Nontoxic cookware----Is It Really Healthier For Cooking

Why Cast iron pots and pans are better for health and cooking. 

Cast-iron pots and pans is nontoxic and a safer alternative cookware. It is a good heat conductor, allows uniform heating when used for cooking and does retain heat and nutrients. It can withstand high heat  temperatures. It is porous and can corrode easily if not well cared for. Cast-iron is a reactive metal and can react chemically with acidic foods like tomatoes, asparagus etc. Cast-iron is heavy- the picture you're looking at is the kind of pot my grandmothers’ use for cooking delicious meals. Cast- iron cookware’s is good but can leach iron into food at high temperatures; this iron is not easily absorbed by the body although it is considered a beneficial dietary iron. It saves energy; and retains heat after the fire is out. 

Because cast-iron rust easily, you have to season it (maintain it)  by rubbing vegetable oil or thin layer of lard all over it- this protects the inside surface from rusting and prevents food from sticking to the surface.  The oil on the cast-iron will polymerize to the metal surface at high heat, over time the base coat will become more refined. The darkening from seasoning cast-iron pot is known as "Patina".

A good example is the Lodge's non-enameled cast-iron ware. I use Lodge's natural cast iron pans and pots for baking, broiling, frying or sauteing. You can use cast-iron pans or pots in the oven, on the stove, on the grill or over the campfire. Avoid using dishwashers, metal scouring pads, harsh detergents and heat it gradually when cooking to help your cast-iron cookware last longer. 


Cast-iron cookware by Lodge is what i use to cook my own healthy homemade meals. 
You can find it at www.Lodgemfg.com

Toxic City

Toxins are everywhere; in the food we eat, the water we drink, the air we breathe. Luckily, they have little effect on us in small doses. Although, when they accumulate in our bodies through repeated exposure, they can be harmful. And their number is growing, due to the invention of new chemicals for industrial and scientific uses. Not to scare you away but you might want to take a look at these harsh looking one's below for your own safety while shopping for home accessories, fashion wears, food items, cleaning and personal hygiene product.

Phthalates is a class of compounds derived from phthalic acid with many common household uses
Sources: plastic softener, perfumes, hairsprays, lubricants, wood finishers, new-car smell.

Dangers: cancer; phthalates also inhibit sexual development of male babies in utero.


Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs)
A group of compounds used in the manufacture of many industrial items from plastic to insulation.

Sources: Fish, soil, drinking water, indoor air.

Dangers: impairment of immune system and reproductive system, cancer, impairment of child neurological development.

Formaldehyde
A colorless gas used primarily as a disinfectant and preservative.

Sources: carpets, plastics, paper products, shampoos, bath products.

Danger: cancer

Carbamate insecticides, Triazine herbicides, and nitrates
Common pesticides.

Sources: water supply

Dangers: detrimental effects on nervous, immune, and endocrine systems.

Dioxins
Toxic compounds usually occurring as waste products of industrial processes such as pesticide manufacture.

Sources: dairy products, meat, fish, shell fish.

Dangers: impairment of immune system, endocrine system, nervous system, and reproductive functions.

Heavy Metals
Metallic elements with specific gravity five or more times that of water, such as mercury, copper, arsenic, lead, cadmium, iron, and manganese.

Sources: fish, contaminated water, soil, badly fitted fillings, lipstick (in the case of lead).

Dangers: headache, fatigue, anemia, dizziness, constipation, tremors, cancer.

Phenol is a suspected human carcinogen that also can cause skin eruptions and peeling, swelling, pimples, hives, burning, gangrene, numbness, vomiting, circulatory collapse, paralysis, convulsions, cold sweats, coma, and death.

Pentachlorophenol is a carcinogen that can also cause central nervous system depression, light headed, dizziness, sleepiness, nausea, tremor, loss of appetite, disorientation, and liver damage.

