ARE U A POPCORN KID?.....

Hello all of you Beauties!

Just had to share a bit of information with you which will begin with a truth.
Confession no. 1 - I enjoy eating popcorn. I like the smell, the taste and the sound of its crunch as I chomp on it. Sans the butter, I enjoy dipping my fingers in the bowl, scooping out a small handful and then stuffing it into my mouth. It is a pleasure of mine and, I'm sure, many other people. Theater or not, it's always a nice, added-on touch to most specific and non-specific events.

A few weeks ago, after popping a bag in the microwave, I recently came upon an article that discussed the problem with how this snack is prepared these days. And before I go any further let me throw this disclaimer out: I choose to share topics like this with you to inform, not scare you, because ignorance is not bliss. That sh#t can kill you.

Allow me to share:

Research by the U.S.government now reports that microwave popcorn may contain chemicals that can cause health problems.

The issue is that commercial popcorn companies often coat their microwave popcorn bags with a chemical called perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) which has been found to cause boeth cancer and lung disease in laboratory animals. Making matters worse, the butter substitute that generally accompanies microwavable popcorn contains a chemical called diacetyl, a common food-flavoring agen that, according to health scientist, is responsible for bronchiolitis obliterans, a serious, debilitating lung disease.

photo by flickr user banlon1964

For an easy and fun healthy alternative, nutritionists suggest that we pop our own popcorn. All that's needed is a large, high pot, about four tablespoons of peanut or canola oil and a small handful of organic popcorn kernels. When the kernels start popping, shake the pot to let the steam escape and to let the unpopped kernels fall to the bottom. As soon as the popping slows down, remove the pot from the stove, pour the popcorn into a bowl, season with a small amount of organic butter or olive oil and a "good" salt.

Now I'd love to find a non-genetically modified organism (GMO) corn to pop. For more info on that, I recommend & refer you to watch  "Food, Inc". I'll have to do a post on that soon. But I'd also like you to consider another reason to pop your corn on a stove top rather than into a microwave. This specific issue having more to do with the method of popping your corn. The microwave.

One of the problems with microwave ovens is that carcinogenic toxins can leach out of your plastic and paper containers/covers, and into your food.

The January/February 1990 issue of Nutrition Action Newsletter reported the leakage of numerous toxic chemicals from the packaging of common microwavable foods, including pizzas, chips and popcorn. Chemicals included polyethylene terpthalate (PET), benzene, toluene, and xylene. Microwaving fatty foods in plastic containers leads to the release of dioxins (known carcinogens) and other toxins into your food.

 

Microwaving distorts and deforms the molecules of whatever food or other substance you subject to it.

 

And I bet you didn't know this:
 

After the war, the Russians had retrieved some of these microwave ovens and conducted thorough research on their biological effects. Alarmed by what they learned, the Russians banned microwave ovens in 1976, later lifting the ban during Perestroika.

Twenty years of Russian research (and German studies as far back as 1942 Berlin) make a strong argument against the safety of microwave cooking.

Their findings led the Russian government to issue an international warning about possible biological and environmental damage associated with the use of microwave ovens and other similar frequency electronic devices (e.g. mobile phones).

You can read more about this here, and here.

Just a few more reasons to cut down, if not all the way out, using your microwave. I'll admit that it is very convenient time-wise, but health-wise, I'd rather slide my cooked foods into a regular old oven for about 15 minutes on 450. Gets it good and warmed up everytime, sans the micro-waves. My fam can attest to that.

To a healthier you,

**First article from the August 2010 print of Natural Awakenings magazine

Post Title → ARE U A POPCORN KID?.....

FOOD, INC. SALE

Hi Gorgeous!

Yesterday was quite a day for me. I did Hot Core Yoga for the first time. I'll post on the experience another day. And later on, caught Oprah's show on Food 101. For this show, Michael Pollan , among others, on talking about the food we eat. In particular, Michael Pollan was there to discuss the movie "Food, Inc." which I must say that I'm a bit ashamed & embarrassed that I hadn't seen it before now.

Never heard of the documentary "Food, Inc."? Well here's a synopsis.

In Food, Inc., filmmaker Robert Kenner lifts the veil on our nation's food industry, exposing the highly mechanized underbelly that has been hidden from the American consumer with the consent of our government's regulatory agencies, USDA and FDA. Our nation's food supply is now controlled by a handful of corporations that often put profit ahead of consumer health, the livelihood of the American farmer, the safety of workers and our own environment. We have bigger-breasted chickens, the perfect pork chop, herbicide-resistant soybean seeds, even tomatoes that won't go bad, but we also have new strains of E. coli—the harmful bacteria that causes illness for an estimated 73,000 Americans annually. We are riddled with widespread obesity, particularly among children, and an epidemic level of diabetes among adults.

Featuring interviews with such experts as Eric Schlosser (Fast Food Nation), Michael Pollan (The Omnivore's Dilemma, In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto) along with forward thinking social entrepreneurs like Stonyfield's Gary Hirshberg and Polyface Farms' Joel Salatin, Food, Inc. reveals surprising—and often shocking truths—about what we eat, how it's produced, who we have become as a nation and where we are going from here.

This is obviously a movie which I believe every household in America should take time to watch so that you can be aware of your food choices. Ignorance is not bliss. It can actually cost you things, like your health. So educate yourself.

Fortunately, Oprah and a few others feel similiar to this because you can purchase the "Food, Inc." dvd at Amazon.com for $9.99 thru midnight this Friday. It normally retails between $26 and $35, depending on whether you are Blu-ray person or not. Either way, this is an excellent deal. I've already ordered my copy and should receive it be next Wednesday, so expect more on this.

Remember, educate yourself. Be in the know.
Much Luv,

Post Title → FOOD, INC. SALE