“Refrigerate perishable items within two hours of coming out of the oven or refrigerator. After two hours, perishable food enters the “Danger Zone” (between 40 F and 140 F), where bacteria can multiply quickly and cause food to become unsafe. Perishable food should be discarded if left out for longer than two hours, so refrigerate or freeze items to prevent food waste .Use the Monday after Thanksgiving as a reminder that it is the last day you can safely eat leftovers. If you want to keep leftovers longer, freeze them within that four-day period. Frozen food stays safe indefinitely, though the quality may decrease over time (best quality if eaten within six months. Make sure your reheated leftovers reach 165 F as measured with a food thermometer. Reheat sauces, soups and gravies safely by bringing them to a rolling boil. When reheating in the microwave, cover and rotate the food for even heating. Arrange food items evenly in a covered microwave safe glass or ceramic dish and add some liquid, if needed. Because microwaves have cold spots, check the internal temperature of the food in several places with a food thermometer after allowing a resting time.”
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (https://www.usda.gov/media/blog/2021/11/22/leftovers-lets-keep-best-part-thanksgiving-safe)
The NY post 2018 states, “The fascinating new statistic emerged in a new survey of 2,000 Americans around all things concerning Thanksgiving, which also crowned ham (60 percent), chicken (41 percent) and roast beef (37 percent) as the most popular alternatives to turkey.
The new study, conducted by Omaha Steaks, also revealed nearly half (44 percent) of Thanksgiving hosts will be serving a new main dish this year.
Thanksgiving is a delicate occasion that expects near perfection all across the board or else you risk ending up with hungry and unhappy guests.
Unfortunately, according to the study, the average Thanksgiving dinner only goes 64 percent as planned.
So what usually goes wrong? The biggest “Thanksgiving fail” is not having all the food cooked on time — with 41 percent of Americans saying they’ve been left hungry and waiting at dinner.”
Well check out about White Meat vs. Red Meat
White Meat
White meat is best known as meat that is lean, especially in comparison with red meat. The big point about white meat is that its fat content is less in comparison with red meat. Meats traditionally thought of as white (such as veal and even lamb) have been reclassified as red meats. Another advantage to eating white meat over red meat, which is also why health experts recommend it over red meat, is the lower number of calories that it contains. However, the difference in calories between white meat and red meat is not so great that it will absolutely ruin your waistline if you choose to eat some red meat once in a while.
Red Meat
Red meat is the victim of stereotypes that have been exaggerated to the point where it is today somewhat stigmatized as a food that is linked to cancer and higher fat and caloric content. While the cancer issue depends on what studies you look at and the higher caloric content is not that much over white meat, red meat does have benefits that white meat simply lacks. For example, the nutrients zinc, iron, thiamine and riboflavin (in addition to vitamins B12 and B6) appear in much greater abundance in red meat. Moreover, red meat is a great source of muscle-building protein as well as being the best source of the antioxidant called alpha lipoic acid. Still, red meat has been the subject of a lot of studies that connect it to health problems beyond cancer, like cardiovascular disease and even arthritis and hypertension.
Which One to Choose
The bottom line is that no matter which meat you eat, you can guard yourself against health problems if you eat in moderation. While white meat is not tied to as many health problems as red meat is, it does not feature many of the benefits that you get in red meat, such as the vitamins and minerals. So if you want to get a dose of said nutrients, you should eat more red meat, but do so in a way that is only moderate
HERE IS SOME FACTS ABOUT TURKEY
Because most cuts of turkey provide valuable amounts of protein, turkey is often regarded as a high-protein food. Skinned turkey breast will provide the most protein per serving, at 34 grams in 4 ounces. But you will still get 31 grams from 4 ounces of turkey leg and 21 grams from 4 ounces of turkey thigh.
In addition to protein, however, turkey is also rich in other nutrients. All B vitamins are present in turkey meat, including B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B12, folate, biotin, and choline. (Because the biotin content of turkey meat is sensitive to the turkey’s dietary intake, the amount of this vitamin can vary greatly, with an approximate average of 0.8 micrograms in 4 ounces of turkey breast.) Turkey is a very good source for vitamin B3 and provides about 8.5 milligram in 4 ounces, or over 40% of the Daily Value (DV). It’s also a very good source of vitamin B6, at 0.64 milligrams in 4 ounces (32% DV). By providing 22%DV for choline in 4 ounces, turkey also ranks as a good source of this B vitamin.
In terms of minerals, turkey is richest in selenium and provides over 50% of the DV in a single 4-ounce serving. Zinc, copper, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, and iron are also provided by this food in amounts varying from 5-15% DV.
