13 HEALTHY BBQ TIPS FOR A BALANCED SUMMER
WITH DR. JANNA IN LONDON ON
Most people in London, ON like to celebrate the summer weekends with a BBQ and beer. According to Dr. Janna House at LifeHouse Chiropractic, that’s great, because it’s easy to elevate the BBQ and drinks by following these healthy BBQ tips of your favorites which will help you feel and function better. Here are her recommendations for doing just that.
Enjoy your BBQ with family and friends, even more, when you follow these simple healthy BBQ suggestions:
- Elevate Your Meat – opt for higher quality, nutrient-rich meat. If possible go for grass-fed beef [1][2][3], wild-caught fish, and free-range poultry. [4]
- Elevate Your Side Dishes – grill your veggies; mix up your salads with avocado oil-based mayonnaise (now available at Loblaws/Superstore/Zehrs/Costo) or vinaigrettes (like these salad dressings available at Farm Boy: apple cider/balsamic/Greek/Italian/lemon garlic/lemon garlic with honey/Mediterranean). Include smart fats [6], like our favorites, avocado, and olive oil, in your dressings and avoid industrialized/processed fats like canola and corn oil. [7]
- Elevate Your Grilling – follow healthy grilling tips, for example, don’t overcook your meat, par-cook your meat before grilling, marinate your meat before you bbq, and cut off any char before eating it. Not only will these tips enhance the meat’s flavor and make it tender, but it will also minimize cancer-causing compounds produced by grilling.
- Elevate Your Chips & Dips – by offering homemade dips, hummus, guacamole, or salsa with raw veggies or make your own veggie chips.
- Elevate Your Pop Or Lemonade – with this swap, try adding fresh lemons, freshly squeezed lemon juice, and maybe a touch of honey or maple syrup to sparkling mineral water. It will taste refreshing without playing havoc with your blood sugar levels.
- Elevate Your Dessert – with one of these ice cream alternatives, frozen fruit yogurt, chocolate-dipped frozen bananas, frozen banana, and almond butter bites, coconut granita, moose track overnight oats, or coconut milk and avocado ice cream. (I’d suggest you skip the pistachio jello pudding pops that are listed.)
For most Canadians, drinking alcohol is a way to unwind, celebrate milestones, or to socialize with family and friends. There are so many opportunities to drink that a lot of alcohol can be consumed without even realizing it.
Most people in London don’t think that the cumulative effect of alcohol consumption can have a negative effect on their health. Cancer, heart disease, depression, erectile dysfunction are a few medical conditions that medical research has linked to drinking.[8] If you must drink, minimize the risks associated with the negative health side effects of alcohol consumption by following my recommendations.
ELEVATE YOUR BEER. IF YOU DECIDE TO DRINK, FOLLOW THESE SEVEN STRATEGIES:
1. Limit your intake to two beers (or equivalent) per day.
2. Make a swap. Red wine or tequila gives you the pleasure of alcohol without beer’s gluten and high sugar impact.
3. If you really want a beer, go light, and/or go gluten-free. The LCBO has some Gluten-Free options, some are good, some not so much. Read the review, here and for recommendations on going gluten-free when drinking, check out this article.
4. Don’t drink on an empty stomach.
5. Make it your dessert. Save your drink until dessert which will limit your intake while still providing the satisfaction of an alcoholic drink and skip the dessert to minimize the negative impact of the sugar content.
6. Double up. I’m talking water, not alcohol. Try to follow this “rule” beforehand: drink two glasses of water with each alcoholic drink.
7. Get right back on track. If you overindulge, re-establish control as soon as possible. Green tea and Bulletproof upgraded coffee can help to detoxify. Make breakfast a protein and nutrient-rich meal with a protein shake or eggs.
At LifeHouse Chiropractic, we know that a healthy lifestyle goes beyond just adjustments. Dr. Janna House offers healthy BBQ tips to keep your summer grilling aligned with your wellness goals. Whether it’s choosing lean meats, incorporating nutrient-rich sides, or staying hydrated, these small changes can support your chiropractic care and overall health.
It is our desire at LifeHouse Chiropractic in London that you have a wonderful summer. Make it happy and healthy by following a few simple tips for a healthy BBQ by changing the way you grill and drink that will elevate your health when you have a BBQ and drink beer.
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Sources for Healthy BBQ tips:
1. http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=141
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20807460
3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20219103
4. https://draxe.com/free-range-chicken/
5. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/canola-oil-good-or-bad#section5
7. https://www.farmboy.ca/private-label/farm-boy-dressings/
8. https://www.lifehousechiropractic.ca/healthy-barbequing-tips/
9. https://blog.paleohacks.com/veggie-chips/
11. http://craftbeertastings.com/two-gluten-free-beers-that-come-really-close-to-the-real-deal/
12. https://www.blogto.com/eat_drink/2012/08/the_top_gluten_free_beer_and_booze_in_toronto/
13. https://blog.bulletproof.com/bulletproof-coffee-recipe/
