0:00:02 > 0:00:04Let's find out what our task is this week.
0:00:08 > 0:00:11What's the world's weirdest diet?
0:00:31 > 0:00:34The Gastronuts uncovering the world's weirdest diets today are:
0:00:45 > 0:00:50The weirdest diet I've heard of is eating hamster.
0:00:50 > 0:00:51Maple syrup and olive oil.
0:00:51 > 0:00:54Cooked badger. I think it might taste like smelly poo.
0:00:54 > 0:00:58Ox tongue because it's a tongue and it comes from an animal.
0:00:58 > 0:01:01We have tongues and it's bloody. Eugh!
0:01:01 > 0:01:04Coming up on today's show.
0:01:04 > 0:01:06The Gastronuts get their heads around eating brains.
0:01:06 > 0:01:07It just looks wrong.
0:01:07 > 0:01:11They discover the glamorous diet of an Arctic explorer.
0:01:11 > 0:01:13It's like something you find
0:01:13 > 0:01:15on the bottom of your mum's cooking pan.
0:01:15 > 0:01:18And they dine on a dinner that is fit for a King.
0:01:21 > 0:01:23All that is coming up later.
0:01:23 > 0:01:26First, the question today is what is the world's weirdest diet?
0:01:26 > 0:01:28I'm not just talking about people trying to lose weight,
0:01:28 > 0:01:31but people who eat strange things for some reason.
0:01:31 > 0:01:32Anyone know of a strange diet?
0:01:32 > 0:01:37I've got a friend who just eats ham and has to have ham with everything.
0:01:37 > 0:01:40- Why?- I think she just loves it. - She has to have it.
0:01:40 > 0:01:43What happens when she doesn't have ham with the meal?
0:01:43 > 0:01:44She gets quite angry.
0:01:44 > 0:01:46And demands ham. Bring me ham!
0:01:46 > 0:01:50OK. Alex, any ideas about people who eat certain ways?
0:01:50 > 0:01:52Vegetarians don't eat meat.
0:01:52 > 0:01:55Some people don't like meat or they think eating meat is wrong.
0:01:55 > 0:01:57Would you be a vegetarian?
0:01:57 > 0:01:59I like meat too much.
0:01:59 > 0:02:02Yes, same here. Anyone else, what do you reckon Ellen?
0:02:02 > 0:02:05My friend's mum is on a diet to lose weight.
0:02:05 > 0:02:10- She's only eating chocolate and milkshakes.- Would you ever do it?
0:02:10 > 0:02:11I like the sound of it.
0:02:11 > 0:02:14A life of chocolate. Not a bad idea, I guess, is it? Nathan?
0:02:14 > 0:02:16I won't eat anything green.
0:02:16 > 0:02:19- You won't eat anything green. Why's that?- It tastes plain.
0:02:19 > 0:02:20I don't like the taste.
0:02:20 > 0:02:23You've come up with a new religion. Anti-greenism or something.
0:02:23 > 0:02:26Today, we're going to look at why people eat certain foods
0:02:26 > 0:02:29that seem a little bit weird to us or maybe a bit disgusting,
0:02:29 > 0:02:32but make complete sense for them. OK, are you up for this?
0:02:32 > 0:02:34- ALL: Yes!- OK, let's go!
0:02:34 > 0:02:38Colin Jackson is a former 110m hurdler who won gold
0:02:38 > 0:02:42at the Commonwealth, European and World Championships
0:02:42 > 0:02:46and held the world record for an astonishing 13 years,
0:02:46 > 0:02:50but what was the diet that fuelled him to victory?
0:02:50 > 0:02:52Gastronuts Colin, Colin Gastronuts.
0:02:52 > 0:02:54What's happening?
0:02:54 > 0:02:56What we want to know is how do you create
0:02:56 > 0:02:57a running machine like yourself?
0:02:57 > 0:03:01How much does food play a part in it?
0:03:01 > 0:03:03Well, food is your fuel. It's the most important thing for any
0:03:03 > 0:03:07sports person, to get the energy to go out there and compete and train.
0:03:07 > 0:03:10Do you have time to cook for yourself?
0:03:10 > 0:03:14You want the right minerals and vitamins, everything that gives you
0:03:14 > 0:03:18the right type of energy. It's pretty important that you cook for yourself.
0:03:18 > 0:03:22Do you usually eat fast food or do you have it every once in a while?
0:03:22 > 0:03:24Does fast food make you fast?
0:03:24 > 0:03:28I know of lots of athletes who used to eat a lot of fast food.
0:03:28 > 0:03:33But, me, no, I want to eat more pure food which I think was better for me.
0:03:33 > 0:03:37Underneath one of these lids is what Colin eats as an athlete.
0:03:37 > 0:03:39What will be in it?
0:03:39 > 0:03:41- Carrots.- Salad, vegetables.
0:03:41 > 0:03:44- Healthy food.- Just healthy food. - Colin, would you like to show us?
0:03:44 > 0:03:46All right.