All cuts of turkey contain omega-3 fats. However, the content of omega-3s in turkey can vary widely, depending on the turkey’s diet. One of the reasons we recommend pasture-raised turkey is the ability of turkeys to enjoy omega-3 containing plants and insects in natural pasture settings. As a general rule, the most favorable ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fats is found in skinned turkey breast, where the ratio in non-pasture-raised turkey is approximately 10:1. This same ratio is about 13:1 in non-pasture-raised turkey leg or turkey thigh with skin. While there are only a few studies documenting the omega-6 to omega-3 ratio in pasture-raised turkey, those studies suggest that pasture feeding can lower the ratio to approximately 7:1. (There are some studies on pasture-raised chickens that show similar results.) Within the omega-3 family of fats, it is possible to get 10-60 milligrams of DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) from a 4-ounce serving of turkey, depending on the cut and diet consumed by the turkey. DHA is a unique omega-3 fat in terms of its ability to support healthy nerve function.
Protein Richness
When we rank all of our 100+ WHFoods based on their protein richness (how much protein they provide in comparison with their calorie content), turkey ranks first among all of our foods. A 4-ounce serving of skinned baked turkey breast provides about 34 grams of protein and over two-thirds of the Daily Value (DV). With 4 ounces of turkey leg, this number drops just slightly to 31-32 grams of protein. With 4 ounces of turkey thigh, it drops to about 21 grams. In these examples, the protein values are changing from cut-to-cut partly because of the way the turkey moves and uses its muscles, and partly because of the fat content of the various cuts. If the health benefit you are seeking from turkey is focused on protein richness, you’ll probably want to stick with skinned turkey breast as your preferred cut.
Other Health Benefits
Unfortunately, there is not as much research on turkey as there is on chicken, its fellow bird in the poultry category. Several preliminary studies show the protein richness of turkey to be of potential benefit in regulating blood sugar levels as well as insulin metabolism. These findings make sense since adequate protein intake in a balanced way throughout the day can be very helpful in managing blood sugar. In the area of cancer prevention, turkey shows that intake of it is not associated with increased cancer risk in the same way as red meats. However,they simply show that turkey intake does not raise this risk which is still a plus compared to some other foods.
Description
Like chicken, turkey belongs to the bird (Aves) class of animals, and to the family of birds called Phasianidae. While there are many different breeds of turkeys, most of them belong to the same genus and species of bird, namely Meleagris gallopavo. Turkeys are truly native to North and South America – they were not brought to the “New World” by European settlers but were instead discovered to be already present and intimately involved with Native American cultures. Turkeys are relatively large birds that can reach about 30-35 pounds in weight. They can fly short distances at speeds of about 50-55 miles per hour and run at approximately 20-25 miles per hour.
History
At 2.5 million tons of turkey meat per year, the U.S. is by far the world’s largest producer of turkey. (All countries in the European Union combined produce 1.75 million tons.) Smaller amounts of turkey are produced in Africa, Asia, and the Mediterranean. At about 450,000 tons, Brazil is the largest turkey producer in South America.
In the U.S., we consume an average of 16.5 pounds of turkey per person per year. That about is about one-quarter of our chicken consumption.
According to the National Turkey Federation, about 20% of all turkey (just over three pounds per person) is consumed on Thanksgiving Day, Gobble Gobble Day.
How to Select and Store
It’s worth taking special care in the selection of turkey! Several aspects of turkey selection will help you maximize your health benefits from this World’s Healthiest Food. First, we recommend the purchase of fresh turkey. Technically, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) guidelines allow use of the word “fresh” only when turkey has never been stored a temperature below 26°F (-3°C). (Otherwise, the term “frozen” or “previously frozen” would be required.) Additives like sodium erythorbate, MSG, and salt are not allowed on fresh turkey, and that’s a major health advantage for you.
“Based on fair evidence, excessive salt intake and deficient dietary consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables are associated with an increased risk of gastric cancer. Dietary intake of vitamin C contained in vegetables, fruits, and other foods of plant origin is associated with a reduced risk of gastric cancer. Diets high in whole-grain cereals, carotenoids, allium compounds, and green tea are also associated with a reduced risk of this cancer. However, it is uncertain if changing one’s diet to include more vegetables, fruits, and whole grains would reduce the risk of gastric cancer.”
