FPS Family Health Education: Sixth Edition
For Pete’s Sake welcomes guest writers in the various areas of health related to our 7 Family Health Pillars.
This nutritional education series, written by Judith Elvira Tobal Betesh, BCHNN, IHHC, FNTP, relates to the Physical Health Pillar. Judith, who battled lymphoma, is an FPS Respite Recipient and traveled to Woodloch Resort with her husband.
“A Healthy Outside Starts from The Inside.”
Continuing on with the “The Four Cornerstones Of Good Health.”
To review, the four cornerstones are:
- A positive mental attitude
- A healthful lifestyle: exercise, sleep, and health habits
- A health promoting bio individualized diet.
- Supplementary measures for nutrient deficiencies
We are continuing with the following nine principles that can help us get on the right path to a healthier you. These principles include:
- Eat a rainbow assortment of fruits and vegetables.
- Reduce exposure to pesticides, heavy metals, and food additives.
- Eat to support blood sugar control.
- Do not overconsume animal foods.
- Eat the right types of fats.
- Keep salt intake low, potassium intake high. Use sea salt /Celtic sea salt
- Avoid food additives.
- Take measures to reduce foodborne illness.
- Drink enough water each day with electrolytes.
We are now up to: Do not overconsume animal foods.
Considerable evidence indicates that a high intake of red or processed meat increases the risk of an early death. For example, in a cohort study of half a million people age 50 to 71 at the start of the study, men and women who ate the most red and processed meat had an elevated risk for overall mortality compared with those who ate the least. Study after study seems to indicate that the higher the intake of meat and other animal products, the higher the risk of heart disease and cancer, especially cancers of the colon, breast, prostate, and lung, whereas a diet focusing on plant foods has the opposite effect.
There are many reasons for this association.
Meat lacks antioxidants and phytochemicals that protect against cancer. At the same time, it contains lots of saturated fat and other potentially carcinogenic compounds, including pesticide residues, heterocyclic amines, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, the last two of which form when meat is cooked at high temperatures such as when grilled, fried, or broiled. The more well-done the meat, the higher level of amines as well. Some proponents of a diet high in meats claim that people should eat the way their “caveman” ancestors did. That argument does not always hold up. As already discussed, the meat of wild animals that early humans consumed had a fat content of less than 4%. The demand for tender meat has led to the breeding of cattle whose meat contains 25- 30% or more fat. Cornfed domestic beef contains primarily saturated fats and virtually no beneficial omega- 3 fatty acids, whereas the fat of wild animals contains more than five times the polyunsaturated fat per gram and has substantial amounts, about 4-8%, of omegas fatty acids.
What kind of Meat are we talking about?
Particularly harmful to human health are cured or smoked meats, such as ham, hot dogs, bacon, and jerky, that contain sodium nitrate and or sodium nitrite – compounds that keep the food from spoiling but dramatically raise the risk of cancer. These chemicals react with amino acids in foods in the stomach to form highly carcinogenic compounds known as nitrosamines. Research in adults makes a convincing argument for avoiding these foods. Even more compelling is the evidence linking consumption of nitrates to a significantly increased risk of major childhood cancers including leukemias, lymphomas, and brain cancers. Research suggests the following:
- Children who eat 12 hot dogs per month have nearly ten times the risk of leukemia compared with children who do not eat hot dogs.
- Children who eat hot dogs once a week double their chances of brain tumors; eating hot dogs twice a week triples the risk.
- Pregnant women who eat two servings per day of any cured meat have more than double the risk of bearing children who will eventually develop brain cancer.
- Kids who eat the most ham, bacon, and sausage have three times the risk of lymphoma.
In addition, kids who eat ground meat once a week have twice the risk of acute lymphocytic leukemia compared with those who eat none, eating two or more hamburgers weekly triples the risk. Fortunately, vegetarian alternatives to these standard components of the American diet are now widely available, and many of them taste quite good. Consumers can find soy hot dogs, soy sausage, soy bacon, and even soy pastrami at their local health food stores as well as in many mainstream grocery stores. Those who must have red meat are encouraged to eat only lean cuts of meat, preferably from animals raised on grass rather than corn or soy.
Healthier Food Choices
REDUCE YOUR INTAKE OF:
Processed red meat
Hamburgers and highly processed hot dogs
Low fat dairy products
Saturated fats
Processed pies, cake, cookies, etc.
Fried foods
Fast foods
Extremely salty foods
Sugary soft drinks
Margarine, shortening, and other source of trans-fatty acids or partially hydrogenated oils.
SUBSTITUTE:
Wild fish and white meat or poultry
Organic soy-based or vegetarian alternatives
Organic tofu
Full-fat products
Olive oil
Fruits
Vegetables and fresh salads
Celtic or Sea Salt
Herbal teas and green tea
Fresh fruit and vegetable juices
Olive or coconut oil
Vegetable spreads that contain no trans-fatty acids (available at most health food stores)
Stay tuned for the next issue continuing with: Eat the right types of fats.
If you have any comments or questions, you can email me at Elvirasallnatural@gmail.com
Judith Elvira Tobal is a Board-certified Holistic Health and Functional Nutrition Practitioner. Her mission is to empower each client to take control of their health and improve their well-being by making sustainable changes appropriate for their own individual lifestyle and needs. Personalized tailored options for nutritional counseling including but not limited to: weight-loss consultation, mindful eating counseling, anti-inflammatory diet recommendations, heart-healthy diet guidelines, navigating food allergies, women’s health, blood sugar regulation, nutrition for disease prevention, cleansing and elimination diet, healthy skin from the inside out, as well as healthy aging through nutritional protocols.
You can reach her at Elvirasallnatural@gmail.com, @elvirasallnatural or visit www.elvirasallnatural.com
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