More Meat Madness

I came across and interesting article today about the dangers of processed meat.  I am, of course, usually discouraging processed foods as much as possible - but I know the need for convenience!

And I know I've gone over concerns of certain meat issues in the past:

The Ugly Truth Behind Ground Beef

Antibiotics, Growth Hormones, and Grilling

Mechanically Separated Meat and Hot dogs

Cancer Risks

Again, while I personally choose to refrain from eating meat ("mawing the cow") I know there are plenty of people who enjoy their meat, and healthier versions are out there!  This is more a cautionary reminder to say GO FOR FREE RANGE, GRASS FED, ORGANIC, HUMANELY TREATED products if you do like the omnivorous diet, and skip the highly processed stuff!

And please stop treating hot dogs like the greatest snacking gift for toddlers.  They don't need them daily.

So, you can see the full article here.  These are some of the health pointers from it:

-The above sign has been posted as a billboard add by the non-profit organization, the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.

-Every year, about 143,000 Americans are diagnosed with colorectal cancer and more than 50,000 die of the disease. About half of all cases are already incurable when found.

-But one of the causes they found turned out to be too hot for the government to handle.

It's the ordinary hot dog. At least 58 scientific studies have looked at the issue, and the jury has rendered its verdict, which is now beyond reasonable doubt. The more hot dogs people eat, the higher their risk of colorectal cancer.

-And it's not just hot dogs. Any sort of processed meat -- bacon, sausage, ham, deli slices -- is in this group. And here are the numbers: Every 50 grams of processed meat you eat on a daily basis (that's about one hot dog) increases your risk of colorectal cancer by 21 percent.

-And just as there is no safe level of smoking, no amount of hot dogs, bacon, sausage, ham or other processed meats comes out clean in scientific studies.

-Other studies have linked these same products to leukemia and ovarian cancer.

And now, some of the political games at play.  Follow the green, my friends...

-But here's where politics come in: Even though much of this research was paid for by the U.S. government, the government also subsidizes meat. It supports feed grains to fatten cows and pigs, buys up meats for the school lunch program and helps the meat industry in countless other ways. So I think that the last thing the government wants to do is to publicize the cancer risk of one of its favorite products.

- Meat industry lobbyists have made sure that your government won't breathe a word.

Keep using your money to vote for the best!  If your tax dollars have to go to subsidize something, I'd rather it went to subsidize, say, responsible bio-dynamic farming and grass fed meats instead of factory-farmed animals and corn (wonder why junk food is so cheap?!  We have more corn being grown than we can eat!!  Supply and demand) THOSE would be lowered prices, making healthy options more affordable to all.

*ahem*  Sorry, I'll hop off my soap box now.  Have a great week everyone!

~Katie

Cancer Risks

Hi guys!  I do want to share more about the amazing time I had in Michigan, but while I'm dealing with getting photos organized for that, I thought I'd toss out this gem: "Cancer risk can be cut with good habits such as exercise and healthful eating."

Big news, eh?

Ok, most of us probably knew that!  We are what we eat, and what we put in to our bodies can play a huge role in our health!

But this article breaks down some specifics that I thought were interesting!  So here is a summary of some of the causes of cancer that you DO Have some control over!  (More in the article, these were just the food/activity ones!)

Obesity and physical inactivity - can compound to cause cancer of the colon, uterus, esophagus, pancreas, kidney, gallbladder, breast, and colon.  And often obesity is more a symptom of lifestyle choices - so choose activity; choose fresh; choose natural and you'll see some of that turning around!

Drinking in Excess - risk areas include mouth, esophagus, pharynx, larynx, and liver.  May even play a role in breast cancer.  Ideally, cut out all alcohol - as it taxes your liver to metabolize it!

Sugary drinks - all you pop lovers out there!!!  Drinking 2 or more cans PER WEEK has been linked to increased risk of pancreatic cancer in one study - so more research is needed.  But, pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest forms of cancer, so why play guinea pig?!  Time to cut back on the cola!

Skip the alcohol and soda, and go for one of these! ;-)
Your liver, pancreas, skin, and everything will thank you!
(Except, maybe, your tongue will not thank you, if you're not used to the dark greens!)

Pesticides - links to various forms of cancer. 

