Microwave Ovens & 
the Healthfulness of Microwaved Food

Microwave ovens do have benefits. They are certainly convenient. They are more energy-efficient than other cooking methods. But are they safe? And do they produce food that contributes to the health of our bodies?

While there is not enough evidence to require warning labels on microwave ovens, or to remove them from the market, there is concern both about the safety of our exposure to microwaves and the healthfulness of microwaved food.

The Dangers of Microwaves

Even microwave ovens that are functioning perfectly emit microwaves. Safety standards set by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) allow microwave emissions of up to one milliwatt per square centimeter (1mW/cm2) when the oven is purchased, and up to 5mW/cm2 after the oven has been in use. Studies on industrial exposure recommend that daily exposure should not exceed one milliwatt for more than one minute. Average home use of microwave ovens far exceed this. 

Workers who are exposed to microwaves on the job experience headaches, fatigue, irritability, sleep disturbances and other symptoms.

How Microwaves Effect Food

Advocates of microwaved food claim that it is healthier because it retains vitamins, but the University of Minnesota disagrees: 

“Microwaves … are not recommended for heating a baby’s bottle…Heating the bottle in a microwave can cause slight changes in the milk. In infant formulas, there may be a loss of some vitamins. In expressed breast milk, some protective properties may be destroyed…. Warming a bottle by holding it under tap water or by setting it in a bowl of warm water…is much safer”.

If heating formula in a microwave can cause it to lose vitamins and protective properties in breast milk to be destroyed, then it can do the same to the foods we eat. While the effects may not be immediately observable, a regular diet of microwaved food may have long-term health consequences.

Two Swiss researchers found that microwave cooking changes food nutrients significantly. Blood samples taken from eight individuals immediately after eating microwaved food revealed, among other things, an increase in the number of white blood cells–often a sign of poisoning.

Safety tips for using microwave ovens

I personally have never had a microwave oven in my own kitchen and am finding that it had been difficult to get people to give up their microwave ovens. Some of the generation who grew up with microwave ovens apparently don’t know any other way to heat food (really!). 

If you choose to use a microwave oven, Consumer Reports magazine suggests you stay as far as possible from the oven while it is in operation.

In addition, operate and maintain the oven in ways that minimize leakage:

• make sure the oven door closes properly
• prevent damage to hinges, latches, sealing surfaces and the door itself, and make sure these are in good working order
• make sure no soil or food residues accumulate around the door seal
• avoid placing objects between the sealing surfaces.

For peace of mind, test your oven for leakage. Testers can be purchased online. 

When cooking in a microwave, use heat-resistant glass, not plastic. The Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) of the USDA warns against using foam trays, plastic wraps, and cold-storage containers such as margarine tubs, whipped-topping bowls and cottage cheese cartons. According to the FSIS flyer “A Microwave Handbook,” these containers “are not heat stable at high temperatures. They can melt or warp from the food’s heat, possible causing chemicals to migrate into the food.”

Read more about microwave ovens, the healthfulness of microwaved food, and where to purchase microwave oven testers athttp://www.debraslist.com/food/aboutmicrowaveovens.html

Hailed as “The Queen of Green” by the New York Times, Debra Lynn Dadd has been a leading consumer advocate for products and lifestyle choices that are better for health and the environment since 1982. Visit her website to learn more about her new book Home Safe Home, to sign up for her free email newsletters, and to browse 100s of links to 1000s of nontoxic, natural and earthwise products.http://www.dld123.com

In the middle of a long day of studying at school, your child needs a good nutritious lunch. Here’s how you can provide optimum nutrition, support your child’s health, and help the environment, too.

Lunch Boxes

If your child takes a lunch to school, the first question is: what to put it in? 

While the traditional brown paper bag is made with recycled material, it’s better for the environment and your bank account to choose a reusable lunch bag or box.

The problem is, many lunch bags and boxes are made from vinyl, which often contains lead (tests show that some, but not all vinyl lunch bags contain lead, but it’s impossible to tell which without testing). When children carry these bags, lead gets on their hands and when they touch their food and eat it, lead gets in their mouths. Lead in the amount equal to one granule of sugar per day can cause children to have permanent neuropsychological defects and behavior disorders such as noticeable learning difficulties, poor scores on IQ and development tests, and short attention spans. So a vinyl lunch bag or box isn’t the best thing to send to school.

There are several good options. One is the cotton lunch bag with Velcro closures, even better would be a lunch bag made from organically-grown cotton. Then there are insulated bags made from recycled juice boxes. Both are available at reusablebags.com. They also have an ingenious sandwich wrapper made from cotton with a food-safe plastic liner. You just wrap the sandwich, secure the Velcro closure, and when opened, it becomes a placemat! As you reuse it, you will keep hundreds of plastic bags out of landfills and save money too. And they carry reusable bottles for water and other beverages.

If you prefer a metal lunchbox, these can be purchased at lunchboxes.com if you don’t find one locally.

Organic Lunch

It has been well documented that good nutrition contributes to good education. Children who get good nutrition have improved learning ability, attention and memory, better brain development and cognitive function, an improved sense of well being, and score better on standardized tests. 

Organically grown foods are known to have more nutrients than foods grown by standard agricultural methods, and they do not contain harmful pesticides. Organically-grown foods taste better too!

Be creative when making school lunches for your children. The traditional PB&J can be made with organic peanut butter, sugar-free organic whole fruit spread, and whole grain bread. Include raw vegetables with a tasty dip. Get your kids involved in choosing and creating their own healthy lunches by giving them a variety of organic whole foods to taste and finding out what they like.

Washing Hands

Some schools are now asking parents to send hand sanitizer to school with their kids. The main ingredient in most hand sanitizers is alcohol made from petrochemicals, so it’s not very natural. 

And hand sanitizers aren’t as effective as they sound. Barbara Almanza, associate professor of restaurant, hotel, institutional and tourism management at professor from Purdue University warns, “Waterless, antibacterial hand sanitizers are marketed as a way to ‘wash your hands’ when soap and water aren’t available, and they are especially popular among parents of small children. But research shows that they do not significantly reduce the overall amount of bacteria on the hands, and in some cases they may even increase it.”

I recommend tucking a small bar of natural soap in with the lunch and teaching your child to use it to wash his or her hands before eating. If you can’t find small bars, cut a “kid-size” slice off a large bar.

Help Your School Go Organic

Many schools across America are now going organic with their school lunch programs, and getting great support from students, parents, and local providers of organic food. 

If your child’s school doesn’t yet serve organic food for lunch, suggest they do. Search the internet for “organic school lunch” to learn what is being done in other communities.

Hailed as “The Queen of Green” by the New York Times, Debra Lynn Dadd has been a leading consumer advocate for products and lifestyle choices that are better for health and the environment since 1982. Visit her website to learn more about her book Home Safe Home, to sign up for her free email newsletters, and to browse 100s of links to 1000s of nontoxic, natural and earthwise products.http://www.dld123.com

I want to share with you this cool site that give information about green living. I like that you can access your local resources and information about what is happening in your state.  You will find the description of the site below.

Earth 911 delivers actionable local information on the environment
that empowers people to act locally, live responsibly and contribute to
sustainability.

Through the Earth911.com environmental portal and 1-800-CLEANUP,
users can access the leading comprehensive resource for
community-specific “actionable” information about:

• Recycling Centers
• Green Shopping
• How to Live Green
• Energy Conservation
• Beach Water Quality and Alerting
• Household Hazardous Waste
• Programs for Children
• Environmental Education
• Composting
• Much More

Blessings,
Justyn
Organic Baby Clothes, Natural Baby Products