National Cancer Society (https://www.cancer.gov/types/stomach/hp/stomach-prevention-pdq)
Measures for Prevention of Stomach (Gastric) Cancer Risk:
Smoking cessation
Based on solid evidence, smoking is associated with an increased risk of stomach cancer. The 2004 Surgeon General’s report identifies cigarette smoking as a cause of stomach cancer, with an average relative risk (RR) in former smokers of 1.2 and in current smokers of 1.6. Compared with persistent smokers, the risk of stomach cancer decreases among former smokers with time since cessation. This pattern of observations makes it reasonable to infer that cigarette smoking prevention or cessation would result in a decreased risk of gastric cancer.
H. pylori infection eradication
Based on solid evidence, H. pylori infection is associated with an increased risk of gastric cancer.
Treat stomach infections. If you have ulcers from an H. pylori infection, get treatment. Antibiotics can kill the bacteria, and other drugs will heal the sores in the lining of your stomach to cut your risk of cancer.
Diet
Eat healthy. Get more fresh fruits and vegetables on your plate every day. They’re high in fiber and in some vitamins that can lower your cancer risk. Avoid very salty, pickled, cured, or smoked foods like hot dogs, processed lunch meats, or smoked cheeses. Keep your weight at a healthy level, too. Being overweight or obese can also raise your risk of the disease.
Based on fair evidence, excessive salt intake and deficient dietary consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables are associated with an increased risk of gastric cancer. Dietary intake of vitamin C contained in vegetables, fruits, and other foods of plant origin is associated with a reduced risk of gastric cancer. Diets high in whole-grain cereals, carotenoids, allium compounds, and green tea are also associated with a reduced risk of this cancer. However, it is uncertain if changing one’s diet to include more vegetables, fruits, and whole grains would reduce the risk of gastric cancer.
TREATMENTS FOR STOMACH CANCER:
Many treatments can fight stomach cancer. The one you and your doctor choose will depend on how long you’ve had the disease or how much it has spread in your body, called the stage of your cancer.
Surgery. Your doctor might remove part of your stomach or other tissues nearby that have cancer cells. Surgery gets rid of the tumor and stops cancer from spreading to other parts of your body. If your disease is in a more advanced stage, your doctor might need to remove all of your stomach=Gastrectomy or in some other cases the Surgeon may only have to remove part of the stomach=Partial Gastrectomy.
Some tumors can keep food from moving in and out of your stomach. In that case, you might have surgery to put in a stent, a device that keeps the pathways open.
Chemotherapy. Drugs kill your cancer cells or keep them from growing. You can take them as pills or through an IV at a clinic. Chemo usually takes several weeks. The drugs can cause side effects, but your doctor can help you find ways to feel better during treatment.
Radiation. High-energy waves or particles can kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. Your doctor may use an X-ray or other machine to beam radiation at the spot where your tumor is.
Chemoradiation. Your doctor might use this mix of chemotherapy and radiation to shrink your tumor before surgery.
Targeted drugs. These newer drugs are different because they fight only cancer cells. Other treatments, like chemo and radiation, can kill healthy cells along with diseased ones. As a result, targeted therapies have fewer side effects than these other treatments.
“Stomach cancer is the fifth most common cancer worldwide. It is more common in countries in East Asia, Eastern Europe, and South and Central America than in the United States and other Western countries. There are many known risk factors for stomach cancer (also called gastric cancer), but often it’s not clear exactly how these factors might affect how cells in the stomach become cancer cells. This is the subject of ongoing research.”
American Cancer Society (https://www.cancer.org/cancer/types/stomach-cancer/causes-risks-prevention/what-causes.html)
Age: Stomach cancer is found most often in people over age 55.
Gender: The disease affects men twice as often as women.
Race: Stomach cancer is more common in African Americans than in Caucasians.
Region: This type of cancer is more common in some parts of the world, such as Japan, Korea, parts of Eastern Europe and Latin America. People in these areas eat many foods that are preserved by drying, smoking, salting or pickling.
BODY
Obesity: Obesity has been linked to an increased risk of stomach cancer
GENETICS
Certain gene mutations and some inherited conditions are considered stomach cancer risk factors. They include:
BRCA1 & BRCA2: Inherited mutations on the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes are often associated with higher risks for breast cancer. Individuals who have inherited these genetic mutations are also at an increased risk for stomach cancer
E-cadherin/CDH1: Though rare, people who inherit this genetic mutation have a 70 to 80 percent chance of developing stomach cancer in their lifetime. Also, women with this genetic defect have an increased risk of breast cancer.
Lynch syndrome: This condition may also be referred to as hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC), a genetic condition that runs in families. More commonly, this condition is associated with an increased risk for colon cancer. HNPCC also predisposes people to stomach cancers.
Familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP): This syndrome causes polyps in the colon, stomach and intestines. Often caused by mutations of the gene APC, this syndrome greatly increases a person’s risk of colorectal cancer and may play a small role in increasing a person’s stomach cancer risk.
LIFESTYLE
Smoking: There is evidence linking cigarette smoking to many types of cancer, including stomach cancer. Smokers have been found to be at greater risk of developing cancer than non-smokers.
Diet: Scientists believe that eating foods preserved in these ways may play a role in the development of stomach cancer. On the other hand, fresh foods (especially fresh fruits and vegetables and properly frozen or refrigerated fresh foods) may protect against this disease.
Working in the coal, metal or rubber industries: Chemicals that are released in these environments have been linked to the development of stomach cancer.
OTHER CONDITIONS
H. pylori infection: Doctors have found that a long-term H. pylori infection may lead to inflammation and pre-cancerous changes to the stomach lining. In fact, stomach cancer patients typically have a higher incidence of H. pylori infections than people who do not have stomach cancer.
Pernicious anemia: Some people with pernicious anemia may have gastric polyps, which can increase the risk of stomach cancer.
Epstein-Barr virus infection: According to the American Cancer Society, Epstein-Barr virus is found in the cancer cells of about 5% to 10% of people with stomach cancer.
ENVIRONMENTAL AND OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURES
The risk of stomach cancer is increased in people who
work in the rubber or coal industry
have been exposed to very high levels of radiation
Those at risk for Stomach Cancer:
People at elevated risk for gastric cancer include older adults with atrophic gastritis or pernicious anemia; patients with sporadic gastric adenomas, familial adenomatous polyposis, or hereditary nonpolyposis colon cancer; and immigrant ethnic populations from countries with high rates of gastric carcinoma. Workers in the rubber and coal industries are also at increased risk.
There is consistent evidence that Helicobacter pylori infection, also known as H. pylori infection, of the stomach is strongly associated with both the initiation and promotion of carcinoma of the gastric body and antrum and of gastric lymphoma.
There is consistent and solid evidence that Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection is strongly associated with gastric cancer.
Compared with the general population, people with duodenal ulcer disease may have a lower risk of gastric cancer.
Risk factors for gastric cancer include the presence of precursor conditions such as chronic atrophic gastritis and intestinal metaplasia, pernicious anemia, and gastric adenomatous polyps. Risk factors could include type A blood type. Environmental factors include low consumption of fruits and vegetables; consumption of salted, smoked, or poorly preserved foods; cigarette smoking; and radiation exposure.
Those at great increased risk for stomach cancer:
Hereditary diffuse gastric cancer (HDGC) is a rare inherited condition in which people have a greatly increased risk of stomach cancer, which often develops at a fairly early age. This rare syndrome is most often caused by an inherited mutation in the CDH1 gene.
It’s very important to recognize people and families with this inherited syndrome, because most people who have it will develop stomach cancer. Families with HDGC typically have two or more close relatives who develop stomach cancer (usually the diffuse type), and/or at least one person who is diagnosed before age 50. Some family members might also develop invasive lobular breast cancer.
Doctors often refer people who might have HDGC to a genetics professional, so they can discuss possibly getting genetic testing. If testing is done and shows a person has a mutation (abnormal change) in the CDH1 gene, doctors often recommend they consider having their stomach removed (typically between the ages of 20 and 30) before cancer develops. However, this operation (called a total gastrectomy) can lead to long-term changes in the way a person eats.
Some other hereditary cancer syndromes are also linked with an increased risk for stomach cancer, including Lynch syndrome, familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP), Li-Fraumeni syndrome, and Peutz-Jeghers syndrome. The risk of stomach cancer with these syndromes is not nearly as high as it is with HDGC, so removal of the stomach is not typically recommended for people who have these syndromes.
“Stomach cancer can happen in any part of the stomach. In most of the world, stomach cancers happen in the main part of the stomach. This part is called the stomach body.
In the United States, stomach cancer is more likely to start by the gastroesophageal junction. This is the part where the long tube that carries food you swallow meets the stomach. The tube that carries food to the stomach is called the esophagus.
There is adenocarcinoma stomach cancer, gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST), carcinoid tumors – that are found in many area of the body that start in your neuroendocrine cells, and lymphoma is a cancer that starts in immune system cells. Most lymphomas that start in the stomach are a type of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.”
MAYO CLINIC (https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/stomach-cancer/symptoms-causes/syc-20352438)
Stomach cancer (also called gastric cancer) can develop in any part of the stomach, and may spread throughout the stomach and to other organs. It may grow along the stomach wall into the esophagus or small intestine.
