Is Your Kitchen Toxic?

Many of us “health-minded” people try to stay away from toxic things, i.e. bad foods, too much stress, environmental hazards, as well as hazardous chemicals in our cleaning and personal care products. If you are careful about those things, then congratulations on a job well done! Sometimes we are doing our part to stay healthy, but a minor thing, such as something used in our kitchen, could still be causing a major issue!

Have you looked around your kitchen lately?

The average kitchen today has a microwave, Keurig machine, Teflon pans, aluminum foil, plastic wrap, plastic bottles and containers, and not to mention a germ filled dish rag. If you are still holding on to one of these items, let me urge you to rethink your decision.

The cookware that I use in my kitchen does not take away from the healthy foods that I prepare. Check out what Dr. Mercola says about Teflon:

Non-stick cookware is made using a carcinogenic chemical called perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), which starts emitting toxic fumes that you inhale every time you cook with a non-stick pot or pan!

At high temperatures, the coating of non-stick cookware will also break down into a chemical warfare agent known as PFIB, and a chemical analog of the WWII nerve gas phosgene. Your best friend in the kitchen may actually be your family's worst health enemy. It only takes 5 minutes for non-stick cookware to emit at least six toxic gases.

Not worth it! The good news is that it is not expensive to replace. Cast iron skillets are available almost anywhere (including your grandmother’s kitchen) for less than $20. Stainless steel is also useful when cooking anything on the stove. Pampered Chef has excellent options for stone bakeware that offer easy clean up too.

I also stay away from plastics in my cooking. My goal is always to have my family absorb and assimilate the nutrients from their foods instead of hindering their body with the added toxic load. The same goes for plastic water bottles. Why drink good healthy water tainted with plastic? Try using a glass or stainless steel bottle and refill as necessary. Speaking of plastic, I am so thankful to finally remove our Keurig machine. It has been convenient all these years, but I we finally have coffee that is free from added plastic and aluminum from the K-cups.

Also, aluminum foil has not been in our kitchen for many years. Aluminum is highly toxic! There is no amount of aluminum that your body needs, which is why you may have already switched from anti-perspirant to deodorant. So throw your aluminum foil in the trash, and replace it with parchment paper, or glass lids, or I personally use my baking stones as lids if necessary.

Lastly, over the years in my house, I have tried to keep my dish rag clean, but now I am happy to say that my teenagers are very helpful in doing the dishes, but aren’t quite so picky about airing out my dishrag so it is not subject to bacteria. Sometimes, I would find it crumbled up in a ball in the bottom of the sink, and you can feel the grimy bacteria on it right away.

So, what is that microwave good for anyway? Not food, of course. But it is excellent for cooking all that bacteria out of those smelly rags. Add some essential oils with lots of water, and nuke for 5 minutes. Rags will be as good as new!

So look around your kitchen and find a way to make another step in the right direction for better health!