The meat of the matter

In 1984, a fast-food chain ran a TV ad showing three gray-haired ladies staring at a large bun with a small serving of something – perhaps a pickle – where there should have been a hamburger. Then came the now-famous catchphrase, “Where’s the beef?”

Well, if you often eat fast foods, the answer is: “Coursing through and clogging up your cardiovascular system.” When researchers looked at data on 88,000 women and 37,000 men from The Nurse’s Health Study (1980-2008) and Health Professional Study (1986-2008) they found that one serving of processed red meat increased your risk of dying by more than 20 per cent over the next 20-26 years and caused more than a 20 per cent increase in cardiovascular disease and a 16 percent increase in cancer! And unprocessed red meat didn’t do much better.

Are you one of 47 percent of Americans with at least one of these risk factors for heart disease: high blood pressure, high LDL cholesterol or smoking? Or one of the 28.1 million diagnosed with heart disease? Adopting the following Diet Plus four days a week and the standard Diet for the other three can save your life.

Diet Plus: No animal proteins, oils or sugar. Enjoy nuts, whole grains, legumes, veggies and fruit.

The Standard Diet: No red meats, added sugars or processed foods.

Stick with healthy oils like olive and omega-3s. If you’re combating heart disease, limit healthy fats to around 10 per cent of total calories.