Studies have shown high levels of pesticides can be associated with cancers of the blood and lymph systems, lip, stomach, brain, prostate, and skin.  Yikes!  Now, these studies were done on very high exposure - such as big production farmers, crop dusters, etc... but that just goes to show how dangerous those pesticides and chemicals can be!  Stick with organic as possible, especially that Dirty Dozen!

Red and processed meat - linked with colon cancer.

Processed meats can include luncheon meats, hot dogs, Bologna... avoid those meats!  They tend to be loaded with salt, and also include nitrates and nitrites that are still being researched as potential carcinogens.

Red meat is a big controversy - while many studies will agree that free-range, grass-fed red meat tends to have more nutrition, studies don't tend to separate out healthy-raised meats from factory-farmed meat when it comes to cancer risk.  So, some people would say healthy-raised meats are fine.  But for now, you may want to limit red meat anyways - or eliminate all together.  There are plenty of other sources of protein, iron, etc, if you choose to abstain.

And, I had to add this because I think it's important - even though it's not a food item:

Cellphones - linked to cancers in the face, neck, and brain.

The World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer suggests cellphone use of over 30 minutes per day can increase the risk of benign brain tumors.  Benign or not, that's a scary mutation!  So get a headset!! (And not a wire-less one, that still has to send waves to the ear piece glued to your head!)  Go for a wired headset - you may feel silly walking around with a boom microphone near your mouth, but better that than cancer, I say!  I got a little one that cost about $1.99 + shipping from Amazon.  A few bucks to decrease potential brain frazzles?  Yes, please!

And if we all get in on it, we can start a new fashion trend.  Who's with me! :)  I'd love to see photos! ;-)

~Katie

End of the Veggie Run!

Welcome to the end of the work week! (For most, that is.)

I am here to give you the update on how our final Fruit and Veggie Run went!

Wednesday I was feeling great - still loving the abundance of fruits, though admittedly a little tired of salad with no dressing ;-) But I just kept at it - last day, right?? And we had dinner plans with the dad, meeting at Applebee's.

Uh-oh. That sounds tantalizingly dangerous!

So, what's a good little nutritionist do? She plans ahead! I scour their website and hunt down the menu to see what would be acceptable for me. Lo and behold, a beautiful salad is part of their menu! The Asian Crunch Salad - romaine lettuce, cucumber, red onions, roasted red peppers, and sweet peas! I decide to just order it without the chicken and almonds, and dressing on the side.

I don't need no steenking dressing! I has my lemon!

(Mine came without the chicken though!!)

So, with that plan in mind - off we go! The only splurge I make is to keep the almonds - I am hungry and the salad just doesn't sound filling enough without some extra protein. So there it is! A lovely salad - and I devoured that sucker!

....and then we sat there for another hour conversing and laughing and having good times, and Dave had half of his burger sitting there, taunting me.

Evil burger.

A chink in the armor - I ate that half of that acid-forming burger.

Then a damaging blow to the armor!

The men wanted dessert - and oh what a dessert it was! A Maple Butter Blondie and a Chocolate Chip Cookies Sundae staring me in the face.

My rational mind began telling me all the reasons that I didn't want those resplendent foods: they're not really food, they're just "edible foodlike substances," I have worked too hard to bomb that heavily; processed food junks up the system, dairy can cause mucus formation for me... ok, well maybe one little bite....

And those men and their small stomachs! They couldn't finish their desserts! So I did. Ah well, it was enjoyable and tasty - though quickly past the pleasure of the taste buds and then just sat like a brick in the stomach. And that dairy and/or burger sure did affect my mucus production. I felt more congested and drainy that night than I have in a long time!

My body began working to digest all of that, and I don't know if it was just coincidence, but I was so tired! I couldn't even stay awake on the drive home! Thankfully Dave drove!

And the next morning, I woke with a lethargy like none other, and still some mucus buildup in my throat. And no appetite. By the time lunch rolled around, I felt somewhat hungry again, so I enjoyed a fresh veggie salad - but something was still undigested. That salad felt like it just sat there, blocked, and I felt all bloated and cramped. Yuck!

So it's back to my lighter fair again! Yesterday I went back to fruits and veggies and a few nuts. And this morning - so much better! I went to the gym, did my 3.1 miles on the treadmill - and didn't want to get off! So I just kept a'truckin'! Then for the last few minutes, I even cranked up the pace a bit! My 3.1 miles turned into 4.85!! Ahhhh, the body just seems to function better on lighter, colorful foods!

