The dangers of heavily processed meats, and a diet high in meats (but if you're gonna eat lots of meat, at least make it healthier)
V = Vegan, Veg = Vegetarian
find local farms
- Eat Wild
- Local Harvest
- Hidden Camp Farm | Pastured Poultry, Eggs & Raw Milk. Certified Organic, Soy Free & Grass Fed.
- Purdy & Sons Farm
- Why does some meat and fish contain carbon monoxide? @ Science of Cooking
- Food inc // Watch Food Inc. @ FilmsForAction //heTruth About Your Food with FOOD, INC. Filmmaker Robert Kenner
- Food - The Ultimate Secret Exposed - Talks about aspartame,plastic in food, GMOS, animals fed GMOs,GMO cottenseed oils, silicone in food,rBGH, BPA
- 8 Cancer Causing Foods That Americans Eat All The Time -1. Canned Tomatoes 2. Microwave popcorn 3.Highly processed white flours (white flours are bleached so all the nutrients are literally washed away) 4. Processed meats 5. Hydrogenated oils 6.Farmed salmon 7. potato chips (unless they are organic or homemade) 8.Soda
- Banned Foods Americans Should Stop Eating [Infographic] by CureJoy - Farm-raised salmon, GMO papya, Ractioamine-tained meat,flame retardant in drinks, artificial dyes and colors,arsenic laced chicken, potassium bromate in bread,olestra/olean, BHA & BHT, rHBH
- 7 Dangerous Food Practices Banned in Europe But Just Fine in America - "1. Atrazine 2. Arsenic in chicken, turkey, and pig feed.3. "Poultry litter" in cow feed.4. Chlorine washes for poultry carcasses. 5. Antibiotics as growth promoters on livestock farms. 6. Ractopomine and other pharmaceutical growth enhancers in animal feed.7. Gestation crates
Bacon
- Uncured Bacon vs Cured Bacon: Similarities, Differences & Precautions @ EnkiVillage
- "Bacon is a meat product prepared from a pig and usually cured. It is first cured using large quantities of salt,either in a brine or in a dry packing; the result is fresh bacon (also known as green bacon). Fresh bacon may then be further dried for weeks or months in cold air, or it may be boiled or smoked.Fresh and dried bacon is typically cooked before eating, often by frying. Boiled bacon is ready to eat, as is some smoked bacon, but may be cooked further before eating.Bacon is prepared from several different cuts of meat. It is usually made from side and back cuts of pork,[4] except in the United States and Canada, where it is most commonly prepared from pork belly (typically referred to as "streaky", "fatty", or "American style" outside of the US and Canada). The side cut has more meat and less fat than the belly. Bacon may be prepared from either of two distinct back cuts: fatback, which is almost pure fat, and pork loin, which is very lean. Bacon-cured pork loin is known as back bacon." - Wikipedia
- Where Bacon Comes From On a Pig @ Today I Learned - "More interestingly, what part of a pig does bacon come from? Well that depends on the style. American Bacon, or “streaky bacon” as our lovely limey friends from the British Isles like to call it, is generally cut from the fatty sides of a pig’s belly. ....Now Canadian Bacon, known as “back bacon” to the English who apparently like to come up with their own names for everything Bacon related, is made up of the tender loins located on the back of Piglet and his swine friends. This obviously produces a more “meaty” strip of heaven, without as much artery lubricating fat.Then of course, we have the sides of the pig, which are also used for Bacon, but to which no country has yet staked its name to. Might I propose we call it “English Bacon” so that the limeys won’t insist on coming up with a different name for the sweet meaty goodness that is side bacon?"
- What Is Bacon and Where Does It Come From? @ About Food - "Answer: Bacon comes from the side of the pig. The meat is cured and usually smoked before you cook it at home. It's the fat in the bacon that provides most of the flavor and allows it to cook up crispy, yet tender. Do not turn up your nose at that fat. A hefty ratio of fat to meat is essential to good bacon, usually one-half to two-thirds fat to meat. Since bacon must be cooked before being consumed, much of the fat is rendered out and can be poured off if need be."
