Does eating meat make you fatter or leaner?....

Today's Post: Tuesday, 7-20-2010

The Atkins diet and similar diets make high protein and to some degree eating lots of meat and poultry for that protein part of their overall fatloss efforts.

They seem to have some success at helping people lose fat and weight with this approach.

But, recently a study came out showing that the people who ate the most meat and poultry tended to be fatter and heavier than people eating the same amount of calories but less meat and poultry.

At first this seems impossible since both sources seem to have evidence supporting their claims.

Here’s my take on why they both are likely correct and how they differ to explain how the comparison is not quite what it seems.

1. The Atkins diet and similar diets make high protein and to some degree eating lots of meat and poultry for that protein part of their overall fatloss efforts.

However, there are several things to keep in mind. These diets also stress eating virtually no sugar or refined grain foods. And, the more recent and health upgraded versions also suggest adding a lot of green and unstarchy vegetables.

So, because those two things help fat loss and weight loss so much, even if the meat and poultry is a bit more fattening than other protein sources, the net result is still good.

2. It depends on what kind of meat and poultry you eat.

Naturally or pasture fed poultry and animals fed only grass and NOT penned up tend to be lean, to have less saturated fat in their meat, and have very little omega 6 oils.

The same weight of meat or poultry from poultry and animals that have been penned up and overfed grain is cheaper to buy but DOES tend to make you fat.

Any hormones in the animal that make it fat from being penned up are in its meat. Such animals have more fat in their meat, more saturated fat, and dramatically more omega 6 oils. So their meat has more calories; and the omega 6 oils in it begin to look like they may be as effective a fattener as sugar.

3. Protein from sources other than poultry and meat either is usually leaner and lower in calories or it comes with fiber or both.

So, while eating some poultry and meat from naturally fed animals may be OK as sources of protein, plant sources of protein such as beans, lentils, nuts, and to some extent vegetables that contain protein may be critical for fat loss. If you eat an abundance of those, you will tend to eat less meat and poultry than you otherwise would have done. And, since plant sources of protein have both protein AND fiber, you’ll take in fewer calories and be less hungry too.

Similarly, animal protein sources such as shrimp, crab, lobster, nonfat dairy products, very lowfat dairy products, egg whites, & whole eggs to some degree, have more protein and less fat and thus more protein per calorie than meat and poultry.

Mushrooms and wild caught fatty fish are other choices besides meat and poultry that may be less fattening also. Mushrooms have very few calories and wild caught fatty fish tend to be reasonably lean and their omega 3 oils help balance normal intakes of omega 6 oils and make them less fattening.

So where does that leave someone who wants to get and stay lean?

Do eat a moderately high or high protein diet and virtually no sugar or refined grain foods. Avoid all omega 6 oils and go easy on whole grains.

Eat mostly these other protein foods besides meat and poultry.

And, when you do eat meat or poultry, eat it a third as often but with three times the quality.

For example, instead of eating hamburgers made with meat from grain fed cattle six times a week, have meat loaf made from grass fed beef and some added extra virgin olive oil once and a serving of Crockpot-cooked lamb stew made with lamb fed only grass once.

In short, to get and stay lean, entirely avoid eating meat or poultry that has been grain fed or only eat the very leanest versions but not very often – once a month perhaps.

Do eat a moderately high or high amount of protein but eat more of the kinds besides meat and poultry particularly plant proteins and very lean animal protein foods other than meat and poultry.

And when you do eat meat or poultry or fatty fish, do your best to only eat the naturally fed kinds, meat from grass fed animals, poultry from birds that are pasture fed on unpolluted pasture, and wild caught fish.

The two diets with definite and proven health benefits, the DASH II diet and the Mediterranean diet, follow these guidelines in somewhat different ways but both do so.

A combination of them may work best. Eat more nonstarchy vegetables and less pasta in Mediterranean foods; and add extra virgin olive oil, garlic, basil, oregano, and other spices to DASH II foods along with drinking a moderate amount of red wine, for example.

