IARC Monographs evaluate consumption of red meat and processed meat

The consumption of meat varies greatly among countries. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the cancer agency of the World Health Organization, has evaluated the carcinogenicity of the consumption of red meat and processed meat. 

Red meat
The IARC classified the consumption of red meat as probably carcinogenic to humans, based on limited evidence that the consumption of red meat causes cancer in humans and strong mechanistic evidence supporting a carcinogenic effect.

This association was observed mainly for colorectal cancer, but associations were also seen for pancreatic cancer and prostate cancer. 

Processed meat
Processed meat was classified as carcinogenic to humans, based on sufficient evidence in humans that the consumption of processed meat causes colorectal cancer. This is because processed meat contains nitrates, which is added as a preservative. During digestive process, it changes to carcinogenic nitrosamines. Thus regular consumption of processed meat increases the risk of colorectal cancer, gastric cancer as well as esophageal cancer.

The experts concluded that each 50 gram portion of processed meat eaten daily increases the risk of colorectal cancer by 18%.

“For an individual, the risk of developing colorectal cancer because of their consumption of processed meat remains small, but this risk increases with the amount of meat consumed,” says Dr Kurt Straif, Head of the IARC Monographs Programme.

”These findings further support current public health recommendations to limit intake of meat,” says Dr Christopher Wild, Director of IARC.

E-Factor Diet Program

Meal planning is extremely important when it comes to losing weight.

Revealing factors that will cause weight loss to happen by eating the same foods at different times is the real effectiveness secret of E-Factor Diet Program.

According to John Rowling, weight loss is not about what to eat but when and how to eat. Improper timing for food intake actually causes the body to over produce glucose while the carbohydrate diet will make people accumulate fat onto their bodies.

The ideal foods meant for breakfast are not the same as for lunch and dinner.

Dinner should be lighter in calories making it easier for our stomach to digest or consume it before going to sleep. Lunch can vary with energizing foods to snacks and healthy salads or whatever one likes as it will get digested throughout the day.

For breakfast, it should be the healthiest and biggest meal as the stomach will consume whatever consumed thereby increasing the metabolism for rest of the day. The fat hungry hormones are active as people are awake which unlock all the fat cells using the stored fat to provide energy through the healthy meal.  

Why could not lose weight no matter how hard you tried?

There are some foods causing water retention in our body and sticking the weight on the same scale. And so no matter how hard we tried, we still could not effectively lose weight. And these foods should be avoided during the day as they cause“bee sting reaction”in the body.

Mostly these foods consist of sodium.  Our body is very sensitive, always tries to maintain homeostasis at the cellular level. Our body cells are filled and surrounded with water. Around and within those cells, specific water percentages are controlled by chemical processes which involve sodium and potassium levels, hormones, and proper kidney function.

Generally, if we are taking in an excess amount of sodium, the mechanism which expels water from our cells is inhibited, thus causing them to swell. This is the basic science behind sodium-related water retention.

Currently, many foods contain salt as a preservative; preventing foods from spoiling by inhibiting the growth of bacteria. Additionally, sodium enhances flavor, prevents excessive dryness in snacks and makes sweets taste even sweeter. It can also mask unsavory metallic and chemical essences that accompany many prepackaged and processed products. These foods include processed and preserved meats and foods as well as canned foods.

Processed and Preserved Meats and Foods
These include ham, bacon, roast beef, chicken, cheese, butter and so on. All of these processed items are packed with sodium. For example, bacon contains an average 2,700 mg of sodium per 100g.

Canned Foods
Canned foods such as soup, beans, and olives almost always have a high sodium content and so be sure to track the amount of sodium per serving.

3 Worst Foods to Eat in the Morning

The three worst foods are:

1. Muffins 
Most store-bought muffins are giant and may contain over 600-700 calories but have no protein or healthy fats to keep you feeling full and satisfied. 

2. Bagels
Also most bagels have the equivalent of four servings of bread, which will quickly convert into sugar, making you store fat and feel lethargic in no time.

3. Cereals
The majority of over-the-counter cereals are cleverly disguised as “healthy” but with empty calories and only simple carbs and sugar. 

These foods will make you literally swell up, while making you feel fat and bloated the entire day.  They also force your body to depend on sugar all day, instead of burning fat.  

In fact, the ideal foods meant for breakfast should not be the same as for lunch and dinner.

According to John Rowling (the author of the E-Factor Diet Program), the endothermic foods should be taken for breakfast as they will burn fat naturally for the endocrine system. This may explain the reason behind leaving enough gaps between dinner and breakfast as the stomach is waiting for breakfast for long to hurry consuming all the energy provided.

It is therefore considered to enjoy the healthiest and biggest meal for breakfast as the stomach will consume whatever they consume thereby increasing the metabolism for rest of the day. The fat hungry hormones are active as people are awake which unlock all the fat cells using the stored fat to provide energy through healthy meal. And this also explains why starving does not work for losing weight.

