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Carnivores should be on high alert: A meat supplier for many grocery stores including Publix has decided to recall over 132,000 pounds of ground beef due to E. coli concerns.

The trouble began last month, when Publix stores in Florida announced that it would be pulling beef products made from ground chuck from shelves after 18 people became ill. Cargill Meat Solutions, the supplier in question, is now taking extra precautions to make sure that no one else gets sick. The company is recalling all meat products that were packaged and shipped nationwide on June 21.

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Even if you’re lucky enough to have a dishwasher, you still have to wash the occasional item by hand (at least, you do if you value your knives or cookware in the slightest!). What you do with that item once it’s washed is its own issue. Some people prefer to stack stuff up on a standard-issue tea towel. Some people prefer an extra-absorbent mat. And some people want a full setup with compartments for flatware and spokes for cups.

Not surprisingly, the preferences span the gamut just among our own Kitchn editors! We asked the team to share their favorite dish-drying products and what they love about them. We think the answers highlight the best products for every sort of preference.

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The whole point of Costco is that you’re buying in bulk to get the deals, and one of my biggest questions with these big quantities is usually Is this going to keep long enough for me to eat it all?

That’s why I tend to focus on pantry items at Costco, whether it’s dry goods or canned items that will last long enough for me to use them up. And ideally, I want good pantry items. So, in honor of our canned goods focus this month, I rounded up the best canned groceries at Costco. There actually aren’t as many canned goods as you might think, but there are some pretty good deals on items you’d (happily) use a lot!

Here are the best canned goods worth stocking up on at Costco. You can buy in bulk and don’t have to rush against the clock to eat everything before it goes bad.

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We all know pasta is a great choice if you’re trying to stick to a food budget, since boxes of the dried stuff run cheap, but we don’t always think of it as being healthy. However, it’s totally possible to make it that way. The key is to load it with colorful vegetables, skip heavy and creamy sauces, and eat the portion size that’s laid out in the recipe. Here are 10 recipes that follow these guidelines and are easy on your wallet.

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If I’m making dinner, you know I’m pulling out my Microplane. I know you clicked on this story expecting to see some sort of pan or chef’s knife. (I usually do use those things, but they’re not $10!) It’s my Microplane that I seriously couldn’t cook without.

The version I swear by is the original Classic Series Grater. (The one that started out as a woodworking tool and wound up as an indispensable kitchen gadget.) While the company now offers similar graters with all kinds of handles, including ones in lots of pretty colors, the original rasp without a handle is the one I swear by.

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Earlier this year our sister site, Apartment Therapy, ran a post about common dishwasher mistakes that people make. The post generated a surprisingly lively flurry of chatter in the comments. And while the great debate of whether you should pre-sort your utensils or not may never be resolved, we picked up some more dishwasher tips from those savvy commenters.

Here are the smartest dishwasher tips we gathered from Apartment Therapy readers.

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Instead of opting for PPIs, GERD can be reversed by managing gut health. This article will walk through how to replenish stomach acid and other digestive aids and how to restore the balance of good and bad GI bacteria through the Paleo diet, lifestyle changes, and possibly supplements. Keep reading to learn how to cure GERD without medication.

The Most Common Digestive Disorder in America

Almost everyone experiences occasional acid reflux when stomach acid manages to make its way up into the esophagus. However, if this happens frequently and causes uncomfortable symptoms or complications, you could receive a GERD diagnosis. Symptoms of GERD can include:

• Heartburn
• Regurgitation
• Difficulty swallowing
• Laryngitis
• Chronic cough
• Asthma
• Dental erosions

As the most common digestive disorder in the United States, GERD affects an astonishingly large portion of Americans. Up to 40 percent experience symptoms once a month and 20 percent experience them once a week. (1, 2) That growing problem has been a boon for pharmaceutical companies, as Americans spend over $13 billion on acid-stopping medications each year. In 2010, sales of esomeprazole, a PPI prescribed to manage GERD, among other conditions, alone exceeded $5 billion in sales. (3)

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) causes uncomfortable, painful symptoms—but the health risks of the drugs used to treat it can be even more distressing. Check out this article for tips on how to cure GERD without PPIs, H2 blockers, and other medication.

Aside from an uncomfortable and frequent burning sensation, GERD also carries some long-term complications. Unlike the stomach, the esophagus doesn’t have a protective layer to prevent acid damage. As a result, GERD can lead to:

• Scarring
• Constriction
• Ulceration
• Cancer of the esophagus

In addition, research demonstrates a strong link between GERD and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), which is now the second-leading cause of missed work in the nation.

What Causes GERD? It Isn’t What You Think

Too much stomach acid is not the driving cause of GERD. Don’t get me wrong; I agree that hydrochloric acid (HCl) in the esophagus is bad news. Stomach acid itself is a good thing, but only when it stays in the stomach. When it escapes upwards into the esophagus, something has gone awry.

However, instead of trying to figure out why acid isn’t properly staying in the stomach, pharmaceutical companies blame GERD on too much stomach acid and make billions from selling acid-suppressing drugs like PPIs, H2 blockers, and antacids. Meanwhile, the problem of why gastric acid reaches the esophagus is never addressed. That creates a lifelong dependency on medication for millions of Americans, which is incredibly profitable for the pharmaceutical industry.

