Author: Myles Spar

It would be nice if you could trust that everything available at the grocery store is safe. Unfortunately, many of the foods people eat on a regular basis are potentially carcinogenic. Here are some common foods that may cause cancer and how to avoid them at the grocery store.
 

Red Meat and Processed Meat
As I explain here, there’s a lot of evidence showing an association between these types of meat and increased cancer risk. In 2015, an advisory committee made up of 22 scientists from 10 countries met at the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) to “evaluate carcinogenicity of the consumption of red meat and processed meat.” According to a Q&A released after this meeting, red meat refers to muscle meat like beef, pork, lamb, and goat, while processed meats include hot dogs, ham, sausage, and jerky. The committee classified red meat as Group 2A, probably carcinogenic to humans, based on limited evidence from epidemiological studies showing positive associations between eating red meat and developing colorectal cancer. They also based this classification on strong mechanistic evidence. Processed meat was classified as Group 1, carcinogenic to humans, because sufficient evidence from epidemiological studies shows eating processed meat directly causes colorectal cancer.
 

Farmed Salmon
The Environmental Working Group (EWG) reports farmed salmon have an average of 16 times more polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) than wild salmon. Shown to cause cancer in animals and established as potentially carcinogenic for humans, these chemicals were banned in 1979. But the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says PCBs may still be present in materials produced before the ban and, since they don’t really break down, they can cycle between air, water, and soil in the environment for a long time. Independent laboratory tests commissioned by the EWG in 2003 found seven of ten farmed salmon purchased at grocery stores in San Francisco, Portland, and Washington, D.C. were contaminated with problematic PCB levels. The levels in six of the fish were so high the EPA wouldn’t consider them safe to eat more than once a month by their standards for wild-caught fish. You can reduce your exposure to PCBs by using methods like grilling and baking to allow the excess fat that holds most of the PCBs to cook off.
 

Mass-Produced Bread, Pizza Crust, and Crackers
A food additive called potassium bromate that’s used to make dough more elastic has been identified as a possible carcinogen by many health organizations and is banned in the EU, UK, Canada, and Brazil. In a 2015 analysis, the EWG found potassium bromate listed as an ingredient in at least 86 baked goods and other supermarket products. As Nneka Leiba, EWG’s deputy director of research, told the Los Angeles Times, “In light of the evidence showing its potential harm to human health, it’s alarming that companies continue to use potassium bromate in their breads and other baked goods.” California has placed potassium bromate on its Proposition 65 list, meaning an item containing it must carry a cancer warning on its label.
 

Now that you know that these foods have been shown to cause cancer, how can you avoid them at the grocery store? To cut down on red meat consumption, consider switching to a whole food, plant-based diet. As I write about here, this way of eating may reduce your risk of heart disease as well as cancer. Although contamination is a possibility with any fatty fish, purchasing wild salmon instead of farmed will reduce your exposure to carcinogens. As for potassium bromate, you can avoid this potentially dangerous additive by eliminating mass-produced and processed foods from your diet. At the grocery store, this means shopping primarily in the outer aisles, particularly the produce section. Better yet, skip the store and head to your local farmer’s market to buy fresh food straight from the farmer—check out this National Farmer’s Market Directory to find one near you.
 

Still not sure which foods you should be avoiding? Do you have other questions about the best way to eat for your body? Contact Tack180 for a free consultation. We can assess your dietary needs and develop a personalized nutrition plan to help you reach your peak and achieve your goals.

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About Myles Spar, MD

Myles Spar, MD, MPH is board-certified in Internal Medicine and in Integrative Medicine. As a clinician, teacher and researcher on faculty of two major medical centers, he has led the charge for a more proactive, holistic and personalized approach to care that focuses on cutting edge technology and preventative care. Dr. Spar has traveled with the NBA, presented a TEDx Talk, appeared on Dr. Oz, and been featured in publications such as the Men’s Journal and the Los Angeles Times.

Protein. We all know it’s important for our health, but beyond that, things can get a little murky. How much protein do I really need? What kind? What are good food sources of protein? What about protein powders? As an athlete and a physician who works with athletes, I’ve spent a lot of time researching this topic. Here’s a simple explanation of protein intake.
 
