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This blog is another opportunity to feel grateful and thank you dear Universe: You continue to bless me with recovery and overall health.
Sundays did not mean being idle but were special as they came after a continuous work of six days. However, things changed post my diagnosis with a rare disease, Isaacs’ Syndrome (a neuromuscular disease), and subsequently with chronic conditions like Lyme disease, Glaucoma, and Membranous Glomerulonephritis when my routine remained the same on all the days of the week. However, for some of my friends, it was a fast-paced life. They found it hard to cook and that’s how a Sunday was of relevance when we had a get-together over a hearty meal. For me, it was looking at the therapeutic qualities of cooking with a dash of creativity and lots of fun.
It was during one of those weekends when a friend mentioned being more aware of harmful practices like using an Aluminum vessel for cooking.
Really!! I had never paid that attention. It was the looks, price, and convenience to handle that mattered the most. That was a turning point when I started to research and discovered that though cooking is an art however having the right cooking gear can create a healthy impact on the safety of what we eat.
To begin with, I went to a departmental store and was amazed at the gleaming cookware displays, so eye catchy that one looked better than the other. Today it’s a lot to do with the presentation and marketing of products. They are made to look so appealing that it’s overwhelming for people to get convinced. Choosing the right product needs knowledge and research and for someone who is buying cookware for the first time, it was quite challenging. I had to consider factors like How would it react to my food? Was I using a safe material until now? Which of the available cookware was the safest? How could I zero down on cookware which was non-toxic? Etc.
The exercise added value and determined that the right nutrition enters my body. During my research, I discovered how our Ancestors traditionally used utensils made of clay and metals like brass, copper, and cast iron to prepare and eat food. These tools were of course designed in line with their eating habits, kind of food, and changing tastes throughout history however the idea was to preserve the nutritional value of the food.
CLAY: almost preserve all the micronutrients present in food and has great benefits on our immunity keeping a healthy equation with nature. Even the Ayurvedic tradition recommends them. They are environment-friendly, non-stick, balance pH levels, are non-toxic, a good way to keep a check on related ailments, preserve the taste of the food, use less oil, keep the food hot, retains nutrition, and distribute heat evenly for easy cooking.
SILVER: – calms the mood disorder of the food with antibacterial properties, is effective in boosting our immunity by battling against free radicals and rejuvenating damaged cells, and maintains the freshness of the food by protecting against germs, viruses, and bacteria. According to the science of Ayurveda, it has properties that increased the capacity of our brain.
COPPER: since ancient times copper has been used by various civilizations, even as money and household items. When used as cookware, it is known to increase the metabolic rate, detoxifies the body, regulates blood pressure, improves the gut, solves stomach-related issues, reduces inflammation, enhances kidney functions, helps treat anemia, and increase haemoglobin.
CAST IRON: has a great role in increasing iron content in food, makes the food low in fat by requiring less oil, has a non-stick quality, and is mostly available without chemicals, even works well in high temperatures, is affordable, and is durable.
BRASS: produces melanin, which is good for skin and hair, prevents abdominal infections, enhances immunity power, purifies blood, and sharpens the brain.
CERAMICS: – these are basically two types, the first type is made of 100% ceramic, and the other type is ceramic-coated appliances. They are considered safe, and it is claimed that there are no harmful materials used that are dangerous to health.
STAINLESS STEEL: – is an alloy of iron that contains chromium, commonly used in most Indian houses. It is known not to react to oil and food acids, is versatile, and responsive to changes in temperatures, While the surface isn’t non-stick and not as easy to clean, you can be sure that no chemicals are entering your family’s food.
Some facts to consider:
For cooking pulses and rice modern utensils are unable to preserve most of the micronutrients and plastic is known to add some hazards to the food. Instead of clay cups, tea is consumed in plastic or paper cups which are harmful to our bodies. Safe Materials are Wood, Stainless Steel, Glass, and Cast Iron. Unsafe Materials are Teflon, Aluminum, Plastic, and Nylon.
Important to choose Non-toxic cookware:
the material used to build the cooking utensil is of utmost importance. Materials like Aluminium are considered a cause of potential health issues. The finish of the utensil is to be considered as well, some finishes like Teflon are unsafe to use.
My Pick & Takeaways:
I started using more Stainless Steel, Clay, and Copper for cooking as they are known to provide relief from muscular and joint pains. I prefer my food to be served on Banana Leaf, a tradition used in South India. Studies prove that it is rich in polyphenol, an enzyme to treat Parkinson’s, and can help reduce cancer cells. It possesses the chemical EGCG which has anti-oxidant, anti-bacterial, and anti-fungal properties. All God’s creations serve a purpose and therefore being natural is the way to go.
Though a lot depends upon our surroundings and factors that fulfill all our daily nutritional needs however we still require to eat greens, beans, or any food that is prescribed along with healthy Cookware.
References:
The Hidden History Baked Into a Cooking Pot – The New York Times (nytimes.com),
10 best cookwares & utensils for good health – Immunosciences,
DISCLAIMER
The views expressed above in this article are the author’s own and do not represent any kind of medical advice.
