A Very Fun Guide to Healthy Grilling

Everybody loves Grilling. Outdoors, in the sunshine, enjoying more than one beer while cooking great tasting food. What could be better? Well just off the top of my head, living a long time might be preferable. And, Grilling isn’t necessarily conducive with that. Obesity-related issues are the biggest killers in the United States, after smoking-related issues and they’ll soon be number 1. But wait… what if I told you there’s a way to Grill outside and eat to your heart’s content without suffering health problems. I know, for some of you this is going to be like the moment in Star Wars when Darth Vader told Luke he’s his father. A distinct moment of absolutely startling clarity that you’ll remember forever. So listen up, if you love grilling but like your place among the living because I’m going to drill you with healthy grilling tips.

Use Alcohol

No, not to get drunk. I’m talking about in your Marinade. Alcohol contains a whole host of Anti-Oxidants. These guys fight against Oxidants which can be incredibly damaging to your body. Oxidants come from our environment. They’re in cigarette smoke, polluted air, and pesticides. They’re also in our own bodies. Our bodies produce them naturally. These Oxidants attack cells and contribute to most chronic diseases. Coating your meat in an Alcohol-based Marinade a few hours before cooking it, floods the body with these vital Anti-Oxidants to help in the fight against the evil Oxidants. So be a General – send your troops into battle by Marinating your meat with alcohol. That’s an order!!!!

But what if you despise Alcohol?

You should still Marinate. Even if you don’t use alcohol Marinating is still great for your health. It creates a wall of safety between your meat and the grill’s heat. The proteins contained in meat when directly placed on flames causes the creation of tons of Carcinogens that cause Cancer. But if you’ve got your protective Marinade at work providing that vital barrier between meat and heat you can reduce Carcinogens by up to 50%.

Use Vegetables

It’s not illegal. Nobody’s going to come over and collect you for using fresh Veg. Even cooked on a Grill fresh Veg contains lots of Vitamins and they also contain our new friends the Anti-Oxidants. The Vitamins in Vegetables are great at fighting the worst types of Oxidants which are Free-Radicals. They’re really tasty too.

Who here is a Chicken or Pork fan?

Me too, but I also know that when Chicken or Pork are being grilled their Proteins react with the intense heat to form Heterocyclic Amines. These attack the body and studies have demonstrated their ability to alter our DNA and cause Cancer. You can stop this by putting your meat in the microwave for a few minutes before grilling it. The Microwaves destroy Heterocyclic Amines and you’ll get rid of 90% of them by doing this.

Clean Your Grill

Back in the old days when I started grilling, the cleaning job seemed almost like a situation of forced labor. It was difficult not to take personally how difficult it was. Did the grill manufacturers have a vendetta against us? Maybe so, but they certainly like you younger guys because these days most Grills are coated with Porcelain-Enamel so dirt literally falls off. This means there’s no excuse for not cleaning your Grill now, and there are health benefits too. Flare-ups can be caused by old hardened Charcoal and meat stuck to the bottom. These flare-ups create more smoke and smoke contains our enemies the Oxidants. It also contains Carcinogens. So stop those flare-ups by cleaning that Grill out.

Get Rid of Flare-ups completely.

Sure, you’ve cleaned your Grill and that has reduced flare-ups but you’re not done yet on the road to healthy Grilling. You’ve also got to trim that fat away. Or, use less fatty pieces of meat, to begin with. That way you’re cutting out flare-ups completely so you’re reducing the amount of harm. In the same way, my wife put a ban on me leaving the toilet seat up, guess what? I put a ban on flare-ups.

For Burgers

The first rule of healthy Burger grilling is turned frequently. This reduces the risk if E-Coli and other Bacterial infections. Also, reduce the heat. Any reduction in heat is good for your health. It reduces the chances of burnt meat which contains Free Radicals and it produces less smoke.

Experiment

Ever heard the expression variety is the spice of life? It’s true. So explore and find new types of food you can Grill. Take it to the limit. After all, what’s the worst that can happen? A bad meal? That’s ok and if that happens just move on and experiment with other foods. I bet you’ll find something amazing that you never thought of Grilling. Salad Kebabs are amazing. You get some Tomatoes or Pineapple and throw some cheese on there too, along with any other type of Veg you can think of. It’s up to you. Whole Peppers, Octopus, Grilled Clams. The sky is the limit.

Final Thoughts

So if you want to live longer and enjoy grilled food then follow these simple rules and guidelines I’ve highlighted here. They’re not difficult and they will benefit your health. Remember that smoke is dangerous even when it smells good. So cut down on those flare-ups. And, Marinate your meat; preferably with Alcohol, but if you don’t like using that then Marinate anyway. It will separate meat from heat and therefore it will reduce Carcinogens. Experiment. Enjoy grilling more by trying new things. Turn those Burgers lots of times and eat Veg to fill your body with those Vitamins you need to destroy Oxidants. One more thing: Microwave that meat to kill Heterocyclic Amines. They can damage your DNA and you’re not gonna live forever without that. Thank you for reading.