So both statements about eating meat are true but in slightly different ways.

Do eat a higher protein diet extremely low in sugars and refined grains.

But come close to eliminating fats from grain fed animals and poultry and eat their meat rarely.

And, although it IS OK to have some meat and poultry, a LOT more is not good and some kinds are much safer and helpful than others. Even eat the safer kinds in moderation and you will be healthier and leaner.

7 ways to eat meat more safely....

Today's post: Monday, 3-30-2009

It was in the news last week that people who eat a lot of red meat are more likely to get heart disease and cancer. This was true of both men and women for heart disease. But even though it was true for both men and women for cancer, the increase in risk for cancer for women who ate a lot of meat was about double what it was for men.

Since many people like meat -- and the protein, iron, and B12 are essential nutrients to get, it would be nice to know how to eat meat safely.

1. The first way to eat meat more safely was in the study itself.

Simply eat it less often than some people do; & eat fish and chicken instead on the days you don’t have meat. The people with lower risk in that study ate meat 4 times a week or less and ate more chicken and fish. The people who ate meat 7 times a week or more were at higher risk. (They didn’t note what risk levels people who at meat 14 times a week or more had; but had they done so, it likely would have made the risk increases they found much larger.)

So, eat meat four times a week or less. (One benefit of that is that this enables you to get higher quality meat on the days you do eat it since you can save money by eating beans or lentils or nonfat or very lowfat dairy or eggs on the days you don’t eat meat & which cost less.)

Also here are several of the ways from an Early to Rise article earlier this month. (Given the recent release of the study that eating a lot of red meat can be harmful, I thought it timely to post on this topic. And their article is quite well done.)

Here’s their article.:

“This article appears courtesy of Early To Rise, a free newsletter dedicated to making money, improving health and secrets to success. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.earlytorise.com .” (It appeared on Weds, March 11, 2009.

“Enjoy Grass-Fed Steak... With a Side of Spinach

By Kelley Herring

Do you have to abstain from juicy steaks and seared lamb chops to lower your risk of colon cancer? Maybe not. Enjoying antioxidant-rich side dishes when you eat red meat could do the trick.

Recent research shows that antioxidants have the potential to neutralize the health-harming effects of both the iron and the oxidized fat. In fact, a 2005 study showed that eating spinach along with red meat eliminated all irritation of the colon that can set the stage for cancer.

Along with enriching your plate with antioxidants, there are three additional things you can do:

1. Choose ONLY Grass-Fed: Grass-fed beef is 300-400 percent higher in conjugated linolenic acid (CLA) - a natural fat that promotes weight loss and reduces the risk of cancer.

2. Drink a Glass of Pinot: Drinking wine with your steak neutralizes the harmful cancer-causing agents formed when red meat is being digested.

3. Cook Slow & Low, & Marinate Well: Some of the most potent cancer-causing agents are heterocyclic amines (HCAs). You can avoid their ill effects by marinating your meat with antioxidant-rich spices and herbs and then slow-cooking it.

Most important, enjoy your healthy, grass-fed beef, buffalo, or lamb in moderation. That means about 3 ounces (a piece about the size of a deck of cards) a few times a week.”

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1. She also points out it makes sense to eat meat; but not every single meal or every day.

2. Eating the meat with antioxidant vegetables as she describes is very valuable.

It actually has several benefits. The antioxidants help since it’s the oxidized LDL that causes the most heart disease in your blood vessels. So taking antioxidant supplements such as 500 mg of vitamin C or 200 mg a day of alpha lipoic acid may also be a good idea. Eating a serving of vegetables with the meat also makes you more filled and able to eat one serving of the meat instead of two which also helps prevent gaining or keeping excess fat. Lastly, by eating some raw broccoli or other cruciferous vegetable that is known to prevent cancer, you can help prevent eating the meat from raising that risk.