0:03:46 > 0:03:51- Da, da!- It looks quite nice.- OK.
0:03:51 > 0:03:53Chicken is really good for you.
0:03:53 > 0:03:56It's really high in protein which helps you build muscles.
0:03:56 > 0:03:58The salad will fill you up.
0:03:58 > 0:04:01It's also really high in minerals, vitamins and also fibre.
0:04:01 > 0:04:04So, this is the sort of food that a power athlete would eat.
0:04:04 > 0:04:06Does that mean you would be rubbish at a marathon?
0:04:06 > 0:04:08Yeah. That is not the real source
0:04:08 > 0:04:12of energy that somebody who runs for a long distance or football players,
0:04:12 > 0:04:15people who are active for a long time, would rely on.
0:04:15 > 0:04:18- What would they need? - More carbohydrates.
0:04:18 > 0:04:20They call it complex carbohydrates,
0:04:20 > 0:04:24something that gives you energy, but over a long period of time.
0:04:24 > 0:04:26Complex carbohydrates are found
0:04:26 > 0:04:29in foods such as bread, pasta, potatoes and rice.
0:04:29 > 0:04:34They are good for athletes who need energy for long periods of time.
0:04:34 > 0:04:37A sprinter, like Colin, only needs to perform for a few seconds.
0:04:37 > 0:04:41- He gets his energy from a rather surprising source.- Ready?
0:04:41 > 0:04:44ALL: Ooh!
0:04:44 > 0:04:46Yummy.
0:04:46 > 0:04:50- Does that surprise you to see chocolate and sweets?- Mm-hm.- Yes.
0:04:50 > 0:04:52There is always a good reason for it.
0:04:52 > 0:04:56After training you really need your energy back quickly.
0:04:56 > 0:05:00So, I'd have wine gums. They are full of sugar which gives you a lift.
0:05:00 > 0:05:02But there's zero fat in them.
0:05:02 > 0:05:04Also, the chocolate was perfect.
0:05:04 > 0:05:09It has sugar, it has fat, which slows down your digestive system.
0:05:09 > 0:05:13It's also got the carbohydrate to give me an energy boost.
0:05:13 > 0:05:16Let's be honest, it tastes good as well, right? Yes?
0:05:16 > 0:05:20I'd eat that much the evening before a competition.
0:05:20 > 0:05:21200 grams worth of chocolate there.
0:05:21 > 0:05:23I'd have to get it down me
0:05:23 > 0:05:26to make sure I could perform well the next day.
0:05:26 > 0:05:29Because you are obsessed with your food, I wondered if you could
0:05:29 > 0:05:31create for us an athlete's salad.
0:05:31 > 0:05:33Yep.
0:05:33 > 0:05:38By the way, Colin, I don't think I mentioned... this it's a race, mate.
0:05:38 > 0:05:40No way!
0:05:40 > 0:05:43- Come on.- No way!- YE-E-ES!
0:05:43 > 0:05:46Whoo-hoo! Well done.
0:05:46 > 0:05:47- Well done, guys.- Skin!
0:05:47 > 0:05:49Where were you?
0:05:49 > 0:05:51At the back!
0:05:51 > 0:05:54Well done, Alex.
0:05:54 > 0:05:59We managed to beat a world champion even without eating like he does.
0:05:59 > 0:06:04What other weird diets do professional sports people have?
0:06:04 > 0:06:07You, Ellen, are a sumo wrestler.
0:06:07 > 0:06:11- Strong. - Big, fat, strong. Swimmer, Nathan?
0:06:11 > 0:06:13- Sporty.- Lithe, strong.
0:06:13 > 0:06:15Alex, you are a footballer.
0:06:15 > 0:06:18Footballers need to be able to run around a lot, I guess, don't they?
0:06:18 > 0:06:21- Yeah.- And a jockey. - They can't be too big
0:06:21 > 0:06:23or the horse might break their back.
0:06:23 > 0:06:26So, let's look at what foods you are eating here.
0:06:26 > 0:06:29You are a jockey. This is what you'd have.
0:06:29 > 0:06:32Jockeys eat pretty good meals, with a big range of different foods.
0:06:32 > 0:06:35Just a relatively small portion.
0:06:35 > 0:06:37Would you be happy with that meal?
0:06:37 > 0:06:41No. Not enough for you, is it? There we go. That is a jockey's meal.
0:06:41 > 0:06:45Nathan, this is a special meal for a swimmer. Why is it special?
0:06:45 > 0:06:48It has complex carbohydrates.
0:06:48 > 0:06:50This is the breakfast that
0:06:50 > 0:06:53Michael Phelps ate before he did the Olympics. He won eight gold medals.
0:06:53 > 0:06:55He ate vast amounts of food every day
0:06:55 > 0:07:01because he just needs masses and masses of energy.
0:07:01 > 0:07:03'Michael Phelps ate the breakfast of a champion.
0:07:03 > 0:07:05'Well, actually several champions.
