calories from fat. That diet being the only one that has been clinically proven to reverse heart disease, among other benefits.

After my initial chuckle, I realized he was serious. I think the premise is that, if I were to go on this diet, I could expect to live a healthy, normal life until the ripe old age of 112. I explained that: 1) I really only want to live to 95 or so, 2) I disdain diets for the above reasons, and 3) I truly believe that life isn't worth living if it is without at least some of the flavors and textures I've come to adore. And I hope -- with the Doc's guidance, some planning and willpower, and some inspiration -- I can come up with a way of eating that will be both healthy and satisfying. I can have my cake and eat it. Well, minus the cake.

So that has become my quest.

It has to be. I look at it this way: I either get my dietary and fitness act together in a way I can live with, still able to enjoy the food I cook and consume, or it's off to vegan hell for me, and a life filled with sausage substitutes and groats. So I am taking up the gauntlet.

So far, it hasn't been easy. But it hasn't been nearly as hard as I thought it would be. The first thing I did was to sign up for one of those free iPhone mobile apps. This one is called MyFitnessPal.com. I don't know if it's the best one, but it was the first one listed and the most downloaded and I wanted to get on this right away. The principle is that you create a profile with your vital statistics, goals for weight loss, daily calorie consumption, targets for ingestion of fat, protein, carbs, salt, etc. You enter your exercise regime, if any, for which the program figures the calories burned and adds that into the equation. Then you enter everything you eat each day. Everything. It has a huge data base that for the most part will have the breakdown for whatever you could possibly eat. They had my preferred brand of Thai fish sauce, every conceivable variation of Dave's Killer Bread, Mama L'il's Peppers. Even the brand of buckwheat soba noodles I was using. If they don't have it, you enter it, using the nutritional information on the package.

Once you've plugged in all the information from the day's consumption, it spits out the total number of calories consumed, broken down into all its nutritional components. Finally, it figures in your exercise "burn," then calculates your potential weight loss. The site has all sorts of other tools -- such as the ability to log your own recipes -- along with a social component should you want to share your experience with your "friends."

The benefit of such a program is that it forces you to consider everything you eat, and what each thing contains nutritionally. That was eye-opening, to say the least!

I'd never really thought much about what I consumed. Mostly, I ate what tasted good, without regard for calories, fat or salt content, or the cumulative effect of it all. Sure, I consumed my share of salads and veggies, figuring that, in total, I was getting the nutrients I needed. Which I was. Along with ungodly amounts of fat and salt and sugar from the countless burgers and sodas and bacon and fries and chips and ice cream and, and ... Jeez, this is making me hungry!

But the bottom line is that I am now paying the price for years of ignoring good nutrition. And something has to give.

Next week I'll discuss how my eating habits and attitudes toward food have changed. And how I'm really enjoying it.

Next: Part II – Eat your vegetables!

Any questions about Ken's regimen or, well, anything? Email him at kgnyport@aol.com

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Diary of a Diabetic Chef: Creating an eating plan that satisfies the senses and weight-loss goals

PLEASANTON, Calif., Feb. 15, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ZELTIQ(R) Aesthetics, Inc. (Nasdaq:ZLTQ - News), a medical technology company focused on developing and commercializing products utilizing its proprietary controlled-cooling technology platform, announced today plans to release its fourth quarter 2011 financial results on Tuesday, March 6, 2012 at 7:30 a.m. ET.

ZELTIQ will hold a conference call on Tuesday, March 6, 2012 at 8:00 a.m. ET to discuss the results. The dial-in numbers are (877) 280-7291 for domestic callers and (707) 287-9361 for international callers. A live webcast of the conference call will be available online from the investor relations page of the Company's corporate website at http://www.coolsculpting.com.

After the live webcast, the call will remain available on ZELTIQ's website, http://www.coolsculpting.com, through April 6, 2012. In addition, a telephonic replay of the call will be available until March 20, 2012. The replay dial-in numbers are (855) 859-2056 for domestic callers and (404) 537-3406 for international callers. Please use the replay pin number 52321656.

About ZELTIQ Aesthetics

ZELTIQ Aesthetics is a medical technology company focused on developing and commercializing products utilizing its proprietary controlled-cooling technology platform. The Company's first commercial product, the CoolSculpting System, is designed to selectively reduce stubborn fat bulges that may not respond to diet or exercise. CoolSculpting is based on the scientific principle that fat cells are more sensitive to cold than the overlying skin and surrounding tissues. CoolSculpting utilizes patented technology of precisely controlled cooling to reduce the temperature of fat cells in the treated area, which is intended to cause fat cell elimination through a natural biological process known as apoptosis, without causing scar tissue or damage to the skin, nerves, or surrounding tissues. ZELTIQ developed CoolSculpting to safely, noticeably, and measurably reduce the fat layer within a treated fat bulge without requiring the patient to diet or exercise.