- H - What Is the Difference between Cured and Uncured Bacon? @ Wise Geek - The “cured” designation is usually saved for meat that has been preserved with chemicals that mimic salt but are more efficient and predictable from a manufacturing perspective."”Cured” bacon is typically soaked in brine, then treated with commercially prepared sodium nitrate or sodium nitrite to seal moisture and keep the meat from spoiling. These are commercial preservatives that mimic the reaction of salt but in a more concentrated, faster-acting form. Other chemical preserving agents may also be used depending on the manufacturer. Bacon that is packaged for sale will usually list these ingredients and additives somewhere on the label, but not always.Bacon that is labeled “uncured” is usually prepared only with ingredients that occur naturally. Celery salt is a common choice since it is very high in naturally occurring nitrates; lactic acid starter culture, which is often found in milk and dairy products, is sometimes also used. Most uncured bacon is also very high in salt. Fancier brands often use sea salt or higher-end salt crystals, but ordinary table salt will also work."
- H Cured vs. Uncured Bacon Written by Elea Carey @ Health Line
- H The Definitive Guide To Bacon Labels, From 'Applewood-Smoked' To 'Uncured' by Joe Satran
- H What Are the Health Benefits of Uncured Bacon?By Ireland Wolfe - "Because of the difference in curing processes, uncured bacon is generally considered safer to eat. According to Applegate Farms, nitrites can potentially cause cancer in some situations. Under high heat, nitrites mix with amines, a compound naturally preset in meat, to form nitrosamines, a carcinogen. A large-scale 2011 study published in the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" found that participants who consume dietary nitrites had higher levels of gastrointestinal cancer. Other research have also indicated that nitrosamines are human carcinogens, although the level of harm in dietary substances is unclear, according to the Linus Pauling Institute."
- H The Definitive Guide to Bacon | Nerd Fitness - "Best bacon: unprocessed, preferably cured with natural ingredients, from pasture-raised/humanely raised pigs, void of artificial ingredients and preservatives. More expensive (if you’re buying it), but worth every penny. Now, the labels advertising “no nitrates added” isn’t necessarily true, and as we’ll explain shortly, paying extra for this isn’t quite worth it either! Epic bacon: bacon that you cure yourself! If you’re up for it, Robb Wolf has put together a fantastic resource on purchasing pasture-raised pork belly and curing it at home. Sure, more work, but I guarantee it’ll be the best bacon you’ve ever tasted.If you’re looking for quality locally sourced bacon, check out Eat Wild and Local Harvest to find quality local pig and bacon sources in your area."
- The Path to Culinary Bliss: Home Cured Bacon @ Robb Wolf - " For an 8 lb pork belly, I use the following: 2 tablespoons black peppercorns. 1 teaspoon fennel seed. 1 teaspoon caraway seed. 1 tablespoon dried rosemary. 1 tablespoon dried thyme. 4 bay leaves. 8 tablespoons or ½ cup of sea salt (not coarse). 3 cloves of garlic, finely minced." Note: Try Himalyan Pink Salt, but Sea Salt is much better than table salt
- .Curing and Smoking Bacon at Home @ Food 52 - "2 1/2 to 3 pounds of thick, center cut pork belly (skinless) 1/2 cup sugar. 1 tablespoon blackstrap molasses.2 tablespoons kosher salt, plus more as needed. 1 teaspoon curing salt. 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. 3 tablespoons of real liquid hickory smoke or 3 cups of hickory sawdust, depending on how you’ve chosen to smoke the bacon." Note: Try PURE Cane Sugar (from Bobs Red Mill is best because they do not lie like other companies.) or try Coconut Sugar
Hot dogs
- Do You Know How Hot Dogs Are Really Made? @ Minds - "The truth is, eating processed meat, such as hot dogs, sausage or processed deli meats, is associated with a 42% higher risk of heart disease and a 19% higher risk of type 2 diabetes.Consumption of hot dogs, sausages and luncheon meats, along with other forms of processed meat, was also associated with the greatest risk of pancreatic cancer in a large multiethnic study.Eating too many processed foods with high sodium levels contributed to 2.3 million deaths from heart attacks, strokes and other heart-related diseases throughout the world in 2010, representing 15 percent of all deaths due to these causes, according to research presented at the American Heart Association’s Epidemiology and Prevention/Nutrition, Physical Activity and Metabolism 2013 Scientific Sessions.The World Cancer Research Fund recommends people avoid all processed meats.The fund’s Dr Rachel Thompson said: “If everyone ate less than 70g a week — or two hot dogs — it would mean there would be 4,000 fewer cases of bowel cancer…”
Nitrites
- Sodium nitrate in meat: Heart disease risk factor? @ Mayo Clinic - Sodium nitrate, a preservative that's used in some processed meats, such as bacon, jerky and luncheon meats, could increase your heart disease risk.It's thought that sodium nitrate may damage your blood vessels, making your arteries more likely to harden and narrow, leading to heart disease. Nitrates may also affect the way your body uses sugar, making you more likely to develop diabetes.And you already know that most processed meats are high in sodium and some are high in saturated fat, which can disrupt a heart-healthy diet."