0:07:05 > 0:07:09'It consisted of three fried egg sandwiches with cheese, tomatoes,
0:07:09 > 0:07:12'lettuce, fried onions and mayonnaise
0:07:12 > 0:07:15'followed by three chocolate chip pancakes, a five egg omelette,
0:07:15 > 0:07:17three sugar coated slices of French toast, a bowl of porridge
0:07:17 > 0:07:21and two cups of coffee.
0:07:21 > 0:07:24Could you eat that for breakfast, do you think? You could.
0:07:24 > 0:07:26Top man!
0:07:26 > 0:07:29Alex, what do you have here?
0:07:29 > 0:07:32- Energy drinks. Pasta.- Footballers,
0:07:32 > 0:07:35they need a lot of energy that will release slowly over time.
0:07:35 > 0:07:39They need a lot of salt which is why they have lots of fluids to last
0:07:39 > 0:07:42them throughout the whole match. Would you like that kind of meal?
0:07:42 > 0:07:43- Yeah.- It's pretty good, isn't it?
0:07:43 > 0:07:46Big lady, let's look at your meal.
0:07:46 > 0:07:48Why do you think a sumo wrestler needs this?
0:07:48 > 0:07:51- Because it's got so much. - There's so much food.
0:07:51 > 0:07:53What sort of food you have got?
0:07:53 > 0:07:55- Everything.- Everything.
0:07:55 > 0:07:57This is called Chankonabe.
0:07:59 > 0:08:03'Sumos skip breakfast. They exercise on an empty stomach and eat
0:08:03 > 0:08:07'before they go to bed so they don't burn off any food they have eaten.
0:08:07 > 0:08:11'In doing this, their bodies store fat and put on loads of weight.'
0:08:13 > 0:08:16Although they look fat, there is a vast amount of muscle underneath it.
0:08:16 > 0:08:18They are fighting fit.
0:08:18 > 0:08:21Do you think you could eat that whole meal at one sitting?
0:08:21 > 0:08:23- No.- It's pretty difficult, isn't it?
0:08:23 > 0:08:25Who would plug for the footballer's diet?
0:08:25 > 0:08:28Two votes. The swimmer's diet.
0:08:28 > 0:08:31OK. So that means none for the jockey's diet
0:08:31 > 0:08:33and none for the sumo wrestler's diet.
0:08:33 > 0:08:35We are both footballers or swimmers.
0:08:35 > 0:08:38So, we've learnt that sports people not only need to eat a good diet,
0:08:38 > 0:08:43but by eating specific foods they use the energy released
0:08:43 > 0:08:49to enhance their performance. In some cases become world champions.
0:08:49 > 0:08:50There are some diets where people
0:08:50 > 0:08:54eat specific foods for health reasons. Other diets where people
0:08:54 > 0:08:57eat specific foods because it's all that is available for survival.
0:08:57 > 0:09:01We will look at one diet that combines survival and health in one.
0:09:01 > 0:09:05Gastronuts, let's dine like it's 1944.
0:09:09 > 0:09:12That's not working.
0:09:12 > 0:09:16Is this the kind of food that you'd eat on a normal day?
0:09:16 > 0:09:20- ALL: Yup.- It's good stuff. A bit of meat, sweets, sandwiches.
0:09:20 > 0:09:21You like chocolate?
0:09:21 > 0:09:26- ALL: Yeah.- OK. Well, during the war you didn't have...- No!
0:09:26 > 0:09:29- You didn't have that.- Uh!
0:09:29 > 0:09:32- You didn't have that.- NO! - I'm afraid so.
0:09:32 > 0:09:35- And you didn't have that.- NO-O!
0:09:35 > 0:09:39Do you think you would still survive quite like this for a day?
0:09:39 > 0:09:41- ALL: Yes.- Not so bad, is it?
0:09:41 > 0:09:44During World War II, and for some years after,
0:09:44 > 0:09:49foods such as meat, milk, eggs, sugar and sweets were rationed.
0:09:49 > 0:09:54Even foods that weren't rationed were often in short supply.
0:09:54 > 0:09:56In the war, all of Europe was occupied.
0:09:56 > 0:10:00We couldn't get any of the food that normally gets imported from Europe.
0:10:00 > 0:10:03It was difficult for ships to cross the sea bringing
0:10:03 > 0:10:06all the foods we normally get from a long way away like fruit, rice.
0:10:06 > 0:10:09You would have to make do with foods that were grown
0:10:09 > 0:10:12in the UK as far as possible.
0:10:12 > 0:10:16And to make sure that you didn't buy more food than you were allowed...
0:10:16 > 0:10:18You'd get rationed.
0:10:18 > 0:10:21You'd all have one of these.
0:10:21 > 0:10:24There we go. Have a flick through. What can you see in there?
0:10:24 > 0:10:27- Are these coupons?- These are coupons.
0:10:27 > 0:10:29One for meat, butter and margarine.
0:10:29 > 0:10:30You'd have to give in your coupon.
