Microwave Ovens: The Unhealthy Reality
I am about to dive into an area that will impact the majority of readers who value their health and are willing to make changes in order to protect and improve their vitality and well-being.
By now, you probably know that what you eat will define the body you evolve to in years to come. So you need to consider not only what you eat, but how you cook it. Eating most of your food raw is the ideal, but being a realistic person, I understand this is not the norm for our lifestyle.
Want to sterilize your sponge? Then using a microwave might be a good idea. Want to cook or reheat your food? You may want to think again before using a microwave. Simply, microwaves heat food by causing water molecules within the foods to resonate at very high frequencies and eventually turn to steam. What most people fail to realize is that the molecular structure of your food is altered. An example of this was seen in A study published in the November 2003 issue of The Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture. It found that broccoli "zapped" in the microwave with a little water lost up to 97 percent of its beneficial antioxidants. By comparison, steamed broccoli lost 11 percent or fewer of its antioxidants. In a study of garlic, as little as 60 seconds of microwave heating was enough to inactivate its allinase, garlic’s principle active ingredient against cancer and heart disease.
Another major problem is that carcinogenic (cancer causing) toxins can leach out of the plastic packaging, Styrofoam, and paper containers into your food. Have the cancer rates gone up or down since the introduction of microwaves in the 1970’s? (Answer????) The January/February 1990 issue of Nutrition Action Newsletter reported the leakage of numerous toxic chemicals from the packaging of common microwavable foods, including pizzas, chips and popcorn. Chemicals included polyethylene terpthalate (PET), benzene, toluene, and xylene. Microwaving fatty foods in plastic containers leads to the release of dioxins (known carcinogens) and other toxins into your food.
You may have heard that there is some danger of microwaves escaping from your microwave while it’s operating. You will be relieved to know that this was more of a risk with earlier models than with recent ones, which have undergone more rigorous testing.
So I bet you’re asking, does she have a microwave in her kitchen? The answer is no. But don’t think that I didn’t get a whole lot of grief for that. I told everyone in my household that I threw it out (It’s actually in the basement — shhh don’t tell!). They would need to learn how to defrost in the fridge, reheat on the stove and cook real, chemical free popcorn on the stove. Poor family, sometimes they think they are so deprived.
So how do you make the conversion? A toaster oven is a great alternative for reheating leftovers. Vegetables taste best lightly steamed in a covered pan for only a few short minutes. Drizzle with olive oil, hand harvested sea salt and a bit of fresh lemon juice for an unbelievable taste. Defrost your meat, homemade soups and stews in the fridge over night. Popcorn is always best, and my family will agree, when it is made fresh with an oil that tolerates high heat (grape seed, coconut etc…), a drizzle of real butter and a sprinkle of sea salt. Microwave separation anxiety can be a problem, but take it one step at a time, and before you know it, you will be “microwave free.” My mom did it, and you can too!
By now, you probably know that what you eat will define the body you evolve to in years to come. So you need to consider not only what you eat, but how you cook it. Eating most of your food raw is the ideal, but being a realistic person, I understand this is not the norm for our lifestyle.
Want to sterilize your sponge? Then using a microwave might be a good idea. Want to cook or reheat your food? You may want to think again before using a microwave. Simply, microwaves heat food by causing water molecules within the foods to resonate at very high frequencies and eventually turn to steam. What most people fail to realize is that the molecular structure of your food is altered. An example of this was seen in A study published in the November 2003 issue of The Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture. It found that broccoli "zapped" in the microwave with a little water lost up to 97 percent of its beneficial antioxidants. By comparison, steamed broccoli lost 11 percent or fewer of its antioxidants. In a study of garlic, as little as 60 seconds of microwave heating was enough to inactivate its allinase, garlic’s principle active ingredient against cancer and heart disease.
Another major problem is that carcinogenic (cancer causing) toxins can leach out of the plastic packaging, Styrofoam, and paper containers into your food. Have the cancer rates gone up or down since the introduction of microwaves in the 1970’s? (Answer????) The January/February 1990 issue of Nutrition Action Newsletter reported the leakage of numerous toxic chemicals from the packaging of common microwavable foods, including pizzas, chips and popcorn. Chemicals included polyethylene terpthalate (PET), benzene, toluene, and xylene. Microwaving fatty foods in plastic containers leads to the release of dioxins (known carcinogens) and other toxins into your food.
You may have heard that there is some danger of microwaves escaping from your microwave while it’s operating. You will be relieved to know that this was more of a risk with earlier models than with recent ones, which have undergone more rigorous testing.
So I bet you’re asking, does she have a microwave in her kitchen? The answer is no. But don’t think that I didn’t get a whole lot of grief for that. I told everyone in my household that I threw it out (It’s actually in the basement — shhh don’t tell!). They would need to learn how to defrost in the fridge, reheat on the stove and cook real, chemical free popcorn on the stove. Poor family, sometimes they think they are so deprived.
So how do you make the conversion? A toaster oven is a great alternative for reheating leftovers. Vegetables taste best lightly steamed in a covered pan for only a few short minutes. Drizzle with olive oil, hand harvested sea salt and a bit of fresh lemon juice for an unbelievable taste. Defrost your meat, homemade soups and stews in the fridge over night. Popcorn is always best, and my family will agree, when it is made fresh with an oil that tolerates high heat (grape seed, coconut etc…), a drizzle of real butter and a sprinkle of sea salt. Microwave separation anxiety can be a problem, but take it one step at a time, and before you know it, you will be “microwave free.” My mom did it, and you can too!
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