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According to a new World Health Organization report you may have just discovered that processed meat such as bacon, sausage and ham could cause cancer and unprocessed meat may be “probably carcinogenic to humans.” You also may have heard that cheese and sugar can be as addictive as a drug, or that even veggie hot dogs may not be completely meat-free (or even human tissue-free).
So that leaves the question, what in the world is there left to eat so you can stay healthy? According to doctors the Mediterranean diet which is heavy on veggies, nuts and fruit, with limits on meat and dairy is the way to go.
Studies have shown it is the key to help you live longer and puts you at a lower risk for cancer as well as cardiovascular diseases and it even keeps your brain younger and healthier. While you will feel better and potentially live longer on a diet that favors veggies and fruits, it will also help you maintain a healthy weight and a thinner waist line.
Our heads know this to be true even if you prefer things bacon-flavored and we may be seeing this as more Americans cut calories and avoid the fast food and sugary sodas. In 2012 American children ate 63 calories of produce a day, which is up from 47 calories in 2003.
There is a similar pattern among adults, but that’s not enough when you consider the USDA recommends three to five servings of veggies a day and two to four servings of fruit a day. So, for your health’s sake, here’s what you can do to follow this plant-oriented Mediterranean diet.
Make your meals heavy on the vegetable, bean and cereal side. You can eat fish and poultry at least twice a week and snack on nuts and fruit in the meantime.
You don’t have to do anything so extreme as avoiding carbs. You can have three servings of those a day, especially if they are of the whole-grain variety.
Cook with olive oil as opposed to butter and limit the amount of saturated fat, meat and dairy. The National Cattleman’s Beef Association says the scientific evidence does not support a causal relationship between red meat or processed meat and cancer which is good news if you can’t give up your bacon or burger habit.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer that did the report says that based on the research it used for its study, an estimated 50-gram portion of processed meat you eat increases the risk of colorectal cancer by 18%. That 50 grams is about two or three slices of bacon and of course just because something raises the risk of cancer doesn’t mean you will get it.
So if you must eat meat, make it a special treat rather than a staple. Eat more veggies and you’ll feel better, you’ll be healthier and you’ll look good, too.
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