4 ms·

Basically remove bacon, chorizo etc. from your life. Heavier meats I tend to avoid, but my girlfriend loves the first two. Read her excerpts of the articles las

Basically remove bacon, chorizo etc. from your life. Heavier meats I tend to avoid, but my girlfriend loves the first two. Read her excerpts of the articles last night and it made for an awkward bedtime. It's not that I seek these types of warnings, but given how often she uses bacon in meals it was a must to share..

umanwizard 9y ago
If your girlfriend wants to trade vastly increased life satisfaction for a slightly higher risk of developing one of the slowest-growing and most treatable cancers, I say let her.
- bamdoggle 9y ago
  In the article, the author discusses a number of other cancers (breast, brain...) that nitrosamines cause. Colon and rectal cancers are the most prevalent, but not at all the only ones. And... quality prosciutto and other pork belly products can be obtained from most local butchers without nitrites or nitrates, so you can avoid these things and still live very happily indeed with salty pork. Also, the results of nitrosamines happen faster than I believe you expect from what you posted. Colon and rectal cancers have been on the rise for decades. So, I see your point, but it's an uglier problem than I think you realize and there are some easy solutions available.
- windexh8er 9y ago
  "Vastly increased" is subjective at best and sounds like a bad excuse. I was "Paleo" for years and decided to try mostly plant based recently. As background I smoked my own bacon and had 1-2 eggs that accompanied it every morning for years. I haven't eaten meat since Jan 1 of this year as an experiment in blood panel results, body fat, and general "feel" of abandoning meats. I was already mostly dairy free (don't consume animal milks with the exception of purchased baked goods or cheeses - a few times a week at worst) for over 7 years. If you haven't tried a shift toward a plant based diet, I would argue you have no clue. Because I didn't. Giving meat up is actually easier than things like cheese as an example. I lost 10lbs of body fat in a month (5'11 @ 175 --> 165) and increased strength in January. I also improved all blood panel markers by a minimum of 15% (WellnessFX). But the best part is the subjective part: overall feel. I feel much better, more consistently and more often on mostly plant based. Things within my pallette have changed quickly. Dr. Greger's "How Not to Die" has helped in some of the education and all the references to studies relating. Cooking, however is a fundamental shift from Paleo so that is one of the hardest parts you have to focus on right away. I had so many recipes I loved and became frustrated early finding alternatives. However after 2 months I'm enjoying cooking with new foods and techniques. I've picked up about a dozen new cookbooks and have learned a lot in short order. Overall, again, I feel your statement is unfounded and I'd suggest for those interested in improving their health to try slow shifts to more plants. There's only upside and there are many studies in support of. The final piece of it is our planet. Animals raised for meat production requires excessive energy and waste. Beyond that most of our meat supply chain is riddled with things such as E Coli (supported in many recent studies - as an example of the many: https://www.asm.org/index.php/mbiosphere/item/6219-connecting-the-food-supply-and-urinary-tract-infections https://www.asm.org/index.php/mbiosphere/item/6219-connectin...). TL:DR Don't miss meat after giving it up. Those who say it adds "value" without actually trying don't have basis to support their claim.
  - tytytytytytytyt 9y ago
    > I lost 10lbs of body fat in a month (5'11 @ 175 --> 165) and increased strength in January. You're telling us all this without mentioning what kind of exercise regiment you're on?
    - windexh8er 9y ago
      Nothing has changed so I'm not sure the significance. It's mainly 5-8 miles per week of running, body weight exercises, free weights a few times per week and meditation. This, also, has been replicated in studies.
      - riku_iki 9y ago
        Keto people, who supposedly eat a lot of meat and bacon also claim weight loss with references to studies. So, there may be many parallel roads.
        windexh8er 9y ago
        I've done rounds of Keto while "Paleo" as well. The difference is in the overall nutrition. Meat, outside of protein, is weak per calorie when compared to complete nutrition. It's also higher, per calorie, with regard to negative health aspects depending on the type and cut of meat.
        riku_iki 9y ago
        and what is your current source of protein, after you cut of meat?
        windexh8er 9y ago
        The protein argument is probably one of the worst of the food uneducated. I could flip your argument and ask about actual nutrition. What vitamins, minerals, amino acids, etc does meat provide? Very few. Protein? Peas, quinoa, beans, nuts, tempeh, leafy greens, seeds, and the list goes on. The difference is something like quinoa is that, compared to any meat, it is calorie for calorie more nutritionally complete. Finally why are you focused on protein to begin with? And how much protein is required for you daily? Overconsumption of has shown negative effects: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4045293/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4045293/
- your-nanny 9y ago
  Yeah, not enough emphasis on absolute risks here.
paulie_a 9y ago
>Read her excerpts of the articles last night and it made for an awkward bedtime. I hate to break it to you, but your relationship is already over.

