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My Pots and Pans - Part 1

Tuesday, November 26, 2024 10:34 AM

Article from https://www.westonaprice.org/health-topics/food-features/my-pots-and-pans/#gsc.tab=0 

Photo by Annie Spratt on unsplash.com

“A pan should be just large enough to hold its contents comfortably. Heavy pans heat slowly and cook food at a constant rate. Aluminum and cast iron conduct heat well, but may discolor food containing egg yolks, wine, vinegar or lemon. Enamelware is a fairly poor conductor of heat. Many recipes therefore recommend stainless steel or enameled cast iron, which do not have these faults.” –Time-Life Editors

The above quote comes from the recipe index of the Foods of the World cookbooks published by Time-Life in the 1970s. What this statement was hinting at, but not explicitly stating, is that acidic foods react with aluminum and cast iron. That reactions in aluminum pans are toxic is common knowledge among professional chefs and explains why they would never allow a cheap aluminum pan or pot of any kind in their kitchens.

But another underlying fundamental truth behind this statement is, “Why bother to forage for the best organic ingredients if, at the last minute, you compromise the quality of the final dish by choosing the wrong pot or pan to prepare it in?”

I started to notice the importance of being vigilant about what foods are prepared in after eating a tomato-based dish at an ethnic restaurant. My stomach churned for a few days and then I got a pain in my lower back–centralized over the kidneys. A savvy alternative practitioner pointed out that not only do acidic foods cooked in aluminum taste metallic, but there is a distinct possibility of heavy metal poisoning–which affects the kidneys. When I returned to the restaurant, I noticed aluminum pots hanging on hooks above the stove and have never eaten there again. You have probably heard of this principle without knowing it. This is why most foods are packaged in steel instead of aluminum. It is also why I caution against drinking sodas, which are acidic, and acidic juices like tomato and grapefruit from aluminum cans.

Another no-no is Teflon–a shortened term for tetrafluoride. Yes, that’s right, Teflon is a fluoride product and one that produces a toxic gas when heated to over 500°F. Most teflon product boxes contain a warning about this, although most people overlook the missive. A recent spot on ABC’s 20/20 highlighted how inhaling the fumes produced when a high-heat pan, such as one used to cook bacon, can cause an illness dubbed the Teflon-flu. The manufacturer, Dupont, has known about the “flu” for years and warns about it on its Web site–but not the product container.

TO BE CONTINUED.

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