0:10:30 > 0:10:33You would only be able to buy this amount of food every week.
0:10:33 > 0:10:38People were encouraged to dig up their back gardens and plant food.
0:10:38 > 0:10:42We would make use of absolutely everything that you can get
0:10:42 > 0:10:46from animals, from vegetables, and people were creative with food.
0:10:46 > 0:10:48Would you like to find out?
0:10:48 > 0:10:50- Yes.- OK. Come over here.
0:10:52 > 0:10:55- Urgh!- What's that?
0:10:55 > 0:10:57- Plants?- Plants. They are indeed plants.
0:10:57 > 0:10:58Don't grab these.
0:10:58 > 0:11:02- Stinging nettles?- Exactly. They were really good, they grew everywhere.
0:11:02 > 0:11:04You didn't need to plant them.
0:11:04 > 0:11:07People would use them in what?
0:11:07 > 0:11:10- Soup.- You're good! Grab a little teaspoon of that.
0:11:10 > 0:11:14Be careful. Have you eaten stinging nettles before?
0:11:14 > 0:11:19- They do really sting. - Why are you telling us this?
0:11:19 > 0:11:21OK, I'm fibbing.
0:11:21 > 0:11:25Stinging nettles don't sting once they've been cooked.
0:11:28 > 0:11:31- It's OK. I'd put up with it for my food.- That's brilliant.
0:11:31 > 0:11:34- I'm very impressed.- I won't. - Ellen is less keen.
0:11:34 > 0:11:36- It doesn't taste nice. - I wouldn't each much of it.
0:11:36 > 0:11:41The stinging nettles didn't taste, it was the soup that tasted.
0:11:41 > 0:11:44OK. In wartime it wasn't just trying to get the most out of hedgerows,
0:11:44 > 0:11:48people had to make use of every last bit of meat.
0:11:48 > 0:11:52Every last bit of an animal. What's this?
0:11:52 > 0:11:55Umm, the heart.
0:11:55 > 0:11:58Brilliant. In wartime you wouldn't throw these away.
0:11:58 > 0:12:03You'd put them in your pot and they would end up looking like this.
0:12:03 > 0:12:07Stuffed lamb's heart.
0:12:07 > 0:12:10- Lamb.- Little baby...- Oh! - ..fluffy lamb.
0:12:10 > 0:12:11Let's all take a little piece.
0:12:17 > 0:12:20- It's nice. - What does it taste like?
0:12:20 > 0:12:22- Lamb.- Lamb.
0:12:22 > 0:12:25Well done. Let's take a look at the next one.
0:12:25 > 0:12:28Argh! Intestines.
0:12:28 > 0:12:30Very nearly. What would you find in the head?
0:12:30 > 0:12:34- Brain.- Brains. What do you think about the idea of eating brains?
0:12:34 > 0:12:38- Revolting. It just looks wrong. - You're going to break the mould.
0:12:38 > 0:12:40I'd like to introduce you to brains on toast.
0:12:43 > 0:12:45Just don't say it's brains.
0:12:45 > 0:12:48- Say it's tuna.- It looks like tuna.
0:12:48 > 0:12:53Brains used to be commonly eaten in Britain. These are sheep's brains.
0:12:53 > 0:12:55Traditionally served on toast with parsley sauce.
0:12:55 > 0:12:58It literally is food for thought.
0:12:58 > 0:13:00- Let's tuck in. - # Insane in the membrane
0:13:00 > 0:13:02# Insane in the brain
0:13:02 > 0:13:05# Insane in the membrane... #
0:13:05 > 0:13:10- I really don't like that. - Quite nice. It's really slimy.
0:13:10 > 0:13:14If you eat brain, does your brain increase and get cleverer?
0:13:14 > 0:13:17It's really good for you but it doesn't mean
0:13:17 > 0:13:21your brain will be any better. But it's a really good meat.
0:13:21 > 0:13:24Masses of protein. This is what kids in World War II needed.
0:13:24 > 0:13:28Now, open up that red cover for me.
0:13:28 > 0:13:31This is tripe.
0:13:31 > 0:13:34Tripe is the lining of an animal's stomach. Usually a cow's.
0:13:34 > 0:13:36It's low in fat, high in protein.
0:13:36 > 0:13:40But some people are put off by its unusual smell and texture.
0:13:40 > 0:13:44Will the Gastronuts be able to stomach it?
0:13:44 > 0:13:46That, my friends, is curried tripe.
0:13:46 > 0:13:49- How do you feel about the idea of this?- Not so good.
0:13:49 > 0:13:52It's weird. You're eating stomach and it's going into your stomach.
0:13:52 > 0:13:55Sounds good to me. OK, everyone have a taste.
0:13:55 > 0:13:58Argh!
0:13:58 > 0:14:00Oh, you put your...
0:14:00 > 0:14:02Nathan's gone for it.
0:14:02 > 0:14:04What do you reckon, Nathan?