umanwizard 9y ago

If your girlfriend wants to trade vastly increased life satisfaction for a slightly higher risk of developing one of the slowest-growing and most treatable cancers, I say let her.

bamdoggle 9y ago
In the article, the author discusses a number of other cancers (breast, brain...) that nitrosamines cause. Colon and rectal cancers are the most prevalent, but not at all the only ones. And... quality prosciutto and other pork belly products can be obtained from most local butchers without nitrites or nitrates, so you can avoid these things and still live very happily indeed with salty pork. Also, the results of nitrosamines happen faster than I believe you expect from what you posted. Colon and rectal cancers have been on the rise for decades. So, I see your point, but it's an uglier problem than I think you realize and there are some easy solutions available.
windexh8er 9y ago
"Vastly increased" is subjective at best and sounds like a bad excuse. I was "Paleo" for years and decided to try mostly plant based recently. As background I smoked my own bacon and had 1-2 eggs that accompanied it every morning for years. I haven't eaten meat since Jan 1 of this year as an experiment in blood panel results, body fat, and general "feel" of abandoning meats. I was already mostly dairy free (don't consume animal milks with the exception of purchased baked goods or cheeses - a few times a week at worst) for over 7 years. If you haven't tried a shift toward a plant based diet, I would argue you have no clue. Because I didn't. Giving meat up is actually easier than things like cheese as an example. I lost 10lbs of body fat in a month (5'11 @ 175 --> 165) and increased strength in January. I also improved all blood panel markers by a minimum of 15% (WellnessFX). But the best part is the subjective part: overall feel. I feel much better, more consistently and more often on mostly plant based. Things within my pallette have changed quickly. Dr. Greger's "How Not to Die" has helped in some of the education and all the references to studies relating. Cooking, however is a fundamental shift from Paleo so that is one of the hardest parts you have to focus on right away. I had so many recipes I loved and became frustrated early finding alternatives. However after 2 months I'm enjoying cooking with new foods and techniques. I've picked up about a dozen new cookbooks and have learned a lot in short order. Overall, again, I feel your statement is unfounded and I'd suggest for those interested in improving their health to try slow shifts to more plants. There's only upside and there are many studies in support of. The final piece of it is our planet. Animals raised for meat production requires excessive energy and waste. Beyond that most of our meat supply chain is riddled with things such as E Coli (supported in many recent studies - as an example of the many: https://www.asm.org/index.php/mbiosphere/item/6219-connecting-the-food-supply-and-urinary-tract-infections https://www.asm.org/index.php/mbiosphere/item/6219-connectin...). TL:DR Don't miss meat after giving it up. Those who say it adds "value" without actually trying don't have basis to support their claim.
- tytytytytytytyt 9y ago
  > I lost 10lbs of body fat in a month (5'11 @ 175 --> 165) and increased strength in January. You're telling us all this without mentioning what kind of exercise regiment you're on?
  - windexh8er 9y ago
    Nothing has changed so I'm not sure the significance. It's mainly 5-8 miles per week of running, body weight exercises, free weights a few times per week and meditation. This, also, has been replicated in studies.
    - riku_iki 9y ago
      Keto people, who supposedly eat a lot of meat and bacon also claim weight loss with references to studies. So, there may be many parallel roads.
      - windexh8er 9y ago
        I've done rounds of Keto while "Paleo" as well. The difference is in the overall nutrition. Meat, outside of protein, is weak per calorie when compared to complete nutrition. It's also higher, per calorie, with regard to negative health aspects depending on the type and cut of meat.
        riku_iki 9y ago
        and what is your current source of protein, after you cut of meat?
        windexh8er 9y ago
        The protein argument is probably one of the worst of the food uneducated. I could flip your argument and ask about actual nutrition. What vitamins, minerals, amino acids, etc does meat provide? Very few. Protein? Peas, quinoa, beans, nuts, tempeh, leafy greens, seeds, and the list goes on. The difference is something like quinoa is that, compared to any meat, it is calorie for calorie more nutritionally complete. Finally why are you focused on protein to begin with? And how much protein is required for you daily? Overconsumption of has shown negative effects: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4045293/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4045293/
your-nanny 9y ago
Yeah, not enough emphasis on absolute risks here.

paulie_a 9y ago

>Read her excerpts of the articles last night and it made for an awkward bedtime. I hate to break it to you, but your relationship is already over.