- "Studies have shown a link between increased levels of nitrates and increased deaths from certain diseases including Alzheimer's, diabetes mellitus and Parkinson's, possibly through the damaging effect of nitrosamines on DNA, however, little is done to control for other possible causes in the epidemiological results. Nitrosamines, formed in cured meats containing sodium nitrate and nitrite, have been linked to gastric cancer and oesophageal cancer. Sodium nitrate and nitrite are associated with a higher risk of colorectal cancer. World Cancer Research Fund UK,states that one of the reasons that processed meat increases the risk of colon cancer is its content of nitrate" - Wikipedia
- @LiveStrong
- What is the difference between Nitrites and Nitrates? @ Science of Cooking - "Sodium nitrate should not be confused with the related compound, sodium nitrite.The presence of sodium nitrite in food is controversial due to the development of nitrosamines when the food, primarily bacon, is cooked at high temperatures"
- Are You Eating Sausages, Deli or Bacon? Heart Disease and Diabetes May Await - "In a new study, researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) have found that eating processed meat, such as bacon, sausage or processed deli meats, was associated with a 42% higher risk of heart disease and a 19% higher risk of type 2 diabetes.....The results showed that, on average, each 50 gram (1.8 oz) daily serving of processed meat (about 1-2 slices of deli meats or 1 hot dog) was associated with a 42% higher risk of developing heart disease and a 19% higher risk of developing diabetes. In contrast, eating unprocessed red meat was not associated with risk of developing heart disease or diabetes. Too few studies evaluated the relationship between eating meat and risk of stroke to enable the researchers to draw any conclusions."Although cause-and-effect cannot be proven by these types of long-term observational studies, all of these studies adjusted for other risk factors, which may have been different between people who were eating more versus less meats," said Mozaffarian. "Also, the lifestyle factors associated with eating unprocessed red meats and processed meats were similar, but only processed meats were linked to higher risk.""When we looked at average nutrients in unprocessed red and processed meats eaten in the United States, we found that they contained similar average amounts of saturated fat and cholesterol. In contrast, processed meats contained, on average, 4 times more sodium and 50% more nitrate preservatives," said Micha. "This suggests that differences in salt and preservatives, rather than fats, might explain the higher risk of heart disease and diabetes seen with processed meats, but not with unprocessed red meats."Dietary sodium (salt) is known to increase blood pressure, a strong risk factor for heart disease. In animal experiments, nitrate preservatives can promote atherosclerosis and reduce glucose tolerance, effects which could increase risk of heart disease and diabetes."
Meat glue
Not sure if the danger is more of the transglutaminase, or the fact they take the nastiest meats and put them together to look nice. / Transglutaminase
- Fake Meat: The Meat Glue Secret
- The Dangers of Meat Glue and Processed Meat : Underground Health Reporter @ Undercover Health Reporter - "The outside of a piece of meat comes in contact with a lot of bacteria making its way from slaughterhouse to table. Usually cooking a steak on the outside will kill all that off. The center of a single cut of steak is sterile, that’s why you can eat it rare. But glued pieces of meat could contain bacteria like E. coli on the inside."