What is protein?
It’s impossible to overstate the vital role protein plays in your body’s functions. According to the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, protein—found in muscle, bone, skin, hair, and much more—helps power many chemical reactions and carries oxygen in your blood.
 
How much do I need?
To figure out how much protein you should be getting every day, you may need to do some math. LIVESTRONG explains that the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for protein is contingent on your age and gender, although in general the suggested intake for men is 56 grams per day. An individual amount can be calculated based on your body weight, and you can find step-by-step instructions here.
 
What kind?
When it comes to protein, it seems that quality is more important than quantity. For example, while red meat is an excellent source of protein, it’s also high in saturated fat and has been associated with an increased risk of heart disease and cancer (I include red meat on my list of top foods that cause cancer). Researchers followed 120,000 men subjects in the Nurses’ Health Study and Health Professionals Follow-Up Study for more than two decades and found that their risk of dying from cardiovascular disease went up 13 percent for every additional three ounces of unprocessed red meat they ate each day. And every additional 1.5 ounce serving of processed red meat consumed each day—equivalent to two strips of bacon or one hot dog—was linked to a 20 percent increase in the risk of death from cardiovascular disease.
 
Healthy protein like the kind found in fish and plant sources, on the other hand, has been shown to lower disease risk. In a study called the Optimal Macronutrient Intake Trial for Heart Health (OmniHeart), a diet that subbed healthy protein or fat for some carbohydrates more effectively lowered blood pressure and LDL (“bad”) cholesterol than a diet that was similarly healthy but higher in carbs. And research suggests eating just one serving per day of plant-based protein like the kind found in beans and lentils may help with weight loss, likely thanks to the feeling of fullness these foods provide. Not a big bean guy? Here are three other foods that are good sources of plant-based protein.
 

1. Spirulina
   In addition to being packed with energy-boosting amino acids, this blue-green algae powder contains an amazing amount of protein—around 25 grams per ¼ cup! Try adding a scoop of spirulina powder to your morning smoothie.

2. Quinoa
   Considered an “ancient grain” due its long history of nutritional use dating back to the Incas, quinoa contains 8 grams of high-quality protein per cup. It can be subbed for rice in any recipe.

3. Pumpkin Seeds
   A single cup of these seeds, sometimes called pepitas, contains a whopping 12 grams of protein. Pumpkin seeds are also one of the few plant-based sources of zinc, an essential nutrient that has been linked to prostate health.

 
What about protein powder?
Although you’ll ideally get enough protein from your diet, protein powders are a convenient way to give yourself a boost. But, as I write about here, there are a lot of choices on the market. How do you know which one will work for you? CrossFit website The Box advises reading the label carefully. Amino acids like taurine and glycine might sound good, but they’re often added by companies in an effort to falsely inflate a product’s protein content. The Box suggests looking for leucine, an amino acid that appears to trigger muscle-protein-manufacturing systems. Personally, I prefer a “clean” product like the grass fed, organic protein powders from Tera’s Whey. They’re all natural, high quality, and they taste amazing—especially the Bourbon Vanilla flavor. For a vegan protein source, I recommend Vega Sport protein powder with pea and pumpkin seed protein.
 
Still not sure about your protein intake? Contact Tack180. We can devise a diet and supplement plan that will meet all your needs, allowing you to be the best version of yourself.

Tack180 Individual Tests Tack180 Full Program

About Myles Spar, MD

Myles Spar, MD, MPH is board-certified in Internal Medicine and in Integrative Medicine. As a clinician, teacher and researcher on faculty of two major medical centers, he has led the charge for a more proactive, holistic and personalized approach to care that focuses on cutting edge technology and preventative care. Dr. Spar has traveled with the NBA, presented a TEDx Talk, appeared on Dr. Oz, and been featured in publications such as the Men’s Journal and the Los Angeles Times.

Have you heard people talking about intermittent fasting? Fasting involves organizing your eating into a schedule of extended periods without food consumption punctuated by smaller windows where you’re allowed to eat, and proponents claim it can help you lose weight, prevent illness, and even add years to your life. But what is the intermittent fasting diet, and should you try it? Here are some facts to consider.
 