Disproving the Stomach Acid Theory

When you look at the data, blaming GERD on too much stomach acid doesn’t make sense. Stomach acid actually tends to decline, not rise, with age, while GERD risk increases with age. (4) In fact, 40-year-olds, on average, generate about half as much as stomach acid as 20-year-olds do. (5) And, according to one study, over 40 percent of people age 80 and up may be producing almost no stomach acid at all. (6) What’s more, my patients with GERD or heartburn have responded very well to HCl supplementation, which actually increases their stomach acid. That’s the opposite of what we would expect if excess stomach acid were to blame for the problem.

You need adequate stomach acid to kill opportunistic pathogens, help properly digest food, and maintain optimal health. Reduced stomach acid correlates with a wide range of health problems, and PPIs can easily exacerbate the condition.

The Real Cause of GERD

So if “too much acid” isn’t the driving force behind heartburn, what is? The real cause of GERD is an increase in intra-abdominal pressure (IAP). (7, 8, 9)

Here’s how it normally works. A bundle of muscles at the end of the esophagus, called the lower esophageal sphincter (LES), keeps your stomach contents from traveling up into your esophagus as acid reflux. Aside from swallowing and burping, the LES remains closed. However, if you’re experiencing changes in your IAP, the sphincter relaxes and opens at inappropriate times. That allows GERD to become a problem.

How Extra Pressure Builds in Your Abdomen

Several different factors could contribute to an increase in your IAP. According to current consensus, these include:

• Overeating
• Obesity
• Bending over after eating
• Lying down after eating

While these factors do play a role, I don’t believe they’re the primary drivers behind the increased pressure I see in patients with GERD. As microbiologist Dr. Norm Robillard argues in his book, Heartburn Cured: The Low Carb Miracle, carbohydrate malabsorption could be to blame. Malabsorption of carbs can cause bacterial overgrowth, which generates excess gas and increases IAP. That manifests as GERD.

The Surprising Role Stomach Acid Plays in GERD

If malabsorption of carbs can cause increased abdominal pressure—which leads to heartburn—what’s the reason for the absorption problem in the first place? Interestingly enough, this question brings us right back to healthy stomach acid levels.

Low stomach acid can cause malabsorption of carbs and bacterial overgrowth. In many cases, low stomach acid may be the driving force behind increased IAP and GERD. Let’s explore how.

How Low Stomach Acid Leads to Increased IAP and GERD

Stomach acid is part of the body’s innate immune system, the first line of defense against pathogens. Most bacteria can’t survive the stomach’s highly acidic environment. If you don’t have enough stomach acid, many of the pathogens that would normally be destroyed may survive the stomach and make their way into the rest of the GI tract. (10) This can lead to chronic gut infections, impaired digestion, and an increase in IAP and GERD.

Stomach acid also helps your body absorb many macro- and micronutrients. HCl stimulates the release of pancreatic enzymes and bile into the small intestine to help metabolize carbohydrates and fats. Without enough acid, your body can’t digest carbohydrates properly. Those undigested carbs are then fermented by bacteria in a process that generates excess hydrogen gas. Again, that excess gas increases IAP and contributes to GERD.

PPIs Suppress Heartburn Symptoms, but Worsen the Problem

Despite the dangers of PPIs, American filled over 170 million acid-blocker prescriptions in 2014. (11) When it comes to total cost expenditure, only statins beat out PPIs.

How Acid-Blockers Work

The parietal cells in your stomach normally release HCl through a proton potassium pump to maintain a very low pH. PPIs inhibit the enzyme required for the pump for up to three days after you take them. (12, 13) When that pump is inhibited, your stomach pH rises as less acid is released.

Since PPIs reduce the acid in your stomach, you feel fewer of the uncomfortable symptoms associated with GERD. However, despite that quick relief, the medication actually worsens the underlying problem. Your decreased stomach acid can lead to bacterial overgrowth and malabsorption of carbs, and so GERD perpetuates—and your reliance on PPIs continues.

Other acid-blockers are not much better. Histamine H2 receptor antagonists, or H2 blockers, block the histamine receptors in your parietal cells. The cells become less responsive to acid-promoting stimuli, and they release less stomach acid. Though they are less effective than PPIs, H2 blockers like cimetidine, ranitidine, and famotidine still lower stomach acid.

These Medications Can Affect the Whole Body

Although PPIs are designed specifically to target parietal cells in the stomach, accumulating evidence shows that they can impact the proton potassium pumps in other body tissues. (14)

Are PPIs Putting Your Health at Risk?

When PPIs were first marketed, patients were advised to take them for a maximum of six to eight weeks. But now, it’s not uncommon for patients to be on PPIs for decades. (15) The outcome? Potentially dangerous health consequences.

Recently the FDA has issued several warnings concerning the long-term risks of PPIs, including bone fractures and even life-threatening infections. (16, 17, 18) New research articles pop up every few weeks with evidence linking PPIs to various health problems. I could write a whole book on the subject. But, as I want this article to focus on how to avoid PPIs altogether, I’ll only focus on some of the risks associated with acid-suppressing medications.

Increased Risk of Infection

As I discussed above, stomach acid serves as a first-line defense against pathogens. The ideal pH for the stomach can approach 1 but should be below 3, where most pathogens cannot survive. When the pH rises above 5, several dangerous bacterial species are able to survive.

