A well-known doctor has revealed things she would never want to be caught doing, and that’s bad news for anyone who loves bacon.
Nicole Van Groningenan LA medical professional, listed six things she avoids after years in the field, many of which could help reduce her risk of serious illness or cancer.
Some of these measures included never eating processed meat, getting up early to exercise, not wearing sunscreen, and taking untested supplements.
1. Eating processed meats, including bacon
According to Dr. Van Groningen, the first suggestion may sound ‘intense’, but the World Health Organization has classified processed meat, including bacon, as carcinogenic. That means it is known to cause cancer in humans.
The doctor, who has been a vegetarian since she was 13, avoids all meat, but if she did eat meat, she would never choose processed varieties.
2. Sacrificing sleep for exercise
While it may seem like a healthy habit to get up before dawn, the American medical professional points out that this is not always the case.
The doctor insisted that bacon and all processed meats are carcinogenic and should be avoided. She has been a vegetarian since she was 13, but if she were to eat meat, she would avoid the processed meat.
“Yes, we love exercise, it has so many different health benefits. But if you get up early and cut your sleep short to exercise, it’s not going to have any net health benefit,” the expert explained.
“Sleep is the primary habit for well-being. End of story. Period,” the doctor added.
This is in line with the advice of leading sleep specialist Dr. Matthew Walker, who has proven thatThat adequate sleep is the cornerstone of health and longevity.
The medical professional is not advocating prescribing antibiotics for any minor infection, explaining that while they can be “miracle cures,” they can also damage the gut microbiome.
3. Sitting in the sun without sunscreen
The American doctor applies sunscreen to her face, chest and hands every day and makes sure she never goes out in the sun without it.
“I’m not going to do it,” Dr. Van Groningen said of skipping sunscreen. “We know it helps prevent multiple types of skin cancer and also helps prevent premature aging.”
For those concerned about getting enough vitamin D, the medical professional said research shows that people who wear sunscreen daily are no more likely to be deficient in vitamin D than those who don’t.
4. Judging other people based on their health status
The American doctor said it is important to never judge others based on their “state of health” or health-related behavior – because we are not always in control of our health.
“I know many of us want to believe that we have complete free will over our choices, and therefore complete control over our health. That would be nice – but that is a myth,” said Dr. Van Groningen.
She stressed that health is sometimes beyond our control, pointing out that she sees patients with “catastrophic illnesses” who have often made the right decisions when it comes to their health.
5. Casually taking antibiotics
“I avoid antibiotics unless there is a clear and compelling concern about bacterial infection,” the doctor said.
While she maintains they are “miracle drugs” when needed, she believes doctors generally prescribe them “too liberally” for infections.
“Antibiotics are not harmless, they affect the gut microbiome,” she added.
6. Taking supplements that have not been third-party tested
Dr. Van Groningen cited a recent study that found that nearly 40 percent of 57 supplements tested contained no “detectable levels” of the advertised ingredient — and some even contained banned substances.
Although not common, the damage it does to patients with acute liver injury from indiscriminate and excessive supplement use can be “drastic.”
Most people were happy with the doctors’ advice, calling it “unbelievable.” However, not everyone was convinced that processed meat was bad for your health.
“My grandfather lived to be 97 and he ate processed meat every day, mostly sausage or salami,” one man said.
One man held on to his bacon cravings for very different reasons: “With all the stressful things going on in the world, I’m not going to give up my emotional support bacon.”