Naphthalene is a suspected human carcinogen, naphthalene can promote skin irritation, headache, confusion, nausea and vomiting, excessive sweating, and urinary irritation. Exposure to a sufficient quantity can lead to death.

Benzene is carcinogenic. It also can cause drunk like behavior, lightheaded-ness, disorientation, fatigue and loss of appetite.

Cresol can be absorbed through the skin and mucous membranes to affect the central nervous system, liver, kidneys, lungs, pancreas, and spleen. Symptoms of toxicity include dermatitis, digestive disturbances, faintness, vertigo, mental changes, sweating, pallor, weakness, headache, dizziness, ringing in the ears, shock, delirium, skin numbness and discoloration, and death.

Flame retardants used in clothing and mattress/bedding production---TRIS,  is a leading flame retardant that has been proven mutagenic and carcinogenic to animals. Studies have shown that TRIS can be absorbed through the skin from garments washed more than fifty times.  Some clothing and household materials are treated with  tetrakis (hydroxymethyl) phosphonium sulfate (THPS), Phenol, polybrominated biphenyls (PBBs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and tetrakis (hydroxylmethyl) phosphonium chloride (THPC), another retardant, that release formaldehyde when fabric is wet. 

Do it yourself chemical dyes contain highly carcinogenic dichlorobenzidene,  which is very easily absorbed through the  skin. They can cause anemia; jaundice; damage to the central nervous system, kidneys, and liver; and death. Azo, basic, disperse, fiber-reactive, and vat dyes all can cause allergic reactions, as can florescent whitening agent.

Your alternative choice will be organic clothing or flame retardant free cotton or wool material.
 
Methylene chloride is a suspected human carcinogen that may be mutagenic.
Xylene----prolonged exposure to xylene may cause nausea, vomiting, excessive salivation, cough, hoarseness, feelings of euphoria, headaches, giddiness, vertigo, ringing in the ears, confusion, coma, and death.

Trichloroethylene is a suspected human carcinogen, trichloroethylene is mutagenic. 

Symptoms of exposure include gastrointestinal upset, central nervous system depression, narcosis, heart and liver malfunctions, paralysis, nausea, dizziness, fatigue, and psychotic behavior.

Sulfur compounds (including potassium and sodium bisulfate and metabisulfite, sulfur dioxide, and sulfuric acid)----sulfur compounds can cause fatal allergic anaphylactic shock and asthma attacks. They destroy vitamin B1 (thiamin); have mutagenic effects on viruses, bacteria, and yeast; and can be synergistic with carcinogens to make them more potent.

Saccharin causes cancer.
Sucrose (sugar, corn sugar/syrup, dextrose, glucose syrup, invert sugar/syrup, maple sugar/syrup) Use of sucrose can lead to nutritional deficiencies, lowered resistance to disease, tooth decay, diabetes, hypoglycemia, coronary disease, obesity, ulcers, high blood pressure, vaginal yeast infection, and osteoporosis.

Asbestos fibers in building materials can affect every organ of the body if you are exposure to it. Illnesses caused by aabestos exposure include asbestosis, a chronic lung disease; and mesothelioma, an often fatal form of cancer. The EPA announced in 1972 that there is no safe level of asbestos exposure, as any exposure to the fibers involves some health risk.

Ammonia (including ammonium chloride, Ammonium hydroxide, Benzalkonium chloride, and quaternary ammonium compounds): These substances cause irritation of eyes and respiratory tract, conjunctivitis, laryngitis, tracheitis, pulmonary edema, pneumonitis, and skin burn.

    Hydrogenated oil
The hydrogenation of oil into hard fat (margarine, vegetable shortening) destroys or deforms the essential fatty acids in the oil. Lack of essential fatty acids can contribute to neurological disease, heart disease, arteriosclerosis, skin diseases, cataracts, arthritis, high blood cholesterol levels, and cancer.