I have a luscious alkalizing green smoothie with me today (my happy desk companion as I type!) and some soaked wild rice to wrap with spinach and sprouts for lunch.

To quote my dad's old-time computer game hero, Duke Nukem: "Ahhhh, much better!"

Happy Friday! Lots of love :)

~Katie

Wednesday Words: More Lables!

Halfway through the week! I hope it's been a good one so far. I don't know about you, by MY GOODNESS this new year has been flying fast! I can't believe we're in February already - and I'm STILL dating things 2009! Haha!

After a very early morning (had to get up at 5:30am), I was dragging. Not as badly as I expected, possibly due to all the salads and smoothies, but still! Coffee called my name. I don't normally drink much coffee (acidic, possibly demineralizing to your body - read "bad for skin, bones, health, etc") and I wish I had opted for green tea instead. Oh well, I only drank half a cup for now, and hopefully can just keep pushing water and my healthy snacks until I can get to bed tonight!

Ah well, on to the fun of label laws!

Today's term and its confusing (ok, today, it's more like disgusting!) meaning:

Ever looked at the ingredient list for hot dogs? At the top of the list, is the oh-so-yummy phrase "mechanically separated" meat. The USDA defines this as a tantalizing "paste-like and batter-like meat product produced by forcing bones with attached edible meat under high pressure through a sieve or similar device to separate the bone from the edible meat tissue."

When the mad cow disease was a risk, the government decided beef could no longer be mechanically separated, but they still do it with pork.

Well, gee golly! Spear me one o' thems and throw it on the bar-B-Q! Sounds mighty tasty!
Actually... I'll pass...

Have a good, natural afternoon!
~Katie

More Restaurant Yumminess!

Well, I don't want to be too much of a food police, taking away foods you may like... but, I do think you may be interested in knowing what you're eating! So, first it was a study about the fountain drinks... now it's the burgers. I must admit, I enjoy the taste of a good steak, or the summer grill foods. But, well, always good to know what's going in to your body!

So, this article was sent on to me from a dietitian colleague who specializes in food sensitivities. The article was published in Daily Dose with William Campbell Douglass II, M.D.

Enjoy! ...and maybe threat yourself to some good organic, local, natural-fed beef if you're really gonna go for that burger :)

~Katie

The ugly truth behind ground beef

I hope you're not having hamburger tonight...because this story might change your dinner plans.

One of the key suppliers of hamburger "meat" is coming under fire...as tests show a disturbing number of E. coli and salmonella pathogens, according to a disturbing report in the New York Times.

Want to know why I put "meat" in quotes?

Are you sure?

In an ideal world, a butcher runs a piece of steak through a grinder, and you get hamburger. That's how I get mine, and if that's how you get yours then you've got nothing to fear.

But fast food, supermarket and even school lunch burgers are made differently. They use "meat" from different sources, like trimmings.

Trimmings are scraps of fatty pieces left over in the slaughterhouse after all the good cuts of meat have been taken. Believe me, I love beef -- the fattier, the better. But this is awful garbage that I wouldn't touch.

Once upon a time, this stuff was destined for pet food. Today, it's added to burgers from coast to coast, thanks largely to a company called Beef Products Inc.

The company developed a technique that liquefies the trimmings, runs them through a centrifuge to separate the fat from the protein, then injects it with ammonia in an attempt to kill pathogens.

Then it's turned into blocks and chips that are used to beef up hamburgers. The company sells 7 million pounds of it every week, and school lunch burgers are now 15 percent trimmings.

Did I mention that it's really, really cheap? It better be -- after all, it was practically worthless when they found it on the slaughterhouse floor.

The Times found one message from a USDA microbiologist who called this junk "pink slime" and wrote, "I do not consider the stuff to be ground beef, and I consider allowing it in ground beef to be a form of fraudulent labeling."

Naturally, he was ignored. So were the other microbiologists who were disgusted by this process.

Instead, the USDA approved this technique and then decided it was so foolproof that they could leave the company in charge of its own testing.

You can see where this is going now, right?

The Times investigation found a disturbing pattern of E. coli and salmonella contamination...one that could force changes on the system -- someday.

But as of now, "pink slime" is still in your burgers -- and it's probably here to stay.

The lesson here is to avoid all factory meat. Buy only meat from grass-fed cows from a quality butcher or small farm -- and only eat hamburger when you can see a fresh cut of beef go into the grinder yourself.