Processed Meats Too Dangerous for Human Consumption

My family eats red meat once a week or so, but very little processed meat. Last fall, after saving up for it, we bought a large, upright freezer and stocked it with 1/4th of a cow. This was local, grass-fed beef and was an exciting investment for us. I was immediately impressed by the superiority of the beef's flavor and by how much less greasy it was than I expected. That was when I knew for sure we'd made the right decision to switch to fresh, grass-fed beef.

But sometimes it's nice to have a couple slices of lunch meat on a sandwich, or put pepperoni on homemade pizza. However, reading articles like this one, which I was just made aware of last week through a friend, remind me of how truly bad processed meat is for our bodies. The article begins with this startling news: "The World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) has just completed a detailed review of more than 7,000 clinical studies covering links between diet and cancer. Its conclusion is rocking the health world with startling bluntness: Processed meats are too dangerous for human consumption. Consumers should stop buying and eating all processed meat products for the rest of their lives." (Italics added)

Wow. That is very direct and very clear. But the tendency sometimes is to wave off that kind of statement with, "Everything causes cancer anyway." So, lest the above statement seems too dramatic, here are some numbers for you: One study "revealed that every 50 grams of processed meat consumed daily increases the risk of colorectal cancer by 21 percent." Fifty grams is one serving, or about 4 slices of lunch meat. So, really not much. And that risk goes up not each year that we eat processed meat, but each day! That's hard to comprehend.

The article clarifies that not all red meat is bad for our health: "These cancer risks do not come from eating fresh, non-processed meats. They only appear in people who regularly consume processed meat products containing sodium nitrite."

The discussion of the evils of nitrates is not new to this blog (see here for previous posts on the topic), but it is something I don't always think about. And honestly, it's not something I often need to think about because we eat so little of processed meats anyway. But reading this article made me re-think even the small amount we do eat.

Please check out the article for more information on what foods contain nitrates/nitrites, how (and where) to avoid them, and why the USDA and FDA continue to allow sodium nitrite into processed foods. 

After all, knowledge + action = improved health = power.

Pea and Corn Salad

I first posted this three years ago and it continues to be a family favorite, liked by all of my children (which is generally a difficult accomplishment).

This is my mother's variation on a family recipe that originally called for only peas, Accent (with MSG), chicken, and Pepper Jack cheese. I avoid using MSG, prefer this recipe without the chicken, don't like Pepper Jack cheese, and love the sweetness that only raw corn has, so this is how I now make this salad (but feel free to vary it according to your own family's tastes):

PEA AND CORN SALAD

1 lb. thawed frozen peas
1 lb. thawed frozen corn
cubed cheese (I usually use mozzarella)
croutons

dressing:
2/3 c. mayonnaise
3/4 tsp. salt or seasoned salt (without MSG)
1/2 tsp. garlic powder (or 1 clove garlic)
1 tsp. (or more) minced onion

Mix all ingredients thoroughly (to taste) and add croutons at the last minute. If I know that not all the salad will be eaten in one sitting, I will add croutons to only a portion of it, since croutons get soggy quickly.

Family Favorites

Lately, as I've prepared dishes that are family favorites, I've realized that not only do I not have good pictures of these delicious dishes, but many of them were originally posted two or three years ago. Since many of my readers didn't tune in until after that point, I felt it would be appropriate to re-post them--with new and improved pictures and to highlight these recipes anew. So for the next little while I will focus on Family Favorites.

Enjoy! And happy cooking. :)

Sincerely,
Katrina

Italian Chicken (Sauce)

Updated Note: I first posted this recipe 3 years ago and it is still a family favorite. I repost it now with an updated picture and a reminder of how good it is!
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This makes very tasty chicken that is fabulous on pizza and in quesadillas, as well as on salads or anywhere else you enjoy seasoned chicken.

Italian Chicken (Sauce)

2 Tb. vinegar
2 Tb. olive oil
4 Tb. soy sauce
1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes (optional)
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. garlic powder

Mix all ingredients. Cube up raw chicken (about 4 breasts), place in sauce and let sit 5 minutes. Cook until chicken is fully cooked and liquid is gone. Serve on pizza, quesadillas, salads, etc.

Your Body

Homemade Baked Pretzels

Updated Note: I first posted this recipe 3 years ago and am now reposting it as a family favorite, along with an updated picture. My kids get excited whenever I make these.
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This is one of our favorite recipes and everyone else I have made it for has really enjoyed it too. It's also super easy and a fun recipe for kids to help you with. If you use red wheat flour, you may need to use a portion of refined white flour instead of all whole wheat flour to make it pliable enough to shape into pretzels. But if you use white wheat flour, as we do, no refined white flour is needed.

WHOLE WHEAT PRETZELS
(makes 12)

Stir 1/8 c. honey into 1 1/2 c. warm water in large bowl (or bread mixing bowl).

Sprinkle 1 Tb. yeast. Let sit 5 min.

Stir in 4 c. whole wheat flour. Kneed (or let mixer mix). Divide into 12 lumps and let rest 5 min.

Make 12 ropes, form into pretzel or other shape.

