Eating in moderation isn't for everyone

One of the most insipid pieces of advice ever thought up by the diet dictocrats: ''Everything in moderation.''

I know, I know, you're thinking: ''But 'everything in moderation' makes sense, doesn't it? How could it be wrong? It's the culinary equivalent of 'sensible shoes.' '' Well, maybe. But maybe it's time to take another look.

Let's take the easy examples first.

If you have a severe allergy to peanuts, eating them in moderation may kill you.

If you have chronic yeast overgrowth, an often undetected condition that affects more people than you can imagine and results in a baker's dozen of vague and unpleasant symptoms, then you cannot eat barley malt, vinegar or any of a number of other foods in moderation. (At least not if you want to get rid of the yeast.)

If you're on medications known as MAO inhibitors, there are certain foods that you better not eat in moderation, or you could be risking a hypertensive episode ... or a stroke.

Now that we've established that ''everything in moderation'' is far from a universally true proposition, let's look at some of the more tricky cases. Like maybe your own.

If you're someone for whom weight has been a continual battle, there's a good chance that you have some degree of insulin insensitivity. There might also be a number of other things going on -- hormonally, metabolically, genetically -- but whatever else is going on, it's a good bet that your carbohydrate metabolism isn't running as smoothly as it could be. If this is the case, then high-glycemic meals and snacks -- those that raise your blood sugar quickly and with it your insulin levels -- are not a good idea. Even in moderation. Not if you want to lose fat, and not if you want to stay healthy.

If you're addicted to sugar and sweets, chances are that the concept of moderation just doesn't compute for you. For you, the word moderation might as well be in Bengalese. Others can have ''just a taste'' and be satisfied. For you, ''just a taste'' primes a series of events leading to cravings and obsessions. Chocolate chip cookies in moderation? Maybe for some people. Not for you.

If you're one of the many people who have sub-clinical allergies or hypersensitivities to wheat (far more common than you might think), then cutting back your intake is not going to demonstrate to you how good you could feel if you cut it out. Same with milk and milk products. I know it's not fair, but it's the way it is. You don't really get to see what's going on unless you eliminate the offending food, at least for a while. And paradoxically, if you eliminate the food for a while, you may find that after some time passes you can re-introduce it ... in moderation!

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