Outdoor cooking - and grilling in particular - is one of the joys of the warm season, so much so in fact that when the first officially hot weekends settle in, we're more than willing to take it up and fire up the grill in the back yard with more enthusiasm than we'd normally do it. However, grills and barbecues can easily turn into a real horror story for your summer silhouette, not to mention a calorific assault on your arteries and the death of any healthy diet. As a result, have a look at some healthy, heart-friendly tips on grilling and how to make the most of a naturally tasty treat.

The first thing to do is make sure that your grill is clean - and it's best not to do this while it's cold. Preheat your grill, then use a grill brush to clean off any charred debris from the rack. Step two is to remember that food tends to stick even on a clean grill. Oil the hot grill rack with vegetable oil and your meat, fruit or vegetables will cook better and will be easy to transfer onto plates after grilling. Consider what kind of food you're about to cook, and if you're going for shrimp, tofu, or vegetables, best use a grill basket to prevent any food from falling through the grill rack.

Marinated meat makes for a much tastier grill, although infusing food with extra flavor is not the only reason why this is recommended. Marinating has been shown to inhibit the formation of a series of potentially cancer-causing compounds called HCAs (short for heterocyclic amines). HCAs form when we grill fish, poultry and red meat, which are deemed "muscle meats". Reports from the American Institute for Cancer Research indicate that marinating can reduce HCA formation by as much as 92 to 99 % - which is a lot. Plus, marinated recipes are easy and fun to make, taking up no time at all.

Finally, you have to watch the grill carefully and avoid any flare-ups. These happen when fat from the meat drips onto the heat source and promptly catches fire. Remember, grilling is all about indirect exposure to heat - you really don't want flames directly onto your food. Flare-ups also cause a different brand of carcinogenic substances to accumulate on the meat and make the food seem cooked on the outside while the inside has not been processed enough. To avoid this, trim any excess fat and remove the skins from chicken meat, and you'll be safe. Enjoy!