Those of you that read my posts often know that my mind is constantly turning. Mostly about business but also about other things, everything..you just never know where my mind will go next. This is one of my stories and I am going to end this post with an Off The Wall Proposition to the Health Care Industry.
Well, the other day I was heating something up in the Microwave. As it was heating I looked at it and thought "You know, I am heating this up in less than a minute. I'm sure they call it nuking food for a reason." As my mind thought about that I began to wonder, "why do I even use this thing? The food tastes different, and most often not for the better. If it is nuking food, what is it doing to us as people? Why don't I just get rid of my Microwave, get a better Stove/Oven and use it more." Yes, my thoughts flip that fast. I thought about it for a couple of minutes and then off to something else. I thought no more about it.
Until of course the other day when I was reading a post by Barbara Jo Roberts talking about White Noise and How It Affects Our Environment. The post talked about how "noisy" electricity is and we do not often realize it. It was a speculative, very deep thinking and great post which reminded me of my Microwave story. Then, back to business, I thought no more of it. Well, today I read the most outrageous story in the newspaper that got me on the subject again. It was about a man that had eaten Microwave Popcorn twice a day for 10 years. He ended up with Health Problems, mainly with his lungs. For the sake of this post I will keep going and you can read The Article Here. I decided to do some research on the topic.
I Googled 'Microwave Illness' and found 1,390,000 links. Wow. Obviously this subject is not new. It spoke of Foodborne Illnesses being more prominent in Microwave food, The Popcorn Guy, the people at the plants that manufacture the popcorn, and other Miscellaneous Electricity/MicroWave Topics. Is it really a coincidence that as Technology gets better, there are more illnesses that were previously unheard of?
The first link was about a Doctor/Researcher who has recently written a book on Radiation and Health. He talks about a variety of Radiation Issues and how there are seemingly unrelated illnesses increasing across the globe due to us creating one big Earth Microwave by using Technology.
Another one was a study by the San Francisco Medical Society regarding Waves-ElectoMagnetic Waves and Cell Phones in particular. Quite Interesting. Seemingly Unrelated Illnesses and Cancer were found.
I read so many articles but the last one Really caught my eye. Electrical Sensitivity as an Emerging Illness. Who would not have to read this. We have all heard the Controversy with Power Lines, but this takes it further. Computers, Televisions, Wireless Internet, Cordless Phones, you name it. Basically, if it has Electricity. They have found that there are people that are getting sick around Large Quantities of Electricity. Have you hear the term "I think I'm allergic to work"? They found truth in that statement.
Now I'm stuck here thinking, so what do we do about this. These are REAL studies by REAL Medical Professionals and coming to REAL conclusions. I personally think that I am going to get rid of my microwave as a start. I do not want my children eating stuff that is nuked if we are already learning the Health Consequences of using Microwaves. It will be out by the end of the week.
Now, I said that I had a Proposition for the Medical Industry. I read through links and links of studies today. We spend Billions of Dollars a year on Research. Instead of testing how Negative something like this can be, why don't we test how Positive it would be without it?
I have not thought this completely through yet, but why doesn't a Medical Research Company help sponsor an Off The Grid Sustainable Community and track the Positive Results? Let's go Off The Grid somewhere and find out how our health changes by not being Exposed to Electromagnetic Fields, Microwaves, and other Technology that sucks Electricity like Plasma Televisions. I think it sounds like one heck of an idea. As a matter of fact, if you chose to do one anywhere near Houston, I would move in a heartbeat. Living Off The Grid is sounding Smarter Every Day and like I said, I'm starting with my Microwave.
Steph - I have an ancient microwave, and when I use it, Nick always tells me to not stand near it.
I did stop microwaving popcorn, though, and got a stove popper. I agree - things always taste better on the stove or in the oven than they do in the microwave.
Maybe I should get rid of mine, too. Great blog!
One of my sisters (ok, she's a little wacky) refuses to eat anything cooked in a microwave, claiming it messes with the food's molecules. But any kind of cooking does that. I wouldn't live near one of those huge power line "parks" and have trouble selling homes near them. Who knows?
Back when I worked for Ralph Nader (early 70's) he put out a report saying that mint tea causes cancer. With that, I decided not to worry about it any more.
Sally, LOL. :) Boil and egg and fix Chicken Salad on Croissants. Put 1/3 Honey Mustard and 2/3 Mayonnaise and a dash of hot sauce. YUM! No cooking at all except the egg. It's one of my favorites.
Wow Stephanie! You have outdone yourself on this one! I love your proposal to the scientific community!
