Good luck on your fast, Clean Cut! Let us know how it goes. :)
Do you have sources to back up your claims, B17? I have never heard they put sodium nitrite in red meat or that casein is carcinogenic.
Nitrites, is what keeps the meat that rich red colour, if they did not add it, it would look dull grey and not many people would want to purchase the off-coloured meat.
If you are going to eat meat, eat more poultry (chicken and turkey) or fish.
If you want nitrite free red meat, choose organic.
Sodium nitrite helps preserve cured meats, such as bacon and sausage, by inhibiting the growth of Clostridium botulinum, the microbe that produces the botulism toxin. Sodium nitrite by itself is not a carcinogen, but it commonly combines with amines in protein-rich foods to form the cancer-inducing agent nitrosamine. Strict regulation of nitrosamine levels in cured meats, as well as the required addition of antioxidants, helps mitigate the carcinogenic effect of sodium nitrite in these foods, states Dr. Richard Scanlan of Oregon State University's Linus Pauling Institute. However, minimize your exposure to dangerous nitrosamines by limiting your intake of foods containing sodium nitrite. When you choose to consume cured meats, eat them with foods containing the antioxidants vitamin C or vitamin E to help reduce the formation of nitrosamines in your body.
Read more:
http://www.livestrong.com/article/206868-the-effects-of-sodium-nitrite/#ixzz1QUVdESmI
http://www.organicconsumers.org/foodsafety/processedmeat050305.cfm
You can still eat meat with Sodium Nitrites, just limit your intake. They actually recommend eating at most 500 grams of red meat per week or less.
http://newmexicodietitian.wordpress.com/2011/05/23/meat-and-cancer/
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/02/25/AR2011022502004.html
http://www.breakingnewsenglish.com/1102/110227-red_meat.html
Regarding Casein and cancer:
http://www.precisionnutrition.com/members/showthread.php?t=9389
Effect of milk on tea
A study[78] at the Charité Hospital of the Berlin Universities showed that adding milk to tea will block the normal, healthful effects that tea has in protecting against cardiovascular disease. This occurs because casein from the milk binds to the molecules in tea that cause the arteries to relax, especially EGCG. Milk may also block tea's effect on other things, such as cancer.[79] Other studies have found little to no effect from milk on the observed increase in total plasma antioxidant activity.[80] Teas with high EGCG content, such as green tea, are not typically consumed with milk. Previous studies have observed a beneficial effect from black tea which was not attributable to the catechin content.[81] Plant-based "milks", such as soy milk, do not contain casein and are not known to have similar effects on tea.
Milk binds catechins, most notably EGCG. Milk also binds tannin, rendering it harmless, which helps to exemplify the effect on tea's constituent parts (i.e. EGCG binding).[82]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_effects_of_tea
http://www.sparkpeople.com/mypage_public_journal_individual.asp?blog_id=2560985
http://www.citytv.com/toronto/cityn...25589--why-you-shouldn-t-add-milk-to-your-tea
http://www.allstarhealth.com/blog/health-nutrition-science-news/blueberries-and-milk-dont-mix-study/
You see, adding dairy milk to tea, cocoa and even blueberries, makes the antioxidant useless within these foods. Casein protein is the main reason behind it.
. When it comes to actually choosing to fast, then there is no reason to try and last as long as possible (which is the only reason to binge before starting). Stretching out your stomach will make initial hunger much worse and filling up your gut with food before stopping altogether will make things more difficult downstairs. What you really want to do is ease yourself in.
Did a lot of biking yesterday (20 miles) and didn't get a lot of sleep last night (less than 6 hours). But yeah, aside from feeling wicked tired, the fast has went well! Started feeling like crap around 1 o'clock but instantly felt better when I got out of the air conditioning and into the 80° heat. :)