Acid-blockers can increase the stomach’s pH and worsen the risk of a bacterial infection. In one study, Tagamet and Zantac, two H2 blockers, raised the stomach pH from 1–2 to 5.5 and 6.5, respectively. (19) PPIs can raise the pH even more. In one study, a 20- or 40-mg dose of Prilosec reduced stomach acid levels to almost zero—and increased the pH to almost 7—in 10 healthy men. (20)

Without stomach acid, pathogens can thrive. Oral bacteria such as the genus Rothia are over-represented in the gut microbiota of PPI users, indicating that bacteria entering the through mouth are better able to survive in the stomach. (21)

Compared to people on other medications, PPI users have a greater risk of acquiring infectious bacteria like: (22, 23, 24)

• Clostridium difficile
• Campylobacter
• Salmonella
• Shigella
• Listeria

Gastroenteritis, which results in millions of lost work days each year, is also more likely in PPI users. (25, 26, 27)

Long-term PPI use also increases the risk of other infections, including:

• Pneumonia (28)
• Tuberculosis (29)
• Typhoid (30)
• Dysentery (31)

Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, or SIBO, is another possible result of PPI usage. (32) SIBO can inhibit nutrient absorption, damage the bowel lining, and cause diarrhea and other GI symptoms. One research study found that 50 percent of PPI users tested positive for SIBO through the hydrogen breath test, compared to only 6 percent of non-users. (33) Meta-analyses have mostly confirmed this association. (34, 35)

PPIs not only increase the risks of infections, but they independently reduce the body’s ability to fight them. (36, 37)

Impaired Nutrient Absorption

Gastric acid increases after a meal to help with nutrient absorption in a number of ways. HCl activates proteases, which break apart the bonds between amino acids, the building blocks of proteins. An acidic environment also helps your body dissociate mineral ions from salts, such as magnesium and calcium. A low stomach pH also kills most bacteria, which can compete with the body for nutrients if the bacteria count is too high. (38)

In theory, low stomach acid could impair the absorption of many dietary nutrients—and that’s exactly what the research indicates. A growing number of studies show correlations between PPIs—and lower stomach acid—and lower nutrients status for many vitamins and minerals:

• Vitamin B12 (39, 40, 41, 42)
• Iron (43, 44, 45, 46)
• Magnesium (47, 48, 49, 50)
• Calcium (51, 52, 53)
• Folate (54, 55)
• Vitamin C (56)
• Zinc (57)

Many health professionals believe that because deficiencies are relatively rare, they are not worth worrying about due to the health “benefits” of PPIs. The American Gastroenterological Association reported in 2017 that PPI users should not be routinely screened for bone mineral density, magnesium, or vitamin B12, which is mind-boggling to me. (58) Not all studies have confirmed correlations between nutrient deficiencies and acid-suppressing drugs, but patients need to be informed about the real risks of PPI use, especially as more and more take them for extended periods of time.

Bone Fractures

In 2010, the FDA changed PPI labeling to indicate bone fractures as a possible risk. (59) These drugs may impact bone health by reducing calcium absorption or by inhibiting bone resorption, a process that’s required for long-term bone integrity. (60) After the 2010 label change, even more large analyses found associations between PPI use and fractures. (61, 62, 63)

Cardiovascular Events

A number of studies from different countries show that PPIs are an independent risk factor for heart attack. (64, 65, 66, 67) In a retrospective cohort study of over 50,000 participants, those on PPIs had a 30 percent increased chance of cardiovascular death, recurrent heart attack, or stroke within the first month of discharge after a first-time myocardial infarction. (68) A 2018 article went so far as to call PPI a “cardiovascular bomb” for its associated heart risks. (69)

We don’t fully understand how PPIs are able to affect heart health. Some possible mechanisms might involve:

• Hypomagnesemia
• Lysosome inhibition
• Reduced nitric oxide production (70, 71, 72, 73)

Kidney Disease

PPI metabolites may deposit in kidney cells, causing an immune response that ultimately can lead to kidney dysfunction. Proton pumps are present in kidney cells, although it’s unclear if these drugs can target kidney cells specifically. (74)

Compared to patients using H2 blockers, PPI users were almost two times as likely to develop end-stage renal disease over a five-year study period. (75) The risk of acute interstitial nephritis (a type of kidney inflammation) was two to five times higher in PPI users versus non-users in three large separate analyses from the United States, Canada, and New Zealand. (76, 77, 78)

Cognitive Decline

PPI users also have higher risks of dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, and general cognitive impairment compared to those not using these drugs. (79, 80, 81) PPIs could be interfering with the reuptake of neurotransmitters, and mouse models indicate that PPIs increase the production of amyloid beta, the protein that accumulates into the hallmark plaques of Alzheimer’s disease. (82, 83) A third mechanism may involve vitamin B12 deficiency, which is associated with cognitive decline and also PPI use.

Other Health Problems

The research concerning the dangers of PPIs could fill an entire book. I have only briefly covered some of the risks of PPIs, but other problems associated with low stomach acid or PPI use include the following:

• Liver problems (84, 85, 86)
• Stomach cancer (87, 88)
• Asthma (89, 90)
• Celiac disease (91)

How to Cure GERD without Medication

I hope I’ve convinced you that PPIs and other acid-blocking drugs are not going to cure GERD, will only perpetuate the symptoms, and may have serious health consequences. But, if you are willing to put in the work, you can cure GERD using this basic plan:

• Reduce factors that promote bacterial overgrowth and low stomach acid
• Replace stomach acid, enzymes, and nutrients that aid digestion and are necessary for health
• Restore beneficial bacteria and the healthy mucosal lining of the gut

Increase Your Stomach Acid

As long as your low stomach acid levels are low, you’ll continue to experience acid reflux and other distressing GERD symptoms.

