First it was the dishwasher, then the car and finally (hopefully) the barbecue. After years of happy backyard grilling, everything beneath the lid disintegrated. The LH of course was delighted — a perfect excuse to buy a new one. I’m a little worried about what we’ll end up with instead — he’d install a permanent grill pit if he could. An outdoor man cave, not to be infiltrated by nagging wives, children or tofu.

The silver lining to our financial ruin was discovering Jobber.bm. We found a trucker willing to whisk away the grubby old BBQ (plus a worn out trampoline while he was at it) and dispose of them at the dump for a really reasonable price. If you haven’t found the Jobber website yet you should absolutely check it out. It’s a website that allows you to anonymously post any jobs (large or small) and receive bids for the work from “jobbers”. It’s busy connecting willing workers to opportunities they didn’t know existed — and it gives everyone the chance to get their nagging “to do” list done at a price they can afford. So if you have a job that needs doing, sign up and post it! It’s really easy.

And that’s the thing I love about barbecues — the ease. Summer meals seem to come together so much more quickly and I often think they’re cheaper too. Ingredient lists are shorter, spouses are involved and sides can usually be prepped well in advance. The result is a more easy-going experience all round.

There’s just one thing I want you to bear in mind though. As tasty as it may be, there is no escaping the fact that charred food is linked to the formation of carcinogens. In all seriousness, two compounds, Heterocyclic amines (HCAs) and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) arise when meat is cooked at a very high temperature or comes into contact with flames. The Environmental Protection Agency in the US has found sufficient data linking these compounds to tumours, birth defects and damage to the immune system.

This doesn’t mean you can never chargrill again, but it’s a really important factor to consider if many of your meals are cooked on the BBQ. Fortunately there’s a silver lining here too — marinating meat is a really effective way of mitigating HCA and PAH formation. Here’s the information with a few other tips as well. If you bear these in mind, you can make sure your BBQ season is a healthy one!

Healthy tips for the grill-master

1. Cook over a lower heat for longer. Obviously it’s important to make sure that poultry and meat are cooked to the proper internal temperature, but there is no harm in taking a little more time if you can spare it.

2. Given that flames flare up when fat drips down onto the coals, try and choose leaner cuts of meat, trim visible excess or cook marbled cuts of meat on a shelf away from direct heat.

3. The American Institute for Cancer Research recommends marinating meat for at least 30 minutes — the impact of which is astonishing. In a recent study, the American Chemical Society noted that marinating meats in beer (husbands rejoice!) slowed down carcinogen formation by up to 53 percent (the darker the ale, the better.) However, one study showed that a combination of olive oil and lemon juice was most effective, reducing cancer causing compounds by 99 percent. I’ll post an example of a great olive oil and lemon juice marinade on the Facebook page over the weekend. Whichever route you choose though, you’ll get amazing moisture and flavour with a marinade.

4. Add herbs to your marinade (fresh or dried) as these may reduce carcinogen formation too, according to Food Safety Consortium scientists at Kansas State University. Tear the herbs to allow their oils to infuse the marinade and consider adding extra fresh herbs to an accompanying salad too.

5. Make half your plate vegetables. I know it sounds like a lot, but the “5-a-day” recommendation is quite frankly a starting point. Vegetables are full of the vitamins, minerals and fibre that help to reduce cancer risk. It’s also about what those vegetables replace too. If by eating more veg you eat less carbs, you’re onto a winner. I am very pro carbs, but they should only form about one quarter of your plate — especially in the evening.

6. Choose cruciferous vegetables (e.g. broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and Brussels.) A study from the Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention illustrated that the glucosinolates found so prolifically in cruciferous veg are protective against both HCAs and PAHs. Try a broccoli slaw or the Hong Kong confetti salad (made with red cabbage) on my Facebook page.

7. And finally, clean that grill. A mega pain I know, especially if you only get around to it the morning after. However, cleaning the grill reduces the amount of burned char you eat. Char intake is linked to premature ageing as well as carcinogen formation so it’s a double whammy.

The advice given in this article is not intended to replace medical advice, but to complement it. Always consult your GP if you have any health concerns. Catherine Burns BA Hons, Dip ION is the Managing Director of Natural Ltd and a fully qualified Nutritional Therapist trained by the Institute for Optimum Nutrition in the UK. Please note that she is not a Registered Dietitian. For details, please go to www.natural.bm or call 236-7511. Join Catherine on Facebook: www.facebook.com/nutrifitandnaturalnutritionbermuda