Issue link: http://cp.revolio.com/i/738189
Page 40 | Abby's Magazine - www.AbbysMag.com Why expose yourself to these poten al dangers when there are safer alterna ves for cooking available? Is Microwaving Food Any More Dangerous than Heating It with a Conventional Oven? Some experts claim that the effects microwaves have on molecules can all be explained simply as the "thermic effect" of hea ng—in other words, microwave cooking is no more detrimental to food than conven onal hea ng. They argue that, since microwaves are non-ionizing radia on, then it's impossible for them to damage your blood cells, or eradicate the folic acid in your spinach. Others have proposed there is some sort of "microwave effect" that causes changes in the molecules in a way that conven onal hea ng does not. For many years, the party line was that "microwave effect" is a myth. However, study a er study has resulted in evidence to the contrary, showing effects that cannot be explained away as simple thermal effects. In a le er tled "DNA and the Microwave Effect" (sourced as Penn State University, 2001), the author reviews the history of the controversy surrounding the microwave effect and the research findings to date. He explains that, although fundamentals of thermodynamics and physics would tell you the microwave effect is impossible, studies keep turning up evidence of its existence. Some of the main points made in the le er are the following: • Microwave hea ng and conven onal hea ng may appear iden cal on a "macro" level, but the two appear very different on a molecular level. • Microwaves are effec ve for steriliza on, which has been studied for several decades. There is controversy, however, about whether it's the heat they generate or if it's something else altogether. • One scien st (Kakita 1995) was successful in demonstra ng that microwaves are capable of extensively fragmen ng and destroying viral DNA, something that cannot be accomplished by hea ng alone. • Mul ple studies offer evidence that there are mul ple mechanisms for breaking apart DNA without ionizing radia on, but no theory currently exists to explain this phenomenon. Some scien sts are taking advantage of the microwave effect and using microwaves in the laboratory to greatly accelerate chemical reac ons, some mes by a factor of a thousand, resul ng in the comple on of reac ons in minutes that formerly took days or months and a lot of toxic chemicals. This newly found interest in "microwave chemistry" has spurred skep cal scien sts into taking another look at what microwaves actually do and how they do it. Some mes common sense trumps empirical evidence. The Penn State le er/ar cle said it best: "...It would seem there is reason to believe that the microwave effect does indeed exist, even if it cannot yet be adequately explained. What we know at present is somewhat limited, but there may be enough informa on already available to form a viable hypothesis. The possibility that electromagne c radia on in the non-ionizing frequency range can cause gene c damage may have profound implica ons on the current controversy involving EM antennae, power lines, and cell phones." Breaking Free of Your Microwave: A Few Basic Tips Am I asking you to toss your microwave oven into the nearest dumpster? Not necessarily. It can be a useful tool for cleaning. But if real estate in your kitchen is at a premium, it should probably be the first thing to go. You really CAN survive sans microwave— people are living quite happily without one, believe it or not. You just have to make a few small lifestyle adjustments, such as: • Plan ahead. Take your dinner out of the freezer that morning or the night before so you don't end up having to scramble to defrost a 5-pound chunk of beef two hours before dinner me. • Make soups and stews in bulk, and then freeze them in gallon- sized freezer bags or other containers. An hour before meal me, just take one out and defrost it in a sink of water un l it's thawed enough to slip into a pot, then reheat it on the stove. • A toaster oven makes a GREAT faux-microwave for hea ng up le overs! Keep it at a low temperature — like 200-250 degrees F — and gently warm a plate of food over the course of 20-30 minutes. Another great alterna ve is a convec on oven. They can be built in or purchased as a rela vely inexpensive and quick safe way to heat foods. • Prepare your meals in advance so that you always have a good meal available on those days when you're too busy or too red to cook. • Try ea ng more organic raw foods. This is the best way to improve your health over the long run.