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Dr. Ellen Feingold's E-Newsletter for August 2009

Summertime, and outdoor living, is upon us. Here are some of the healthy things about outdoors in summertime:

• Outdoors in summertime boosts our body's production of Vitamin D if we go without sun block for about 15-20 minutes – but not during the hottest part of the day. Medical researchers believe that we are in an epidemic of Vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D deficiency is a major contributing factor to the high rates of cancer in developed countries. Never burn your skin under the sun. After your 15-20 minute exposure, put on SPF 45 or higher sun block.


• Outdoors in summertime gives us renewed opportunities for even greater amounts of physical activity every day.


• Outdoors in summertime hands us the opportunity to grow some of our own vegetables and fruits. Just growing your own increases the likelihood that you and the members of your family will increase their daily consumption of fruits and vegetables.

Outdoors in summertime also means to many people, increased opportunities for barbecues and eating grilled meats, fish, and poultry. The rest of this e-newsletter is devoted to the health issues associated with grilling meats, fish, and poultry. The information is taken from Dr. Feingold's new book, Take Charge of Your Kitchen: Nutrition for the 21^st Century. As soon as Dr. Feingold finds a publisher for her new book, she will announce it on her website drellenfeingold.com.

Beware of grilling meats, fish, and poultry

Why? Barbecuing and grilling over coals at high temperatures leads to the formation and accumulation of heterocyclic amines (HCAs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), both of which are carcinogenic agents, especially raising the risk for prostate cancer. The most common HCA is PhIP. High PhIP levels are related to a higher risk of developing prostate cancer.

Prevent the accumulation of HCAs by marinating your meats, fish, or poultry for at least 30 minutes before grilling over the coals.

Include rosemary in your marinade: Rosemary decreases the amount of HCAs created from grilling meats, poultry, and fish.

Beer marinades also decreases HCAs.

Beware: HCAs are formed when pan frying and broiling as well as grilling. It's the high temperatures and cooking meats to "well done" that causes the accumulation of HCAs.

Grill until well done, but not very well done, so that juices run clear. Do not eat the charred or blackened parts.

Discard left over marinade because it has come into contact with raw meat, fish, or poultry.

Use a dry rub (only the dry ingredients below) if you don't have enough time for marinade before grilling.

Always include rosemary leaves. Rosemary grows easily in most sunny gardens. Try growing it in yours.

Here's my recipe for spicy marinade: Measure 2 tbsp ground garlic (or 2-4 cloves crushed raw garlic), 1 tbsp ground turmeric, 1 tbsp cumin, 1 tsp lemon pepper, 1 tsp Mrs. Dash's herbal blend or Mrs. Dash Southwest Chipotle, and ¼ cup of dried or fresh rosemary and thyme combined. Mix all these together in a deep dish. Add ½ cup olive oil, ¼ cup rice, wine, or cider vinegar, ½ cup water or orange juice, and 2 tsp lemon juice. Mix. This yields enough marinade for steak or fish or chicken to feed six people. Wash off your meat, fish or poultry under cold, running water. You may choose to remove the skin of your poultry at this point. Blot with paper towel. Add pieces to marinade dish. Leave covered in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

Here's a list of cooking methods to decrease HCAs:

• Marinate before grilling.


• Use rosemary in your marinade or dry rub.


• Precook your meats, fish, and poultry in the oven or microwave before grilling.


• Seafood forms fewer HCAs than meat and poultry.


• Meats that are grilled in a casing, like hot dogs and sausages, form fewer HCAs. Make sure you don't trade HCAs for nitrites. Buy nitrite-free hot dogs and sausages.


• Grill less frequently. Use lower temperature cook methods like baking, roasting, and stir-fry.


• Don't overcook your meats, fish, and poultry. Well done and very well done means higher temperatures and that results in more HCAs.


• Use water cook methods, like boiling, steaming, poaching, and stewing, because no HCAs are generated.


• Flip your grilling meats and poultry frequently. The more frequently you flip, the fewer HCAs are generated. Flipping about every minute does not generate any HCAs.


• Grill smaller pieces of meats and on kebabs, alternating with vegetable pieces. Kebabs cook so quickly that you have to flip frequently.


• Grill veggie burgers, tofu, and vegetables instead of meats, fish, and poultry for little or no HCAs.


• Use a gas grill if possible since grills that burn wood and charcoal are likely to produce more carcinogens.

The bottom line: If you use the grill, do so infrequently, and use these tips to decrease the amount of HCAs you ingest.

[Some of this information has been adapted from "How to cut the HCAs", Nutrition Action HealthLetter, September 2008, p10 and "Good Grilling" Nutrition Action HealthLetter, June 2009, p6].

If you have any questions about anything in this e-newsletter, please e-mail me. Be sure to put "e-newsletter" in the subject line.

Disclaimer: Nothing in this e-mail or newsletter or archived newsletter is intended as personal medical advice for any one person, rather it is purely educational material. Neither the author, her website, Dr. Feingold, nor Homeopathy Center of Delaware may be held liable for anything written herein, or for the outcome(s) of a person choosing to implement anything he or she reads herein.

Ellen Feingold, M.D.
The Homeopathy Center of Delaware
410 Foulk Road Suite 202
Wilmington, DE 19803
Tel: 302 764-1882
Fax: 302-892-9299
Website: www.drellenfeingold.com

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