Be True, or Be Unwell

We go to narrow and do “cause I feel like it” stuff only at our own peril. (And yes, there is a causal link between diet and MS. This case cannot be dismissed as “it was genetic!” or “it just happened.” Research mitochondria in the brain and neural disorders.)

Same applies to fitness, sports, lifestyle, interests, ideas.

In “Woman who only ate crisp sandwiches for 23 years diagnosed with serious illness” (The Irish Mirror, 27 May 2022), Gemma Jones writes:

A woman was forced to change her unusual eating habit of only eating crisp sandwiches after being diagnosed with a serious illness.

Zoe Sadler lived solely on Walkers crisps in buttered white bread over a 23-year-period since she was a toddler.

The 25-year-old ate two packs of her favourite crisps every day for more than two decades after other foods left her feeling physically sick.

However, after developing Multiple Sclerosis three years ago, Zoe decided to improve her health,

Reminds me of the idiotic “Twinkie Diet,” which, by the way, was more than just Twinkies. As Susan Albers says in “The Twinkie Diet” (Psychology Today, 10 Nov 2010):

Mark Haub, a professor of human nutrition at Kansas State University, did an unusual experiment. He ate snack cakes and other sugary, processed foods for ten weeks. Delete meals, insert snacks. This included things like Doritos, chips, sugar cereals, cookies, and lots of snack cakes etc. Somewhere in the world Little Debbie is smiling.

Check out one day of his food intake (quoted on WebMD, posted on his facebook page).

“September 10, 2010: A double espresso; two servings of Hostess Twinkies Golden Sponge Cake; one Centrum Advance Formula ‘From A To Zinc’ pill; one serving of Little Debbie Star Crunch cookies; a Diet Mt. Dew drink; half a serving of Doritos Cool Ranch corn chips; two servings of Kellogg’s Corn Pops cereal; a serving of whole milk; half a serving of raw baby carrots; one and a half servings of Duncan Hines Family Style Chewy Fudge brownie; half a serving of Little Debbie Zebra Cake; one serving of Muscle Milk Protein Shake drink; Total: 1589 calories.“

And, if you try a strict “Twinkie Diet,” what might your results be?

In “Food Network Staffer Diary: I Attempted the Twinkie Diet for 48 Hours” Julia Caroline Smith writes:

So, here are the rules: You can eat only Twinkies. You can drink water, coffee and tea. You must eat two Twinkies every three hours until you have maxed out on your daily calorie intake. That’s it.

…

That’s right, folks. I just did the damn thing. I went 48 hours eating solely Twinkies and didn’t pass out, have an emotional breakdown or fall into a deep sugar coma. I did, however, end up with a terrible stomachache and headache. But in the grand scheme of diets, I have to say this wasn’t the absolute worst. Then again, should you ever do a diet that is described as ‘not the absolute worst’? Probably not. But you, being wiser than I am, already knew that.