My dear friend Faith whom I have known for years is now a cook who is willing to share her knowledge on video for other people like us! I personally am looking forward to seeing more of these from such a young and talented individual. As a matter of fact I think she is providing pertinent cooking and sanitary information that many adults seem to miss and hopefully this video can teach some of them how to do it right. I also plan to try this recipe myself ASAP.

Are you interested in taking a portion of your time to learn about something that can help you make a change in your diet to improve your health? I have recommended to my friends and family for several years to not use partially hydrogenated oil and of course I stay away from it myself! Finally I have taken the time to write about the reason why.

It is almost everywhere in processed foods at the grocery store. If you read the packaging on your food, you will find it is in the majority of the flour tortillas, breads, cake, cookies, cereals, French fries, snacks and chips, frozen pizza, margarine and more.

What is hydrogenated oil?

Hydrogenation is the process of heating an oil and passing hydrogen bubbles through it. The fatty acids in the oil then acquire some of the hydrogen, which makes it more dense. If you fully hydrogenate an oil, then you create a solid (a fat) out of the oil. But if you stop part way, you have a semi-solid oil, or partially hydrogenated oil. Partially hydrogenated oil has a consistency similar to butter, except it is lot cheaper to produce!

The producers of food typically use partially hydrogenated oil since it is cheap and has the consistency of butter, plus it is an inexpensive way to give their products a richer flavor and texture. It also gives products a longer shelf life, which in the long run shortens your life!

Here is the problem:

Unlike butter or virgin coconut oil, hydrogenated oils contain high levels of trans fats. A trans fat is an otherwise normal fatty acid that has been radically changed by high heat. Hydrogenated oils are fats that have the same capacity to do harm as saturated fats. During hydrogenation, the unsaturated fat becomes more saturated. The more solid and hydrogenated the fat, the more trans fatty acids there are in the product.

Researchers have found that trans fatty acids significantly raise LDL cholesterol levels, the bad cholesterol, while lowering the HDL levels, the good cholesterol. In the Framingham Heart Study (a 40 year study covering 5,209 individuals living in Massachusetts) high LDL cholesterol levels combined with low HDL levels was indicative of coronary heart disease risk.

Many studies have also shown that trans fatty acid is to be associated with artery damage, heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease and some cancers.

Also, here is an important note:

The department of nutrition at Harvard’s School of Public Health says “trans fat from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil is a toxic substance that does not belong in food.”

So this is why I have kept away from hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils for so many years and this should help you decide whether or not you will too! It may take a little getting used to looking at labels and you might get a little frustrated at first since it is in so many processed foods. After a while it will get easier and you will recognize which food products have it before you even pick it up to read about it.

Microwave Ovens Are Hazardous To Your Health?

Millions of people use microwave ovens to cook with and the majority of us don’t know about the effects and dangers of them. This is an article to help clarify and provide proof of the dangers of using microwaves for cooking your food.

Most American homes have microwave ovens to use for food preparation and very few restaurants are without them. Most people think that there is no negative effect to microwave cooking their food although it is not natural, nor is it healthy for you and your family. It actually is dangerous to the human body and here is some proof.

Study of Food Prepared Conventionally and in the Microwave Oven, published by Raum & Zelt in 1992

“A basic hypothesis of natural medicine states that the introduction into the human body of molecules and energies, to which it is not accustomed, is much more likely to cause harm than good. Microwaved food contains both molecules and energies not present in food cooked in the way humans have been cooking food since the discovery of fire. Microwave energy from the sun and other stars is direct current based. Artificially produced microwaves, including those in ovens, are produced from alternating current and force a billion or more polarity reversals per second in every food molecule they hit. Production of unnatural molecules is inevitable. Naturally occurring amino acids have been observed to undergo isomeric changes (changes in shape morphing) as well as transformation into toxic forms, under the impact of microwaves produced in ovens.

Russians Banned Microwave Ovens

After the World War II, the Russians also experimented with microwave ovens. From 1957 up to recently, their research has been carried out mainly at the Institute of Radio Technology at Klinsk, Byelorussia. The following effects were observed by Russian forensic teams:

1. Ingestion of micro-waved foods caused a higher percentage of cancerous cells in blood.

2. The unstable catabolism of micro-waved foods altered their elemental food substances, leading to disorders in the digestive system.

3. Those ingesting micro-waved foods showed a statistically higher incidence of stomach and intestinal cancers, plus a general degeneration of peripheral cellular tissues with a gradual breakdown of digestive and excretory system function

4. Microwave exposure caused significant decreases in the nutritional value of all foods studied, particularly:
- A decrease in the bioavailability of B-complex vitamins, vitamin C, vitamin E, essential minerals and lipotrophics
- Destruction of the nutritional value of nucleoproteins in meats
- Lowering of the metabolic activity of alkaloids, glucosides, galactosides and nitrilosides (all basic plant substances in fruits and vegetables)
- Marked acceleration of structural disintegration in all foods.

As a result microwave ovens were banned in Russia in 1976; the ban was lifted after Perestroika.

The choice is yours.

I don’t own one and haven’t for years because of these studies, (plus food does not taste good from them anyway)! If you are interested in learning more, I recommend reading this: Top 10 reasons to Throw out your Microwave Oven