It’s Not Just WHAT We Cook…But What We Cook WITH
November 9, 2009
Here's a shot from MY perspective, with like 50 camera people on set making everything look smooth. 
I use frying pans myself very, very rarely, but doing this segment made me think about this topics...
Hey Guys!
I hope you had an amazing weekend!! I’m still out here in Cali, and I must say that this New Yorker is sure having a swell time.
I was thinking about this topic when I did my egg white demo, and also because the holidays are rapidly coming upon us. It’s a time when many of us are going to be making some cooked food. We discuss topics like switching to healthier oils, upgrading into more organic ingredients, and consuming more greens. But what about the cookware we use??
What’s scary is that using Teflon or other nonstick pans will make any dish you are making in them, with even the most organic and natural ingredients possible, suddenly toxic. I know- What the heck!??!! How lame is that?? As if there isn’t enough to worry about with the quality of our food itself.
The fact is that there are dangerous, toxic chemicals in non-stick pans, and they can cause the leaching of dangerous heavy metals into our food and into our bodies! The slick, nonstick surface is made of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). PFOA may cause toxic alterations to our body’s organs, and have been linked to stimulating tumor growth.
Over time, the nonstick surface breaks down and flakes off into your food, PFOA accumulates and remains stored in our bodies. Yes, stored in our bodies! These types of chemicals are very hard to detox out of the body, even when you have been engaged in methods of very deep cleansing over long periods of time. Toxic fumes from Teflon™ and other non-stick cookware release into the air at relatively low cooking temperatures, adding yet another entry point of this dangerous chemical into your body.
So the first step we must do is to go through our cabinets right now and throw away all our Teflon cooking gear! I know it might seem like a waste, but just remember that our bodies are much more important than a few bucks we put towards some crappy pots and pans. Aluminum cookware is not a much better option. Glass is better (though there have been reports of explosions!) and stainless steel is a better option also. There is even cookware now made from non-reactive ceramic, which may also be a better option.
So remember, when you do cook or bake, watch what you are cooking with! We have to think of all parts of preparing our food, and that includes what we are actually preparing our food in and with. Of course, we wouldn’t have to worry about any of that if we all ate only raw food…but that day is not yet upon all of us. Just teasing!! Eating some high quality cooked food is okay as long we we balance it with eating lots of Green Smoothies and salads, etc.
With Love!
Kimberly
Here is a beautiful carp fish to send you Good Luck for your week! I saw him at a Japanese garden this morning.
Amen! I’ve been anti-teflon for 3 years now, after reading it from Mercola.com. Teflon just sucks!
Awwww, that fishy is such a cutie! Echoing Kelly–what are your thoughts on cast iron cookware?
Hi Bria!
There were also hummingbirds outside our sliding glass door, but it was really hard for me to take a picture of him.
Yes, the fish was beautiful and so was the whole pond. Interestingly enough, I saw several different fish ponds with carp on this last trip. They just kept popping up! I think that means good luck, and more is coming!
Any kind of metal cookware has some risk of metal pieces chipping off- that is even true of stainless steel. But it better than aluminum metal cookware of course, and in my opinion, far better than teflon. I, for instance, have had a stainless steel cookware set, which I use for making millet, vegan hot chocolate, etc. It doesn’t have any chips! Ceramic cookware could be one of the best options.
Om Shanti!! Take care of yourself and hope to see you in class soon.
A timely article from the New York Times.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/08/opinion/08kristof.html?_r=1&em
Thanks for sharing!!
I threw out all my teflon crap a couple of years ago after I learned the dangers of it… seriously, why did they even invent that stuff??
don’t forget trusty cast iron cookware! a well seasoned pan is every bit as non-stick as teflon while remaining toxin free.