Last week, I ran across a story that detailed a list of 10 foods that could help raise or lower the risk of dying from heart disease, stroke and/or Type 2 diabetes.

Whilst scanning the contents of said article, my eyes settled on one word – bacon. For one brief shining moment, I considered the potential ramifications of a world where bacon ruled as a healthy food.

Then, I actually read the entire story and realized that bacon is on the stuff-you-should-eat-less-of list. According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, bacon and other processed meats were linked to eight percent of the aforementioned health conditions.

So, I guess it good that I’ve cut back on my intake of bacon. Of course, in the past few years, I wasn’t eating that much bacon. That was not always the case. In fact, there was a time when I feasted on a pack of bacon every week. For reals. I’d fry half the pack one evening for dinner and the other half the next evening. My taste for bacon was so well known that when I recently ran into a work-related acquaintance I made during that period of my life, he pointed at me and said one word – bacon.

I can’t remember what prompted me to drastically reduce my bacon intake, but I cut back to perhaps one or two packs a year. Oh, I enjoyed the occasional plate of bacon at my mom’s or in the cafeteria, and every now and then I treated myself to a bacon and egg biscuit. But that was nothing compared to what I had been eating.

Still, there’s always room for improvement. As the end of 2016 approached, I informed my sister that I was giving up bacon and red meat. (You might ask yourself, “Self, isn’t bacon red meat?” I might answer by asking, “Is it?”)

Anyway, my sister, a woman not known for her silences, responded with silence.

“Do you think that’s a bad idea?” asked I.

“No, I just think that you eat so little bacon and red meat that you won’t even miss it.”

She had a point. I’ll splurge on a roast beef sandwich every few months and I have been known to dip the cafeteria’s roast beef in my mashed potatoes, but it’s not like I eat a pack of red meat (or bacon) every week.

I had been consuming nachos too frequently, though, so I made the decision to give them up. I also decided to end my long-term relationship with fries.

When I shared the latter decision with others, my audience gasped in surprise. After all, I am something of a cheese fries connoisseur. And you know what makes cheese fries better? Bacon.

Thus far, though, I’ve been true to my word. I have not had a fry in three months. During that time, I’ve had approximately six slices of bacon, two slices of ham, two slices of roast beef, two hot dogs and one pork chop. What’s more, I’ve walked past the nacho bar without giving it a third look.

Lest you think I’m a health food freak, I continue to satisfy my sweet tooth and I do not go near seafood, which is included on the stuff-you-should-eat-more-of list.

In case you’re interested, the other good foods are nuts, vegetables, fruits, whole grains and polyunsaturated fats. In addition to red meat and processed meat, sugary drinks and salt comprise the bad food list.

Until perusing the list, I had no idea salt was a food. But the list supports my position that bacon is not red meat, so I guess I’ll support their position that salt is food.

This post originally appeared in the Appalachian News-Express.

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