3. Beef from cattle fed only grass also has more omega 3 oils and far less omega 6 oils and saturated fat than grain fed plus it is simply leaner and has less fat as well. And, between having less fat and NOT eating grain that has been treated with pesticides, YOU get a lot less pesticides and herbicides when you eat grass fed beef. Buffalo or lamb that is similarly fed ONLY grass or pasture fed has similar benefits. Lastly, naturally fed animals not penned up get sick so much less their meat is also dramatically less likely to have antibiotics that can make bacteria in your body antibiotic resistant.

(If you can’t get grass fed or pasture fed, you can get some of these same benefits by getting lean cuts of meat and very thoroughly remove as much of the visible fat before cooking as possible. The fat you do get is not great for you; but you CAN have the meat with only a third or a half as much of the fat you would otherwise eat by doing this.)

4. Slow cooking can slash your risk of getting cancer from eating the meat as she points out.
Using a crock pot is a great way to cook meat because it can be very slow and takes less energy than stove roasting although slow stove roasting can also work. Using a crock pot also works well because you can make a stew with vegetables as well as the meat by using a crock pot.

5. Drinking a single glass of red wine also helps by increasing your HDL that helps clean out any LDL cholesterol you do get from eating the remaining saturated fat in the meat. And, it contains resveratrol and other micronutrients that help prevent heart disease.

Here are two more.

6. Eating meat in a recipe that includes abundant garlic or onions or both tends to reduce the viscosity in your blood from any saturated fat you eat and tends to raise your HDL levels also. Done well, this also makes the meat taste good which I find to be a very enjoyable side benefit.

7. Eating meat with cooked with sour cherries has been shown to allow it to cook more slowly and evenly plus the soluble fiber in the cherries tends to carry away the saturated fat so you absorb less of it. Similarly, you can eat beans, apples, or apple sauce at the same meal or in the same recipe. Their soluble fiber will also help carry away the saturated fat in the meat.

Safe superfoods....

Today's post: Thursday, 9-11-2008

When I heard that salmon was actually good for my health to eat as it was low in saturated fat & high in omega 3 oils I was delighted. It’s got a mild but rich flavor and is so tender you can cut it with your fork.

So, for a couple of years I always ordered salmon when I ate in a nicer restaurant. Unfortunately, as I learned about two years ago, that was likely NOT a good idea. It seems virtually all those salmon dishes were farmed salmon. And, unfortunately, farmed salmon is closer in its oil content to the grain fed beef that tends to give people heart disease; and the farmed salmon has considerably MORE health harmful pollutants than the grain fed beef.

As some of you remember, we did a post earlier on why NOT to eat farmed salmon. But some of you have not yet seen this information.

Today’s Early To Rise email has that information & similar information on how to get the superfoods and foods that are both good for you AND safe to eat. And, it explains what you tend to get if you don’t get the wild caught, grass fed, &/or organic foods instead.

Even with superfoods such as salmon and strawberries your net health benefit is completely positive instead of at least partly negative only if you get the OK kinds.

“This article appears courtesy of Early To Rise, the Internet’s most popular health, wealth, and success e-zine. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.earlytorise.com.

Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is

By Kelley Herring

How much is your health worth to you? For most people, the answer is quite simple: Everything.

But in this age of "pill and procedure" medicine, many wait until it's too late to make an investment in their health. And with the rising cost of food, it's tempting to scrimp and save wherever you can.

I have two important messages for you: (1) The time to invest in your health is now! Not when your quality of life has become compromised. And (2) the good news is that eating high-quality food - the finest Mother Nature has to offer - doesn't have to break the bank.

Food, like anything, tends to be less costly when it is mass produced. Producing it the right way - with care and attention to the environment - often costs more. Still, there are many conventional foods that give you the same nutritional bang for the buck as organics. At the same time, there are some "superfoods" you should be eating - and willing to pay a little more for.

Here's the scoop on five of them...