Supplement Your HCl

Because your acid reflux will continue if your low HCl isn’t fixed, I recommend HCl supplementation. While it’s possible to test the pH of your stomach, very few doctors have the equipment or are willing to do the test. However, my patients have great success increasing their stomach acid using iterative HCl supplementation. Here’s the general protocol:

• Take one 650 mg capsule of HCl with pepsin at the beginning of each meal
• After two or three days, increase to two capsules each meal
• After two more days, increase your dosage to three capsules
• Keep increasing until you feel a slight burning sensation (or until you reach five or six capsules; I don’t suggest taking more than this)
• Dial back your dose by one capsule

Take Bitter Herbs

The next step is to take bitter herbs. Because herbs can’t be patented, they aren’t often studied in clinical trials without the cash incentive for pharmaceutical companies. But, in Chinese medicine, bitter herbs are known to increase the flow of digestive juices including HCl, bile, pepsin, gastrin, and pancreatic enzymes. (92, 93) Examples of bitters include:

• Barberry bark
• Caraway
• Dandelion
• Fennel
• Gentian root
• Ginger
• Globe artichoke
• Goldenseal root
• Hops
• Milk thistle
• Peppermint
• Wormwood
• Yellow dock

Bitter herbs probably won’t help with nutrient absorption to the same extent as HCl supplementation will, so this route is better suited for someone who hasn’t been taking PPIs for long or hasn’t even started taking them.

Avoid Drinking Water While You Eat

It’s also important to avoid drinking water during meals. This literally dilutes stomach acid further, which will hinder your digestion and nutrient absorption.

Treat Your Bacterial Overgrowth

The next step in understanding how to cure GERD without drugs is addressing bacterial overgrowth. Low stomach acid allows bacteria to thrive in the stomach, compete for nutrients, and generate excess gas. Treating the problem can involve several steps, depending on your individual underlying issues.

Treat SIBO

As I mentioned, the data show strong correlations between GERD and SIBO. While this chronic disease can be particularly difficult to address, it’s essential that you treat SIBO. Antibiotics are somewhat successful, but recurrence develops in almost half of all patients within one year. (94) Studies using probiotics to treat SIBO have been mixed. Many commercial probiotics contain strains that produce D-lactic acid (like L. acidophilus), which might make the digestion problems even worse.

Because it’s so challenging to treat effectively, I deal with a lot of unanswered questions about SIBO in my practice. You do have several treatment options, including a low-FODMAP diet, a botanical antimicrobial protocol, a prokinetic agent supplement, and, in some cases, low-dose naltrexone. Often, diet alone is not enough to treat SIBO.

Take Probiotics

Probiotics are quite the buzzword lately, but not all probiotic foods and supplements are created equal. Quality probiotics have the potential to reduce bacterial overgrowth by protecting and competing against pathogenic strains. Yogurt and kefir generally have higher concentrations of beneficial microorganisms than probiotic supplements. For example, a glass of homemade kefir may have 5 trillion units versus the 5 billion per capsule claimed by many supplements. If dairy or the high carbohydrate density of dairy is an issue, water kefir may be a suitable alternative. Fermented vegetables like sauerkraut and kimchi are great options. Seed is my favorite probiotic for general use, as it’s backed by extensive research and a unique delivery system that allows the probiotics to reach the colon, where they are needed.

Treat H. pylori

An estimated 50 percent of the population harbors H. pylori in their GI tracts. H. pylori is inversely associated with GERD in many studies, possibly because of its acid-suppressing effect. (95, 96) However, it is also associated with gastric cancer and stomach ulcers, and in my clinic I’ve seen many patients with GERD improve after successful treatment of H. pylori. (97) Specific probiotics and mastic (a resin from the pistachio tree) are two possible treatment options. (98, 99)

Eat a Low-Carb Diet

If you have GERD, you probably don’t have enough stomach acid to fully digest carbs. By decreasing the carbs in your diet, you can reduce the amount of malabsorbed carbs left behind. Following a low-carb diet can help alleviate some of the gas and increased pressure associated with GERD. (100)

With so many low-carb diet options available, selecting the “best” one may involve a little trial and error. In any case, don’t buy low-carb processed foods that contain additives, preservatives, and other artificial ingredients that could make the gut situation worse. Instead, maximize your nutrient intake by preparing and eating nutrient-dense, real food that’s closer to what our ancestors would’ve eaten.

And, despite what you may have heard in recent news stories, eating a low-carb diet won’t shorten your life.

Very Low-Carb Diets

A very low-carb diet might be a good first option to alleviate your symptoms. This type of diet restricts carbohydrates to under 50 grams, and sometimes as low as 20 grams, per day. Under this basic plan, there are no restrictions on carbohydrate types.

You can also follow the keto diet. A full ketogenic diet restricts carbohydrates to the point where the body runs on ketones, and it can be helpful and even necessary for complete resolution in some cases.

The Low Fermentation Potential (FP) Diet

Pioneered by Dr. Norm Robillard of the Digestive Health Institute, a low-FP diet restricts the fiber and prebiotics that increase gas production in the gut.

About 15 to 20 percent of the starch we generally consume escapes absorption. Instead, it’s used as food for our gut bacteria or it’s excreted. (101) When bacterial overgrowth persists—as it does with GERD—excess fiber can do more harm than good.

Low-FODMAP Diets

If your digestive issues still aren’t resolved, try removing FODMAPs in addition to FP foods. FODMAPs are a particular type of fermentable carbs found in a long list of foods. Low-FODMAP diets can do wonders for improving digestive help, especially for IBS patients. (102)

It’s important to note that you don’t have to follow a low-carb diet forever. Once your gut is healed, your microbiota restored, and your stomach acid replenished, you can start a moderate-carb diet and reintroduce many restricted foods.