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ZELTIQ to Report Fourth Quarter 2011 Financial Results on March 6, 2012

East-bench angst is ballooning over Sunnyside Avenue’s "road diet," and now a war of words between Mayor Ralph Becker and the Salt Lake City Council has scuttled the six-week test.

Initially planned to start this month, the experiment sought to replace one westbound lane of traffic between Guardsman Way and Foothill Drive — and perhaps an eastbound lane later — with a bicycle lane.

Residents who rely on the east-west corridor went berserk, complaining that slimming the thoroughfare would spray cars into their neighborhoods, jeopardizing child safety. It is "patently irresponsible," they argued, to squeeze the east bench’s primary artery to downtown.

"We in these neighborhoods are going to be left with the disaster," resident Loree Hagen told the council.

Similar protests and more than 100 angry emails prompted new Councilman Charlie Luke to pen Becker a letter, calling instead for keeping four traffic lanes but eliminating the center turn lane. Pointing to "a lot of unnecessary controversy," the missive was signed by three other council members, making a voting majority.

"This option would benefit Sunnyside residents by creating a ‘complete street,’ " the letter reads. It would provide space for expanded and safer bike lanes, give east-siders who rely on Sunnyside access to downtown, Research Park and the University of Utah, keep traffic from diverting into Yalecrest neighborhoods, and ensure commuters can use all four lanes.

Story continues below

Known for high speeds and difficult crossing by foot, Sunnyside has been debated and repeatedly studied for a decade. The road diet, funded by a previous council, is part of the capital’s Complete Streets initiative, a citywide effort to design and operate streets safely for motorists, bicyclists, transit riders and pedestrians of all ages and abilities.

In a response letter, Becker notes a road-diet test is crucial to let engineers study auto, pedestrian and bicycle patterns.

"Not doing so is a significant departure from the city’s current approach to redesigning streets using the complete-streets philosophy," Becker writes. "Given this apparent change in policy direction, I ask that you revisit, with the rest of the council and in a public meeting, what the council intends with its complete-streets ordinance and policy and how it applies to the 800 South-Sunnyside roadway."

Until then, Becker has ordered that the six-week test be delayed.

In a recent meeting, the mayor’s chief of staff rejected rumblings that "the test is not a test — and we are trying to fool you" into making the lane reductions permanent. "That is not the case," David Everitt told a group of residents.

The frustration is raw, said resident Ryan Bell, since it follows the 1300 East pedestrian-crossing moves and Yalecrest’s historic district debate. "Here we go again," Bell said. "We are again having a solution imposed by our city government that frankly, a very, very small number of people were asking for."

Yalecrest resident Bonnie Barker said more input should be solicited, especially from parents ferrying kids to nearby schools. "Mothers who are carpooling in vans to these six schools," she said, "are not going to be riding bicycles."

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East-bench angst is ballooning over Sunnyside Avenue’s "road diet," and now a war of words between Mayor Ralph Becker and the Salt Lake City Council has scuttled the six-week test.

Initially planned to start this month, the experiment sought to replace one westbound lane of traffic between Guardsman Way and Foothill Drive — and perhaps an eastbound lane later — with a bicycle lane.

Residents who rely on the east-west corridor went berserk, complaining that slimming the thoroughfare would spray cars into their neighborhoods, jeopardizing child safety. It is "patently irresponsible," they argued, to squeeze the east bench’s primary artery to downtown.

"We in these neighborhoods are going to be left with the disaster," resident Loree Hagen told the council.

Similar protests and more than 100 angry emails prompted new Councilman Charlie Luke to pen Becker a letter, calling instead for keeping four traffic lanes but eliminating the center turn lane. Pointing to "a lot of unnecessary controversy," the missive was signed by three other council members, making a voting majority.

"This option would benefit Sunnyside residents by creating a ‘complete street,’ " the letter reads. It would provide space for expanded and safer bike lanes, give east-siders who rely on Sunnyside access to downtown, Research Park and the University of Utah, keep traffic from diverting into Yalecrest neighborhoods, and ensure commuters can use all four lanes.

Story continues below

Known for high speeds and difficult crossing by foot, Sunnyside has been debated and repeatedly studied for a decade. The road diet, funded by a previous council, is part of the capital’s Complete Streets initiative, a citywide effort to design and operate streets safely for motorists, bicyclists, transit riders and pedestrians of all ages and abilities.

In a response letter, Becker notes a road-diet test is crucial to let engineers study auto, pedestrian and bicycle patterns.

"Not doing so is a significant departure from the city’s current approach to redesigning streets using the complete-streets philosophy," Becker writes. "Given this apparent change in policy direction, I ask that you revisit, with the rest of the council and in a public meeting, what the council intends with its complete-streets ordinance and policy and how it applies to the 800 South-Sunnyside roadway."

Until then, Becker has ordered that the six-week test be delayed.

In a recent meeting, the mayor’s chief of staff rejected rumblings that "the test is not a test — and we are trying to fool you" into making the lane reductions permanent. "That is not the case," David Everitt told a group of residents.

