Show Me The Bacon!
There are a number of people teaching that bacon added into
our diets is a valuable Macro that is very beneficial for muscle growth and
development. Of course most guys, and many girls, are embracing this with
cheers and applause, and then consuming vast amounts on a weekly basis as part
of their Health & Fitness programs! Three cheers for the bacon!!
But I would like to pause for a moment and consider if this
is the best option and mindset for us.
As a health and wellness consultant with a focus on Nutrition for
Athletes, my job is to help people understand that fitness and health are not
always the same things. I want people to
be able to continue to do the things that they love for years to come and to
accomplish this goal, they must maintain their health as well as their fitness
and lean muscle mass. I see too many athletes who have amazing fitness,
endurance, speed, and power, but end up crashing because their health was
compromised. Most of them struggle to ever recover the energy or fitness levels
that they previously had and many end up living with various autoimmune
diseases.
What does bacon have to do with all of this? I am not
arguing that it doesn’t qualify as a good Macro, my concern is on the rest of
our health. What about the impact on our heart health? How about affecting
negatively the acid/alkaline balance in our bodies? When we are too acidic we
have increased inflammation, which causes pain, increases recovery time, and
interferes with testosterone and human growth hormone releases. Being too
acidic also dramatically increases our risk factors for cancer, stroke, and
many autoimmune concerns.
And what about finding clean sources of bacon? How many
people are looking at the additives such as nitrates and nitrites that are put
in most bacon products? Many of us are not even aware of these additives and
the impact on our health. We have been blinded by the siren song and sweet
aroma that calls to us.
My advice is for your long-term fun and vitality. Treat bacon like a treat! In the same
way that you are careful about the amounts of dessert and how often you add
those in to your diet, treat bacon in the same way. Do not view it as an
important and essential part of your daily fuel or you run the risk of losing
much of your hard earned awesomeness! And for some of us the risk factors are
enough that we just say no. Remember that the thrill of being the best version
of you is worth far more than that moment of temporary enjoyment.
Here’s to living life with no regrets!
Brandt Roney