Heal the Gut Lining

Each section of the digestive tract is lined with a site-specific protective barrier. In the stomach, the lining prevents ulcers by protecting the stomach from its own acid. If your gut lining is damaged from stress, medications, or other factors, you might still feel the effects of GERD—even if you’ve taken steps to cure it.

As you may know, I’ve been a proponent of the benefits of bone broth for years. Due to its collagen and gelatin content, it’s highly beneficial for people with ulcers. (103) In animal studies, glutamine and proline, also abundant in bone broth, help restore the gut lining. (104) Deglycyrrhizinated licorice (DGL) in the short term has helped treat gastric and duodenal ulcers and can help protect and heal the stomach lining. (105)

However, if you have a sensitivity to FODMAPs, you should avoid bone broth, DGL, and collagen.

Still Need Help Learning How to Cure GERD Without Drugs? Follow These Tips

If you’ve followed the tips above and you’re still experiencing heartburn symptoms, here are a few additional strategies to try.

Lose Weight

Although it’s usually not the primary impetus, excess weight—especially in the abdominal region—can contribute to increased IAP and GERD. For many of my patients, following a Paleo diet has helped them lose weight without trying.

Avoid Fructose and Artificial Sweeteners

Fructose and artificial sweeteners can increase bacterial overgrowth and worsen your GERD symptoms. Steering clear of sugary foods can help improve your condition.

Avoid NSAIDs

Ibuprofen, aspirin, and other NSAIDs increase the risk of acid-related disorders and can further damage the gut lining.

Share Your Thoughts on GERD

GERD can severely impact quality of life. Instead of taking medication to relieve symptoms, it is possible to cure GERD from the inside out. By optimizing all aspects of gut health, including the microbiome, acid content, gut lining, and digestion, my patients have learned how to cure GERD without the need for medication.

Now I’d like to hear from you. Did you know about the underlying causes of GERD? Have you had any success treating it with the strategies above? What else have you tried? Let me know in the comments.

The post How to Cure GERD without Medication appeared first on Chris Kresser.

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When you’re meal prepping this weekend, squeeze a little time in between roasting vegetables and shredding chicken to make a sauce. I only recently discovered the power of homemade sauces, but quickly learned herby concoctions or creamy condiments can totally transform your meals. They jazz up grain bowls, make every single vegetable more exciting to eat, and instantly turn proteins like meat and fish into a dinner you’d probably pay a lot for at a restaurant.

Most require nothing but tossing a handful of ingredients into a blender, which means little work for big payoff. Plus, they keep well in the fridge for a few days, so you can reach for them for the better part of the week.

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Kitchn’s Delicious Links column highlights recipes we’re excited about from the bloggers we love. Follow along every weekday as we post our favorites.

We are here to help you stage a mini rebellion against the fact that tomorrow is officially the very last day of summer. Here’s what we’re gonna do: Make this dreamy one-pot pasta filled with summery farmers market produce, pair it with a glass of wine, and eat dinner outside. It’s the perfect way to bid adieu to summer.

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There are a million and one diets out there.

A million and two if you count your mom cutting the crust off your sandwiches as a kid. Or as an adult. I’m not judging.

With all these available options, picking the right diet is tough.

And at some point in your search, you stumbled upon the Military Diet….which HAS to be amazing.

Come on. It’s a diet, so it helps people lose weight. And folks in the military are super fit, which means the Military Diet must be great for quick weight loss.

Even better, the whole diet only lasts a week!

Surely this is a recipe for success, right?

Not so fast there, cadet!

Although this diet is crazy popular thanks to, sigh, the Kardashians (I promise this is the last time you’ll ever hear their name on Nerd Fitness), we’re here to offer a very different opinion than what you’ll find out there on the internet.

Depending on how long you’ve been reading Nerd Fitness (if today is your first day, welcome!), We’ll give you the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth on this trending diet.

And of course, gifs and jokes.

So let’s dig into the Military Diet:

• What the #$%! is it?
• Should you drop everything and try it?
• Are there any better recommendations out there?

Now step in line!

What is the MIlitary Diet? How does the Military Diet work?

If the Military Diet could be described in two quick words, those words would be “short term calorie restriction.”

Crap, that’s four words.

Ahem.

The diet focuses on ruthlessly cutting out calories in order to spur weight loss. There are some claims out there that you can lose up to ten pound in one week on the Military Diet. Which would be impressive – and should also be setting off your skeptical spidey-senses.

So I can understand your curiosity, recruit.

Now you’re thinking: “What exactly does ‘calorie restriction’ look like Steve?”

How about one meal consisting of just a single piece of bread, a half cup of tuna, and some black coffee.

That’s it. If you ask for more food you’ll be forced to climb a rope.

The Military Diet is broken into two stages, one for three days and the other for four.

• 3-day plan on the Military Diet. For three days, breakfast, lunch, and dinner is picked out for you. You get this meal only soldier, nothing more! Forget about snacking. For three days, every single crumb is accounted for. I’m only slightly exaggerating. And these three meals only add up to 1,000 calories per day. Ouch. That’s not much chow.
• Four days of leave. The Military Diet does go easy on you after the three days, with four days of slightly more food. And by that I mean 1,500 daily calories. How generous. You’re on your own on what to eat for these four days, with the only guidance being to “eat healthy” and keep it at “1,500 calories.”

