No More Pork

[Nemo]

products, primarily Bacon.  Turkey bacon included.

Nemo

https://www.foxnews.com/lifestyle/experts-the-worst-foods-for-your-health

These are the worst foods for your health, experts say
Turkey bacon isn?t a healthy choice either[
By Perri Ormont Blumberg | Fox News


If you want to live healthier, step away from these 10 foods and general food categories.

We hate to be the bearers of bad news but yes, that means put down the bacon.


1. Bacon

Let?s get this fan-favorite out of the way first. Bacon is not good for your health.

"Many don?t know that the World Health Organization has classified bacon in the same category as tobacco when it comes to carcinogenesis," says Reyzan Shali, MD, referring to the process by which normal cells are transformed into cancer cells. "We have done a good job asking people to give up tobacco, but how come we have not done a good job asking people to not eat bacon?"

2. Turkey bacon

Turkey bacon isn?t a healthy choice either.

"If I can convince my patients to give up bacon, the next question I get is usually whether they can have alternatives to bacon, like turkey bacon. I explain that it's the processing that makes the meat harmful. So replacing bacon with turkey bacon to make it healthier is misguided," says Shali.

"All types of bacon are processed to become bacon, so changing the type of bacon does not change the fact that it?s processed meat" she says, noting that this is a difficult diet change to make, especially if someone has been eating processed food all their lives.

With that said, Shali urges people to remember when they reach for turkey bacon at the grocery store that "it?s processed meat that has nitrates. And according to a study in the Meat Science Journal, in the stomach, nitrite can eventually form carcinogenic nitrosamines in the acidic environment."

3. Fried food

"Fried foods, yet another staple of the American diet that is terrible for our health," states registered dietitian Angela L. Lago, also known as The Mental Wellness Dietitian. "I'm not suggesting that one never has fried foods, however fried foods should not be a staple of anyone's diet. In general, fried foods are higher in fat, salt, and calories, all of which are horrible for heart health and the risk of developing obesity," she continues, highlighting that the type of oil that fried foods are cooked in is of great concern.

"Many times, especially in restaurants and fast food businesses, hydrogenated, trans fats are used, which are associated with heart disease, cancer, diabetes and obesity. A great alternative is to pan fry at home in olive or avocado oil or use an air fryer to get the same effect without the negative health benefits," Lago comments.

4. Potato chips

Andrea Paul, MD, medical advisor to Illuminate Labs, chimes in on why this popular snack food is bad for you: "Chips are known to be unhealthy for a number of reasons. They're low in nutrition, and high in cheap fats and sodium," she says. "This obviously varies by brand, but health-conscious consumers want to avoid chips as a snack."

If you?re craving a crunchy food, opt for nuts or veggie snacks like kale chips, Paul says.
Sugar comes in many shapes and forms. Experts say added sugar is unhealthy for your diet, and to replace with whole foods such as fruit.

5. Added sugars

If you see any added sugars on the nutrition facts panels of packaged foods, steer clear. "Added sugar has essentially zero nutritional value and has been shown in medical research to increase risk of obesity and metabolic disease," Paul explains.

"I recommend that consumers try to cut out added sugars entirely from their diet," she adds. "You can replace added sugar with whole foods like fruit or healthier sugar substitutes like blackstrap molasses, which is nutrient-dense and has a lower glycemic index."

6.  Processed oils

Try to cut processed oils out of your diet as much as possible.

Arika Hoscheit, a registered dietitian nutritionist with Paloma Health, an online medical practice focused exclusively on treating hypothyroidism, explains why: "Processed oils like grapeseed, soybean, canola, cottonseed, corn, and vegetable oils are generally detrimental to human health and should be avoided. This is because they are heated to extremely high temperatures during processing, which oxidizes the oils," she says.

"Oxidation produces free radicals that can cause damage throughout the body. As we age, our bodies have to work harder than they used to in order to recover from insults," she explains.

"Try to limit or avoid processed oils and eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, which are high in antioxidants. Consuming plenty of antioxidants can help to protect the body from any free radicals that are produced," Hoscheit notes.
Researchers have recommended replacing other kinds of fat with olive oil.

Researchers have recommended replacing other kinds of fat with olive oil. (iStock)

7. Hydrogenated fats

This category of fats lurks in many packaged foods and fast food products.

"Hydrogenated fats are conclusively shown to increase mortality rates in population studies. It's important that consumers read the ingredient label on their packaged food products, because many popular consumer brands of products like peanut butter contain hydrogenated fats," says Paul, who advises avoiding these fats entirely.

"They don't even add any flavor, and are used to improve cost efficiency for the manufacturer. Peanut butter with a simple ingredient label like dry roasted peanuts and salt is much healthier than peanut butter with hydrogenated fats and added sugar," she says.