As for microwaves....I have read many studies negative studies about microwaving in plastic. Not good for one. I personally shy away from the microwave as much as I can. My other question would be about prepared foods, frozen or otherwise, that we purchase to microwave. Looking at the soups that come in styrofoam containers and cardboard frozen dinners I just cringe.
It really hit me around 18 years ago when I was microwaving some canned carrots for my baby son and they were sparking in the microwave. I called the manufacturer and they requested I get a sample to them. Too late, it was already thrown out. At that time I was working in food manufacturing in the testing labs and I had a pretty good incling that something passed through their testing process that shouldn't have. Quite possibly it also could have been metal shavings from opening the can that fell into the carrots. Either way -- I was pretty turned off by the microwave and have been ever since.
Great Blog! Deserving of a Gold Star to raise some awareness out there ! (oh! I can do that today, can't I?)
Stephanie, have you ever looked into the "slow food movement"? I think you will be intrigued if you haven't looked into it yet.
Stephanie,
Great post! What do we do with this? And how much does the average consumer want to know. It is a common place discussion now about how much trouble our reliance on fossil fuels gets us into. Are we so connected to electricity that knowing it is bad for us would make little to know difference. Creepy.
Oh, and sign me up for the "off the grid health experiment as well".
Hi Mary, Thanks. It's an interetsing topic. I think I found some great resources since it is controversial..know what I mean? :)
Hi Barbara Jo, You're Welcome. Thanks for sparking the thought!
Hi Mana, I use mine for the same thing. Baked Potatos, Can Veggies, Etc. It will be in my garage this week though. :)
Hi Gary, I have followed the Electro Magnetic Field Studies for many years. It is very controversial and the studies that I point out in the post basically say that 1) they affect everyone different or 2) Yes it impacts us but we do not know to what level because it is instances of illness such as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. It's very intresting. If you have time, check out the links.
Hi Chris, It does sounds like that sometimes. :)
Thanks Leah!
Hi Lisa, LOL. I enjoy cooking, I just don't like cleaning up the kitchen afterwards. :) You can do it!!
Hi Rita, I mean just not relying on power lines. There are ways to actually produce enough electricity through solar to FEED BACK into the Grid. Some people produce solar during the day, feed back to the grid, and use the grid at night. I would like to see something completely disconnected from the grid. It would be fascinating to see.
Hi Dena, I'm not familiar with it. Do you have a link?
Hi Paula, I'm thinking about changing the second paragraph so it is not so confusing. You hit the nail on the head. It's about convenience and taking for granted. There is so much available that we don't use. Like Mammogram machines with MUCH less radiation than what we use now...makes you think.
Hi Thesa, I don't think an off grid home would have to be that secluded. Now you have me doing more research. :)
Hi Gabe, You bring up another awesome point. How much does the average consumer want to know..and how would they handle it? Wow. Deep thinking question. I like it. :) I guess we can try to show the advantages and make a good start.
Hi Teri, So you believe it has an impact? Me too. I'm glad you did that. Can you note any other changes since you buried the lines?
Hi Jeff F, Thanks for the comment. I appreciate it. :) Actually, the illness part was from the stuff I read, not me. I have followed the topic of Electro Magnetic Fields since Middle School. From everything I have read, it is not that they have proven it false, it's that they can not prove EXACTLY what it affects. These links are basically saying that some people are more sensitive than others. That goes back to Science. You can not say something is FACT unless you can reproduce the same outcome. But if everyone reacts different, then that is next to impossible. That is why I recommended the off grid community as research. If those factors are completely taken away, I think we would see more. They could for instance have someone with asthma, Electrical/Environmental Sensitivity, and so on.
In Europe they will not allow building anything within so many meters of Overhead lines. Several meters, not just a few. The studies done here are so different than other countries, it makes you wonder. If everyone reacts differently then there is no way to narrow it down. I do not believe for one minute though that power lines are 100% safe. But that is my opinion.
As far as Microwaves, there still needs to be more research. These links I noted are not consumers. They are medical research companies trying to get answers. You can read a lot of stuff..but that constantly changes with more research. Know what I mean? I agree with you on that. I still believe that many of our convenience items are not as safe as we may believe though. Like all medications, they have side effects.
Maybe someone will hop in and explain more. I'm not saying it is fact one way or the other, mostly my opinion and referring to research. Check out the power line link in the post. It's another post written by Tim Maitski.
