Page 149 - How to Be a Conscious Eater - Making Food Choices That Are Good for You

one’s overall chance of death. So, looking more holistically, the
total number of annual deaths worldwide—not just those from
cancer—that can be attributed to eating lots of processed meat
is 644,000. That’s according to the Harvard T. H. Chan School
of Public Health’s assessment of the Global Burden of Disease
Project, which was based on data for the year 2013.
All in all, the World Cancer Research Fund recommends eating
little (if any) processed meat and limiting red meat to about three por-
tions per week. A portion is no more than 6 ounces cooked or
8 ounces raw—for a maximum of 18 ounces cooked, or 24 ounces
raw, of red meat per week.

To recap: There are heaps of data that something about pro-
cessed meats messes with our cell functioning and raises our
risk of colorectal cancer. However, you don’t have to give them
up entirely.

SENSIBLE SOLUTIONS FOR PROCESSED MEAT CONSUMPTION
Try to get deli meats sliced fresh from the butcher counter.
That way you’ll avoid or at least reduce the amount of
nitrates added for preservation. Whole roasted chickens at
the grocery store are considered fresh, too, not processed.

Though more research is needed, you’d be wise to choose
verifiably healthy cooking methods for your fish intake (like
baking), and treat lox and the like as special treats.

Don’t eat bacon every day for breakfast, or bologna sand-
wiches every day for lunch. Your frequent habits make a
much bigger difference for your long-term health than what
you eat on special occasions. Which means . . .

Yes, every now and then at a baseball game, go ahead and
enjoy that hot dog.

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