new foods and oils

This week we have learned so many things but I feel the need to cover what I have learned about cooking with oils.  We take it for granted the oils are a part of our kitchen when really kitchens did not have these varieties available only a few years ago. Fire cooking , roasting and baking was the way.  Prolonged high heat cooking is not the way to go if you want to keep the nutrients in your foods and cancer at bay. 

-safflower and sunflower oils, smoke at a failry low heat.  Aprox 225degrees F (107 C)
when refind they increase the smoke point by 100-125 degrees.
-canola however when refined can raise the level as much as 400 degrees.
-extra virgin olive oil can range from 200-405 depending on the refinement level and original condition of the oil.
-avocado oil has one of the highest smoke points of 520 degrees.

Heating oils not only loses nutrients but causes free radicals causing oxidative reactions.
manufactures call them peroxide value or PV.  Also polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, or PAHs in the oils can increase illness risks such as cancer.

Because of these reasons it is best to use extra virgin olive oil. The best thing to do is buy organic, unrefind, cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil. At 200-250 degrees this range limit causes the least amount of damage. It is best to use for sauces and not for baking or higher temperatures.

Remember the oxidation reactions occur well before the smoke point.

So what is a girl to do if she wants that fried chicken?  I suggest baking methods with out oils. You can get a nice crispy chicken with out the frying.  Naturally we will talk about these health issues later like dark over white meats and skin vs no skin. That is for another day.

Lets talk about what you are cooking on.  yes , we all remember grandma's aluminum cook ware.  Even back then I remember being told not to leave foods in the pot it will pit the aluminum.  That is because it leaches into our foods.  Although most people can process these small levels of aluminum, those with fragil health or delicate immune systems should never use aluminum cook ware. Yes, sadly I have some of that vintage cook ware although I have not used it for years,  now it will decorate my vintage kitchen. Teflon and non stick ware is in every kitchen except mine.  I never liked the effect of peeling blackness into my foods.  It most often does wear off and is a likely carcinogen.  Tefflon can basicly be reguarded as plastic.  This make a problem what the chemist call PTFE and PFOA , toxic particals and fumes begin to release from tefflon-coated pans on stovetop at 464 degrees. see http://www.ewg.org/

Stainless steel is the way to go or cast iron.  I personally live out of cast iron and my basic cooking is done from a dutch oven, sauce pan, and fry pan that I never fry in.  Unless you have an issue with too much iron in your body this is an excellant way to go.  The amount of oil use to season these pans is so small, and the formation of free radicals is normal. It is what helps life go on.  It is only when they play havic with blood vessel walls and can start to damage a blood vessel or too many free radicals in the wrong place can cause a problem.  Balance is the key.
A quick word on microwaves. Remember to never use plastic and that it has the inability to kill Ecoli or salmonella and streptococcus bacteria. I use mine mostly to heat water, some times melt butter or other quick convient task. I do not cook in my microwave.

A quick note on grilling.  There are documented health risks to char-broiling and gas grilling.  There is a formation of heterocyclic amines, HCA's.  most are documented carcinogens so keeping their levels to a minimum to avoid cancer is important.  Under 325 degrees the formations of HCA's are low.  High temperatures they increase as much as 700-1000%.  This is enough reason to stay low. 

Learning nutrition wellness

	This is just as true today, plant what you can for better health! I have taken a picture of my food storage area to get a good look at the before and after experiment of how my foods change during this holistic approach to nutrition. However I am having trouble importing it here. It will be an interesting journey. I hope in my weekly blogging I can bring a little history and fun to this nutrition page. For those of you who come across this blog and are not in the class offered at SOUTH WEST INSTITUTE OF HEALING ARTS  http://www.swiha.edu/ feel free to check out the site. Organic food has been a back and forth issue for me. I truly want to eat organic however the cost vs. having enough food for the week sometimes causes an issue. Although I do not have children at home now, eating for two of us can be equally a challenge when you live with someone who loves junk food. I was very good about all this early on in my marriage 29 years ago, but over the years have bounced back and forth. The question is why? I think it is plain to see convinces. As most of us create our lives they have sped up and spun out of control to the point the we have cheated ourselves in thinking fast convenient foods are just as good. After all we don’t eat them all the time. Or do we and don’t think about it? 　 　 　 We are using the book the world’s healthiest foods by George Mateljan ISBN 09-76918544-53995. The 1st week so far I have learned a lot about our cells, their make up and how food effects us. We truly owe it to ourselves to feed these living little cells that make up our bodies. For example, one med. Apple equals 1500 mg of vitamin c and our daily requirement is only 60 mg. So why not eat the apple that is more fun than swallowing a pill? Did you know that it takes 2 ½ - 5 slices of bread to equal 1 slice of whole grain bread? Not to mention nearly 320 calories more in eating the white bread! This is where we trick ourselves in thinking well it is just one piece how bad can it be? Obviously very bad. Did you know almond are very good for your heart and lower your LDL cholesterol levels? You boost that by as much as 52.5% more by eating them with the skins on! WOW! So here on this journey of nutrition I hope we can all learn together. Here is a web site to read about organic foods.http://www.grinningplanet.com/2005/12-27/health-benefits-of-organic-food-article.htm　 　 The Chemical Age Dawns in Agriculture World War II was the first U.S. war in which diseases – many like typhus and malaria carried by insects – killed fewer people than bullets and bombs. The reason was DDT. The insect killer – or "insecticide" – had been discovered in 1939 and used extensively by the U.S. military during the war. So, it is no wonder that the postwar period saw the dawning of the chemical age in pesticides. Hundreds of thousands U.S. soldiers were issued DDT powder and told to sprinkle it in their sleeping bags. Word got back to the home front that this new miracle chemical was saving the lives of loved ones. By 1952, there were almost 10,000 separate new pesticide products registered with the USDA. The war affected food at home. The government rationed supplies of staples such as sugar, coffee, meat, fish, butter, eggs and cheese. Homemakers were challenged to fix nutritious meals on a budget with restricted supplies. Planting a Victory Garden was seen as patriotic.http://www.livinghistoryfarm.org/farminginthe40s/pests_01.html