The fourth of July is here. I’m sure your making plans to be with friends, grill out and just have some great fun. Here are some great tips on how to make your celebration and all the other summer barbecues more healthy for you and your family
Hamburger
It isn’t a barbecue with out a hamburger hot dog or Brat, right? while the meat is considered healthy by most people, the bun is definitely not. The bread can create all kids of problems from gluten sensitivity to increased insulin resistance to potential onset of diabetes. So, enjoy the meat but wrap it in a piece of lettuce. Butter lettuce is a very healthy leaf lettuce that makes a great bun. If you prefer romaine, you just have to be a bit more careful as to the one you pick at the store so the leaves are big enough.
The
condiments you choose are another potential source of problems.
Ketchup is a standard for most people but what it not well known is how
much sugar there is in that bottle of goodness and so much of the time
in the form of High Fructose Corn Syrup. I know it sounds weird, but
check the label and you will see. Avoid any ketchup that uses high
fructose corn syrup. There are a few out there that use regular sugar
including some national brands but use it in moderation.
Grilled
chicken can be even healthier. Make sure you cook it to the right temp
but the real potential problem is the use of barbeque sauce. This is
similar to ketchup. So many of the products are full of high fructose
corn syrup. Its much harder to find a bar be que sauce that doesn’t
have that stuff. So far all I have found is some at Trader Joes’s and
whole Foods. if you know of any others, let me know.
Sides:
Summer
and watermelon go so well together, but that fruit is really not good
for you. The amount of sugar is astronomical. Instead, serve
strawberries raspberries,or blueberries. Berries are the healthiest
fruit as far as sugar goes and they all taste so good.
Another thing that is so associated with summer is corn. The fact is that a big percentage of the people in the US are allergic to corn. In other words, a lot of people don’t digest corn very well at all so it sits in your digestive tract for about 2 days as it slowly moves through and basically starts to rot. Instead, go with broccoli, cauliflower or peppers. These are a far healthier choice.
Drinks:
You
have to have something to drink at the party. Skip the pop. Did you
know that a 12 oz can has more than 10 teaspoons of sugar in it. Try
eating just a few teaspoons of sugar and you will get sick of it very
quickly. but that’s what you are getting in every 12 oz of pop.
instead choose water. It may sound plain but it will hydrate you much
better and you will end up drinking more because your body will want
more. you can always spice it up with some lemon, lime orange of
strawberry!
What
about adults? Stay away from the beer. it’s bad for your belly and
bad for you in general. a new drink that is becoming very popular is
spiked sparkling water. There are a number of flavors and a much
healthier alternative.
Red wine can be a good choice but there are more calories, however some research points to some good potential health benefits.
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