Three days on, four days off. You repeat this three day and four day rotation until you reach your ideal weight. That’s the Military Diet in a nutshell.

Okay, you probably want to know, to the crumb, what you get to eat on the Military Diet? Sure.

But it ain’t pretty.

What does the Military Diet plan look like?

As I mentioned, the Military Diet provides strict orders on what to eat for three days. Your mission looks like this:

DAY 1

Breakfast:

• 1/2 grapefruit
• 1 slice of toast
• 2 tablespoons of peanut butter
• 1 cup of coffee or tea

Lunch:

• 1/2 cup of tuna
• 1 slice of toast
• 1 cup of coffee or tea

Dinner

• 3 ounces of any type of meat
• 1 cup of green beans
• 1/2 banana
• 1 small apple
• 1 cup of vanilla ice cream

DAY 2

Breakfast

• 1 egg
• 1 slice of toast
• 1/2 banana

Lunch

• 1 cup of cottage cheese
• 1 hard boiled egg
• 5 saltine crackers

Dinner

• 2 hot dogs (no bun)
• 1 cup of broccoli
• 1/2 cup of carrots
• 1/2 banana
• 1/2 cup of vanilla ice cream

DAY 3

Breakfast

• 5 saltine crackers
• 1 slice of cheddar cheese
• 1 small apple

Lunch

• 1 egg (cooked however)
• 1 slice of toast

Dinner

• 1 cup of tuna
• 1/2 banana
• 1 cup of vanilla ice cream

If you find yourself thinking, “That’s not much for rations, Steve.” You’d be right.

Not only that, but I bet your normal serving of peanut butter is significantly larger than 2 tablespoons. Yikes.

But I’m getting ahead of myself here.

I’ll keep filling you on the details and then share my real opinion at the end here.

Substitutions? Some websites will guide you through substitutions to stick with in case you’re vegetarian or lactose intolerant, etc. Think tofu dogs for hot dogs. But you are told to match calories exactly for replacement, since the name of the game here is restriction.

For the most part however, substitutions are discouraged on the Military Diet.

What about after these three days? If you haven’t gone AWOL, you get a pass for four days. Some websites suggest you can enjoy a meal of shrimp fried rice or a black bean burger on your leave. To stick with the strict Military Diet strategy, you would keep it to 1,500 calories for each 24 hour period.

Eating only 1,000 calories a day is really difficult.

1,500 isn’t exactly easy peezy either.

Is this actually worth it?

Will the three day Military Diet help me lose weight?

In the short term, the Military Diet will most likely cause you to lose weight. Why, you ask?

Because science.

It’s the reason “all diets work.”

If you eat more calories than you burn in a day, you will gain weight over time. If you do the reverse, and burn more than you consume, you will lose weight^[1].

Granted, there’s some finer details in that equation. Muscle, fat, body fat, etc.

But for simplicity sake, it works.

The Military Diet works by practically guaranteeing you will burn more calories than you consume. If an overweight person who usually eats 2,500-3,000+ calories in a day, suddenly switches to ONLY eat 1,000 calories for multiple days in a row, their body will operate at a caloric deficit while it seeks the energy required for drills, push-ups, and cleaning the mess hall.

When this is repeated for a few days, the number on the scale will get smaller!

So will YOU (specifically you, in the green hat) lose weight? Depending on where you are now and your current intake, that deficit (and thus the accompanying weight loss) could be DRAMATIC.

But will you lose 10 pounds in one week like some sites claim? I highly doubt it. Unless you have 100+ pounds to lose and usually eat 5,000+ calories per day, you can only lose so much weight in a short time period.

Rome wasn’t built in a day. People don’t get overweight in a day. And people won’t lose all the fat they want to lose in a day either.

Here’s another truth bomb that needs to be said: Even if the number on the scale drops significantly in a week, most of it is water weight. Your body contains a lot of water, especially if you normally eat very salty, carby foods. So when you remove those foods from your system, the amount of water your body holds can decrease significantly too.

So if somebody strictly followed the Military Diet down to the calorie for a week they could lose maybe one to two pounds of actual fat. They could lose multiple pounds of water weight too, but that won’t continue from week to week.

ATTENTION!

It’s time to hit you with more knowledge: Any weight you lose while on the Military Diet will only remain lost if you stay on the Military Diet. This is super important and will be stressed again later.

Are there any benefits to the Military Diet?

Any kind of calorie restricted eating program, if adhered to consistently, will likely result in weight loss.

Remember that guy who lost weight eating Twinkies^[2]? It worked because he made a strict protocol of his calorie requirements. Then, he followed it. Yeah, he filled a lot of his diet with junk food. But the point is he managed his food intake according to a plan to lose weight, and then stuck to it.

And it worked!

Before you get all mad at me, I too believe that the quality of calories is as important as the quantity.

One of the FEW things I like about the the Military Diet is that it provides a strict protocol to follow. You don’t have to worry about what to eat. It’s breakfast time on Day 2. That means you eat one egg, one slice of toast, and half a banana.

It’s the same reason why many people love the Paleo Diet or Intermittent Fasting or Keto Diet or the Mediterranean Diet: there are specific rules to follow that removes all guesswork from “what should I eat, and how much?”

I won’t lie to you and claim that a guide on what to eat has no benefits. Lying will get you court-martialed.

Hell, we even have our own free 10-level diet blueprint that tells you exactly what to eat to help cut out the guesswork (you can get yours when you sign up in the box below):

But as your friend, I can’t give you only one side of the story.

