Call off that Wedding to Bacon

Maybe You Should Call off that Wedding to Bacon

by

TIM ROGAN

The bad news is - it looks like a burger a day will...

...send us to our graves sooner.

Maybe a lot sooner. Most likely, if we fuel up on some beef, pork or lamb most every day of our lives, evidence detailed in a study conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health indicates we may be spending our years a good deal sicker than our friends who cut out or go easy on the unholy trinity.

The good news is that the news isn't completely grim. If you're like most people, you're not about to go cold turkey on eating beef - or turkey. Well, you can still have your meat and eat it, too - just eat less of it, less often and you'll help your health - a lot. Chalk up one for moderation. The study suggests that wading in by making real adjustments to your diet will deliver many of the benefits experienced by those willing to go for full immersion in a 100% plant-based diet.

The real health villains here are two: consuming large daily portions of the reds - and any meats and cold cuts that are processed with nitrates and nitrites. Yep, it's time to not only call off the wedding to bacon, but also if you are already married to it, to get a quickie divorce. And, no, Carl Buddig isn’t your buddy. Bye-bye. The word is "fresh," baby.

When you have red meat, eat smaller portions and choose leaner cuts. Substitute other meats and fish - or better still - vegetable proteins (yes, Virginia, they exist) for the meats and do even better for yourself. Plan a meatless day once a week and you'll really do your body some good. Generally, the more plants and the less meats you eat of every kind, the better you will feel, the more disease free and healthier you will be...and the madder the Grim Reaper will become...because you are going to keep that impatient bastard waiting longer for you than he wants.

If you are inclined - and let's face it - most of us are - have your In-N-Out now-n-then, not every day. And make it a single. C'mon - you know you can satisfy that Jones without that double-double, triple-header or four-by-four. Then chase it down with water, or, when you get home, how about a V8 or a green smoothie? Be honest: do you need to drink a soda, a sports drink or a coffee confection from a trashcan-sized container? You know that crap is crap!

When choosing fast food joints, other restaurants, or when buying packaged and prepared foods, be a choosy mother. You can find something good and good for you almost any place. You are what you eat. Just because you can get a Flintstone’s sized portion of beige food for five bucks doesn’t make it a good deal. Why do you think it’s so cheap?

And when someone goes to the trouble to make you a meal, whatever it is, and whoever made it - unless you have an allergy to the food - don't be a jerk. Be gracious. Be thankful. Eat it. Enjoy it. It takes a lot of work and care to put fresh food down in front of people, no matter what it is. If there are any vegetables or salads on the side, have them. If any or all of it isn't what you normally eat, eat it anyway. Smile, compliment the cook, offer to clear your plate, and give profuse thanks. Then get back on track as soon as you can.

The same advice holds when you break your new habits with your old ways. Don’t flog yourself. Just get back on track and give yourself a pat on the back.

It's all about enjoying your life as long as possible. Keep the Reaper waiting. That a**hole has a long line of others he can get to first.


Resources & References:

1. I’m no doctor, but the people behind the study detailed in this article are MDs, at the Harvard School of Public Health:

http://www.latimes.com/health/la-he-red-meat-20120313,0,565423.story

2. From LiveStrong - a list of high protein vegetables:

http://www.livestrong.com/article/377711-list-of-fruits-and-vegetables-that-are-high-in-protein/?utm_source=popslideshow&utm_medium=a1

3. One of the strongest, fittest guys on the planet, pound-for-pound, is my friend, functional fitness leader, Jon Hinds, owner and founder of the Monkey Bar Gym. Jon eats a total plant-based diet, and he lives by “the hand plan.” Check it out:

http://monkeybargym.com/eat-green-get-lean.html

4. Jack in the Box “Marry Bacon” commercial:

http://youtu.be/H4anFpVsbSw