Stephanie - It is obvious from the comments you have received that this is a very controversial subject and that many people besides yourself have opinions and take actions to prevent damage to their health and wellness. So much of this cannot be proved or disproved.
I find it interesting that my Grandma never had a mammogram and yet lived to the ripe age of 99 years and 7 months -- yet our doctors recommend one each year and breast cancer is increasing. Could it be possible that the rise in mammograms has led to a rise in breast cancer? I don't know.
My Grandma was born in 1899 and at least half her life she lived without electricity and running toilets. Most of her food came from her own garden until about the last 20 years of her life -- and then much of it came from her daughter's garden! I don't remember if she had a microwave but I do remember her heating her water for tea and coffee on the cook top!
I think as with pharmaceuticals many of the studies are funded by those who have a vested interest in what they are trying to prove or disprove. Third party testing is so important. In a lawsuit - both sides will hire EXPERT witnesses (paid) who usually agree with their side of the story.
This brings up a very important part of GREEN - THIRD Party testing is critical. Third Party testing gives an unbiased point of view - not based on opinion or skewed studies. Thank you for raising awareness of an important issue in our society! It will be fun to see elementary children using your blog as a reference in THIER experiments! Talk about full circle!
Mary, LOL on the Carrots. I was talking to a man who worked for a MAJOR grocery store chain one time and he swore up and down that the FDA has a Maximum Level of certain items in canned foods such as Metal and *GULP* Bug parts. YUCK!!! Notice I said Maximum Level.
I couldn't believe it. They allow a minimal amount of that stuff in canned foods? Holy Cow. Ever since then I wished I had a Farmer's Market close to me. OOohh. I'm getting chills just thinking about it. I hope he was kidding. I really doubt it though.
Stephanie - Cringe, cringe but OH it is true -- there is also a maximum level of chicken bones that can be put in hot dogs. I never buy hot dogs that have "parts and pieces" (read the label) in them after testing in a hot dog manufacturing plant -- but we won't go there. Very few hot dogs or smokey links in my diet since.
He wasn't kidding! Farmers markets are awesome! (just be sure to wash the vegies when you get home -- maybe even soak them in a gallon of water with a tablespoon of "CLOROX" bleach - the only "food grade" bleach product!)
You want to be grossed out ask about what they put into dog food! I did an experiment with one of my dogs after he got sick and the doctor did blood tests ( liver and kidney). I started cooking for him and a year later the doctor did another blood test - it was like night and day! A once dieing dog lived 4 more years and I believe it was because I changed his food.
My opinion - we forget how much 'environment' touches our lives.
Ok, I'll come back and comment to everyone..and this is all so off topic but interesting.. :) Have you all watched 'Supersize Me'? It's a show about a man that ate McD's breakfast, lunch and dinner for 30 days. They made him stop after 20 or so because he was at such a high risk of Stroke and overweight due to eating it.
They talked about how they make Chicken Nuggets. I made my daughter watch it and she has not eaten a Chicken Nugget since then. They give the term 'whole chicken' a whole new meaning. Hint...Hint.. Yuck.
Mary, Thanks for the tip...I might drive across town (45 miles) to go to the Farmer's Market this month.
Hi Dena, I'll check out what they put in dog food...but that is not the first time that I have heard that. I have heard that dogs live longer if we cook them food...or even feed them raw beef. Do I really want to research that? :) Sounds gross.
Hi Joan, I'm with you. Mary brought up a great point about 3rd party reports. That would be nice to see. Be careful heating leftovers in the microwave...when I was reading, they say that because the microwave heats unevenly the food harbors bacteria in the areas that are not as warm. High risk of food poisoning..especially in Pork.
SUPERSIZE ME! I have not seen the documentary but have watched some interviews and have seen some clips and AGREE!
My son (the same one who almost ate the sparking carrots) had some serious problems with grades in sixth grade. ONE of the things we changed: he was eating french fries for lunch everyday because they were "the cheapest" and he could keep his change. He loves money! Solution: keep your lunch money and carry your "HEALTHY" lunch to school. Grades increased tremendously. Yes, other changes were made, but I believe the DIET changes were HUGE!!! (to this day he makes his lunch to carry to work and rarely buys out of machines!)
I can't get everythng done now! Take away my fast helpers and I wouldn't have time to blog any more...
I grew up very much off grid, except for electricity, and it was a wonderful childhood, but our teeth are all bad because rainwater has no fluoride. We had little in the way of pesticides and most of our food was grown by us or nearby. We raised our own eggs and got milk from the neighbor. My mother still died of cancer though...perhaps the high fat diet?