Are There Any Drawbacks to the Military Diet?

DON’T DO THE MILITARY DIET!

Sorry, I’ve been holding that in this whole post. Literally. I typed this whole post up to this point whiile holding my breath so that I could then blurt this out.

I won’t deny that you could lose weight following the Military Diet. But can any diet telling you to eat bread, crackers, and ice cream actually be good for you?

I know you know better. You’re an adult with a good head on your shoulders, and you’re probably considering the Military Diet because you want a quick weight loss win without having to make any permanent changes.

Unfortunately, things like “science,” “thermodynamics,” and “reality” will keep getting in the way.

The Military Diet is what we in the fitness world call a “crash diet.” Crash diets are designed for quick weight loss in a short amount of time. These diets – and I can included “cleanses” here – prey on people’s desperation to “get fit quick.” They know that if you follow a short term diet, lose a bunch of water weight, and see a lower number on the scale – you’re convinced it worked and then you can go back to how you were eating before.

Then when you quickly put all of that weight back on…you’ll come running back to the diet that got you short term results. This is how they make their money, get your attention, and ultimately leave you sad and right back where you started.

Other examples of terrible crash diets include the Cabbage Soup Diet, the Baby Food Diet and just about any juice cleanse on the market. I won’t even link to them, that’s how annoyed I am about their existence.

The reason these diets are short term is because they are not sustainable. Can you eat nothing but cabbage soup for a week? Sure. For an entire year? No way.

Crash diets are temporary diets. Which means their results will be just that, temporary.

The Military Diet is extreme and short term. Why do people in the military do this to themselves?

Spoiler alert: they don’t.

Where did the Military Diet come from?

Here’s another crappy bit of info: The Military Diet has absolutely nothing to do with any branch of the Armed Forces.

As quoted in CNN, Patricia Deuster explained, “In my 30 years working with the military, I’ve never heard of it.” And she would know, because Deuster helped write the nutritional guide for the U.S. Special Operations Forces^[3].

So if it doesn’t come from the actual military, where does the Military Diet come from?

This three days crash diet has gone by different names before, the Cleveland Clinic Diet 3-Day Diet, the Kaiser Diet, the American Heart Association Diet, and the Birmingham Hospital Diet^[4]. Despite the different names, the three day meal plan is exactly the same.

And guess what?

None of the organizations claim to have created or support their namesake diet.

So where did it come from? Honestly, I don’t care.

It’s silly and I don’t need to meet the person who created a three day crash diet, that co-opts the military name to make itself sound reputable and legitimate.

Is the Military Diet safe?

There’s nothing inherently dangerous about the Military Diet. It’s just eating unhealthy food in small quantities.

Which, depending on your current diet – could be a big improvement from eating unhealthy food in large quantities.

I don’t know you or your situation, but if you want to practice Karate kicks in the garage and become best friends, I’m down to clown.

Now, based on my 10 years of running Nerd Fitness, helping hundreds of thousands of people lose weight safely and in a sustainable way, I’m gonna tell you that this is probably not the diet you’re looking for.

Why? Because this diet will make you so miserable, and sticking to the portion sizes will make you so unhappy, that as soon as your 7 days are up, you’re gonna gorge yourself and probably end up even worse off than where you started!

This probably isn’t your first rodeo, nor is it the first quick fix you’ve sought out for weight loss. How have the previous attempts worked out for you in the long run?

I’m not saying this to be a jerk, but rather to make a point: I like you, your friends like you, and the world needs you to be the healthiest superhero version of yourself you can be.

And that will never happen if you keep chasing extreme short term diets.

I’d rather see you make changes you can stick with. Even if it’s one small change. Gradually reduce the calories you eat, by switching to REAL food. Things like veggies, fruits, and good quality meat. If you make one change, like eggs and avocados for breakfast, you’ll be making a great step in the right direction.

Small changes are something you can live with. Studies have shown that decreasing your caloric consumption by 25% can be fine for your mood^[5]. Perhaps even beneficial. But dropping down to 1,000 calories? There’s no way that can, or should, be maintained.

I wouldn’t recommend you reduce calories by reducing the quantity of food, like ordering you to eat a meal of five saltine crackers, a slice of cheddar cheese, and one tiny apple.

Instead, I want you to make small changes to REAL food. That’s the ticket to long term weight loss. We’ve seen it over and over again here at Nerd Fitness.

Want help making the switch to REAL food? Not sure how to make all of that work in your busy lifestyle? I hear ya. It’s brutally difficult to stick with any diet, and that doesn’t even factor in when your kids get sick or work sucks or there’s two feet of snow on the ground.

It’s why we launched our 1-on-1 Online Coaching Program: to help create specific solutions and accountability for people that want guidance on how to eat, how to train, and the confidence to know they’re doing it correctly!

If this sounds like something that could help you, schedule a free call with our team to see if we’re a good fit for each other! You can do so by clicking on the big box below:

Frequently asked question on the Military Diet?

1) Do foods in the Military Diet help boost your metabolism?

There’s some debate on this. For example, can coffee help you lose weight by raising your metabolism? I’ll go with: unlikely. Any effect of caffeine to your metabolic rate isn’t enough to make a substantial impact^[6]. If anything, it might act as an appetite suppressor^[7]. Which isn’t nothing. But don’t count on it to raise your resting caloric expenditure like magic.