8. Refined carbohydrates

These include white bread, white rice and pasta, pastries, pizza and more.

"I like to describe refined carbohydrates as foods that started out as nature intended, yet were then stripped of most of their nutrients to make them more palatable and enjoyable for the American public. Refined grain products are known to promote inflammation in our bodies, they are generally higher in sugar, and are also associated with obesity," says Lago. "Gut health is also negatively affected by the standard American diet that lacks fiber and consists largely of processed, refined grain products."

Lago takes the nutrient profile of 100% whole grain sprouted bread as an example. "It is abundant in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and other nutrients that help our body thrive. Once the bread is processed to become soft, white bread, the nutritional value of the bread plummets, the fiber is stripped, the nutrients are wiped away, and there is little to no nutritional value compared to the original item," she shares.

"Up to 89% of the antioxidant activity in whole grains is lost during processing, flavonoids, zinc, and vitamin E are reduced by 79%, fiber is reduced by 58%.," she adds. "This can be said for rice, pasta, cereals, flour and other whole grains that go through the refining process."
To reduce the risk of developing heart disease, Reyzan Shali, MD, urges her patients to cut out all processed meats from their diet, especially from their breakfast.

To reduce the risk of developing heart disease, Reyzan Shali, MD, urges her patients to cut out all processed meats from their diet, especially from their breakfast.  (iStock)

9. Breakfast sausages

Consider this while loading your shopping cart: "According to a study [published in Current Atherosclerosis Reports titled] ?Unprocessed Red and Processed Meats and Risk of Coronary Artery Disease, the available evidence points to strong associations of processed meat consumption with the incidence of coronary heart disorder (CHD)," says Shali.

To reduce the risk of developing heart disease, Shali urges her patients to cut out all processed meats from their diet, especially from their breakfast.

"I know that is not easy, and I have found that helping them take small steps over time can help get them detached from these dangerous breakfast treats," she comments.

10. Processed meat

Even though it's been explained that processed meats like breakfast sausage, bacon and turkey bacon are horrible for your health, this category of food is unhealthy as a whole. Therefore, it merits a standalone section.

Hot dogs, deli meats, packaged bologna, beef jerky, pepperoni and more, should all be avoided as much as possible, if not eliminated from your diet completely. "The World Health Organization has classified processed meats as a group 1 carcinogen, meaning it's known to cause cancer. Processed meats contain chemicals that are not present in fresh meat," says Lago.

"Studies show that people that eat an abundance of processed meats are more likely to have high blood pressure, heart disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease as well," she adds.

If you?re looking to make this year your healthiest yet, check out these nine superfoods for a long, healthy life.

[JohnyMac]

Everything in moderation.

[RB in GA]

Bah Humbug!   Pass the bacon! 

[Felix]

Bumper sticker seen:
"Eat right. Stay fit.  Die anyway"

Number of days versus quality of days.
What quality if no bacon?!?!?!?
:-)

[FeedingFreedom]

Lost me at WHO. The people who want you to live in a pod and eat bugs. Anytime you see "Studies show", disregard everything about it. I eat everything "wrong" according to the experts. Gluten, carbs, cured and smoked meats, eggs, cheese, saturated fats, even the occasional Tastykake. 

I'm 51, I'm at my ideal weight for my height, down over 100 lbs from my heaviest, and I run 5 days a week and walk 7-10 miles a night at work. My doctor told me I have the blood of a 10-year-old, my heart is in prime shape. Something is eventually going to kill me, and I'm not going to live in fear of every "expert" report that gets published by the presstitutes.

One of my pet peeves is people who use food as a drug, i.e. eating bananas because they have Potassium. You should eat bananas if you like bananas, and that's it. I've had long conversations with a lot of doctors about food, most of them have one class in nutrition throughout med school, and have no real idea about what a "good" diet is.

Everything in moderation, especially moderation.

[pkveazey]

I'm 76 and eat what I want. yea, one day it will kill me just like it does everybody else.

[grizz]

When I eat healthy I feel better, MUCH better

And my healthy is not what most docs recomend, its my own style diet and works for me

When God decides to take me, it wont matter what or how I'm eating at the time

[pkveazey]

Damn!!!  11 Days of this Dr. FAUCI man made Virus and I can't wait for it to be over. If I see FOUCI on the street, I
''ll knock his ass up 3 flights of stairs.

[JohnyMac]

PKv, you are not over it yet? I am so sorry Bro. Did you take the pony paste? I know over a dozen folks now that have taken the pony paste and gotten through the other side in short order.