We do consume too much in the way of pesticides and hormones though; it can't possibly be good for us.
Stephanie - Our local newspaper picked up an article from the AP yesterday regarding Wayne Watson who developed lung cancer from the fumes inhaled when opening his microwave popcorn (link to yahoo article.) A two pack a day popcorn fan his doctors attribute the cancer to the chemical diacetyl used in the artificial butter flavoring. ConAgra Foods is the biggest maker and does not use the same chemical in their stovetop "Jiffy" pop. They use natural butter in that product.
I found the article very interesting especially because so many have responded here that popcorn is one of the things they use their microwaves for most.
READ YOUR LABELS!
Stephanie- I am sorry I am late to this one. I am still giving it a high 5 , very deserving, right up my alley! I teach on this subject a lot as a volunteer for better health. Since I started using Arbonne products a whole world opened up to me that I had not know about with toxins in our skin care, our food, our environment.
We got rid of our microwave over a year ago and we do not miss it one bit. It is just as fast to boil water on a stove. I have never used microwave popcorn. We bought a great air popper from Target and love it. We use organic popcorn and sprinkle it with sea salt. Tastes so much better. The microwave popcorn and the movie theater popcorn cause lung diseases and deaths.
The food companies are making so much $$$ off of us, they want you to be fat, so you eat bad, they love it! They fight against food labeling, they fight against so many things that are healthy and when they lose like with the whole grain disclosure, they lie that the cereal is made from whole grain and they get away with it because of some loophole.
And Big Pharma wants to keep it this way. We eat bad food, we microwave, we use bad skin products, we trust that no one is trying to make us sick, and Big Pharma then creates drugs to treat the symptons of all the diseases they are causing and then those drugs they get you on cause other diseases that they created more drugs for. It is a cycle of greed and disgusting inhuman corporations who are now trying to make it so you can not go buy natural supplements, only the ones they make from their cancer causing scientific inventions.
Oh, I could go on for hours with all I have found out about. Funny thing, my mother knew all of this in the 60' s, everyone thought she was a wacko for what she said. She told us margerine was plastic, that white bread is bad for you, sodas are bad for you and that preservatives cause cancer! How right she was!
Great post, we will need to talk again. Read these books, Fast Food Nation and The China Study by Dr. Campbell. I may be spelling his name wrong. It will change your life and the health of your children.Katerina
Hi All--
Great posts. I have been vegan for more than 20 years but still used a microwave to reheat (I don't think as much bacteria risk in veggies and tofu--but I'm sure there's some). My pathmate has taken a number of bodywork classes over the past year and one of his teachers said that the microwave action killed the nutrients in food. He also uses a baud meter to determine EMF's around electrical appliances. To reach the "allowable" level, we have to stand 8' away from my microwave--it's only a couple of years old and was a higher end unit when purchased for the green home I was building. Just goes to show that "you don't know what you don't know!" And it can be bad for your health!
Isn't it amazing how those "wackos" from the 60's knew what they were talking about? And how the rest of the world didn't want to listen as it would dramatically change their lifestyles? I love going to the green events around California and seeing those of us who have been at this for 20-30 years and still going strong. I also love seeing all the fresh new faces showing up with a passion that rivals that of the 60's!!!
Hi Joanne, That's very interesting. You know, it is hard to really track this stuff...health goes back to genetics too. It's a never ending cycle. I would like to hear more about the rainwater. Sorry to hear about your mom.
Hi Susie, sounds like you don't use your microwave much. good! :)
Hi Stephanie--
It's good to have some background on being vegetarian or vegan. I had tried it several times and didn't understand about getting enough protein or food combining--very important!!! You can get really run down and vulnerable in just a few weeks or less. Try it with someone who's done it--successfully or with guidance from a book or two that sound true to you. There are some food/diet styles that don't work for everybody! Yes, knowing what you are cooking can be very yucky. Watching movies like SuperSize Me can make it even yuckier!!! Good luck if you decide to try vegetarianism!
Hi Mary--
Cheese seems to be the hardest one for people to give up. I can't tell you how many times I've heard, "anything but my cheese!"
Thanks Katerina--
Yes, I have reduced my soy consumption. I do still drink soy lattes and have tofu, but have really cut back on the soy cheeses and other products. I'm drinking rice milk and using rice cheese and rice noodles mostly. I hope they don't come out with warnings about rice! I'll check into the book later today!