#1: Wild Salmon

Salmon has been heralded for its many health benefits (and deservedly so). The popularity of this fish has created wide demand. And to satiate consumers' appetites, thousands of fish farms have arisen on the world's coasts. Unfortunately, in this case, Mother Nature has not been successfully mimicked.

What was once touted as a health food for its robust levels of essential omega-3s has become a fishy substitute at best. At worst, farmed salmon will do you more harm than good. And that's why I urge you to buy only wild salmon.

How does this superfood turn from friend to foe? Here are the facts:

Farmed salmon contains endocrine-disrupting PCBs. Farmed salmon are fed fishmeal pellets that concentrate known cancer-causing pollutants called PCBs. While all salmon have some level of PCBs, farmed salmon have seven times higher levels than wild salmon.

Farmed salmon are lower in powerful antioxidants. Wild salmon dine on krill, which contain a carotenoid called astaxanthin (pronounced: asta-ZAN-thin) - one of the most powerful antioxidants ever discovered. Astaxanthin is also the nutrient responsible for wild salmon's beautiful red-orange color.

Farmed salmon are treated with artificial coloring. Because farmed salmon are fed cornmeal, soy, and canola oil - not their natural diet of krill - they are gray in color. They turn pink only when given chemically synthesized astaxanthin or treated with artificial coloring agents.

Farmed salmon promote inflammation. As a result of their diet, the flesh of farmed salmon contains up to four times the amount of inflammatory omega-6s than the flesh of wild salmon... and far less essential omega-3s.

Farmed salmon are loaded with antibiotics. Due to the cramped quarters in fish farms, lice and disease spread rapidly. And, in fact, farmed salmon are administered more antibiotics by weight than any other form of livestock.
You can't afford not to eat wild salmon. It is one of the few fish that is still remarkably unpolluted, it is sustainably harvested, and it's one of the healthiest proteins you can put on your plate.

The additional cost per serving of wild salmon ranges between $0.50 (Target, Archer Farms brand) to approximately $2.00 (Vital Choice)... a very small price to pay for a huge improvement in quality.

#2: Coffee

If you love coffee, you'll be glad to know that you can indulge yourself and promote your health too. Coffee is a rich source of age-defying antioxidants, and recent research even suggests it helps prevent Parkinson's and fight diabetes.

But I have some jolting news. If the coffee you drink is not organic, you're exposing yourself to cup after cup of high levels of pesticides. Some of the many chemicals commonly used against the "coffee borer" include highly toxic endosulfan, dursban, basudin, and disulfoton.

Get the most out of your morning java by choosing organic, shade-grown coffee. You can find it in most food stores, or buy in bulk online from a company like Cafe Altura. Expect to pay about $11 per pound for organic whole beans versus $7 for conventional whole beans.

#3: Grass-Fed Beef

Beef was once believed to be harmful due to its saturated-fat content. However, research now shows that the real culprit is the extremely high level of inflammatory omega-6 fats that are created when cattle are fed a steady diet of corn. Not to mention the hormones used to hasten the trip of mass-produced beef to the butcher.

Way back when, cattle ate grass. Not corn. And they weren't pumped full of growth hormones (rBGH) and antibiotics and packed into pens. These few changes have turned a healthful food into one of your body's worst enemies.

But there is a way to have your beef and stay well too. Choose grass-fed! When cattle graze on their natural diet of grass, they have a healthier lipid profile - with much higher levels of healthy omega-3s and very low levels of inflammation-causing omega-6s. These animals are also naturally healthier, which means they are given antibiotics sparingly and only when necessary.

You can expect to pay about 50 percent to 100 percent more per pound for grass-fed beef, but the higher quality of the meat and many health benefits are worth it. For amazingly sumptuous cuts of the finest naturally raised beef, go straight to the appropriately named source - U.S. Wellness Meats. The company is managed with the same dignity and honesty as the folks who did it "way back when."