The frustration is raw, said resident Ryan Bell, since it follows the 1300 East pedestrian-crossing moves and Yalecrest’s historic district debate. "Here we go again," Bell said. "We are again having a solution imposed by our city government that frankly, a very, very small number of people were asking for."

Yalecrest resident Bonnie Barker said more input should be solicited, especially from parents ferrying kids to nearby schools. "Mothers who are carpooling in vans to these six schools," she said, "are not going to be riding bicycles."

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Becker delays Sunnyside ‘road diet’ after bumpy reception

WILTON, Conn., Feb. 15, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Dr. Peter J. D'Adamo, author of the New York Times best-selling book, Eat Right for Your Type, as well as several other books on diet and nutrition, has collaborated with cooking show producer Kristin O'Connor to create a series of four new e-cookbooks aimed at people following the Blood Type Diet and anyone interested in healthy and delicious meals.  The books, Personalized Living Using the Blood Type Diet, are available today through Amazon.

The goal in creating the cookbooks was to simplify eating and living according to blood type.  Each book includes 150 recipes, menu planning strategies and pantry-stocking tips.

Says author Kristin O'Connor, "To combine my philosophies on health with my love of cooking by writing this series of cookbooks is sincerely a dream come true.  I came to see Dr. D'Adamo as a patient and I have never been healthier; but more than that, I have been able to see first-hand how dramatically he changes the lives of so many patients who walk through his door, read his books or follow his web forums.  My intent with this cookbook and series is to make life a little easier (and certainly tastier) once you have started eating right for your blood type." 

Each cookbook has been specifically designed to meet the unique nutritional needs of people following D'Adamo's guidelines for their blood type: A, B, AB and O. As a continuation of the lifestyle cookbooks, O'Connor has a Personalized Living Using the Blood Type Diet blog, http://www.dadamopersonalizedliving.com, where she contributes new recipes and tips on living according to the Blood Type Diet, from eating out at restaurants to shopping for ingredients.

Kristin O'Connor is chef, cooking show producer and food consultant.  After suffering from multiple health issues that were unsuccessfully treated with traditional medicine, O'Connor sought alternative means of healing and changed her diet.  In doing so, her perspective on food and cooking changed dramatically, and inspired her to pursue a career in the culinary arts.  As an associate producer, she assisted in developing cooking shows for Food Network and the Cooking Channel.  She also acts as a dietary consultant, helping families who have been placed on restrictive diets to adapt to their new dietary guidelines.  Personalized Living Using the Blood Type Diet is her first cookbook series.

The books have been published in e-book format by Drum Hill Publishing, Wilton, Connecticut.

CONTACT: Ann Quasarano
ann@dadamo.com
203-761-0042

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New Cookbook Series Expands Upon Blood Type Diet

Memphis, Tn - A diet plan that has gotten rave reviews from some is now being banned in the state of Mississippi. Patients claimed to lose up to 20-pounds in a month.

"I was a candidate for surgery. I was 226 pounds. I'm 5 foot 1 and 1/2. I was big," says Sonceria Cole.

That was before the HCG diet. She lost 62 pounds last year.

HCG is Human Chorionic Gonadotropin, a hormone produced during pregnancy.

"Theoretically, at least in pregnancy, it's supposed to help catabolize or break down fats in your own body," says pulmonary and critical care Dr. Bo Adams.

Cole did the 23-day diet plan twice a year ago. Now, she's starting it for the third time, "This is my 3rd day and I weighed in today at 8 1/2 pounds less."

Dr. Adams says, "Most people tend to lost 10-15 pounds in the first 2 weeks."

This diet plan is not without controversy. In December, the FDA banned over-the-counter sale of HCG "drops, pellets, and sprays." They warned that they are, "unproven to help with weight loss and are potentially dangerous."

Adams says the prescription only inject-able is different. It is FDA approved for female infertility, not for weight loss. But, patient's losing extreme weight with this diet plan caught his attention.

Adams was looking for a way to help obese patients lose weight, so they can breathe easier.

He says his research shows, "Something works. Whether it's HCG, whether it's the diet, whether it's the placebo, whether it's my award-winning personality...something works."

Lena Muhammad lost 40 pounds after two 23-day cycles of the HCG diet. She's kept it off for more than a year.

The diet plan includes daily self-injections of HCG for 23 days and a strict diet of 500 calories a day.

"People think, '500 calories I'm starving.' But, you are not. It curbs your appetite," says Cole.

For $300 you get a doctor's examination and a 23-day supply of pre-loaded shots. But, you have to change your eating habits.

"We've had some people unfortunately they did it, lost the weight, went back to their prior eating habits and weight came back on. You have to make some commitment to a change," says Adams.

It has been banned in the state of Mississippi, because the FDA has not approved it for weight loss.

But, if the injections and 500-calorie a day diet don't turn you off, check with your doctor before using.
 

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Diet Drug Banned in MIssissippi