Vaccine


  Chlorine (including chlorine dioxide and sodium hypochlorite).

  
symptoms of chlorine toxicity include pain and inflammation of the mouth, throat, and stomach; erosion of mucous membranes; vomiting; circulatory collapse; confusion; delirium; coma; severe respiratory-tract irritation; pulmonary edema; skin eruptions. Exposure has been linked to high blood pressure, anemia, diabetes, and heart disease, and causes a 44-percent greater risk of gastrointestinal or urinary-tract cancer.
Clinical observation by medical doctors has shown that reactions to chlorine also can occur from chlorine fumes rising from hot or cold running tap water, including such symptoms as red eyes, sneezing, skin rashes, and fainting or dizziness while taking shower or washing dishes.  

A reason to consider getting a good alkaline reverse osmosis water filter.

12 simple things you can do to reduce your trash and improve your environment---Mother earth will love this:

 Recycling turns materials that would otherwise become waste into valuable resources. According to National environmental protection agency collecting used bottles, cans, and newspapers and taking them to the curb or to a collection facility contributes recycling benefits to our communities financially, environmentally and socially. 

 12 simple things you can do to reduce your trash and improve your environment---Mother earth will love this.

1. Number one: Instead of using Disposable paper Napkins-try using cotton hand cloth that can be washed and reused.
2. Try using cotton cloth---"Napkin diapers"  that is safe ---without toxic chemicals, can be washed and reused instead of disposable diapers.
3. Separate your trash to avoid mixing plastics, paper and food peels together in the trash, it will keep your trash clean and will make recycling easier. Plastic grocery bags-reusable bags can be used as a great alternative for small trash cans in your home.
4. Refill your old printer cartridges instead of buying new cartridges---this way you will save money, time and the environment.
5. Invest in rechargeable batteries instead of disposable batteries. Recycling batteries keeps hazardous metals out of landfills. Some companies, like Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation, Radio-shack and Office Depot, accept reusable ones. The Car batteries contain lead and can’t go in landfills, because toxic metals can leach into groundwater, but you can take it to the retailer selling them and have them collect it and recycle them.
6. Opt to receive statements and bills electronically using internet when possible instead of paper mails that will junk your home over time.
7. Use Eco-friendly food plastic or glass containers  to store your food or snacks ---avoid plastic wraps and foil. Opt for real plates whenever possible instead of paper or plastic plates.
   Instead of buying big bottles of ice or sweet tea at the grocery; try to make one at home when you can and store it in a reusable water-bottle. Reusable bottles is the way to go.
8. For shaving or waxing, i would suggest a tweezer,  waxing gel like Gigi all purpose honey waxing gel at sally beauty stores instead of using razors and it does last longer without adding more plastics waste to the land fill.
9.  Buy facial soap made with organic/herbal ingredients that is packaged in paper instead of plastics or you can buy products made by Eco-friendly companies like seventh generation, Enviro-One, Vermont organics etc and then recycle the bottles.
10. Many things that are not easily decomposed in landfills or recyclable, needs to be eliminated from your Eco-friendly home whenever possible.
11. Keep your sinks and surrounding clean and last but not the least, grow greener herbs and plants like rosemary, sage, eucalyptus to repel mosquitoes and other bacteria carrying pest.
12. Remember to keep your focus on living healthier to achieve a nontoxic lifestyle for yourself, your home and family. Keep it real simple---do what you can......no rules.

Benefits of recycling---why recycle By National environmental protection agency 

Recycling protects and expands US manufacturing jobs and increases US competitiveness.  Recycling reduces the need for land-filling and incineration. Recycling prevents pollution caused by the manufacturing of products from virgin materials.
    Recycling saves energy.
    Recycling decreases emissions of greenhouse gases that contribute to global climate change.
    Recycling conserves natural resources such as timber, water, and minerals.
    Recycling helps sustain the environment for future generations. For more info on recycling go to http://www.epa.gov/osw/conserve/rrr/recycle.htm

 Below is a little disadvantage of recycling i would like you to see this video by penn and teller----if you're under 21 please opt out of this video......(language).