You might've seen it, you might not have. The World Health Organization and International Agency for Research on Cancer recently classified red meat under Class 2A, meaning it's probably carcinogenic to humans and may causes colorectal cancer, but they are waiting for better studies to link the two; they classified processed meat under Class 1, meaning it is carcinogenic to humans because of many studies linking it to colorectal cancer. You may be wondering, "what else is under Class 2A and 1?" Here is a short list.
Group 1 consists of other things besides processed meat, such as formaldehyde, ethanol found in alcoholic beverages due to overconsumption, cigarettes, asbestos, diesel exhaust, air pollution, radioactive materials and many others. Group 2A consists of things such as lead, anabolic steroids, constant exposure to insecticides, rotating shift work that disrupts your circadian rhythm and various other chemicals. As predicted, the meat industry threw a fit and vegans and vegetarians celebrated, but that's not what this article is about. I'm not going to focus on the possible causes of this or make an argument that eating bacon is the same as smoking a cigarette, because I don't believe it is. I am going to focus on enjoying our lives and doing so in a healthier manner.
Pick your vices.
I'd be a liar and a hypocrite if I said I lived a "carcinogen-free" life. Aside from being required to breathe in our air, which is unfortunately polluted, my life consists of a few vices. I knowingly make the choice to put something bad in my body that I know I shouldn't, but I do it anyway. It may make me sound less than credible to say that I do this, but hey, we're all human. My vices include a very occasional cigar, partaking in what is considered binge drinking on some weekends, and forgoing sleep on a day or two of the week for things that I deem to be more important. I'm not saying all of us have vices, but many of us do because they add enjoyment to our lives. I'm neither condoning nor shunning the use of vices, I'm just saying to limit it to a few.
Enjoy everything in moderation.
"Live life in balance and enjoy everything in moderation." It's one of my mantras in life. I've already touched on balance in my previous articles, so I will discuss moderation in this one. I previously stated that I do have vices; however, I do not partake in these vices on a day-to-day basis or even what would be considered "often." I am not all for living a straight-arrow life all of the time, and I am not at all for a life filled with unhealthy choices. It is important to live a little, let off some steam and enjoy the moment. The same goes for a diet, I am not for a really strict one and I am not at all for a very unhealthy one; cheating every once in a while helps keep you sane.
How does this tie into red and processed meats? Many people consume these things because they taste good and are convenient. I've eaten my fair share of lunch meat and I can't deny that I used to love steak, I wasn't always a vegan and I once had what people consider to be "normal tastebuds." However, I ate what I would now consider to be way too much of it. It is important to find a proper balance between healthy and unhealthy. I recommend people highly reconsider their consumption of processed meats and eat them only once or so a month, such as going out and having bacon for breakfast or stopping at Subway on a road trip. I also recommend that people reduce their red meat consumption to once or twice a week, because chances are there will be an upgrade from a Class 2A to a Class 1 in the next five years or so. This is moderation—there is no complete elimination or overindulgence taking place here.
Don't live your life in fear.
This kind of wraps the two up. There is no need to be scared all of the time. It is important to remember that we are all human, and that unfortunately we all have an expiration date. Some activities in life speed it up, and some extend it. You shouldn't abstain from doing some things because they shorten it, but you should know that they do. On that note, be able to justify in your mind why you do them. There's no need to always and only do things in life that extend your years on this planet, unless you really enjoy living your life that way. James Dean once said, "Dream as if you'll live forever; live as if you'll die today," and I have to agree to an extent. Be sure that at the end of the day, you can say you had fun and that you truly enjoy your life.