0:14:06 > 0:14:08Go on, Ellen, give it a go. How come it's the stomach
0:14:08 > 0:14:11- that makes you go funny?- Eugh!
0:14:17 > 0:14:19- It's chewy.- If you didn't know what it was,
0:14:19 > 0:14:22you would probably think it was noodles.
0:14:22 > 0:14:25If it was plain, I wouldn't eat it.
0:14:25 > 0:14:27The cow guts got a mixed reception.
0:14:27 > 0:14:30But there's another even weirder part of the animal
0:14:30 > 0:14:33that was eaten during the war.
0:14:33 > 0:14:35- Ever seen one of these fellas before?- It's a cow foot.
0:14:35 > 0:14:38It's a cow foot. You chop it up into pieces.
0:14:38 > 0:14:41You need a really good saw or a massive knife.
0:14:41 > 0:14:45It's really, really thick bone. Then add a few herbs, loads of water,
0:14:45 > 0:14:47boil for three or four hours.
0:14:47 > 0:14:50You are then left with a sticky substance called gelatine.
0:14:50 > 0:14:53Believe it or not, this is the jelly you have in your ice-cream
0:14:53 > 0:14:55or that's used in chewy sweets.
0:14:55 > 0:15:00The gelatine is diced up and mixed with our old parsley sauce.
0:15:00 > 0:15:03Will it make the cow heel any more inviting? OK everyone.
0:15:03 > 0:15:06Have a little taste.
0:15:06 > 0:15:10- So, what do you think? - It's got a jelly texture.
0:15:10 > 0:15:12- What about the flavour?- Vegetables.
0:15:12 > 0:15:14- Just jelly.- What's bad about jelly?
0:15:14 > 0:15:17I don't like jelly.
0:15:17 > 0:15:19- It doesn't have flavour to it. - True.
0:15:19 > 0:15:21It doesn't have that much flavour. The wartime diet
0:15:21 > 0:15:25has less fat, they're getting more vegetables,
0:15:25 > 0:15:29eating less meat. It's actually a very, very healthy way to eat.
0:15:29 > 0:15:31Bizarrely, although they had
0:15:31 > 0:15:34less available to them, a lot of people were really, really healthy.
0:15:43 > 0:15:48Why do some cans float and some cans sink? Let me explain.
0:15:48 > 0:15:53We have six cans of different drinks.
0:15:53 > 0:15:56We're going to put them into some water here.
0:15:56 > 0:15:57I want you to watch what happens.
0:15:57 > 0:16:00Three of them sink to the bottom,
0:16:00 > 0:16:03three stay at the top. Why the difference?
0:16:03 > 0:16:06Well, if you look at them, you'll realise that the three that float
0:16:06 > 0:16:11are actually the diet ones, while the sugared drinks go down to the bottom.
0:16:11 > 0:16:13Why should this be?
0:16:13 > 0:16:18Well, the reason is, the volume is exactly the same.
0:16:18 > 0:16:20What must be different is the weight.
0:16:20 > 0:16:24That means the sugar ones are actually denser.
0:16:24 > 0:16:29Now the sweetener you have in diet drinks is so much sweeter than sugar
0:16:29 > 0:16:33that you need much less to make it as sweet as the sugared one.
0:16:33 > 0:16:36So that means the sugared drinks are much heavier.
0:16:36 > 0:16:38It's a bit like the difference
0:16:38 > 0:16:41between a cricket ball and a tennis ball.
0:16:41 > 0:16:44The cricket ball and the tennis ball are about the same size.
0:16:44 > 0:16:48The cricket ball is much denser, heavier, and sinks in water.
0:16:48 > 0:16:51While the tennis ball floats.
0:16:51 > 0:16:53We're looking into the world's weirdest diets.
0:16:53 > 0:16:59So far, the Gastronuts have learnt how you can eat your way to success.
0:16:59 > 0:17:02They've stuffed their guts with wartime weirdness.
0:17:02 > 0:17:07Later on, they show us some bling when they dine like a king.
0:17:07 > 0:17:08You need to put the whole jar
0:17:08 > 0:17:11of peanut butter in and the whole jar of jam.
0:17:11 > 0:17:14But first,
0:17:14 > 0:17:17Benedict Allen is an explorer and adventurer who survived the freezing
0:17:17 > 0:17:22windswept wilderness of the Arctic and the searing heat of the desert.
0:17:22 > 0:17:27What he ate, and how he ate it, kept him alive to tell the tale.
0:17:27 > 0:17:29What kind of diet do you survive on?
0:17:29 > 0:17:31Imagine you're in the Arctic.
0:17:31 > 0:17:35It's minus 40, maybe. That's five times colder than your deep freeze.
0:17:35 > 0:17:39You still might find berries. But that's only if you're lucky.
0:17:39 > 0:17:42Tell me what you think you'd eat.
0:17:42 > 0:17:46- Penguin?- No, penguins are right down there in the South Pole.- Polar bear.
0:17:46 > 0:17:49The trouble is, Polar bears don't like to be eaten.