Boil 1 c. water with 2 tsp. baking soda in shallow pan. Place pretzel in water for 10 seconds.

Place on greased cookie sheet and sprinkle with margarita salt (found in liquor section of grocery store) or course Kosher salt.

Bake at 450 for 8 min.

Enjoy with honey butter or other dipping sauce.

How Toxic (ie. Poisonous) is Your Hair Dye?

Ever since before I made the switch to a safer mascara, I've been considering other beauty products and wondering about their toxicity levels. So when a dear friend told me about how she gave up coloring her hair years ago, because she knew the toxins weren't good for her (or her baby when she was pregnant), I thought, "That's right. Many women do color their hair." I hadn't really thought much about hair dye, since I've never used it. But one website I found says that "over 50 million women in the US dye their hair regularly." Wow, that is a ton of women!

So what, exactly, are the dangers of hair dye? Why worry about it?

The same website states that the "use of hair dye has been linked to allergic reactions, respiratory disorders and even cancer." And for those working with dyes on a regular basis?: "Working as a hairstylist is associated with an increased risk of skin allergies. One review found that 17-80% of stylists suffered from allergic reactions on contact with hair dye."

Even worse: "New studies have linked hair dye use to development of a specific type of cancer: non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (Zhang et al, 2008). This study looked at groups of women suffering from this disease, and a control group. It was found that women who started using hair dye, particularly darker colors, before 1980 had an increased risk of developing the disease."

And: "One study found that if a hairstylist had used hair dyes at work for 5 years or more, she had a three times higher risk of developing breast cancer. Other studies have consistently found that hair colorists have an increased risk of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, multiple myeloma and leukemia."

Makes me glad I'm not a hairstylist!

So while some countries in Europe have banned PPD, one of the most dangerous chemicals in hair dye, it's still an ingredient in U.S. hair dyes. This is because "the FDA has no authority to require that cosmetics be tested for safety before they are sold, unlike drugs and food additives." (link) This means, of course, that we, the consumer, must be informed and protect ourselves.

One way to do this, as I mentioned in my post about cosmetics, is to check EWG's database--whether it be for cosmetics, shampoos, sunscreen, or hair dyes (just to name a few). Type in the product or ingredient in question and find out how toxic it is, rated on a system from 0 to 10. One blogger did this before having her hair colored at a "natural" spa, and found out that while some ingredients were pretty safe, others definitely weren't, and the combination resulted in a higher toxicity level than she was willing to risk.

All in all, it makes me glad I'm not used to having my hair colored. I've got enough other products to replace, as it is...

Zucchini Pancakes

We still have shredded zucchini in our freezer from last harvest, so I decided to look for a zucchini pancake recipe last weekend. They turned out so good! Everyone was a fan--but I should've doubled the recipe. They went so fast I had no chance to take pictures. So check out Smitten Kitchen's beautiful photos and hilarious commentary. The only modifications I made were (as usual) to use whole wheat flour instead of white and honey instead of brown sugar.

Zucchini Pancakes
Yield: 10-12 small pancakes

2 large eggs

3 Tb. olive oil
2 Tb. honey
1/4 c. buttermilk or 2 Tb. each of milk and plain yogurt, whisked until smooth (I only had milk and that worked great too)
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 c. shredded zucchini (from about 9 ounces whole, or 1 1/2 medium zucchini), heaping cups are fine
1 c. whole wheat flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
Butter or oil, for coating skillet

In a large bowl, combine eggs, olive oil, honey, buttermilk and vanilla until smooth. Stir in zucchini shreds. (I opted to puree all the ingredients together in my blender.)

In a smaller bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir dry ingredients into zucchini batter, mixing until just combined. (Or just add it all to the above mixture and puree in blender, as I did.)

Preheat oven to 200°F and place a tray on a middle rack.

Heat a large, heavy skillet (or if you're like me and only have fry pans, they work too) over medium heat. Once hot, melt a pat of butter in pan and swirl it around until it sizzles. Scoop scant 1/4-cup dollops of batter 

 in pan so the puddles do not touch. Cook until bubbles appear on the surface, about 2 to 3 minutes. Flip pancakes and cook another minute or two, until golden underneath. 

Transfer pancakes to prepared pan to keep warm inside oven, and to ensure they’re all cooked through when they’re served. Repeat with remaining batter. Serve warm with desired toppings.

Homemade Sweetened Condensed Milk

This isn't something I'd ever thought of making until recently. True, I don't often use sweetened condensed milk (because we generally avoid refined sugar), but last week I needed it for a dessert I was making. And when I discovered I only had a can of condensed milk, I decided to make my own. Note: I found out that sweetened condensed milk can actually be made from scratch, but the recipe I found also says it takes two hours to cook down and I didn't have that kind of time. I made mine from canned milk and raw sugar and it was oh, so tasty.

Homemade (sort of) Sweetened Condensed Milk

12 oz. can condensed milk
1 c. raw sugar

Cook both in saucepan on medium high heat, stirring constantly for 20-30 minutes until mixture is as thick as you want it.

Certainly more time consuming than opening a can of sweetened condensed milk, but a little more healthful. And I like knowing I can make my own in a pinch.