However, here are two things outside of diet that will help keep your metabolism high:

• Strength training. The more muscle you have on your frame, the more energy you will use at rest^[8]. It’s one of the reasons we recommend it so much. I have no problem playing drill instructor and demanding push-ups.
• Stand up and move more. Any movement helps and even just standing up, outside of any walking, can help raise your metabolism^[9]. A standing desk, for those long hours in the office, might be a good move.

Do either of these strategies, or better yet both. It’s better than relying on grapefruit powers to burn calories.

2) Will I enter starvation mode on the Military Diet?

Most likely not. Sure, if you go without food for a lonnnng period of time, your metabolism might slow down slightly, though this requires EXTREME nutritional restriction over a long period of time^[10].

This makes sense from a evolutionary perspective. If there’s nothing to eat in sight, it might be that way for a while. After all, winter is coming…

Depending on how often you repeat it, the Military Diet might reduce calories to a point where this slow down of metabolism kicks in – but what’s more likely happening is that as you lose weight, your body doesn’t need to burn as many calories because there’s less of you to manage every day! So your metabolism WILL slow down as you lose weight, but it’s not due to you eating fewer calories in a day.

Now, some would say the climb up to 1,500 calories might help prevent this, but each person is different. My take: The fear of “starvation mode” is overblown, and it should be the least of your concerns while eating bread and ice cream and calling it a “diet”

3) Is the Military Diet a form of intermittent fasting?

Not really. Let me explain:

• The MIlitary Diet focuses on restricting calories at a specific meal, by counting the amount of hotdogs you can have, for example.
• Intermittent fasting centers on making a strategic decision to skip certain meals on purpose.

With intermittent fasting, you narrow the size of your eating window, or you occasionally do fasts of 24 hours. For instance, you can start eating at noon and finish up by 8pm, essentially skipping breakfast. I wrote all about it in our “Beginner’s Guide to Intermittent Fasting,” where I outlined the benefits of teaching your body to consume food more efficiently, and also reduces the total number of calories you are probably eating.

Conversely, the Military Diet teaches your body to run on hot dogs.

I’ve personally been utilizing intermittent fasting for three years. But I have never, nor will I ever, follow the Military Diet.

Shots fired.

If you want to try a strategic restricted eating program, you can sign up for our free Intermittent Fasting Starter Guide and Worksheets, by entering your email in the box below. We’ll make sure the guide gets sent to you.

Why you should not do the Military Diet, and What to do Instead.

We all want instant gratification. Unfortunately when it comes to fitness and diet, instant gratification will always fail you.

Short term changes only lead to short term results and heartbreak.

IF YOU ARE GOING TO DO THE MILITARY DIET: Godspeed, soldier. Good luck with your 7 days, and let me know how it goes in the comments below. My only request: use those 7 days to learn about yourself and nutrition (maybe by reading this post?), and do what you can implement permanent adjustments to how you choose to eat after.

I’d imagine most people who do this diet are hoping for a permanent fix with minimal work in just a few days time, and I’m here to caution you against that line of thinking.

LIFE DON’T WORK THAT WAY.

DON’T DO THE MILITARY DIET. DO THIS INSTEAD:

• Eat real food when possible.
• Eat a damn vegetable every once and awhile. Yes, even if you hate them.
• Cut out liquid calories like soda and juice (they’re both sugar water). Drink water, black coffee, tea.

If you can eat real food, minimize liquid calories, and eat veggies, and do so consistently for months and months – you’re going to have permanent success.

Making these changes too tough to do permanently? Change fewer things!  

Start thinking in terms of “days and years,” not “weeks and months:”

Try one meal, based on REAL food. Forget the crackers and ice cream.

If you want a strict diet to follow with rules, create your own. Or find one that already exists.

Try Keto. Or intermittent fasting. Maybe Paleo. Or Mediterranean.

But don’t waste your time with the Military Diet or any other crash diet. Instead make lasting changes like I lay out in that video above.

If you read all of this and you’re overwhelmed, and you’re just looking for guidance on how to eat for your situation, you’re not alone! We had so many people ask us for specific advice that we built an Online Coaching Program to help them get results.

Our professional coaches are regular people like you, with families, hobbies, and struggles – but they spend all day helping busy people like you live better, lose weight, and feel better about themselves. No more temporary changes, instead, it’s small steps that are sustainable, forever. And that get you results that actually stick.

If you’re like “hey I want somebody to tell me what to do,” schedule a free call with our team to learn more by clicking in the big box below:

Back to the post: You don’t need to do the Military Diet.

The people in the military certainly don’t.

INSTEAD, YOUR MISSION, SHOULD YOU CHOOSE TO ACCEPT IT:

• Cut back on your liquid calories. If it’s not water, tea, or coffee (black), try cutting back in a deliberate fashion. Switch to diet sodas. Switch to coffee instead of lattes. Realize that juice is just sugar water.
• Prepare one healthy meal. Consider my healthy go-to option. Just make sure it has a vegetable, okay? Don’t overthink this.

If you can do those two things this week, and then repeat that week after week, you’ll be 10X better off a year from now than if you had followed the Military Diet for 7 days.

And lastly, remember, THE MILITARY DIET HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE MILITARY!!!

Ahem. Any questions?

-Steve

PS: As alluded to earlier, I have no problem if you follow the actual diet recommended by the military. Check out their guide for Special Operations Forces here. But those folks work out A LOT. Adjust your caloric intake accordingly.

PPS: And if you already did the Military Diet, please drop and give me 20 push-ups 🙂 Just, make sure you’re doing them correctly!

ALL Photos Sources can be found in this footnote here^[11].