Authors: Travis Stork
The Doctor's Diet: Dr. Travis Stork's STAT Program to Help You Lose Weight & Restore Your Health (21 page)
Higher in total omega-3s
Higher in conjugated linoleic acid, a fatty acid that may fight disease
Lower in the saturated fats linked with heart disease
But wait—before you run off and start eating red meat three times a day, I still feel that we have a lot to learn about red meat before we fully understand its impact on human health. We have studies suggesting that grass-fed meat is healthier—but we still don’t know if those health benefits will result in lower disease rates.
Until we have a fuller picture of this evolving story, here’s what I suggest: Limit your red meat intake to a few servings a week. When you do choose red meat, go for grass-fed or wild when possible. And limit your intake of processed meats.
Just so we’re clear, processed meats are meats preserved by smoking, curing, salting, or with the addition of preservatives. I like the taste of bacon as much as anyone else, but I seldom eat it. I enjoy sausages, but you rarely find them on my plate as well. Same goes for ham, pastrami, salami, pepperoni, and hot dogs. They’re tasty, but in my opinion, not worth the risk as a daily go-to option.
Why? The connection between colorectal cancer and eating processed meats is “startlingly strong,” according to the American Institute of Cancer Research. When meat is processed, cured, smoked, or preserved, cancer-causing compounds can be formed.
Meat lovers smile at the thought of a perfectly grilled steak, a tasty piece of broiled chicken, or a yummy kabob of barbecued shrimp. I like those foods as much as the next guy or gal, but unfortunately, those cooking methods aren’t the safest way to go.
When meat, poultry, and seafood are cooked and charred at high temperatures, as they are during grilling and broiling, the heat reacts with compounds in the meat to produce carcinogenic compounds known as heterocyclic amines (HCAs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). When consumed, HCAs and PAHs can damage DNA and contribute to the development of cancer of the colon and stomach.
This makes me uneasy about grilling and broiling meat. I think it’s fine to grill occasionally, but I wouldn’t recommend making grilling or broiling your everyday cooking method. Baking, poaching, stir-frying, and braising seem to be healthier choices.
Go ahead and grill fruits and vegetables, though—the compounds in meats that lead to carcinogen formation are not found in plant foods. You’d be amazed at how delicious grilled fruits and vegetables taste!
TIPS FOR HEALTHIER GRILLING
When you do opt to grill meat, poultry, and shellfish, follow these guidelines to help minimize the formation of carcinogens:
Choose leaner cuts of meat, and trim off all visible fat, because dripping fat can cause fiery flare-ups that deposit carcinogenic compounds on food.
Turn down the flames; fewer flames mean fewer carcinogens.
Marinate meats for 30 minutes before grilling. Studies have shown that marinating meats before grilling can actually reduce the formation of carcinogens. The healthiest marinades contain nutrient-rich ingredients such as olive oil, vinegar, citrus juices, minced vegetables from the allium family (onions, chives, garlic, leeks), fresh herbs (rosemary, thyme, parsley, oregano, sage), and spices (turmeric, cumin, chili powder). Use paper towels to dry off excess marinade before cooking, because dripping marinade can cause flare-ups.
Parboil meats before grilling—for example, poach chicken in boiling water until it’s mostly cooked, and then finish it up on the grill.
Flip meat often to reduce charring.
WRAP UP A PROTEIN-VEGGIE PACKET
Broiling or grilling meat in foil packets is one of my favorite cooking methods for poultry and fish. Not only does it protect
your meat from forming HCAs and PAHs, but it is an easy, delicious way to make a nutritious protein and veggie meal without a lot of fuss or cleanup.
Here’s how to do it: Place a piece of poultry or fish on the center part of a 12- by 18-inch piece of foil sprayed with cooking spray. Top with a serving of chopped fresh broccoli, cauliflower, red peppers, zucchini, or whatever vegetables you like. Drizzle with 1 teaspoon of oil (olive, sesame, peanut, or canola, depending on the taste you’re going for) and sprinkle with fresh or dried herbs and/or spices to taste. Roll the top and ends of the foil together to seal the package well, but leave some room in the packet for air to circulate. Place on the grill or under the broiler and cook for 12 to 18 minutes, depending on the thickness of the poultry or fish. When it’s ready to come off the heat, don’t make the mistake of grabbing the hot-to-the-touch foil packet with your bare hands—a wide metal spatula works best for this—and be careful not to burn yourself on the steam emitting from the packet when you open it.
There’s no doubt about it: protein has the power to help you lose weight. And The Doctor’s Diet is carefully designed to help you harness protein’s power. No, you can’t go crazy with protein, loading your plate with high-protein foods whenever you feel like it. But by using protein strategically—eating balanced amounts of it throughout your day in the most effective way possible—you can take full advantage of its ability to burn fat, fight hunger pangs, and rev up weight loss.
The story doesn’t end with protein, though. The carbohydrates you eat (and don’t eat) play a huge part in weight loss as well. That’s why making smart choices about carbohydrates is my next Food Prescription.
CHOOSE SUPER-FILLING, FAT-BURNING
CARBOHYDRATES
These days, when people peddling fad diets say the word “carbohydrate,” they tend to get a sour look on their faces, as if they’ve just bitten into a very tart lemon. To them, carbohydrates should be avoided at just about all costs. It’s all very black-and-white to them: Carbohydrates are bad. Staying away from them is good.
The only problem with this kind of anti-carbohydrate approach is that it reflects the old way of thinking that has been debunked by the scientific community.
Listen, when it comes to sugar, white flour, white bread, and many of the other simple sugars—I’ll tell you more about them in a minute—I agree, you’re better off without them. But there are plenty of good carbohydrates that you absolutely should be including in your meals. Foods like vegetables, fruits, legumes—even whole grains, which some fad diets wouldn’t recommend in a million years.