Yesterday I started a new diet plan based on the results of my ALCAT Food Sensitivity Home Test. My results indicate that the following foods trigger an immune system response in my body and should be strictly avoided for three to six months:

• broccoli
• rice
• tuna
• corn
• cow’s milk
• garlic
• sweet potatoes

After three to six months, I should be able to slowly incorporate most of these common foods that are still top fat burners back into my diet. It will be extremely difficult for me to avoid all these foods for at least three months, but my determination remains strong on day number two. The most difficult aspect of this diet plan, in my mind, is No More Pizza! I love pizza… and cheese… and Italian food with garlic. And I’m giving it up for at least three months to see what the ALCAT test can do for me.

In a study from Baylor Medical College, 98% of the subjects following an eating plan avoiding their own trigger food, as determined by the ALCAT test, decreased scale weight and/or improved muscle to fat ratio. They also experienced improvement in skin, more energy, elimination of migraines, reduced sugar cravings, better mood and sleep, and other benefits.

I could certainly lose a pound or thirty, and I look forward to doing so by following the ALCAT diet plan and exercising moderately.

Food sensitivities, also known as food intolerances or hidden food allergies, may go unnoticed without an ALCAT diet plan test.

‘When you’re measuring these sensitivities, you’re measuring something that’s causing your body to be inflamed,’ explains Fred Pescatore, MD, author of The Hamptons Diet. ‘And when your body’s inflamed, it can’t function properly. Your metabolism can’t function properly. Your digestive system can’t function properly. Your body can’t metabolize food and nutrients properly. That’s why it’s so important that we have tests like the ALCAT test.’

Following a food sensitivity diet plan based on my personal ALCAT Home Test comes with an added bonus: Now I have to carefully read all labels and think about everything that I’m putting into my body. Already, it has made me realize just how much junk food really is out there. It seems like the majority of the foods I’ve been eating my whole life have been overly processed and contain several chemicals along with other foods that you may not expect to find on the list of ingredients.

For example, now that I can’t eat corn, it seems like some form of corn is in everything! Earlier today I had Chik-Fil-A for lunch and ordered a side salad instead of my usual southwest chargrilled salad because it turns out that the chicken itself actually contains garlic and corn.

High fructose corn syrup, made from corn starch, appears in most processed foods from soft drinks and condiments to juices and salad dressings. After some research, I discovered that food manufacturers started switching from sugar to high fructose corn syrup in the 1970s because it’s cheaper to make and sweeter than sugar. In the April 2004 issue of American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, researchers found that consumption of high fructose corn syrup increased by more than 1,000 percent between 1970 and 1990. Many experts think that high fructose corn syrup is a major contributor to our current obesity epidemic.

And so, due to the pervasive presence of high fructose corn syrup, most processed foods are now off-limits to me – but after learning about some of the problems associated with eating processed foods, I’m not disappointed at all.

I’ve had several people ask me: What are you going to eat?

Well… I guess I’ll just have to learn how to eat real foods – fresh fruits, vegetables, grains, and meats – organically grown whenever possible. I will have to avoid nearly all fast food and keep dining out to a minimum. I’m sure this new diet will be tough at times, but I’m looking forward to eating healthier, paying more attention to what goes into my body, and feeding my body foods that don’t cause hidden inflammation. I’ll keep you posted with my progress.