For years there has been a controversy whether grilled meats cause cancer. A few research studies have found that grilling and broiling cause meats (red meat, poultry and fish included) to produce cancer-causing compounds. These compounds known as HCAs (heterocyclic amines), have been shown to cause tumors in animals and possibly increase the risk of cancers of the breast, colon, stomach and prostate in humans.This was confirmed officially by The National Institute of Health, Dept. of Health and Human Services in January 2005 when it added heterocyclic amines in it’s hit list of cancer causing agents.
Does this mean grilling is a big no? Not always. Large doses of meat especially red meat has never been recommended by doctors. According to most researchers, grilled vegetables and fruits, burnt toast and dishes in which only the seasoning is charred present a substantially lower risk of cancer. You can still eat meat but make sure to eat it in moderation. Below are 7 tips you can implement right away to make your grilling safer and free from cancer causing agents.
1. A good idea is to grill vegetables instead of meat always. Try grilling marinated vegetables on skewers, a grilling tray or wrapped in foil. Other healthy barbecue choices are veggie burgers, tofu or quesadillas and even tortillas.
2. Marinating meats before grilling may significantly reduce the amount of HCAs. A marinade is usually acidic and always flavorful. The Acids in marinades do not tenderize meat. However some store bought marinades will tenderize meat because they contain enzymes.
3. One of the most important tips is to clean your grill thoroughly. Scrape the burned bits off the grates using a grill brush or even a paint scraper. The residue left on the grill often contains high does of HCA’s.
4. PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) are cacogenic substances which are formed when fat from meats comes in contact with coal and other hot objects. These chemicals are deposited on your food during flare ups and during evaporation. Avoid letting juices drip into the flames or coals, which causes smoke and flare-ups. Use tongs or a spatula to turn foods, instead of piercing meat with a fork. Covering the grill with punctured aluminum foil, not placing meats directly over coals and keeping a spray bottle of water on hand (to control flare-ups) are other ways to reduce drips.
5. Flip frequently. Recent research has found that cooking hamburger patties at a lower Temperature and turning them often accelerates the cooking process, helps prevent the formation of HCAs and is equally effective in killing bacteria.
Mike Lombardy is a freelance writer and a hopeless barbecue addict. He provides tips and advice for homeowners to build outdoor kitchens and outdoor kitchen islands. His numerous articles offer money saving tips and valuable insight.
In this short 2 minute video you’ll see how easy it is to grow your own Superfood, ultra nutritious sprouts in your own kitchen. It’s so easy kids will have lots of fun growing their own!
Steps:
Pour half a cup of seeds (alfalfa, lentils, mung, beans etc) into a glass jar
Fill with 2+ cups of water and soak overnight (12 hours)
In the morning, drain all the water out, leaving the seeds in the glass jar
Rinse the seeds twice daily (morning and night) and in 4 days you will have a bountiful crop of fresh live sprouts
Why Sprouts?
There are a great many reasons to eat sprouts. As we age, our body’s ability to produce enzymes declines. Sprouts are a concentrated source of the living enzymes and “life force” that is lost when foods are cooked or not picked fresh from your own garden. Additionally, due to their high enzyme content, sprouts are also much easier to digest than the seed or bean from which they came.
All nutrients necessary for life are contained in seeds—a food category that includes grain kernels, beans, legumes, and nuts. Because sprouts are so fresh, and do not sit for days or weeks in warehouses, we know that we are getting optimum nutrition.
Great Ways to Serve Sprouts
Add to tossed salads
Use in coleslaw (cabbage, clover, radish)
Try in wraps and roll-ups (alfalfa, sunflower, radish)
Stir-fry with other vegetables (alfalfa, clover, radish, mung bean, lentil)
Blend with vegetable juices (cabbage, mung bean, lentil)
Mix with soft cheeses, tofu, yogurt of kefir for a dip (mung bean, radish)
Stir into soups or stews when serving (mung bean, lentil)
Eat them fresh and uncooked in a sprout salad (salad mixes)
Top omelet or scrambled eggs (alfalfa, clover, radish)
Combine in oat, barley or buckwheat dishes (fenugreek, lentil, mung bean)
Add to sushi (radish, sunflower)
Sauté with onions (mung bean, clover, radish)
Puree with dried peas or beans (mung bean, lentil)
1. Buying local fruit and veg from your farmers market is healthy for you, the environment and the local and national economy. Support our farming industry, cut down on food miles, and ensure that your food is fresher and more nutritious. Even local veg in the supermarket will have been taken by lorry to storage depots and packaging factories which could be hundreds of miles away (sometimes abroad) before being sent back to the area in which it was produced. A typical Christmas meal may travel 49,000 miles, the equivalent of two journeys around the world, and yet uas it is based around seasonal produce, you will be able to get your sprouts, carrots, potatoes, and meat from local producers.