Effects on Celiac disease

Celiac disease, also known as celiac sprue or gluten-sensitive enteropathy, is a digestive disorder that occurs in reaction to gluten, which is a kind of protein found in rye, barley, wheat, and hundreds of foods made with these grains. Our immune system reacts to the gluten and causes damage to the intestine.

The damage to the intestine makes it hard for our body to absorb nutrients, especially fat, calcium, iron and folate.

Normally, the immune system is designed to protect it from foreign invaders. When people with celiac disease eat foods containing gluten, their immune system forms antibodies to gluten which then attack the intestinal lining. This causes inflammation in the intestines and damages the villi (the hair-like structures on the lining of the small intestine), by which the nutrients from food are normally absorbed. If the villi are damaged, the person cannot absorb nutrients properly and ends up malnourished.

Symptoms of celiac disease vary among sufferers and include:
·        Digestive problems (abdominal bloating, pain, gas, diarrhea, pale stools and weight loss)

·        A severe skin rash called dermatitis herpetiformis

·        Iron deficiency anemia (low blood count)

·        Musculoskeletal problems (muscle cramps, joint and bone pain)

·        Growth problems and failure to thrive (in children) because they cannot absorb enough nutrients.
 ·        Seizures

·        Tingling sensation in the legs (caused by nerve damage and low calcium)

·        Aphthous ulcers (sores in the mouth)

·        Missed menstrual periods

In addition, celiac disease can leave a person susceptible to other health problems, including:

·        Osteoporosis, a disease that weakens bones and leads to fractures. This occurs because the person has trouble absorbing enough calcium and vitamin D.

·        Miscarriage or infertility.

·        Birth defects, such as neural tube defects (improper formation of the spine) caused by poor absorption of such nutrients as folic acid.

And so if you are diagnosed with celiac disease, you need to adopt a gluten free lifestyle. After cutting out gluten, you would feel better.

As more people discover they have celiac disease and others are adopting a gluten free lifestyle, more and more restaurants now label gluten free items on the menu or have a separate gluten free menu available. But, if these are not available, you may need to prepare some nuts or fruits in your pocket or bag beforehand, or you may order burgers without the bun, for example. 

Uses for Tea Tree Oil

Tea tree or called melaleuca oil comes from the leaves of the Australian tea tree plant known as Melaleuca alternifolia.

Everyday Uses for Tea Tree Oil: 

1 Beautifying Skin Cleanser

The most popular way to use tea tree oil is in skin care applications. But it can dry out your skin. And so always dilute it before applying to your skin, and start with a low concentration until you determine how your skin will react. All you need is just a few drops of tea tree oil diluted in 30 drops of witch hazel. This combination can be used daily for your skin cleansing needs.

2. Refreshing Foot Bath
For a rejuvenating, comforting foot bath, combine 1 tablespoon dried rosemary, 1 tablespoon dried sage, 1 teaspoon powered ginger, 4 cups water, 1 tablespoon baking soda, 1 tablespoon Epsom salts and 10 drops tea tree oil. 

Combine the rosemary, sage and ginger in a large saucepan with water and bring to a boil, and then remove from heat, cover and steep for 10 minutes. Strain out the herbs and mix in the baking soda, Epsom salts and tea tree oil. Pour the concoction into your foot spa or any basin big enough for your feet, and soak for up to 15 minutes.

3 Skin-softening Balm 

Add 5-10 drops of tea tree oil to two tablespoons of warm coconut oil. Allow the mixture to return to a solid state and apply to hands, knees, elbows or any area of your body that deserves a little extra moisturizing and softening attention.

4 Bathroom Cleaner 

Combine one cup of vinegar (apple cider vinegar) with half a teaspoon of tea tree oil Add this mixture to a spray bottle and get cleaning.

5 Humidifier Cleaner
Add 5-10 drops of tea tree oil to the water reservoir of your humidifier. The tea tree oil’s natural cleansing properties will refresh and renew the humidifier.

6 Toothbrush Cleaner

Add a drop or two of tea tree oil to a small cup of water and soak your toothbrush in the solution.

7 Natural Pest Control

Tea tree oil has a distinctive smell that will naturally keep ants and other insects away.

8 Laundry Refresher

Adding a few drops of tea tree oil to your regular detergent will make your laundry smell crisper and fresher when it comes out to dry.

9 Mold Cleaner

Mix 20 drops of tea tree oil with two cups of apple cider vinegar inside a spray bottle to attack mold growing around your windowsills.

10 Tea Tree Oil Deodorant 

Mix the baking soda and cornstarch together first while combining the softened coconut oil and tea tree oil together in a separate bowl. Add the two mixtures together and allow to set into a solid form.

Is Tea Tree Oil safe? 
The answer is yes, but as with anything, you need to follow label instructions and recommendations.