The results were pretty clear and consistent with other studies and what I’ve been commenting on for many years… red and processed meat kills. The diseases most identified with read and processed meat consumption were cardiovascular disease and cancer.

By comparison, those eating a plant based diet had the least incidents of disease, consistent with previous studies that reported a vegetable based diet was the most heart healthy.

Out of the more than 500,000 followed over a 10 year period, 71,252 died prematurely as a result of excess processed and red meat consumption that resulted in disease and then death.

While the statistics are important, there were other revealing parts of the study most have not reported.

The report also indicated that red meat eaters tended to be married, more likely white, more likely smokers, have higher body mass index, have a higher daily intake of total and saturated fat, had lower activity levels, lower intake of fruits, vegetables and fiber as well as vitamins.

Another interesting aspect of the report was that there was an increased risk associated with death from injuries and sudden death with higher consumption of red meat which I found interesting.

Red meat is red animal meat, and processed meats include sausages, hams, bacon, deli meats, hot dogs, cold cuts, hamburger and many other meats that could also be classified as red meats.

Bottom line is as I’ve always suggested, if you’d like to live longer, have more energy, reduce the risk of most every disease… avoid red and processed meats. Now the statistics confirm the recommendations.

Unfortunately, the study recommends eating a variety of other animal foods which will still kill you, just a little slower. The best diet is a mostly plant based diet that will give you the most energy, prolong your life, reduce risk of most every disease and allow you to attain your optimal weight and health. If you’re wondering what plant based meals you can add to your diet get specific meal plans and exclusive recipe videos at Learn Healthy Meals.

To read the study abstract visit the Archives of Internal Medicine.

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> The Protein Myth
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Previously a professional triathlete, Rip put his knowledge about health to work and helped them lose weight and lower their cholesterol. Every one of them lost weight with his help.

In his well reviewed book, Engine 2 Diet, he outlines how a plant based whole foods diet is the key to better health and weight loss. I no doubt believe that Rip’s father, internationally renouned cardiologist and author Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, formerly of the famous Cleveland Clinic and a proponent of plant based diet for heart health, was a large influence. Dr. Esselstyn recommends a vegan diet to become ‘heart attack’ proof.

The book includes an excellent selection of low fat plant based recipes along with his plan for a healthy way to lose weight and live.

Here are some actual comments from readers:

“I have been eating the Engine 2 diet for five months. I’ve lost 35 LBS. My cholesterol dropped over 60 points. This was all after a meeting with a doctor who told me my cholesterol would only be slightly lowered by changing my diet. ”

“I love many things about Engine 2. It gives people excellent goals for better health and explains in detail how to achieve those goals. I found the chapter on reading labels extremely helpful, especially the specific criteria for the grocery store aisles. The large recipe section includes many simple everyday dishes and few elaborate dishes. It offers replacements for animal-sourced high-fat workhorses like mayonnaise, salad dressing, and sandwich fillings. The book’s strength is showing how to live this lifestyle every working day. ”

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• Easy, Delicious, Lowfat Plant Based Recipes
• Raw Vegan Diet

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Tomorrow, Friday February 1st, is National Wear Red Day, a campaign to educate and bring awareness to the rising incidence of heart disease in women. Organized by the American Heart Association with celebrity Marie Osmond as the spokeswoman, their goal is to reduce by at least 25% heart disease and stroke by the year 2010.

The web site is filled with stories from women that have made changes along with advice to talk to your doctor about how to reduce or avoid heart disease.

First, your doctor may not be the best person to speak with regarding making changes in your diet and lifestyle. Doctors are primarily trained to ‘heal’ or fix something once it’s broken, and their primary focus is not on prevention.  A nutritionist or better yet, doing some research on your own may be one of the best solutions to reducing your risk.

I was also surprised to find most the recipes on the site were not heart healthy. They featured Canadian bacon, buttermilk, dairy, processed complex carbs and other meats throughout.

Research has confirmed that your eating habits and specifically animal foods, are the primary cause of heart disease, cancer and other diseases. A recent study from the University of Massachusetts even named a primarily vegetarian diet the best diet for heart health. A diet primarily of fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts, seeds and natural grains can also lead to weight loss, lowering cholesterol, lowering blood pressure, eliminating depression, reducing the risk of cancer and making you feel better overall.

And just recently, another study published in the journal ‘Circulation’ found that people who eat two or more servings of red meat a day are much more likely to develop conditions leading to heart disease and diabetes. There are many studies that support this and more come available regularly. But why do campaigns like this not make stronger recommendations to avoid meat and continue to include recipes with Canadian Bacon and other meats?