Looking for a bargain? Try buffalo! These animals aren't kept in pens (Would you want to try to put a buffalo in a pen?) and it's illegal to give them hormones. That makes buffalo a natural alternative to grass-fed beef that is relatively inexpensive (about $7 per pound) and available in stores nationwide through Maverick Ranch.

#4: Berries

It's hard to believe that sweet and juicy berries are so chockfull of age-defying, disease-fighting substances. And despite their taste, they are very low in sugar and score low on the glycemic index.

But I do have some bad news to share. Berries are one of the crops most highly contaminated with pesticides. In fact, cherries, strawberries, and raspberries are on the top-12 list of contaminated crops (a.k.a. The Dirty Dozen) that you should always buy organic.

Escaping harmful pesticides isn't the only reason to choose organic berries. Research shows that organic strawberries, for example, boast 25 percent more antioxidants and more cancer-fighting power than their conventional counterparts.

Expect to pay about $1 to $2 more per pound for frozen organic berries.

#5: Cocoa

The news that cocoa is good for you has folks gobbling it up... like candy. And as long as the cocoa products they choose aren't packed with sugar or artificial ingredients, they're probably doing their bodies a big favor.

In addition to its many mood-boosting and heart-healthy compounds, organic, natural cocoa has an antioxidant score higher than that of almost any other food. Measured in ORAC (oxygen radical absorbance capacity) units, cocoa's is around 80,000. Compare that to "antioxidant-rich" blueberries, which have an ORAC of around 6,500.

But before you grab the first box of cocoa you see on the shelf, here's something you need to know. Most cocoa is "alkalized" - treated with alkali, a harsh chemical base that cuts its considerable antioxidant capacity in half. The solution: Choose organic, non-alkalized cocoa.

NOW Foods makes a delicious organic, non-alkalized cocoa that's easy on the wallet. At only $5.50 for 12 ounces (versus $3.15 for 8 ounces of Hershey's), you'll enjoy higher quality and a more valuable product for less than a dime more per ounce. Mix it into your coffee, whirl it in a smoothie, or add it to low-glycemic dessert recipes.

The Bottom Line

When you invest in your health by spending a little extra on the above superfoods, you'll get many of the rewards - like more energy, a better mood, glowing skin, and a youthful vibrancy - almost immediately. Later, this investment will pay off by not only increasing your lifespan but your health span too.

Well worth the money, don't you think?

[Ed. Note: Health should be your top priority - even if that means spending a little more on your food. Fortunately, keeping your body in tip-top condition doesn't have to be expensive... or difficult…]”

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Note on salmon: Canned Alaskan salmon is wild caught & available year round. So, you don’t have to buy it fresh at high cost or take a lot of prep time to eat wild caught salon. Eating right doesn’t always cost more.

Also, I’ve found that a store that tends to stock many of the safe kinds of foods and superfoods from organic berries to wild caught salmon to grass fed beef is Whole Foods Market. Some of these foods are a bit more expensive than the less safe versions. But some are about the same price. And some even cost less. Check it out.

Lastly, if you eat in a fish & seafood restaurant they can tell you which kinds of the fish they can serve you or are on their menu. Sometimes they have wild caught salmon even though usually they don’t. But they will tell you if you ask. I’ve found Scott’s Seafood quite good about this; but have also had the same experience in other better restaurants. So always ask.

New ways to prevent prostate cancer....

Today's post: Thursday, 5-15-2008

We’ve done several posts on how to prevent all kinds of cancer & a few on preventing prostate cancer. And, I’ll review some of those at the end of this post.

But here are two studies that I had not yet heard of that came to my attention in the last day or two.

There have been some studies showing a low fat diet may help prevent prostate cancer.

But these two studies add considerable precision to that information.

1. One found that when they fed mice a low fat diet & another group of mice a high fat diet of corn oil that’s high in omega 6 fatty acids, the corn oil group had more prostate cancer. This suggests but does not prove that people who eat a lot of food or oils high in omega 6 oils will get more prostate cancer.