0:17:49 > 0:17:54They tend to go for you and they eat you. What else do you get up there?
0:17:54 > 0:17:57- Walrus?- I've eaten a lot of walruses. They taste disgusting.
0:17:57 > 0:18:00It really stinks.
0:18:00 > 0:18:03But that's what being an explorer is all about.
0:18:03 > 0:18:06I'll show you one thing that you can eat.
0:18:06 > 0:18:07What do you reckon that is?
0:18:07 > 0:18:10- It smells disgusting.- Seal.
0:18:10 > 0:18:12No, that is reindeer.
0:18:12 > 0:18:15There's hardly any fat on it.
0:18:15 > 0:18:18The fat is on the outside because it's trying to keep warm.
0:18:18 > 0:18:20It's out in minus 40, something like that.
0:18:20 > 0:18:23It's got to insulate itself.
0:18:23 > 0:18:26- Are you tough enough to be explorers?- Ta-da!
0:18:26 > 0:18:29- That is reindeer, but cooked. - OK. Let's all have a little taste.
0:18:32 > 0:18:35- It's actually quite nice. - What does it taste of?- It tastes
0:18:35 > 0:18:40a bit like lamb, but it's a bit chewy as well.
0:18:40 > 0:18:42OK, so you'd find reindeer in the North Pole.
0:18:42 > 0:18:45What about in the South Pole?
0:18:45 > 0:18:48If you're right down at the South Pole, Antarctica,
0:18:48 > 0:18:50there's much less to eat.
0:18:50 > 0:18:54Explorers made their own food so they could survive.
0:18:54 > 0:18:57- I'll show you what people used to take with them.- Wow.
0:18:57 > 0:19:01- What do you reckon that is, guys? - Bones.- Yeah, bones.
0:19:01 > 0:19:04They are from a small cow. Inside you have the marrow, there.
0:19:04 > 0:19:08Juicy. Very, very very nutritious.
0:19:08 > 0:19:11You mix it with anything that's got a lot of energy in.
0:19:11 > 0:19:14That's lard.
0:19:14 > 0:19:17The marrow is scooped out of the bones and mixed with lard to make
0:19:17 > 0:19:21a high energy food called pemmican.
0:19:21 > 0:19:24So why do you have something that's so fatty?
0:19:24 > 0:19:27If it's minus 50 degrees, you want energy to try and keep your body
0:19:27 > 0:19:31going and try and keep it warm in that terrible temperature.
0:19:31 > 0:19:35OK, go for it. Blimey.
0:19:35 > 0:19:37What does it taste like?
0:19:37 > 0:19:41- It just tastes of lard.- Quite slimy.
0:19:41 > 0:19:44Like something you'd find on the bottom of your mum's
0:19:44 > 0:19:46cooking pan when they've used too much oil.
0:19:46 > 0:19:50- Nasty.- You must be under extreme hardship to enjoy this stuff.
0:19:50 > 0:19:52- It's disgusting.- It is disgusting.
0:19:52 > 0:19:57Besides surviving extreme cold, Benedict's travels have taken him
0:19:57 > 0:20:01to places where it's so hot that anything struggles to live.
0:20:01 > 0:20:05How does he survive in the dessert?
0:20:05 > 0:20:08You're walking, looking around for something to eat.
0:20:08 > 0:20:12Not a single tree, just mile after mile of sand.
0:20:12 > 0:20:15Can't find any water. What would you eat?
0:20:15 > 0:20:17There's nothing much you can eat.
0:20:17 > 0:20:19It's a tricky one. What's around in the desert?
0:20:19 > 0:20:22- Sand.- You can't eat sand.
0:20:22 > 0:20:25Maybe you could dig and find something.
0:20:25 > 0:20:27Maybe start thinking about snakes.
0:20:27 > 0:20:30Look for burrows, a lot of animals come out at night.
0:20:30 > 0:20:33You might have to eat your own companion.
0:20:35 > 0:20:37What do you think this is?
0:20:37 > 0:20:39- Have a good feel.- Camel.
0:20:39 > 0:20:44- You are holding camel.- It's cold! - So it would be that you only eat
0:20:44 > 0:20:45your camel if you are really desperate?
0:20:45 > 0:20:48It's a last resort. It's also your friend.
0:20:48 > 0:20:52You'd think a camel would walk off, cos it doesn't need you.
0:20:52 > 0:20:55It has its humps, its big feet, big eyelashes to keep out
0:20:55 > 0:20:57the sand in a sandstorm.
0:20:57 > 0:20:59It's totally adapted to the desert.
0:20:59 > 0:21:01They can even smell water.
0:21:01 > 0:21:03You really want to stay with your camel, cos it knows
0:21:03 > 0:21:05what it's doing, even if you don't.
0:21:05 > 0:21:07It's camel time.
0:21:07 > 0:21:08Everyone have a taste, then.
0:21:08 > 0:21:13- Chewy.- Chewy. That's the thing about camel, it is chewy, isn't it?
