FEBRUARY 2015
Attention Midamerica Strong
Participants:
The February Challenge is to
limit your red meat intake to
2 servings for the week of
Feb 23rd-28th
Controversial Red Meat
Red meat is loaded with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants and offers
many nutritional benefits. However, studies and observations suggest that
red meat could be associated with a greater risk of cardiovascular disease
and diabetes.
Nutrition
One of the most nutritious foods that
one can eat is red meat. Red meat
is loaded with Vitamins B3, B12, B6,
Iron, Zinc, Selenium, Creatine and
Carnosine. Red meat is also very
controversial suggesting it could lead
to potential health risks.
One of the most important things to
consider when selecting your red meat
is to distinguish between the different
kinds. Grass-fed and organic meat
differs greatly from factory processed
meat. Some meats go through so
much processing and are loaded with
preservatives and chemicals. Although
our digestives systems have evolved
to handle such foods, doesn’t mean
that they are necessarily nutritious
and good for the body.
Processed Meat: These products are
usually from conventionally raised
cows, then go through various
processing
methods.
Examples
include sausages and bacon.
Conventional Red Meat: Conventional
red meats are fairly unprocessed,
but the cows are usually factory
farmed. Meats that are red when raw
are defined as “red” meats. Includes
lamb, beef, pork and some others.
White Meat: Meats that are white
when cooked are defined as “white”
meats. Includes meat from poultry
like chicken and turkey.
Grass-Fed, Organic Meat: This meat
comes from animals that have been
naturally fed, raised organically and
not been pumped full of drugs and
hormones. They also don’t have any
artificial chemicals added to them.
(Source: authoritynutrition.com)
Cooking Red Meat
Formation of harmful compounds
happen with meat that is cooked at
a high temperature.
Some
of
these
compounds
include
Heterocyclic
Amines
(HAs),
Polycyclic
Aromatic Hydrocarbons
(PAHs) and Advanced
Glycation End-Products
(AGEs). It is suggested
that these substances
could be cancer causing
(but not proven). Take
initiative to change the way you cook
meats by following these helpful tips:
•
Use gentler cooking methods like
stewing and steaming instead of
grilling and frying.
•
Minimize cooking at high heats
and never expose your meat to a
flame.
•
Do not eat charred and/or smoked
food. If your meat is burnt, then
cut away the charred pieces.
•
If you marinate your meat in
garlic, red wine, lemon juice
or olive oil, it can reduce HCAs
significantly.
•
If you must cook at a high heat,
flip your meat frequently to
prevent it from getting burned.
(Source: authoritynutrition.com)
Bottom Line
After reading through the
information provided you
can easily identify how and
why the consumption of red
meat is controversial. Most
studies and observations
only suggest that red
meat could be harmful but
nothing has been 100%
proven. If you are choosing
the best quality of unprocessed red
meat (preferably grass-fed organic)
and
applying
gentler
cooking
methods, you will reap more benefits
and nutritional value of the meat you
are consuming.
Challenge Yourself...
Limit your consumption of red meat to only 2 servings (of 3-4 oz. portions) per
week and apply the cooking tips above. Choose lean cuts of meat and trim off
the extra fat.
This newsletter is for informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. For further information, please consult a medical professional.
Important Health Insurance Provider Information
CoreSource has provided us with a list of top health care providers that our company
used for claims in 2014 and the network discount associated. This will give you an
insight of the discounts that local health providers offer in your area and who are
in/out of network.
Provider Name
SoutheastHEALTH
St. Francis Medical Center
Baptist Health Paducah
St. Thomas Hospital
Memorial Hospital of Carbondale
Mercy Hospital of St. Louis
Des Peres Hospital
St. Anthony Medical
LABCARD
The Menninger Clinic
St. Elizabeths Hospital
Mercy Hospital Jefferson
Lourdes Hospital
Missouri Delta Medical
Red Bud Regional Hospital
SoutheastHEALTH of Stoddard Co
Marion Healthcare
Parkland Health Center
Barnes Jewish Hospital
Jackson Purchase Medical Center
Example
Provider
Discount
City & State
Cape Girardeau, MO
Cape Girardeau, MO
Paducah, KY
Nashville, TN
Carbondale, IL
St. Louis, MO
St. Louis, MO
St. Louis, MO
Overland Park, KS
Houston, TX
Chicago, IL
Festus, MO
Paducah, KY
Sikeston, MO
St. Louis, MO
Dexter, MO
Chicago, IL
Farmington, MO
St. Louis, MO
Mayfield, KY
Baptist Health
Lourdes Hospital
In/Out of Network
In
In
In
Out
In
In
In
In
In
Out
In
In
In
In
In
In
Out
In
In
In
Surgery Cost
$
10,000
$
10,000
Network Discount
54.1%
54.1%
38.1%
23.0%
24.7%
75.1%
54.2%
49.0%
77.0%
0.0%
35.0%
65.7%
16.9%
10.0%
34.3%
20.0%
0.0%
20.0%
55.9%
15.0%
Hospital
Network
Discount
38%
17%
For Instance...
The chart below shows a surgery
expense comparison between two
local hospitals. Given that the same
surgery is the exact same amount
at both hospitals, and your $1,000
deductible is not met, you could pay
more for that same exact surgery
depending on which location you
choose.
This example is to show you that
comparing health care providers in
your area could help with significant
out of pocket savings.
Next time you are preparing for a
large out of pocket medical expense,
be sure to sit down and look through
the numbers!
New Surgery
Cost
$
6,200
$
8,300
Deductible
$
1,000
$
1,000
Out of
Pocket
20%
$ 1,040
$ 1,460
Total Out
of Pocket
Expenses
$ 2,040
$ 2,460
After reading through the health information, please answer the questions below. Submit
your completed questions to Jen Pobst at the Central Office via mail, fax or email and your
form will be entered into a drawing for prizes!
Fax:573.334.3567 Email: [email protected]
Name (please print): __________________________________ Location: __________
questions
1. List 2 ways of preparing and cooking red meat to reduce harmful compounds.
__________________________________________________________________
2. What type of meat is generally treated with preservatives? ____________________
3. Which health provider is the more cost effective solution in the example given
above? _____________________
4. Did you complete the red meat challenge for February 23rd - 28th?
(circle one)
YES
NO
Please turn in completed by March 6, 2015
This newsletter is for informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. For further information, please consult a medical professional.