My strong guess is that the proof will arrive. And, based on other research showing that heating oils like safflower, soy, & corn oils that are high in omega 6 produces dangerous breakdown products, I think that men who eat cooked food high in omega 6 content or cooked in oils high in omega 6 will get the most prostate cancer. There is also research showing other health problems from eating too much omega 6 oils and not enough omega 3 oils. So, avoiding most omega 6 oils and getting extra omega 3 oils has other health benefits & is a good idea even if the proof hasn’t yet arrived that it also helps prevent prostate cancer. And, avoiding foods cooked with a high omega 6 oil content looks wise for the same reasons.

2. The other study found that lowering high levels of LDL cholesterol was not only effective in lowering PSA levels, where high levels tend to indicate prostate cancer, it also found that lowering LDL levels more also lowered PSA levels more. That looks very much like a cause & effect relationship to me.

The good news is that eating less fatty meats & full fat dairy products and eating more foods such as beans, apples, & oatmeal that are high in soluble fiber; taking real niacin; eating a lot of nuts & vegetables that have a high sterol content; taking sterol supplements will reliably lower LDL cholesterol. And, if you do all of these things, many people can lower their LDL cholesterol below 100.

(This kind of diet kept my LDL level to 143 where it would have certainly been over 160 on the food most Americans eat.

And, adding niacin and sterol supplements lowered it to 93.)

Statin drugs have some really serious side effects in many people who take them. So I believe strongly that while lowering your LDL is a good idea, taking statin drugs is not. This is particularly true when you can get their benefit WITHOUT taking them.

3. Also, eating less fatty meats & full fat dairy products has some other cancer fighting benefits.

It’s not widely known. But you are exposed to pesticides & herbicides MUCH MORE by eating fatty meat from grain fed animals than you are by eating produce that is NOT organic. The grain they get stuffed with is grown with pesticides & herbicides and the animals bioconcentrate it in their fat.

In addition, that SAME grain is high in omega 6 oils. So by avoiding fatty meats from grain fed animals, you prevent prostate cancer three ways.

Your LDL level is less from avoiding the saturated fat in the fatty meat. You ingest less omega 6 oils from the grain the animals eat. And, you avoid the big dose of herbicides and pesticides in their fat.

The other good news is that there are a LOT of good foods you can eat instead of fatty meats for protein.

Pasture fed poultry; beef or buffalo fed only grass; wild caught fish; nuts, beans, & nonfat & very lowfat dairy all work.

Foods such as pasture fed poultry; beef or buffalo fed only grass; & wild caught fish have several benefits. They tend to be more expensive than fatty, grain fed meat. This helps most people eat a more moderate amount of them. They are both higher in omega 3 oils AND lower in omega 6 oils than fatty, grain fed meat. The fatty wild caught fish do have more fat; but they are very high in omega 3 oils. And, the meat from animals fed grass or which are pasture fed, also is much leaner than fatty, grain fed meat. That way you get more benefits AND lower calories. Lastly, beans and lentils score a triple. They are high in protein; they are high in LDL reducing soluble fiber. And, they are MUCH cheaper than animal protein foods.

So, you can eat beans plus less of better quality animal protein foods for about the same as the cost of eating a lot of fatty, grain fed meat.

Your heart health will be better; you’ll be less fat; & it now looks like your risk of prostate cancer will be a lot less as well.

3. Other things we’ve posted on before to prevent cancer or prostate cancer include taking resveratrol supplements, taking more than 1,000 iu a day of vitamin D, taking 200 micrograms of selenium daily; eating raw broccoli & cauliflower at least once a week each; never eating farmed fish as they are now farmed; completely staying away from tobacco smoke; & getting regular exercise.

Each of these things was been proven to cut your risk of all cancers or of getting prostate cancer. If you do them all, you cut your risk by something like 70 to 90 %.

Then by adding this new information, you may be able to cut your risk of prostate cancer by even more.

