So last week I talked a little bit about pantry organization and food storage. I want to expand on what I use in my kitchen, what healthy choices there are available, and how you can make it feasible in your kitchen. I remember how daunting of a process this was for me when I first started. I would like to spare you some pain by putting the information here, then you can think about it, do some research and make a decision on what works best for your family.
First I'll expand on food storage and take it from the pantry to the refrigerator. So my rule is if it's a liquid, a wet food, or has been cooked it goes in glass or stainless steel, preferably glass. Glass is safe storage for food of all kinds. When foods are wet or when you have liquids whatever you store your food in has potential to leach into the food. That is fact when using plastic. So if you use plastic to store your wet foods and liquids be sure it's at least Bisphenol-A free, otherwise know as BPA.
Bisphenol-A is an organic compound that is put into many plastic and aluminum items. BPAs are used to harden plastics. Our bodies recognize it as an artificial estrogen. When this compound goes into our bodies it cause hormone disruption. Some scientists and studies show that it directly linked to troubles in pregnancy, neurological disorders, obesity, and cancer. To be honest the verdict is still split as to whether or not enough research has been presented. I, however, have seen enough, and choose not to chance it. Also when I think about the amount of plastic used today involving food verses say 50-60 years ago, and then look at the rise of cancer, I believe plastic use is a contributor.
Another material to be concerned with is aluminum. I realize it's is a very common item in the everyday person's kitchen, it's light and cheap. Unfortunately a higher price is attached with aluminum toxicity. Aluminum is found in cans of food and drinks, foil to cover food, pots and pans, in baking powder, and deodorant. I avoid it as much as possible. Neurological deficiencies like Alhiemerzer Disease,and dementia. It is also an inhibitor of absorbing certain necessary minerals such as calcium, iron, and magnesium. It can and does leach into liquids. Also when heated in ovens or on stove tops it does leach into food.
An additional concern with aluminum cooking and baking ware is the non-stick coating. First of all in most pans the stuff doesn't work that well. I've only had one set of pans where the non-stick coating worked well. Teflon or other non-stick coating takes only a few minutes on a pan to reach extremely high temperatures and then emits poisonous gases. Why would chemists come up with such a thing then? Well, one reason I can think of is because we'll buy it. Citizens of the USA want it bigger, badder, and faster now. It's been proven we will take serious consequences for convenience.
The leaching is very minimal with glass, and it's all natural composed of sodium oxide, calcium oxide, and silica. I realize the downside is it is breakable, on the other hand if you reuse and recycle glass containers and jars from foods you purchase you'll save some money. Most glass storage from either mason jars or a brand like Pyrex and Anchor is very durable, thick glass.If you are interested in purchasing glass storage it's as easy as a trip to Walmart. You can of course order online from Walmart, Target, or even Amazon.com. These are fairly affordable, and becoming much more popular as more and more of us health nuts arise.
I use a combination of stainless steel cookware and cast iron cookware. It took me a minute to get used to using the cast iron, I love it now though. I bake with stoneware from The Pampered Chef. I am also a big fan of bamboo. I use bamboo spatulas, spoons, tongs, and cutting boards. Another type of cookware that is new on the health scene is ceramic. I like Dr. Mercola's line. At this point in time it is not economical at all. I am happy with what is in my kitchen.
My ultimate point of view with all of these toxins and things that we hear about is to be wise, get out what you can, and are willing to be rid of in your home. We can't avoid everything. We'd cease to exist. We live in a fallen world.
http://www.ewg.org/reports/
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Which_plastics_leach_toxins
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2005/02/19/common-toxins.aspx
http://www.drpepi.com/aluminum-poisoning.php
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