0:21:13 > 0:21:15What do you reckon, Alex?
0:21:15 > 0:21:18Hard to eat, isn't it?
0:21:18 > 0:21:22OK. If there's no camel available, what else would you go for?
0:21:22 > 0:21:26- This is what you can find if you're lucky.- Insects.
0:21:26 > 0:21:29We have locusts or grasshopper.
0:21:29 > 0:21:31And that is a cricket.
0:21:31 > 0:21:33In lots of places around the world, people eat these
0:21:33 > 0:21:35because they taste really good.
0:21:35 > 0:21:39OK, guys, I think it's time to be brave. Let's try one of these.
0:21:39 > 0:21:45MUSIC: "Indiana Jones" Theme
0:21:45 > 0:21:47- Quite crunchy. - What do you reckon, Nathan?
0:21:47 > 0:21:49Tastes a bit dull.
0:21:49 > 0:21:53Insects are commonly eaten by people in the desert because they're a good
0:21:53 > 0:21:57source of protein. But sometimes they object to being made a meal of.
0:21:57 > 0:22:00Once I had to eat alive a sago grub.
0:22:00 > 0:22:04It's like a maggot. The length of your little finger, very, very fat.
0:22:04 > 0:22:06I didn't have the chance to cook this sago grub.
0:22:06 > 0:22:09I just put it into my mouth.
0:22:09 > 0:22:11This sago grub decided it wasn't going to be eaten.
0:22:11 > 0:22:15Slowly, it turned itself around.
0:22:15 > 0:22:17I was trying to swallow the sago grub.
0:22:17 > 0:22:21Eventually, it just climbed up my throat and jumped out.
0:22:21 > 0:22:23Do you like the idea of eating an explorer's diet?
0:22:23 > 0:22:27Yeah, but not the bugs and the pemmican. The rest is all nice.
0:22:27 > 0:22:29Excellent. Benedict, that's fantastic.
0:22:29 > 0:22:33Thank you so much for introducing us to the explorer's diet.
0:22:33 > 0:22:34I still prefer chocolate.
0:22:36 > 0:22:40To survive, you've really got to be prepared to eat anything.
0:22:40 > 0:22:42There are exceptions to this rule.
0:22:42 > 0:22:45Some people have been known to eat exactly what they want,
0:22:45 > 0:22:46when they want it.
0:22:46 > 0:22:50One of the strangest diets out there is one not just fit for a king,
0:22:50 > 0:22:53but fit for THE King!
0:22:53 > 0:22:56Gastronuts, have you ever heard of Elvis Presley?
0:22:56 > 0:22:58- Uh-huh.- Who was Elvis Presley?
0:22:58 > 0:23:00- A singer.- What kind of music?
0:23:00 > 0:23:03- Rock and roll!- Oh, yeah, baby!
0:23:03 > 0:23:05He must have been the most famous rock star of all time.
0:23:05 > 0:23:09If you were a rock star, what would your life be like?
0:23:09 > 0:23:12- Amazing. - Fantastic. You'd have lots of money.
0:23:12 > 0:23:16You'd be able to do anything you wanted really, wouldn't you?
0:23:16 > 0:23:20- You'd be able to eat absolutely anything you wanted.- Any fast food.
0:23:20 > 0:23:23I'd have a hamburger joint in my house.
0:23:23 > 0:23:25What a brilliant idea.
0:23:25 > 0:23:28- What would you have, Ellen? - A chocolate machine and doughnuts.
0:23:28 > 0:23:30Nathan, what would you do?
0:23:30 > 0:23:32A popcorn machine.
0:23:32 > 0:23:34Well, Elvis was a guy who could do anything he wanted.
0:23:34 > 0:23:37He had anything at his disposal, oodles of cash.
0:23:37 > 0:23:40Let's try Elvis's diet.
0:23:41 > 0:23:43Whereabouts did Elvis live?
0:23:43 > 0:23:45- America?- In America, in the USA.
0:23:45 > 0:23:48In the Deep South. He lived in Tennessee.
0:23:48 > 0:23:50So this is soul food. You should all try some.
0:23:50 > 0:23:53- What have you got there, Nathan? - Chocolate brownie.
0:23:53 > 0:23:55- Do you like chocolate brownies? - Yeah.
0:23:55 > 0:23:58- Ellen, what have you got there? - Banana sandwich.
0:23:58 > 0:24:00Deep fried banana sandwich.
0:24:00 > 0:24:02Reme is holding cornbread.
0:24:02 > 0:24:05It's a cake made with corn. Is that any good?
0:24:05 > 0:24:07- It's nice.- Pretty nice, isn't it?
0:24:07 > 0:24:09Now that is grits.
0:24:09 > 0:24:12- What does it taste like? - Quite plain.
0:24:12 > 0:24:14It's really filling, though.
0:24:14 > 0:24:18- Alex, you're eating meatloaf, what does it taste like?- Nice.
0:24:18 > 0:24:21I've got southern fried chicken.