Meat that’s good for you & some that isn’t....

Today's post: Monday, 4-28-2008

One way to stay healthy is to rely on beans and lentils; nuts, whole grains, & nonfat and lowfat dairy products as sources of protein. (This is the basis of the effective DASH diet that reduces high blood pressure. And, these foods have many added health benefits. Plus beans & lentils in bulk are amazingly inexpensive.)

However, if you LIKE meat and can afford to have some, is it better to buy packaged meats in small portions or try to get larger servings of good quality meat?

The answer to that is get good quality meat less often. Packaged meats are surprisingly bad for you.

First, good quality meat healthwise is from animals that have been exclusively fed naturally. Grain fed animals produce inferior meat that is NOT good for you.

Dr Al Sears has written often how factory farm, grain fed beef is high in omega 6 oils, tends to have antibiotics, is high in total fat and saturated fat & has virtually no omega 3 oils, while beef from cattle fed only grass is quite literally the reverse. As a result, eating a lot of grain fed beef tends to make you sick & cause heart disease while eating grass fed beef is actually good for you in moderation. (Grass fed beef cattle that are healthy to start cannot get mad cow disease since they do NOT eat animal byproducts. They just eat grass or hay.)

It’s clear to me that the best strategy for health if you eat beef is to eat only grass fed beef even if that means you eat it less often. I think Dr Sears is absolutely correct. I’ve found grass fed beef at the Whole Foods Market where I shop. And, Dr Sears gets it online. (See below.)

But it seems that there is a kind of meat that is even worse for you than eating grain fed beef in excess.

I got this article nearly 3 weeks ago from Dr Al Sears as I am on his email list.:

To see his other articles or get on his email list, go to:

http://www.alsearsmd.com/content/

“Al Sears, MD

12794 Forest Hill Blvd., Suite 16
Wellington, FL 33414 April 11, 2008

Dear Reader,

You need to eat quality protein. But this seemingly simple task keeps getting trickier…

More meats are now “packaged” and you may be eating more of them than you think.

For example: Do you eat breakfast sausage or bacon with your eggs, luncheon meat in a sandwich or a frozen “dinner entrée”? Even scarier - most parents I know are now giving their kids prepackaged meals on a regular basis.

Here’s the origin of our modern problem:

Meat has a short shelf life.

To keep selling meat for longer, food manufacturers add nitrites and nitrates. They prevent spoilage, growth of bacteria and makes meat appear red, fresh and vibrant. Then, they add artificial flavors so you can’t tell that you’re eating old, stale meat.

We’ve known about the dangers of nitrites and nitrates for decades. In fact, the USDA attempted banning their use back in the 1970’s. The meat packing industry lobbied hard and won.

Research has shown and “reconfirmed” that nitrites and nitrates promote life threatening cancers including:

Breast cancer

Prostate cancer

Pancreatic cancer

Colorectal cancer

Leukemia

One study conducted at the University of Hawaii found people who ate even “moderate” amounts of processed meat on a regular basis increased their risk of pancreatic cancer by a whopping 67%!1

The World Cancer Research Fund issued a report stating that “it’s best that processed meats are avoided,” and that “they were not able to find a level at which processed meat could be reliably considered completely safe.”2

Check the label of the meat you’re about to buy. Unless the label says “nitrite/nitrate free” it’s a good bet it contains nitrites/nitrates.

Your best meat is also hormone-free and antibiotic-free. Even better, you can do as I do and only eat grass-fed meat. I get mine from US Wellness meats. It’s grass-fed for a healthy ratio of omega 3’s to omega 6 fats, hormone-free, antibiotic-free, and has no preservatives. They ship it to your door packed in dry ice.”

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(Even though they have changed their name to US Wellness meats, their website is still at, http://www.grasslandbeef.com/ , their old name.)

They also have lamb, pork, rabbit, & bison that is naturally fed. That’s probably why they changed their name.