What is intermittent fasting?
As the name implies, intermittent fasting means cycling between eating and fasting. Unlike most diets, which tell you what you should and shouldn’t eat, intermittent fasting is all about when you eat. Although this type of diet may seem like a new phenomenon, Healthline reports that humans have actually been fasting for thousands of years, whether because they simply didn’t have much food, for religious reasons, or during periods of illness. As modern science has explored the potential health benefits of intermittent fasting, this way of eating has become increasingly popular. As explained by Men’s Journal, there are a few different ways to fast intermittently.
 
Alternate Day Fasting
This method involves consuming nothing but water plus 500 calories (200 of which should be protein) for 24 hours, then eating the way you want for 24 hours. The 500 calories can come from one meal or spread out through the day. This cycle is repeated every two days, so you get to eat what you want every other day.
 

5:2 Diet
To follow this diet, you pick two non-consecutive days every week to consume no more than 500 calories, including 200 calories from protein (all at once or spread throughout the day). Then you eat whatever you want the other five days of the week. People like this diet because they find only two days of fasting to be manageable, especially when they know they can eat anything on non-fasting days.
 
16:8 Diet
You already fast at night while sleeping, and this diet extends that fast. Also known as time-restricted feeding, the 16:8 diet involves fasting each day for 16 hours out of 24, then eating whatever you want during an eight-hour window. Many followers of this diet don’t eat anything before noon and stop eating at 8 pm. If you’re not much of a breakfast eater anyway, this diet may be relatively easy for you to implement.
 
Fasting Mimicking Diet
Valter Longo, PhD from USC has developed a very strict diet meant to be followed for 5 days at a time (done every 3 months or so, depending on your own medical issues) which he espouses is the best way to gain the longevity benefits from fasting. He writes about the science behind his approach in his book, The Longevity Diet. I’m planning to give his diet a try – so I’ll keep you posted how that goes.
 
What are the benefits?
Intermittent fasting has the potential to improve health in a number of ways, including:

• • Weight Loss: Fasting lowers insulin levels, allowing your body to burn fat stores for energy. A huge analysis conducted in 2017 by the International Society of Sports Nutrition found that intermittent fasting works as well, if not better, than conventional calorie restriction for improving body composition. And it seems to be particularly good for people who are looking to burn fat without losing muscle. As Krista Varady, Ph.D., an associate professor of kinesiology and nutrition at the University of Illinois at Chicago, told Men’s Journal, “When people lose weight, typically 75% is fat loss and 25% is muscle mass. But with fasting, the ratio actually changes so that 90% of weight loss is fat and 10% is muscle.” Varady also said that the stabilizing effect of intermittent fasting on insulin levels could make it a good diet for people with type 2 diabetes.

• • Heart Health: Intermittent fasting may reduce your risk of heart disease, according to the Mayo Clinic. Not only does fasting help you maintain your weight and blood sugar levels, both of which are important for heart health, it can also lower your LDL (“bad”) cholesterol levels. See my posts here and here for more information on how diet can affect heart health.

• • Brain Protection: Mark Mattson, chief of the Laboratory of Neurosciences at the National Institute of Aging in Baltimore, told The Guardian that fasting could help neurons by providing them with a fuel alternative to glucose. He added that these types of diets may also protect aging brains from diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

Interested in learning more about intermittent fasting? Before you start, talk to us at Tack180. We can do testing to help identify if intermittent fasting is right for you. It’s always important to consult a medical professional before starting a new diet, especially one like these, and we can tailor the perfect plan for you.

Tack180 Individual Tests Tack180 Full Program

About Myles Spar, MD

Myles Spar, MD, MPH is board-certified in Internal Medicine and in Integrative Medicine. As a clinician, teacher and researcher on faculty of two major medical centers, he has led the charge for a more proactive, holistic and personalized approach to care that focuses on cutting edge technology and preventative care. Dr. Spar has traveled with the NBA, presented a TEDx Talk, appeared on Dr. Oz, and been featured in publications such as the Men’s Journal and the Los Angeles Times.