Is bacon healthy?

Whether as a side item or added to a biscuit sandwich, bacon remains a breakfast staple in the foodservice industry. Certainly, when it comes to eggs or pancakes, it’s hard to imagine a more perfect companion.  Seventy percent of the bacon in America is consumed at the breakfast table. There are thousands of tasty bacon recipes found in blogs.  But have you ever give a thought that is bacon really healthy?

If you look at the nutritional facts you will see that 2 slices of bacon gives you 109 Kcals . You will be shocked to hear that 75% of the calories is derived from fats. 50% of the fats in the bacon is saturated. And not to forget the high amount of cholesterol (16 mg) and sodium ( 303 mg ) that is present in just two slice of bacon !!
It is a proven fact by the American dietetic association that high amounts of saturated fats increase the amount of LDL and cholesterol in the blood. Both of these effects increases the risk of cadiovascular diseases. And if those saturated fat-rich foods are also high in dietary cholesterol, cholesterol levels tend to rise even higher. The activity of LDL receptor – its ability to mediate the entry of LDL- appears to be suppressed by the saturated fatty acids. When LDL receptor activity decreases, LDL catabolism depresses and hence the blood levels increases.
Other health damaging effetcs of bacon also include that it not only comes under the group of red meat but it is also a member of processed meat groups.
Processed meat is usually red meat preserved via smoking, curing, or salting and it includes many favorite American foods in addition to bacon:

• Ham
• Sausage
• Hot dogs
• Bologna
• Salami
• Pepperoni
• Pastrami

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. The only reason why it is harmful for huumans is that they are usually manufactured with a carcinogenic ingredient known as sodium nitrite. This is used as a color fixer by meat companies to turn packaged meats a bright red color so they look fresh. Unfortunately, sodium nitrite also results in the formation of cancer-causing nitrosamines in the human body. And this leads to a sharp increase in cancer risk for those who eat them. A 2005 University of Hawaii study found that processed meats increase the risk of pancreatic cancer by 67 percent. Another study revealed that every 50 grams of processed meat consumed daily increases the risk of colorectal cancer by 50 percent. These are alarming numbers. Note that 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.
Carcinogenic PAH (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) compounds are another type of compounds that can be produced during processing.
Thus by the overall facts we hear about bacon it is better we dont make it a part of our daily diet.  If we have bacon its better we cut down the serving size to small. As it is a well known fact that antioxidants help to prevent cancer , its better if we  include lots of antioxidant rich fruits and vegetables in our diet where ever possible. If you are a real bacon lover than its better if you cut down on the rest of the processed meats.
If you want a lower fat and saturated fat pork bacon, choose from the center cut bacons, namely Oscar Mayer Center Cut Smokehouse Thick Sliced. If you want turkey bacon, try a few types until you find a brand you really like.

Glycemic index

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Carbohydrate is a dirty word today.
But you have to remember that we are not eating the type of carbohydrate that nature intended for us to eat. The carbohydrate which we consume today is deformed, denatured and devaluated.
The type of carbohydrate which is naturally available and is good for our health is the ” COMPLEX FORM ” meaning they are composed of long chains of sugars. These longs chains are bound up with the food’s fiber. The sugars have to be broken free form both thier chains and the fiber if they are to be released into our bloodstream.
Absorption of these sugars is relatively slow and methodical. The sugars are broken free and taken into the bloodstream over the course of many hours, which is why complex carbohydrates provide long-lasting energy. If you eat a bowel of cooked grain in the morning, you will have energy throughout the entire morning, before you experience a dip in energy around noon – just in time for you to consume another round of complex carbohydrates to take you to dinner.
A very different process occurs when you eat processed foods. The sugars in the processed foods are in ” SIMPLE FORM” i.e they are free of their chains and fiber. The sweetness is tasted immediately and the simple sugars start entering your bloodstream through your the moment you start eating them. When refined white sugar enters your bloodstream, it becomes glucose or blood sugar. In response to the presence of sugar, your pancreas secretes insulin.Insulin brings your blood sugar back down, but primarily by converting the excess sugar to stored fat. Also, the greater the rate of increase in your blood sugar, the more chance that your body will release an excess amount of insulin, and drive your blood sugar back down too low.Therefore, when you eat foods that cause a large and rapid glycemic response, you may feel an initial elevation in energy and mood as your blood sugar rises, but this is followed by a cycle of increased fat storage, lethargy, and more hunger!
Thus GI carbs that slowly trickle glucose into your blood stream keeps your energy levels balanced and means you will feel fuller for longer between meals.

• Low GI diets help people lose and control weight
• Low GI diets increase the body’s sensitivity to insulin
• Low GI carbs improve diabetes control
• Low GI carbs reduce the risk of heart disease
• Low GI carbs reduce blood cholesterol levels
• Low GI carbs can help you manage the symptoms of PCOS
• Low GI carbs reduce hunger and keep you fuller for longer
• Low GI carbs prolong physical endurance
• High GI carbs help re-fuel carbohydrate stores after exercise

How to switch to a low GI carbs diet?

The basic technique for eating the low GI way is simply a “this for that” approach – ie, swapping high GI carbs for low GI carbs. You don’t need to count numbers or do any sort of mental arithmetic to make sure you are eating a healthy, low GI diet.

• Use breakfast cereals based on oats, barley and bran
• Use breads with wholegrains, stone-ground flour, sour dough
• Reduce the amount of potatoes you eat
• Enjoy all other types of fruit and vegetables
• Use Basmati or Doongara rice
• Enjoy pasta, noodles, quinoa
• Eat plenty of salad vegetables with a vinaigrette dressing

Avocados

Once shunned for high fat and calorie contents compared to other fruits, avocados are gaining popularity day by day.

Most avocados sold in U.S. are grown in California with some cropping up from Florida, Mexico and Chile. There are nearly 500 varieties but pebbly skinned Hass is most common and available year- around.

Nutritional value:
 1 ounce (or about 1/5th of hass avocado) has approximately 5 gms of fat- mostly mono-unsaturated fat. Clinical evidence is limited but several studies examining the effects of diets high in mono-unsaturated fatty acids have with avocados as the main source have found favorable results. Research suggests that avocados may help improve blood lipid profiles, benefit weight loss and - as a partial replacement for carbohydrates among people with non-insulin dependent diabetes - improve lipid profiles and help maintain glycemic control too.

Avocados are particularly favorable as a substitute for spreads. Compared to an equal amount of butter or mayonnaise, two tablespoons of avocados contribute significantly less fat (5gms vs. 23 gms in butter and 9gms in mayo) and calories (50 calories vs. 204 calories in butter and 109 calories in mayo). Its saturated fat and sodium contribution is lower than that of butter and mayo. Since avocados are fruit, they have vitamins,minerals and other plant compounds not found in butter or mayonnaise.

Along with folate, potassium, Vitamin C, E and K, and fiber, avocados also contain phytonutrients. Several carotenoids including alpha-carotene, beta-carotene and lutein are found in avocados. Lutein may benefit eye health by lowering risk of age related macular degeneration, a leading cause of vision loss among americans aged 60 and older.

So get adventurous with this creamy, dreamy fruit. Try it in diced salads and salsas or sliced in omelets. Spread it mashed on sandwiches or burgers in place of mayo or whirl it into smoothies!!