EASY BBQ MARINADES – ENHANCE FLAVOR WHILE PROTECTING YOURSELF FROM CANCER

RECIPE TIPS FOR A HEALTHY AND HAPPY BBQ

Happy 4^th of July everyone! And as luck would have it, it’s also Monday and the perfect time for another Holiday Version of WHAT’S ON THE #MENU MONDAY. Because summer is in full swing and so much of our time now revolves around the great outdoors and food, it’s time to re-visit an important issue. The classic barbeque. How to keep it safe. How to protect your health. And, how to cook all those burgers, steaks and hotdogs without exposing yourself to harm.

First – it’s time to review! And, time to remember the following 3 facts:

1. High temperatures during grilling can result in the formation of chemicals such as heterocyclic amines or HCAs. In turn, these chemicals have been linked to the development of certain cancers, including colon, stomach, lung, pancreatic, breast and prostate cancers.
2. HCAs form specifically in the charred or blackened parts of your BBQ.
3. The formation of HCAs can be reduced dramatically if you marinate your meat before you grill it.

So much for the What. Now, let’s get to the How.

Thanks to researchers at Kansas State University we have 2 Easy Recipes for Marinades that will help protect your health and provide a tasty punch to any summer BBQ.

• SIMPLE THAI SPICE RECIPE:

Equal parts turmeric, finger root and galangal.

Crush and mix spices together to form a dry rub.

Cover beef, fish, poultry or pork with the rub and let it sit for a few hours before popping on the grill.

Could anything be easier?! Oh yeah – this one:

• ROSEMARY DRY RUB:

As its name suggests, crush plain rosemary into a dry rub.

Cover your choice of meat with the rub and let it sit for a few hours before grilling. That’s it!

Both methods are simple, tasty and effective. For not only will we be adding great flavor to our meal, but using a Thai Spice rub on our meats before putting them on the BBQ will reduce the formation of HCAs by 40 to 42 percent! Using a dry rub of simple rosemary on our meats before grilling will reduce the formation of HCAs by a whopping 60 to 70 percent. Wow!

Other marinades also may help reduce the formation of HCAs, but remember:

• Don’t use marinades with high amounts of sugar as these can actually double or triple the HCA levels in our burger or steak.
• Lower the heat of your grill just a bit to avoid burning.
• And, try to avoid eating the crunchy, blackened parts of your BBQ.

There we are. Easy recipes and simple tips to keep your summer gatherings safe for friends and family – and tasty enough to use all year long.

Have a HEALTHY and HAPPY 4^th of JULY everyone and thanks for joining me! Until next time, stay in GOOD HEALTH and . . .

TAKE THE COURSE AND TAKE CHARGE!