The cancer may also extend through the stomach wall and spread to nearby lymph nodes and organs, such as the liver, pancreas and colon. It may spread to distant organs, such as the lungs, the lymph nodes above the collarbone and to a woman’s ovaries.
Stomach cancer happens when cells start behaving abnormally, growing and proliferating uncontrollably. The stomach, a hollow organ that collects food and breaks it down, has five different parts—from the top of the stomach, which connects to the esophagus, to the bottom of the stomach, which connects to the small intestine:
Cardia, the area nearest to the esophagus
Fundus, the upper stomach
Corpus, the main body of the stomach
Antrum, where food gets broken down by stomach acid
Pylorus, which connects to the small intestine
There are also five layers of tissue and muscle that surround the stomach and make up the stomach wall. Going from inner to outer, the layers are:
Mucosa
Submucosa
Muscularis propria
Subserosa
Serosa
Stomach cancer progressively spreads through these different layers. Establishing how far within the stomach wall the cancer has spread is a part of the staging process (LIKE all cancers), which determines how serious the cancer is and how best to treat it.
The mucosa layer, which produces stomach acid, is where most stomach cancers begin.
A less common type of stomach cancer is caused by gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs), which start in immature cells called interstitial cells of Cajal.
Other rare stomach cancer types, such as lymphoma and neuroendocrine tumors, start in different cell types in the stomach.
Different types of stomach cancer include:
Adenocarcinomas develop within the cells of the innermost lining of the stomach. The majority of stomach cancers are classified as adenocarcinomas.Most stomach cancer cases, about 90 percent to 95 percent, are adenocarcinomas, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS).Adenocarcinomas are broken down into two categories:
Intestinal adenocarcinomas are usually slow-growing and more treatable. Oftentimes, these cancers may be treated with therapy drugs that are designed to target specific mutations in cancer cells. This type most often occurs in men and older adults.
Diffuse adenocarcinomas are less common than intestinal adenocarcinomas and usually more aggressive. They tend to be faster growing, often spreading (metastasizing) to other parts of the body quickly. This type is more common at a younger age than intestinal adenocarcinomas.
Lymphoma is a cancer of the immune system tissue that may start anywhere there are lymph tissues, including the stomach. However, lymphomas in the stomach are rare, accounting for about 4 percent of all stomach cancers. MALT (mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue) lymphoma is a type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma that typically occurs in the stomach. The cancer starts in lymph tissue that lines the stomach.
Gastrointestinal stromal tumors, or GISTs, are a rare type of stomach cancer that starts in a special cell found in the lining of the stomach called interstitial cells of Cajal (ICCs). Under a microscope, GIST cells look similar to muscle or nerve cells. These tumors may develop throughout the digestive tract, but about 60 to 70 percent occur in the stomach. In the United States, 4,000 to 6,000 new GIST cases throughout the GI tract are diagnosed per year, according to the ACS.
Carcinoid tumors typically start in the hormone producing cells of the stomach. These tumors usually do not spread to different organs and account for only about 3 percent of stomach cancer incidence. About 8,000 gastrointestinal carcinoid tumors are diagnosed in the United States each year, according to the ACS. Not all of these cancers start in the stomach—they may also occur in the intestines, appendix, colon and rectum.
Early stage cancers especially adenocarcinoma(s) may cause:
“An estimated 65 million people worldwide have epilepsy, and one in 26 Americans will develop epilepsy in their lifetime. Most of these people are able to control their seizures with medications, but approximately 30% to 40% have what’s called drug-resistant or medically refractory epilepsy, in which they don’t respond to standard anti-seizure medications. There are a few options available for people with drug-resistant epilepsy who need alternative RXs. The most common alternative one is epilepsy surgery, which has been performed since the 1940s. For a patient with focal epilepsy, where the seizures are being caused by one part of the brain, you try to remove the seizure focus. Somewhere between 60% and 70% of patients with drug-resistant epilepsy who have this surgery become seizure-free, which is the standard of care if the medications were not to work. Open brain surgery is effective but also carries higher risk for complications, pain and psychological impacts. Recently, minimally invasive epilepsy brain surgery has advanced quite significantly, particularly a procedure called laser ablation for patients with epilepsy. In that surgery, inserted is a small laser fiber and burn away the seizure focus in the brain but an opening up of the skull is not needed.”
UChicago Medicine (https://www.uchicagomedicine.org/forefront/neurosciences-articles/new-treatment-options-for-people-with-drug-resistant-epilepsy)
