We all know that life comes with risks, and none of us are getting out of it alive. However, risks can be roughly categorized into two groups: acceptable, and unacceptable. Of course, these two groups vary with every individual and can overlap depending on the circumstances.

Sometimes, what we considered an “acceptable” risk is suddenly thrown into the unacceptable category. Seat belts are an example. When I was a kid, I didn’t know what a seat belt was. I laid in the back window of the car going down the highway. Somehow, I survived unscathed from this experience. I also played with liquid mercury, rubbing it onto pennies to make them shine. Pretty cool at the time, I’m not sure if I got away with that one or not, depends on who you talk to I guess.

Sometimes, risk sneaks up on us in insidious ways. Take smoking, for example. Some people seem to get away with smoking, but most do not. Day after day, smokers are exposing their lungs and others around them to the harmful chemicals associated with cigarette smoke. My Dad and Mom smoked all the time. They both died of smoke-related diseases. My brother and his wife smoked for years. He had an aortic aneurysm and she now has COPD. Unlike my parents, she quit smoking and he has cut back, but the damage is already done.

All of this is old news, but people smoke anyway. Why is that? Quitting would negatively impact their lifestyle, at least in the short term. Quitting smoking is extremely tough for a lot of people.

Lots of people like to cook greasy meats like hamburgers, brats and sausages on the grill. Unfortunately, any kind of ground meat is hazardous because of the way it is processed at the plant. Any bacteria on steak or other solid meat is quickly killed by grilling because the bacteria are on the surface of the meat and readily exposed to heat. However, ground beef is far more dangerous than steak because any bacterial contamination on the surface is mixed together with the meat so that it is present within the very center of the patty, requiring the core to be as fully cooked as the surface. These same bacteria accelerate putrefaction in ground meat as it sits in the cooler, generating a variety of toxic compounds. This is true whether it’s made from regular ground beef, chuck, or sirloin. It gets worse, however. Grilling itself can generate carcinogens, and you never know what the cow may have ingested or have been injected with, like hormones, antibiotics, fertilizer, pesticides, or herbicides.

The bottom line is this: If you can lower your risks in life without negatively impacting your lifestyle, why not do it? Have you ever gotten sick eating ground beef? If you did, you were lucky it was a milder strain of bacteria. How long will your luck hold out? Is it worth finding out? Do you trust the government to keep your meat safe? Stay informed: http://theburgerbuddy.wordpress.com