[Felix]

PKV - so sorry it's dragging on so long.   Did you have/get a "Z-pak" or any other antibiotic to squelch bacterial overlay in lungs?   Do you have or get any anti-inflammatories?   OTC better than nothing but the heavy hitters like prednisone and flavors even more specific from doc good.     Able get sun (in winter/cold) and/or taking vitamin D?   
Was weeks before I "fully" recovered, smell/taste yet to fully recover... f**ing Chinese/Fauci bio-weapon! 
They may go to Hell for what they've done but it's a crying shame for each that does before we get the chance to provide a serious preview.

[pkveazey]

Yea, I got a Z PAK AND PREDNOZONE. I USED IT ALL UP SO A GOT A REALOAD TODAY. I think I'm getting a little bit better but this weakness is awful. ALL FOOD task like it came from a n Horses Ass. I'm looking forward to being able to eat again.

[Felix]

LOL..."tastes like a horse's ass"... or my "less-than-successful" cooking.
That fatigue thing is/was mind-blowing.  The choice kept recurring: sit down or fall down.  Energy tank gauge reading ZERO.    As it happens, had/have one of those auto blood pressure cuffs and started using it to see what might be going on.   Every time the energy dropped to zero this correlated with extremely low blood pressure.   But then it would go back to normal (for awhile)
Hang in there, our age probably sentences us to slower recovery times but I found some bright sides:
1) the weird progression of symptoms was unique - so this provided personal insight regarding nature of this beast.
2) satisfaction of having survived my first known encounter with a bio-weapon.  Evil can be defeated!
3) Since infection recovery (early summer 2020) I have not had so much as a sniffle.  No "seasonal cold", nothing.

Hope your sense of taste/smell full recovers.   Mine hasn't yet, back only half-way.   Which makes me all the more angry with the perpetrators - how would _you_ like to try and decide if your whisky has or hasn't been in the oak long enough without full nose/taste faculties?

[JohnyMac]

Damn Felix! We Americans have our priorities...how would _you_ like to try and decide if your whisky has or hasn't been in the oak long enough without full nose/taste faculties?

@ PKv, how is MrsPKv doing?

[Nemo]

Treat this govt sponsored illness with an old and effective medicine.  Whiskey.  But since you cannot taste anything just go with Everclear.

Save the good stuff until you can give it the taste recognition it deserves.

Nemo

https://makeityourown.com/

[Felix]

"Treat this govt sponsored illness with an old and effective medicine.  Whiskey.  But since you cannot taste anything just go with Everclear." - Nemo

I could guess which School of Medicine Nemo matriculated in (likely the same as mine)... but I truly appreciate his speaking up where indications for whisky are concerned.   And I'm NOT being facetious.   Bear in mind, until fairly recent times, the world's advanced pharmacopeia included alcohol.   And it was a widely used therapeutic.    A sledgehammer as opposed to nuanced and more specific modern drugs.

I used whisky during my illness and believe that in the balance, it contributed to my improvement and general comfort.   Of course, we are talking moderation here, the equivalent of no more or less than about two "shots"/day.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 
And I would encourage spirits of color, not just the ethanol of Everclear.   First runs and aging in wood of grains does carry with and include molecules of various compounds otherwise stripped out by the processes that give us Everclear.    Maybe I'm being too "homeopathic" here, but that's my viewpoint/guestimation.

[Nemo]

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 
And I would encourage spirits of color, not just the ethanol of Everclear.   First runs and aging in wood of grains does carry with and include molecules of various compounds otherwise stripped out by the processes that give us Everclear.    Maybe I'm being too "homeopathic" here, but that's my viewpoint/guestimation.

I suggested Everclear so you did not miss out on the trueness of the whiskey.  Use the grain alcohol to kill the infections and wait till your body can give true appreciation to the whiskey.

Nemo

[RB in GA]

My wife got me to drinking this concoction, which turns out to be quite good: hot chai tea with honey, lime and Glenfiddich---  of course it could just be the Glenfiddich...

[Felix]

"I suggested Everclear so you did not miss out on the trueness of the whiskey.  Use the grain alcohol to kill the infections and wait till your body can give true appreciation to the whiskey."  -Nemo

Yes, sir.   Waste not.  Want not.
An idea whose time is coming and gonna smack a lot of currently easy living people up the side of their heads.

[Felix]

"My wife got me to drinking this concoction, which turns out to be quite good: hot chai tea with honey, lime and Glenfiddich---  of course it could just be the Glenfiddich..."  -RB

Your wife sounds like a qualified nurse/pharmacist all rolled into one!

[Nemo]

My wife got me to drinking this concoction, which turns out to be quite good: hot chai tea with honey, lime and Glenfiddich---  of course it could just be the Glenfiddich...

Some would consider that abusement of Glenfiddich.  I think I would be one of those.

Nemo

[RB in GA]

Felix, she is indeed an RN

[Felix]

"Felix, she is indeed an RN"