High Intake of Red and Processed Meats linked to Cancer Mortality

A new study came out earlier this month from the Archives of Internal Medicine that observed 37, 698 men from the Health Professionals Follow-up Study (1986-2008) and 83,644 women from the Nurses' Health Study (1980-2008) found that a higher intake of red and processed meats (1 serving of processed meats or 3oz of red meat per day) were associated with significantly higher risk of heart disease and cancer mortality.
Read more about this study, go to:
Archives of Internal Medicine - Red Meat Consumption and Mortality

The American Institute of Cancer Research and the American Cancer Society have recommended for some time now to limit intake of red and processed meats to reduce cancer risk because of studies like this and many others.

This does not mean that you have to completely stop eating red and processed meats al together. Reduce your risk of cancer by limiting your intake to no more than 18 ounces of cooked meat (about 24 ounces of uncooked meat) per week.

What foods are considered red and processed meats?
Red meat refers to pork, beef, lamb.
Processed meats refer to meats preserved by adding preservatives, smoking, salting or curing such as bacon, ham, deli meats, salami, hot dogs, sausages, pastrami, etc.

How can you cut back your red and processed meat intake to ensure adequate protein intake and lower your risk of cancer?
Substitute with fish, poultry, legumes (beans), soy, low fat dairy products, and whole grains.
Try to aim for meals made up of 2/3 (or more) vegetables, fruit, whole grains, or beans and only 1/3 (or less) of animal protein.

This was sent to me by my brother, Jack. This is a great example of a healthy plate!

Share some examples of your healthy plate in the comment section of this post!