0:24:21 > 0:24:24- What do you think about this kind of food?.- Unhealthy.
0:24:24 > 0:24:25- It's all deep fried.- A lot of fat.
0:24:25 > 0:24:28Elvis loved this kind of food.
0:24:28 > 0:24:31When he died, Elvis weighed more than twice
0:24:31 > 0:24:34what he should have done. He indulged himself.
0:24:34 > 0:24:38Elvis had one famous dish
0:24:38 > 0:24:40that he loved more than anything else in the world.
0:24:40 > 0:24:43- I think you'd probably like it. Do you want to try it?- Yes.
0:24:43 > 0:24:47OK. We're going to cook Elvis' Fool's Gold.
0:24:47 > 0:24:50Fool's Gold starts with a loaf of bread.
0:24:50 > 0:24:52There is a loaf of bread each.
0:24:52 > 0:24:55This loaf of bread has been baked with butter.
0:24:55 > 0:25:00What we need to do is we need to hollow this out.
0:25:00 > 0:25:03Then you add peanut butter and jam.
0:25:03 > 0:25:08You need to put the whole jar of peanut butter in and the whole jar
0:25:08 > 0:25:10of jam. Go on, wallop it down!
0:25:10 > 0:25:12You have to be bold. That's it.
0:25:17 > 0:25:20A huge amount of sugar and fat in there, isn't there?
0:25:20 > 0:25:24All that sugar from the jam is pure sugar, in a way.
0:25:24 > 0:25:26The peanut butter is pretty much pure fat.
0:25:26 > 0:25:30- Do you reckon that's healthy? - No.- Not healthy, but tasty.
0:25:30 > 0:25:32Absolutely right.
0:25:32 > 0:25:34However, Elvis wasn't happy yet.
0:25:34 > 0:25:36So he added...
0:25:38 > 0:25:40Bacon.
0:25:40 > 0:25:42A pound of bacon.
0:25:42 > 0:25:44Whole load of bacon. Say that again?
0:25:44 > 0:25:46That's the weirdest combination ever.
0:25:46 > 0:25:49Absolutely. Go for it.
0:25:49 > 0:25:52The final ingredient in the sandwich is two whole packs
0:25:52 > 0:25:54of fatty streaky bacon.
0:25:54 > 0:25:57No wonder it's called Fool's Gold.
0:25:57 > 0:25:59You need to perform a bit of a flip.
0:25:59 > 0:26:02OK, are you ready? This is one heck of a sandwich, isn't it?
0:26:02 > 0:26:07You're really excited! Wow, look at that. Hold that.
0:26:07 > 0:26:09# You're the devil in disguise
0:26:09 > 0:26:11# Oh, yes, you are... #
0:26:11 > 0:26:15A grown adult needs 2,000 to 2,500 calories a day.
0:26:15 > 0:26:19Each of these sandwiches packs how many calories, do you reckon?
0:26:19 > 0:26:212,000.
0:26:21 > 0:26:22You reckon 2,000. Anyone else?
0:26:22 > 0:26:27- 3,000.- Each of these sandwiches packs 4,000 calories.
0:26:27 > 0:26:33He would eat two of these entire loaves,
0:26:33 > 0:26:368,000 calories, in a session.
0:26:36 > 0:26:38He was 42 years old when he died.
0:26:38 > 0:26:41Could have been something to do...
0:26:41 > 0:26:43with Fool's Gold. Chow down!
0:26:50 > 0:26:53- What does it taste of?- Everything. - Nathan, what do you reckon to that?
0:26:53 > 0:26:55I can taste the peanut butter.
0:26:55 > 0:26:57- Excellent.- Loving it.
0:26:57 > 0:26:59I'm feeling like I'm enjoying it,
0:26:59 > 0:27:02but I'm slightly disgusted with myself.
0:27:02 > 0:27:05It's definitely rock-and-roll style.
0:27:05 > 0:27:08This might just look like a whole load of silliness, but what we've
0:27:08 > 0:27:11discovered is that when you indulge yourself
0:27:11 > 0:27:14and you eat anything you want, you end up having a weird diet.
0:27:14 > 0:27:17It's when you're struggling to survive
0:27:17 > 0:27:21or when food is scarce, that's when you have a good diet
0:27:21 > 0:27:23because you end up thinking about your food.
0:27:23 > 0:27:25I never thought an athlete like Colin Jackson had to eat
0:27:25 > 0:27:28sweet stuff like that.
0:27:28 > 0:27:31I enjoyed eating the bugs.
0:27:31 > 0:27:35Normally, you wouldn't eat things like that.
0:27:35 > 0:27:38I'll be more careful about eating
0:27:38 > 0:27:41less sweets and chocolate because I don't want to die early.
0:27:41 > 0:27:45Or less Fool's Gold sandwiches.
0:27:45 > 0:27:48I think I eat a bit too much than I'm meant to eat.
0:27:48 > 0:27:50Maybe I could ration my food.
0:27:55 > 0:28:00E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk
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