Did my post from last time on PFAS change your mind about eating fast food, even if it’s only once in a blue moon? In case you missed it, I’ll sum it up for you: the burger wrappers that are used in fast food restaurants contain a harmful fire-retardant toxin that absorbs in your tissues and organs.
And for this post, I have another bummer for you if you eat lots of meat: there’s a substance called Advanced Glycation End Products. If your diet is high in AGE products, you won’t age gracefully.
What Are AGE Products?
If you love barbecue and grilled meat, compounds called Advanced Glycation End (AGE) Products can form as a result of the cooking process.
Nothing wrong with enjoying some barbecue every now and then. But if you are cooking meat at high temperature fairly often, you may be at risk for exposure to these harmful compounds.
What are the Side Effects of AGE Products?
When your body accumulates a high amount of these compounds, inflammation can occur. To be sure, there’s no guarantee that if you have high AGE levels, you’re guaranteed to die an early death. However, high AGE levels have been linked to cognitive disorders such as Alzheimer's, as well as metabolic disorders (diabetes, obesity), and organ dysfunction such as heart disease and kidney failure.
If ever there were a perfect opportunity to pitch my Organic Green Drink, this would be the moment. Allow me to explain. You see, your body has lots of natural antioxidants, including glutathione and superoxide dismutase.
These internal antioxidants can help neutralize AGE compounds. However, if you eat lots of grilled animal protein, your natural antioxidants can become overwhelmed. That’s where my Green Drink comes to the rescue.
The 7 certified organic green leafy veggies help boost your body’s production of natural antioxidants. (Even though I’m a certified nutritional therapist, don’t take my word for it; check out this study.)
Foods High in AGE That Can Lead To Premature Ageing
In addition to blackened and high-temp grilled meats, here are some other foods that can raise your AGE level:
- Cheese
- Fried Eggs
- Butter
- Mayonnaise
- Fried food
- Margarine
- Processed food
Let’s say you love cheese. Am I suggesting that you should completely give it up? Heavens, no. Just try to moderate your intake of cheese and other sources of dairy. When it comes to butter, choose grass-fed.
But check out the other foods on this list. Most of them are terrible for your health anyway. I should mention that nuts and oils can also be high in AGE compounds, so keep your consumption to a minimum. Oils and nuts are high in calories anyways, so you’re probably not eating too much of those to begin with.
Keeping AGE-ing To A Minimum
There are a few ways to keep your body’s levels of AGE compounds relatively low. Obviously, eating foods that are low in AGE compounds to begin with is a no-brainer.
Think: green leafy veggies (my Organic Green Drink is the easiest way to get your daily dose), and all other low-starch veggies; low-glycemic fruits such as berries; and low-starch whole grains. (Need to lose weight and don’t know what to eat? Try my 21 Day Detox.)
But even if you’re eating foods high in AGE compounds, such as grilled red meat, there’s a couple clever ways to lower the amount of AGE compounds you’re consuming.
First, squeeze a fair amount of lemon juice over the meat. The acidity will neutralize some of the AGE compounds. Vinegar can drastically lower the amount of harmful substances as well.
And secondly, just go slow. Using a slow cooker instead of a propane grill reduces AGE-ing. So does boiling, steaming, stewing and poaching.
Want another easy way to “AGE” well? Exercise. Studies show daily activity reduces harmful AGE compounds.
You probably didn’t need another reason to avoid eating too much meat and processed foods. But maybe it’s the “Anti-AGE-ing” factor that resonates with you. Here’s to AGE-ing gracefully...
To your health,
Veronica
Founder, Chef V