It’s still great grilling weather. So here’s how you can enjoy your barbecue without raising your risk for cancer. Scientists have found that barbecuing meat can produce two types of carcinogens – one forms when meat begins to char, the other forms when smoke rises from the coals onto your burger. That doesn’t mean you have to put the lid on the Weber for good. Just try these tips for cancer-free grilling from “O” magazine:

• First, choose lean cuts of meat. What’s bad for your heart is also bad news for fighting cancer. When fat drips onto hot coals, it produces a cloud of smoke filled with carcinogens, and that fatty smoke cloud has been linked to pancreatic and colorectal cancers. So go lean.
• Next, pour on the antioxidants to protect yourself. Meat that’s been marinated in a mixture of thyme, rosemary, chives, and black pepper has been shown to contain 88% fewer carcinogens after grilling. Marinate your meat for an hour to get the full benefits. You could also rub rosemary on top of your meat to reduce the cancer-causing agents. If you want an easy recipe – just type “anti cancer marinade” into the search bar above.
• To reduce your risk of cancer, you could also partially cook your meat in the microwave prior to grilling. Then throw it on the grill for a final sear. According to the National Cancer Institute, microwaving meat for just two minutes before grilling reduces the carcinogens from char by 90%.
• If you are grilling fatty meat – try this technique. Place it on a piece of foil with holes pricked in the bottom. That way the fat can still escape and drip down, but rising smoke won’t penetrate the meat.
• One more anti-cancer grilling trick: make two piles of coals on either side of the kettle and put a drip pan in between. Then cook directly over the drip pan. That diffuses the heat, so your meat is less likely to get charred.