You already know that sugar is addictive and that processed foods are filled with preservatives and toxins — but do you know which foods specifically raise your risk of cancer? Well, it all depends on who you ask…
For instance, the World Health Organization (WHO) thinks meat will kill you. In 2015, the WHO conducted a literature review of more than eight hundred studies that looked at the association between red meat and cancer. They concluded that eating 50 grams of processed red meat a day raises your chances of getting colorectal cancer by 18 percent.
So they added it to the list of “group 1 carcinogens.” A classification that includes substances like tobacco, asbestos, and plutonium.
Scary stuff. And it made headlines in every mainstream news outlet. But the problem is, the WHO didn’t offer any real-world risk assessment to go along with this alarmist announcement.
So what is the real danger here? Let’s look at the numbers a little more closely.
Currently, five out of every 100 people will get colon cancer no matter what they eat. If everyone ate processed meat every day, that would increase the risk by 18 percent — to six in every 100 people. That’s a very small increase in the grand scheme of things.
Further, these statistics show numbers that look convincing, but there’s a long list of confounding factors the WHO didn’t take into account. Were the people who supposedly got cancer from eating processed or red meats also heavy smokers? Were they also eating lots of processed sugary foods? Were they obese?
To single out processed meat without considering the other potential risk factors isn’t just bad science, it’s downright irresponsible.
If it were up to me, sugar would surely be on the carcinogenic list rather than red meat. It’s the driving force behind obesity, which has been linked to 11 different types of cancer.
So my advice is to go ahead and enjoy red meat in moderation. Millions of years of evolution primed our muscles to thrive on animal protein, which means there is nothing inherently carcinogenic about meat consumed in modest amounts. If there were, our species would have died out long ago.
That said, there are a few things to keep in mind about meat.
First of all, the way you cook it matters. Using very high temperatures and cooking it for too long DOES create carcinogenic compounds. But there are some very simple steps you can take to reduce them — or prevent them entirely. I outline them for you in Chapter 7 of The A-List Diet.
I also include healthy recipes, seasonings and side dishes that can help lower your risk for getting cancer. So if you haven’t already picked up a copy, order one today by clicking here.
A-Listers’ Corner
Andrea’s Diet Story
Andrea Ward, a fan of my books and my Logical Health Alternatives newsletter, shared a story with me that relates to many people I know who are trying to diet. When asked about her biggest dieting challenge, Andrea admitted that, like so many others, sugar addiction is one of the biggest obstacles in her journey to good health.
She wrote, “My biggest challenge is SUGAR, and it’s been that way all my 66 years. Fortunately, my mother raised us to reach for fruits or vegetables as a snack. But sugary desserts were a treat and still are. Sugar is everywhere and because of that I’m hooked along with everyone I know.”
Not everyone is fortunate enough to have been taught to eat fruits and vegetables as a snack — and even the healthiest of people have their vices when it comes to food cravings. The problem is, like Andrea’s family, many people view these unhealthy sweets as some type of special treat or reward.
The truth is, the physical sugar cravings are easy to beat. It’s the psychological cravings that are the hardest to overcome. But The A-List Diet can help you both physically and mentally.
It may not be the easiest task to re-set your brain to view sugar as the killer it really is, and not a “treat” — but I promise you, it’s not impossible.
Recipe of the Week
This week’s A-List recipe spotlight is side dishes:
Stir-Fried Bok Choy with Ginger and Garlic (page 254 of The A-List Diet Book)
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon macadamia nut oil (I may be biased, but my favorite is NuLogic Foods Macadamia Nut Oil! You can find it HERE.)
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
- 8 cups chopped bok choy
- 2 tablespoons tamari
- coarse sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds, toasted
Directions:
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for 1 minute
- Add the bok choy and tamari and cook until the greens are wilted and the stalks are crisp-tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper, sprinkle with the sesame seeds, and serve.