- "A transglutaminase is an enzyme that catalyzes the formation of an isopeptide bond between a free amine group (e.g., protein- or peptide-bound lysine) and the acyl group at the end of the side chain of protein- or peptide-bound glutamine. The reaction also produces a molecule of ammonia. Such an enzyme is classified as EC 2.3.2.13. Bonds formed by transglutaminase exhibit high resistance to proteolytic degradation (proteolysis)." - Wikipedia
- Meat Glue: ABC Report Slams Transglutaminase But Chefs Defend Its Use @ Huffington post - "
- Meat glue poses health risks for consumers @ abc7.com
- The Dangers of Meat Glue and Processed Meat @ Mercola
- Meat Glue, Pink Slime, Health Risks & More Reasons to Never Eat Meat @ The Daily Beast
- What's for dinner? Fake a steak with ‘meat glue'@ NY Daily News
- Meat Glue (Transglutaminase): The Meat Industry’s Dirty Secret @ Green Prophet
Uncured vs. cured bacon & other meats
- Uncured Bacon vs Cured Bacon: Similarities, Differences & Precautions @ EnkiVillage
- H - What Is the Difference between Cured and Uncured Bacon? @ Wise Geek - The “cured” designation is usually saved for meat that has been preserved with chemicals that mimic salt but are more efficient and predictable from a manufacturing perspective."”Cured” bacon is typically soaked in brine, then treated with commercially prepared sodium nitrate or sodium nitrite to seal moisture and keep the meat from spoiling. These are commercial preservatives that mimic the reaction of salt but in a more concentrated, faster-acting form. Other chemical preserving agents may also be used depending on the manufacturer. Bacon that is packaged for sale will usually list these ingredients and additives somewhere on the label, but not always.Bacon that is labeled “uncured” is usually prepared only with ingredients that occur naturally. Celery salt is a common choice since it is very high in naturally occurring nitrates; lactic acid starter culture, which is often found in milk and dairy products, is sometimes also used. Most uncured bacon is also very high in salt. Fancier brands often use sea salt or higher-end salt crystals, but ordinary table salt will also work."
- H Cured vs. Uncured Bacon Written by Elea Carey @ Health Line
- H The Definitive Guide To Bacon Labels, From 'Applewood-Smoked' To 'Uncured' by Joe Satran
- H What Are the Health Benefits of Uncured Bacon?By Ireland Wolfe - "Because of the difference in curing processes, uncured bacon is generally considered safer to eat. According to Applegate Farms, nitrites can potentially cause cancer in some situations. Under high heat, nitrites mix with amines, a compound naturally preset in meat, to form nitrosamines, a carcinogen. A large-scale 2011 study published in the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" found that participants who consume dietary nitrites had higher levels of gastrointestinal cancer. Other research have also indicated that nitrosamines are human carcinogens, although the level of harm in dietary substances is unclear, according to the Linus Pauling Institute."
Faux meat - the healthier meat
Lentils / bean meat
If using lentils - "Lentils are moister. Consider reducing the liquid in your recipe by about 1/4 cup, or add it slowly until you get the right amount".
- How to substitute lentils for ground beef - "Use about 3/4 cup raw lentils, cooked, in place of a pound of ground beef. Cook your lentils in unsalted water (or other liquid), otherwise they may not soften.Lentils are moister. Consider reducing the liquid in your recipe by about 1/4 cup, or add it slowly until you get the right amount.Lentils will get mushy and disintegrate if cooked for too long, so consider cooking them separately and then adding them at the end.You may need to punch up the flavoring in your recipe by adding extra spices, salt, vegetable broth or bouillon in place of water, etc."
Hail Seitan!!
Already made mock meat products
- Linda McCartney @ IG // @Twitter // @ FB // Official Site
- Kite Hill Foods @ IG // @Twitter // @ FB // Official Site
- Sweet Earth Foods @ IG // @Twitter // Official Site
- Uptons Naturals @ IG // @Twitter // @ FB // Official Site
- Is Tofurky Actually Worse Than the Real Thing? by Perry Santanachote @ Daily Burn - "Most ingredients in imitation turkeys still do look better than processed meats, and better than many other meat substitutes in the frozen food section, too. But not all are created equal....“If you’re going to eat an imitation food, just make sure the rest of your meal is coming from the earth.”
- HOW TO GET VEGGIE CRUMBLES(lentils, etc) TO STICK TOGETHER TO MAKE BURGERS from Beyond Meat - use an egg substitute such as egg replacer or flax egg or you can add a starch such as tapioca or arrowroot.
Veggie meats
I personally don't like to substitute these for mock/faux meat products, or homemade seitan as it reminds me of trying to substitute meat for low-calorie faux meat made from veggies. It reminds me of disordered eating and calorie watching which is a sign of an eating disorder. These are yummy for a side dish or a great way you can flavor your veggies.