Stephanie and Katerina--
I understand about the soy/estrogen issues. We were raising my daughter vegan and she showed signs of precocious puberty around 8 years old. The doctor recommended reducing her soy intake. Of course, there are studies on how American girls are reaching puberty across the board. Her classes were a clear indication--about 1/2 of the girls were developing as quickly as she was. We did change her diet and let her incorporate a more American diet. She didn't like beef, thank goodness, but would eat chicken and dairy. She went through a couple of years of having more weight than she wanted. She decided to return to vegan now that she is 14, is careful of the soy intake and has lost about 15 lbs total. She is so thrilled. Her energy levels are good and she's a good student, so I don't think she's lacking in nutrition.
Yes, I've seen casein in some of the rice cheeses too. Have really cut down on any of the processed foods, even the ones that "should be" good for you--with rice, soy, etc.
Tamara, when my daughter was an infant she could not have the normal formula or breast feed. None of it set with her so her first..well, over a year was soy mixed with food as she got older. When she was 6 she came home from school one day and had this emotional breakdown and started crying because she didn't know what to eat for a snack. She is not one to cry, at all.
I thought to myself "If I didn't know better she is having a hormonal issue right now." It was then that I started researching soy and the effects it has on people. We do not have a real high fat diet usually so I assume that it had something to do with the soy. There are studies that show boys and girls that were on soy formula go in to puberty at a younger age. I felt so bad when I found that out. My son had a hard time with formula also but I just did one that had broken down proteins. He still had a little trouble with it occasionally, but it was fine. It will be intereting to see how that works out.
I think with kids it is mainly the hormones in the food, high fat diets, and refined suger intake. Also, children of single parents or stressful environments go in to puberty quicker. Stress related. The body..it's an amazing thing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKMUYYdjmA0
Check this out- MSG warnings. Guess what! They put MSG in baby formulas, all of them! Except in organic ones. Thank GOD I nursed all my kids! Katerina
I love that! You never can tell what people are going to google!
Katerina, It's ok. It was interesting to see where the conversation led. I think it's a little funny.
Did you read the article on Electrical Sensitivity? The link is in the post.
So many opinions, and so much good information, all so lovingly shared....I don't know where to start! Don't get me started on the food thing because I'll ramble on all day, so let me go back to the grid...
GREAT IDEA, and I think if no one picks up this ball to run with it, YOU SHOULD!
Hard to know if we're dying from the popped corn because it was microwaved, or because it was bathed in preservatives, or because the packaging was overtreated with pesticides. Or maybe he also ate a pound of bacon a day, or .....you get the point.
We should each pare our lives down to the simplest level, in the most dimensions possible. Every day I know I could do more, but rather than worrying what I'm not able to do, I just do what I can.
Cheers! from DC...
Jaynee
Jaynee--
I think that's a great attitude. Do as much as you can, but don't "beat yourself up" about all the other things you could be doing. More will happen in time as some of the "new" things you are doing today will become habit, making it easier to incorporate "new" simplicities in the near future! And being aware of where you could be doing a better job will lead to actually incorporating them into your daily routine.
Stephanie:
So I am really coming in late on the discussion, but browsing the above posts was very interesting. As many have said I could go on for days on a number of issues that have been mentioned. Here is my 2 cents on a some of them:
Microwaves - Probably one of the biggest sources of electro magnetic radiation most folks are exposed to. If you chose to use one, never stand in front of it. I have used a Gauss meter on these as well an depending on the model and wattage you can still be exposed up to 15 feet away. A nutritionist friend told me the best use of a microwave was to use it to dry a dish-washing sponge, because it would kill all bacteria.
Power Lines- I think the studies on power lines came back inconclusive in part because the researchers did not take areas of geopathic stressinto consideration when looking at different homes close to power lines. These are areas where there is already alot of detrimental energy to a human being that is being generated. Add EMR from power lines and you could see very unhealthy effects. Like you said, Europe is ahead of us on this issue. In Germany, you can not get a building permit until the lot has been check for geopathic lines of energy.
As far as the health industry is concerned, see Sicko. You will see why the US life expectancy ranks right above some African countries.
Great thought provoking post!
Terry, I did not see it but...That is EXACTLY what I'm talking about. That I think is what we need more of.
Dang, I wish I had seen that show.
Stephanie:
I will do a post on geopathic stress in a couple of days. It is an interesting topic and one that I have been involved in for several years.
Sicko is a movie by Roger Morre that examines the health care industry in America and compares and contrasts it to those of other countries. It is Moore's least partisan movie to date IMHO. If you cant see it in theaters, be sure to check it out on DVD,