Do you remember one favorite saying our Mom's used? "Out of the frying pan and into the fire." There is a lot of wisdom in that saying. The production of carcinogenic substances including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH's)has been found in barbecued or grilled foods. These substances raise the risk of certain cancers. A group of toxins called advanced glycation end products (ACE's) in grilled, broiled and fried animal foods, such as meat and cheese, have been linked to inflammation, insulin resistance, diabetes, hyperglycemia, cardiovascular and kidney disease as well as Alzheimers' disease.

I used to love barbecuing hamburgers, melt the cheese on the meat on the grill. Since hearing about these high-heat cooking calamaties, I changed my recipe for healthy living by avoiding, at all costs, barbecues, and grills for animal and cheese products, and re-institued the old-fashion ways of steaming, stewing, sauteeing as well as poaching in my cooking. Believe it or not, the foods can taste just as good, especially accepting the realization that grilling and frying is conducive to a boost in carcinogens.

Acrylamide, a type of AGE, is also formed when starchy foods, including potatoes, are cooked at high temperatures without any water present. Even cooking french fries in a healthy oil, they are still a source of acrylamide.

There are also non-food sources of AGE's; the main one is tobacco smoke. This is a good enough reason smokers' should be compelled to give up smoking. Scientists are now finding that AGE readings tend to be higher in diabetes and other chronic illnesses. Research has shown by eating fried, broiled or grilled foods, you can overload your body's natural ability to get rid of the AGE's; therefore allowing them to accumulate in the body.

A study at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York published in the Journal of Gerontology was conducted and medical scientists showed that AGE levels are higher in the blood of healthy adults age 64 or over, and 35% higher in healthy people under 45. Scientists have shown that it is more difficult to get rid of AGE's as there is a decrease in kidney functions. Development of heart disease, inflamed arteries are much more welcoming to cholestorol deposits than healthy ones. Inflammation in the brain has been found a factor in cognitive decline, so it is obvious that learning to cook with skills in reducing AGE's in your recipes could add more years to your life.

The healthy cooking techniques that lead to reducing your AGE's, consist of:

1. Use steaming, stewing and sauteing with healthy recipes, if you are using meat or cheese, and avoid using french fries. Try recipes with other alternatives using potatoes.

2. It has been determined by scientists that microwaving does not seem to produce AGE toxins.

3. Use acidic marinades that contain lemon and vinegars which will add to the taste and it is a way of adding antioxidants to your food and counteract the effects of pre-oxidants.

4. Use your slow cooker crock pot as this is one very safe way to cook your meats. There is an abundance of healthy recipes for slow cookers

out there.

5. Use antioxidant rich foods such as fruits and vegetables, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, the purple foods which reign in a wealth of healthful benefits, and kale, spinach, brussel sprouts, which are loaded with antioxidants.

You are on the winning side of life if you use healthy antioxidant foods, and cook your healthy recipes using meats and dairy cheese products with low heat. It is a way for avoiding chronic illnesses, and a step toward healthy living.