Most people probably don't think about cookware when it comes to their health but this is something I've wanted to share for sometime now. Teflon (non-stick pans) are poison. Non- stick coatings can contain residues of PFOA (perfluorooctanoate), a chemical used to make Teflon and a breakdown product of- stain and grease-proof coatings on carpet, clothing and food packaging. It is also a likely human carcinogen (cancer causing) that has a variety of metabolic developmental, reproductive, endocrine, and neurobiological health effects-wiki answers. Let me try and make this easier cause I barely understood that lol. I've expressed to my friends several times that if you overheat a teflon pan and a bird were to fly over, the bird would drop dead. Their reactions have mostly been, "I don't have a bird."or "Why would a bird fly over my pan?" completely missing the point. The fumes that are emitted from non stick pans cause birds lungs to hemorrhage, suffocating them and causing death. PFOA is a chemical used when making Teflon that is the carcinogen but Teflon itself or in scientific terms polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) is bird killing component. Most people might ask ,"If teflon is the bird killing component then why do I need to worry about it if I do not have a bird?" because the emissions of those same fumes can lead to polymer fume fever which can cause flu like symptoms and in rare instances pulmonary edema, pneumonitis and death. And honestly, If it can kill a bird, why would I want breathe those same toxins?
My recommendation. Use Stainless steel pots and pans. They are a little more expensive and can be harder to clean but are better for you in the long run. Also, if you choose a pan that has an aluminum or copper core sandwiched between two layers of stainless steel you'll have less of a clean up job. The heavier the pan the better. Food tends to burn more when the pan is lightweight. Cast iron skillets are great as well and are known to increase the iron content in some foods. Cookware can be very expensive so if you're stuck with teflon, only cook using low temperatures and normally I would never say this but don't cook with metal utensils. They will scrape the teflon and you will end up with small particles in your food and if the fumes are bad, you can only imagine what the particles will do. I'm against using plastic utensils for cooking for the same reasons as teflon but if you do, never leave the utensils sitting in or on the edge of a hot pan. Wooden utensils are ideal for teflon. If your teflon is scratched, I strongly urge you to get rid of it. Best scenario, stainless steel pots and pans with stainless steel utensils. They're very affordable at Ikea
Friday, October 26, 2012
Monday, October 8, 2012
Hey guys, I'm trying a new thing of posting my workouts on Instagram. Its a work in progress, trying to find someone to take photos of me at the gym and I sometimes forget to shoot some of the exercises so please bear with me for the first few post while I try and figure out the best way to accomplish this. You can follow me A2themaker on Instagram.
You are what you Wheat!
The other day I was in Chipotle, Yes I eat chipotle; and the boy working behind the counter commented on my definition and asked me what I ate on a normal basis. Instead of listing what I ate, I asked, "what does your diet look like?" He started down the list of what he had that day and began with wheat bread. I stopped him right there. I said, "chances are, you're not eating wheat bread." I then directed him to read my blog so if you are reading you'll understand what I meant.
When grocery shopping most people probably choose wheat bread believing that it is a better option than white bread. I bet that most people just grab a brand of wheat bread without looking at the label to actually see whats in it. Lets start by understanding what separates actual whole wheat bread from white bread. First thing when looking for whole wheat bread that you search for is that it is 100% whole grain bread. The best way to know is if when you look on the ingredients label and the first ingredient is "Whole Wheat Flour"you are probably getting whole grain bread. Labels on food products always list the ingredients in order from most to least. You also want to read the rest of the ingredients to see how many of them you can understand. Remember, the least amount of ingredients the better.
The benefit of whole grain is that it includes the endosperm, bran, germ, and semolina, opposed to white flour that only contains endosperm which is mostly a carbohydrate. Of course, the nutrients from the grain are largely in the germ, bran and semolina; particularly, the germ.
Now lets talk about how to differentiate actual wheat bread from the fake stuff. When grocery shopping you can't tell just by looking which bread offers more nutritional value. As I stated before, look at the label. If the first ingredient is "whole wheat flour", you are probably on the right track. What to watch out for, "Enriched wheat flour". Enriched wheat flour is basically ground up endosperm with a bit of wheat flour and possibly coloring to make it light brown. It contains about as much nutritional value as white bread.
My recommendation, choose Sprouted Grain Bread. "When a grain sprouts, it is a growing organism. It therefore is more nutritious than a dried grain." (fooducate) Ezekial Brand bread is an excellent choice of sprouted grain bread. You can find Ezekial bread at most grocery stores. You can also make your own bread. I own a Vitamix blender and with it I grind up 100% oats into flour for making pancakes, biscuits, waffles, banana bread, etc. That way, I know whats going into my bread and I don't have to worry about extra additives or preservatives. For those of you allergic to Gluten, this is also a great gluten free alternative.
When grocery shopping most people probably choose wheat bread believing that it is a better option than white bread. I bet that most people just grab a brand of wheat bread without looking at the label to actually see whats in it. Lets start by understanding what separates actual whole wheat bread from white bread. First thing when looking for whole wheat bread that you search for is that it is 100% whole grain bread. The best way to know is if when you look on the ingredients label and the first ingredient is "Whole Wheat Flour"you are probably getting whole grain bread. Labels on food products always list the ingredients in order from most to least. You also want to read the rest of the ingredients to see how many of them you can understand. Remember, the least amount of ingredients the better.
The benefit of whole grain is that it includes the endosperm, bran, germ, and semolina, opposed to white flour that only contains endosperm which is mostly a carbohydrate. Of course, the nutrients from the grain are largely in the germ, bran and semolina; particularly, the germ.
Now lets talk about how to differentiate actual wheat bread from the fake stuff. When grocery shopping you can't tell just by looking which bread offers more nutritional value. As I stated before, look at the label. If the first ingredient is "whole wheat flour", you are probably on the right track. What to watch out for, "Enriched wheat flour". Enriched wheat flour is basically ground up endosperm with a bit of wheat flour and possibly coloring to make it light brown. It contains about as much nutritional value as white bread.
My recommendation, choose Sprouted Grain Bread. "When a grain sprouts, it is a growing organism. It therefore is more nutritious than a dried grain." (fooducate) Ezekial Brand bread is an excellent choice of sprouted grain bread. You can find Ezekial bread at most grocery stores. You can also make your own bread. I own a Vitamix blender and with it I grind up 100% oats into flour for making pancakes, biscuits, waffles, banana bread, etc. That way, I know whats going into my bread and I don't have to worry about extra additives or preservatives. For those of you allergic to Gluten, this is also a great gluten free alternative.
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