In 1984, a fast-food chain ran a TV ad showing three gray-haired ladies staring at a large bun with a small serving of something where there should have been a hamburger.

Then came the now-famous catchphrase, "Where's the beef?"

Well, if you often eat fast food, the answer is: "Coursing through and clogging up your cardiovascular system."

When researchers looked at data on 88,000 women and 37,000 men from the Nurse's Health Study (1980-2008) and the Health Professional Study (1986-2008), they found that one serving of processed red meat per week increased your risk of dying by more than 20 percent over the next 20 to 26 years. And it caused a more than 20 percent increase in cardiovascular disease, and a 16 percent increase in cancer.

Unprocessed red meat didn't do much better.

Are you one of 47 percent of Americans with at least one of these risk factors for heart disease: high blood pressure, high LDL cholesterol, or smoking? Or one of the 28.1 million diagnosed with heart disease?

Adopting the following a “diet plus” four days a week and the standard diet for the other three can save your life.

• Diet plus: No animal proteins, oils, or sugar. Enjoy nuts, whole grains, legumes, veggies, and fruit.

• Standard diet: No red meats, added sugars, or processed foods. Stick with healthy oils like olive and omega-3s. If you're combating heart disease, limit healthy fats to around 10 percent of total calories.