- 10 Vegetables That Can Substitute for Meat from One Green Planet - "Eggplant, cauliflower, jackfruit, potatoes, nuts, beets, lentils, beans and legumes, tofu,tempah, seitan,tvp, mushrooms"
- 10 Plant foods that can substitute for meat by Vegan Outreach - Eggplant, cauliflower, jackfruit, potatoes, nuts, beets, lentils, beans and legumes, tofu,tempah, seitan,tvp, mushrooms
TVP
- What is TVP? - "Textured or texturized vegetable protein (TVP), also known as textured soy protein (TSP), soy meat, or soya chunks is a defatted soy flour product, a by-product of extracting soybean oil. It is often used as a meat analogue or meat extender. It is quick to cook, with a protein content equal to that of meat"
- What You Need To Know Before You Eat Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP) - It's that person's opinion, but you need to think about it. Dehydrated a bean and making it into a product isn't really unhealthy. Breathe and relax. What IS unhealthy; however, is some soy as it can be a GMO product,m but not all soybeans are.
Seitan / flour meats
B Hilary's Eat Well Food - their mesquite bites taste like spicy chicken, I think. Very yummy! Made with Millet instead of seitan. I thought it was going to taste like a falafel but it tasted like a chicken nugget. They look gross, but taste amazing!
Mochi
Japan confronts mochi rice-cake death-trap with technological solution @ The Guardian - Mochi – glutinous cakes of pounded rice – kill several people in Japan each January after they become lodged in the throats of their mainly elderly victims.Eager to keep the death toll as low as possible over the first few days of the New Year, when mochi are traditionally eaten in vast quantities, a firm in Osaka recently unveiled a safer alternative."
- @Wikipedia - "Mochi (Japanese: 餅, もち?) is Japanese rice cake made of mochigome, a short-grain japonica glutinous rice. The rice is pounded into paste and molded into the desired shape. In Japan it is traditionally made in a ceremony called mochitsuki. While also eaten year-round, mochi is a traditional food for the Japanese New Year and is commonly sold and eaten during that time.Mochi is a multicomponent food consisting of polysaccharides, lipids, protein and water. Mochi has a heterogeneous structure of amylopectin gel, starch grains and air bubbles.This rice is characterized by its lack of amylose in starch and is derived from short or medium japonica rices. The protein concentration of the rice is a bit higher than normal short-grain rice and the two also differ in amylose content. In mochi rice, the amylose content is negligible, which results in the soft gel consistency."
- What is Mochi? @ Fugetsu-do - "Traditionally, mochi is made by pounding steamed glutinous rice in a large wooden mortar, called the usu, with a wooden mallet called the kine."
- Making Mochi, a Japanese Treat That’s All About Texture - The New York Times - "Sometimes the pleasures of food aren’t packed in remarkable tastes, but in textures. And when it comes to mochi, the Japanese rice dough, much of its appeal can be attributed to a glorious bounce or a gelatinous squish or a comforting kind of gloop.One of the most popular ways to eat mochi is in the sweet packages known as daifuku: The dough is stretched around a filling of red bean paste, or creams in flavors like green tea, chocolate or strawberries."
- Mochi 101 - Everything About Japanese Steamed Rice Cake @ About - "Fresh mochi is very pliable, soft, sticky, and chewy but should be eaten on the same day it was made or the next day at the latest. It has a tendency to harden very quickly. If the mochi is left out, it becomes dry and hard, and will be unenjoyable. This type of mochi is typically flat and round in shape.Mochi is also available in shelf stable packages, and is known as "kirimochi" or "kakimochi" but these rice cakes tend to be hard, and is best used in recipes that grill, boil, or deep fry the mochi. This type of mochi tends to be shaped in flat squares or rectangles."
- Pounding Rice for Mochi Requires Equal Parts Bravery and Skill @ Gizmodo -
man-made meats
- Memphis Meats @ IG // @ FB // @ Twitter // @ YT // Official site
- New Harvest (Not a food brand, they helped design the man made meats :)) @IG // @FB //@Twitter // Official site
- Watch: Is slaughter-free, engineered meat the future of food? @ Collectivly