Although the National Wear Red Day is more focused on telling others how widespread heart disease is in women, a campaign focused solely on making lifestyle changes would be much more effective. Here are some suggestions you can use to significantly reduce your risks of heart disease or any other affliction starting today:

• concentrate on a diet of mostly fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts, seed and natural, living grains
• reduce or eliminate the effects of stress in your life
• drink lots of water
• stay active every day
• eliminate processed, convenient and junk foods from your diet
• choose organic foods as much as possible

Get ideas on how to easily and conveniently add more fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds into your diet.

To your best health!

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First, here’s how Dr. Ian sets it up.

It’s designed in four phases, each a specified length of time and introduces different foods. The first is basically a detox phase, getting rid of all the toxins and junk you may have accumulated over time.

This phase in my opinion is the best part about this diet. It allows you to eat all the fruits and vegetables you want, no limits, and this rule carries throughout the diet.

Where I feel the diet takes a wrong turn is in the introduction of yogurt, milk, alcohol and lean meats throughout the other 3 phases. Interestingly enough, it’s mentioned that diets high in meat, dairy (milk and cheese) and processed foods are nutrient poor and the cause of obesity and being overweight. It’s also mentioned that the milk and beef campaigns, designed to make you believe you need milk and beef to live, are in fact killing us.

But then, in Phase II meats are re-introduced and in Phase III, breads and pastas are introduced again. And in Phase IV, white rice (probably one of the most nutrition-devoid foods and a bad, refined starch) and alcohol are included.

Now I’m not sure why a diet would remove these foods and drinks to detox and cleanse you, and then re-introduce them all again? The animal based foods (meats, cheese, milk, yogurt) seem to be introduced for protein. Interestingly enough most Americans already eat a diet overflowing with protein and our true protein requirements are minimal. We can get more protein in a few vegetables, nuts or seeds than we can metabolize in a day. Most of the proteins Americans eat are flushed down the toilet daily in our urine. Animal foods are acidic, contain no fiber and are proven to be the cause of most diseases we die from today.

And the processed starches like breads (even whole wheat) and pastas are all complex carbohydrates that once eaten are converted to sugar and cause an increase increase in blood sugar levels. A diet comprised of processed complex carbohydrates leads to weight gain, obesity, diabetes and other related issues. These are not foods to be re-introduced into a diet once you have cleansed your system.

And alcohol, in any form, are just empty calories, devoid of any nutrition at all.

You see, even with the recommendation to go easy on these foods, as recommended in this diet, requires willpower. Lack of willpower is what causes most of our health problems to begin with. But here’s the twist. If you don’t eat these foods, and concentrate on primarily greens, vegetables, fruits, seeds and some nuts, you won’t have a taste for animal foods or need willpower to avoid them. The ‘addiction’ and taste for processed and animal foods will go away and you will naturally seek healthy alternatives. Again, surprisingly this is also mentioned in the diet, but then these same foods are re-introduced.

It appears that many of these foods and drinks are re-introduced into this diet perhaps to appeal to readers that may think they can’t live without them. Or to make the diet more appealing to a wider audience knowing that you can eat and drink these regular staples in the American diet.

What I like about the Fat Smash Diet:

• recommends a cleanse or detox to start
• recommends eating as many fruits, vegetables, greens and legumes
• recognizes that campaigns like “milk does your body good” and “beef, it’s whats for dinner” are actually killing us
• is more focused on lifestyle changes, not a one time diet

What I don’t like about the Fat Smash Diet:

• recommends meats
• recommends dairy products
• recommends alcohol
• recommends processed, complex carbs

The Fat Smash Diet starts out on the right track. And what Dr. Ian mentions in Phase I, that it’s impossible to be obese eating as many fruits, vegetables, greens and legumes as you want, is true. In fact, that is the diet that not only brings you to your optimal weight, but also keeps you there as well as avoiding most disease and health issues. If he stuck with that theory throughout the diet, without the re-introduction of the foods that initially cause weight gain, disease and other health issues, then it would be something to recommend completely.

The Fat Smash Diet does work and get results, any diet that suggests a healthy detox or cleanse using fruits, vegetables, and greens will work. It’s just not the optimal method to lose weight, and more importantly, obtain optimal health.

To your best health!

Update: Sometimes you can tell more about a diet based on how much you can buy a used copy of the book for. As of this writing, you can pickup a used copy of the Fat Smash Diet for 50 cents on Amazon.

Related:

> Healthy Living Tips
> The Best Diet For Life
> 37 Free Weight Loss Tips

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