What are potential toxins in your daily living? Toxins can be people that make you feel bad, things that are holding you back from your goals, or situations that make you physically ill. A toxin can be a behavior, a person, or an object. But anything that "impairs" you or "inhibits activity" is toxic.

Let’s look at an example. Suppose you wanted to get a better job. The current job you have doesn't pay enough, is very stressful, and is not a good fit for your personality. The career you would like to pursue requires a degree (which you don't have) and relies heavily on networking to secure a position. In this example there are several toxins at play. Two obvious ones are your current job environment (the stress is injuring you) and your lack of a degree (this is inhibiting your activity). Other toxins could be your current spending habits (maybe problem isn't how much your job pays, but fact that you are not living within your means), your relationships (are you getting support from your family and friends to make this transition), and your own attitude.

So how do you eliminate toxins from your life?

From what I understand, cancer researchers have found that grilling red meat, poultry, and fish causes formation of carcinogenic compounds called HCA’s (heterocyclic amine). And, when fat from our grilling cuisine drips onto hot coals, another group of cancer-causing substances is formed. These are PAH’s (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon) which are deposited onto food through smoke and flames.

The good news is, that researchers actually strongly disagree whether or not eating grilled foods actually pose a significant health risk. HCA’s have been linked to increased risk of cancers of breast, colon, stomach, and prostrate, however, most of evidence is based only on animal studies not humans.

So what should we do when experts don’t agree? Maybe it makes most sense to take some extra precautions when grilling rather than to give up one of greatest gifts of summer. There are a few things we can do to minimize our exposure to carcinogens. The most effective way would be to marinate foods before grilling. Even brief marinating helps. In some studies, marinades have been found to reduce amount of HCA’s formed by as much as 92 to 99 percent. Marinades may act as a barrier keeping flames from directly touching meat. The ingredients within marinade may also offer protection. Lots of marinades contain vitamin C, vitamin E and naturally-occurring compounds in herbs and spices that have cancer-fighting properties.