BACON! Health Risks & Plant-Based Alternatives

To say that we are a bacon obsessed culture would be a gross understatement. In fact, 43% of Canadians would rather eat bacon than have sex, according to a 2010 study! Another 25% of adults worried that their significant other loved bacon more than they loved them.

Reality check: If you believe that your partner would honestly pick bacon over you then it's time to seriously reevaluate the relationship! But the study also goes to show just how deep our love of bacon runs.

In this episode of The Exam Room™ podcast, "The Weight Loss Champion" Chuck Carroll interviews Dr. Neal Barnard who explains the very scientific reason for our infatuation. Our brains are hard-wired to fall in love the salt and grease that is found abundantly in the popular, yet dangerous breakfast meat. Factor in the pinch of sugar found in a lot of bacon and the love connection gets even stronger!

While you may love bacon, bacon certainly doesn't love you back. Dr. Barnard also discusses the long-term health risks associated with eating it, including a substantially higher risk of developing cancer. Did you know that eating just two strips per day increases raises the risk of colorectal cancer by nearly 20%? And the more you eat, the greater the risk becomes of dying from other cancers as well as heart disease.

The good news for bacon lovers is that there are plant-based alternatives that have all of the flavor but none of the risk.

Dietician Maggie Neola joins Chuck to share four of the tastiest vegan bacon recipes you'll ever find! We're talking about "bacon and eggs," BLTs, "bacon burgers" and even "bacon bits" for topping salads!

Plus, they do a head-to-head nutritional comparison of pork and the plant-based bacon that you have to hear to believe.

If you live in the Washington, D.C. area, Maggie is available for consultation at the Barnard Medical Center.

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Twitter: @ChuckCarrollWLC / @PCRM

IG: @ChuckCarrollWLC / @PhysiciansCommittee

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