2. Organic farmers are only permitted the use of four chemicals on their crops, and many farmers will go to great lengths to avoid having to use any chemicals. Mainstream farming uses millions of tonnes of chemical fertilizers, pesticides and fngicides which may remain present on your food, and also wash into local river systems affecting wildlife and decreasing biodiversity; the loss of otters in out waterways is linked to the use of agricultural chemicals (Around £120 million a year is spent removing pesticides from the UK’s water supply – mainly from conventional farming, this adds £7 to your bill each time you pay it). In 2003 the government tested British potatoes for the pesticide Aldicarb (classified by the WHO as hazardous) and residues were found in 2% of those tested, suggesting that the British public may have consumed more than 25,000 tonnes of affected potatoes. Aldicarb blocks the nerve signals in worms and insects, killing them; mmm tasty.
3. Conventional farming releases six kilos of carbon dioxide per kilo of nitrogen fertilizer, hugely contributing to the greenhouse effect. You may think that your small contribution will do nothing in the face of global warming, but the organic food market in the UK grew by 30% in 2005; that is a big change for farming and animal husbandry, all of which will soften the environmental impact caused by conventional farming. If you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem!
4. Christmas is the season to be jolly; not so if you happen to be a turkey, goose, chicken, pig, beef-cow or lamb. We are encouraged to celebrate with succulent cuts of meat, cured hams, and our oversized-friend the turkey. Many animals in the production process suffer lives of unimaginable misery, ending suddenly in traumatic and terrifying deaths. Much of the meat that we buy contains residues of pesticides, and antibiotics, and some is plumped with water and animal-based fluids. Recent research in the US and UK has shown that some producers continue to use illegal amounts of pesticides and antibiotics, leading to consumption of unsafe meat. EVEN WORSE, large amounts of meat consumed in the UK is sourced from non EU countries, (such as chicken from Brazil); it may be much older than you think, produced using illegal chemicals, and depending on the cheap labor of people living in appalling poverty; need I continue? Organic meat seems expensive in comparison to mass-produced meat, but it reflects the cost of animal welfare, quality feeds, and good animal husbandry. Organic turkeys are free-range and this is reflected in the quality of their meat. The Soil Association endorses the highest possible levels of animal welfare; make sure you buy meat with the soil association stamp (see www.soilassociation.org ). Look out for meat at your local farmers market which may come from smaller farms: ask the people about the size of the farm and any welfare issues which concern you. For your local farmers market visit http://www.farmersmarkets.net lists of local meat producers for the UK try http://www.soilassociation.org/christmas (For Canada farmers markets http://marketplace.chef2chef.net/farmer-markets/canada.htm and the US http://www.ams.usda.gov/farmersmarkets/map.htm )
5. For food to be labeled organic, it can only contain 32 of the 290 EU-approved food additives. Christmas foods are notoriously high in chemical additives, hydrogenated fats, artificial sweeteners and cheap bulking ingredients. Organic food will never contain harmful chemical additives or any hydrogenated fats. This will protect you from heart disease, hyperactivity, neural problems, cancers…..
Yes, your organic shopping list may seem to cost you more. In reality you may save money, as it is unlikely that you will over-buy and over-consume, avoiding the Christmas isle in the supermarket, and the problem of cupboards over-stuffed with unhealthy, out-sized boxes and bags of crisps, snacks, cakes, biscuits and chocolates, (all of which seem like a good idea at the time, but leave you feeling unhealthy, flabby and depressed when the new year comes). Choosing Organic or locally produced food will improve your health, increase the welfare of food-animals, and soften the environmental impact of the festive season. That has GOT to be more in keeping with the spirit of Christmas.
Vikki Scovell BA(hons) PG DIP is a fully qualified Personal Trainer and Fitness Coach. She is a qualified Nutrition Adviser, GP Referred Trainer and runs successful Community and Corporate Exercise classes and events. Vikki is a consultant in Healthy Eating and Exercise initiatives to schools in the independent sector and publishes School and General Healthy Living newsletters. Vikki believes passionately that everyone can make small changes to their lifestyle to ensure that they live happier, longer and healthier lives. She lives in Bristol in the U.K. with her partner Jeremy and two young children Apple and Honey. For inquiries for nutritional advice, personal training, corporate wellness and general inquiries visit www.getfitter.net
