Whether CAFO-FREE or Chemicalized Cancer Meat, Neither is Risk-Free on National BBQ Day!

This blog isn’t about the harm of processed, mystery meat…but it is a consideration. These terrifying BBQ outcomes can occur even with organic-pasture-raised-happy meat. You deserve to have a danger-free day with your grill. No worries, fears will be abated! Read on, my essential oilers!

 

Chemical Free on the Outside

If you’ve been following me, by now you’re becoming an expert on the health dangers of the toxins that flood our environment. Thankfully, you’ve also been reading about how to take this disturbing information and empower yourself with solutions. You now have tools to protect you and your family and keep you all well in this chemical-soup-of-our-world.

Many were also elated to learn about fun-in-the summertime with non-toxic OTC products. These have provided our burdened brains and bodies with even more safe options for enjoying the summer fun without having to use chemicals to protect us from the elements. Safe sunscreen and bug spray in hand, we can now skip off to our Fourth of July Day gatherings without a care in the world, right? (Subscribe to learn more about these products here.)

Not so fast.

 

Temporarily Processed in the Inside

This Tuesday, 62% of you are going to be lighting up the grill to enjoy your BBQ feasts. With 818 hot dogs consumed per minute between now and Labor Day, I thought it might be a good time to turn the subject from toxins in our personal care products to preventing the pitfalls of achy bellies from processed-chemicalized-Franken foods and heated up flesh. (Yummy!)

Now, before you stop reading this blog, thinking it’s another “Diet Nazi” rampage, I’m not going there!!

I believe if you make a conscious choice, if your overall dietary food patterns are healthy, and for those who don’t struggle with food addictions, relaxing about food on occasion can be a good way to prevent orthorexia-like living.  Besides, we’ve got oils and probiotics to help with our little blips along the way!

This blog is beyond the issue with too many processed meats being linked to cancer risk, or, turning our microbiome from their happy buggy production of protective and nutritive factors to toxic bombers. I’m not discussing that.

There’s other “hits” to our health that health fanatics and burger guzzlers alike need to be aware of!

Yes, for those who choose to “Say No to CAFOs” on Independence Day, your grilling too, could be your pitfall!

 

Safe CAFO-FREE or Chemicalized Cancer Meat, Neither is Safe on BBQ Flames….Unless You Know This!

First, on a practical note, let’s start of basic grill safety. Careful of the flames and don’t be among the embarrassed 1,600 who suffered injuries from swallowing parts of wire-bristle grill brushes. We don’t want to be the ones that have to leave our family fun to run from the U.S. emergency rooms to save our esophagus!

Now, the terrifying cooking news…

Thanks to Dr. Mercola we get a brief run-down of what horrific things happen when we cook our meat:

  • The color changes that occur as meat is cooked are due to a protein called myoglobin
  • In red meat, myoglobin changes from red to tan and grayish brown as it is heated
  • Grilling leads to the creation of toxic cooking byproducts in your meat; these can be minimized by shortening cooking time, lowering temperature, and using spices and marinades

If you like scarying the buggers out of yourself, you can read more about the health risk of these byproducts called heterocyclic amines (HCAs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) here and in Mercola’s article.

Uh-oh, I can hear it now, “I have a large disdain for you now, Dr. Sarah, why are telling me this!?? I just bought me a big steak to enjoy for my day off!”

Wait, wait!! Please, don’t be a “LoBisco Hater”… yet!!

Guys, you know me…I give you the background so you KNOW and THEN I give suggestions for solutions that may work for you.

Thankfully, this one is yummy!

 

Spice-Up Your Grill to Avoid the Ill

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spice it up!

It’s true, adding spices and certain foods can ward off the dangers that any flesh emits on our outdoor flames! Here’s an abstract from the Natural Medicine Journal to ease your mind:

A review of research on heterocyclic amine (HCA) formation in meat during barbecuing and cooking, with a focus on data related to recipe and menu development to lower carcinogen production or mitigate mutagenic effects. HCA formation may be reduced by decreasing cooking temperature, cooking time, or manner of cooking. The addition of vitamin E, garlic, rosemary, fruit pulp, and other seasonings and spices may lower HCA production. These ingredients may be incorporated through direct mixing, marinades, or rubs and often inhibit HCA formation by as much as 70%. Certain foods (e.g., yogurt, beer) lower mutagenic action of HCAs. Altering cooking methods by incorporating these concepts may play a significant role in reducing risk of cancer.

Even better, we can go beyond the free-radical fighting power of dried herbs and make our way to antioxidant triumph of adding our favorite essential oil.

Heck, they’ll even detox some of the after effects as you eat!!

One drop will do ya’ in your favorite marinade.

So spread those yummy toppings on your less-than-well-done, low-heat-cooked, frequently-flipped, organic hot dogs (the spices are already in these puppies).

If your new to cooking with essential oils, read this, it will give you some “Vital” confidence to using them in your favorite dishes.

 

Bon-appetit!

 

Disclaimer: This information is applicable ONLY for therapeutic quality essential oils. This information DOES NOT apply to essential oils that have not been tested for purity and standardized constituents. There is no quality control in the United States, and oils labeled as “100% pure” need only to contain 5% of the actual oil. The rest of the bottle can be filled with fillers and sometimes toxic ingredients that can irritate the skin. The studies are not based solely on a specific brand of an essential oil, unless stated. Please read the full study for more information.

This material is for information purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prescribe for any illness. You should check with your doctor regarding implementing any new strategies into your wellness regime. These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. (Affiliation link.)