Cookware Considerations

Please note: This feature should be considered in conjunction with the feature on frying and fried foods.

Aluminium Ware

Scientific research has shown that aluminium causes a gamut of physical, neurological, genetic, and behavioral disruptions. It has been implicated in everything from Alzheimer's disease to depression, from constipation to schizophrenia, from osteoporosis to fits of temper.

Aluminium finds its way into the human body via products such as aluminium cookware, porcelain cookware, ceramic cookware, antacids, baking powder, cosmetics, white flour, "tin" cans - that are really just aluminium, "free-running" table salt, Ceylon tea, and underarm deodorants etcetera?

Stainless Steel (Nickel) Ware

Thanks to the negative publicity surrounding aluminium cookware, many have switched to using stainless steel cookware, thinking that this is a better alternative but, and this might well surprise you, in the majority of cases, and unless advertised to the contrary, "stainless steel" is nothing other than a "user-friendly" name for nickel - and nickel, which is also used as a base for dental crowns and bridges, is not only a confirmed carcinogen, but is also suspected of causing many other health problems.

According to Dr. Hal Huggins, world authority on heavy-metal toxicity, nickel is the most carcinogenic substance on the planet. Is this perhaps one reason why cancer is on the increase? Click on this link to read more.

If you wish to study further into this matter, simply enter the words "Nickel Toxicity" into the search facility of your browser.

"Science advances funeral by funeral."
(Niels Bohr, Nobel Prize-winning Physicist)

If you have Vision Cookware (glassware) you have the very best in bio-friendly cookware. It is not quite as convenient, but your body will love it. This cookware is totally inert in that it is produced from specially tempered glass.

It can be used in the oven and on the hottest plate. Glass oven ware can only be used in the oven. If you do not have Vision pots and pans, the following options are open to you:

1	In the United States, Vision cookware may be ordered via the company at the following link. If you live outside of the United States, you will have to make special ordering arrangements with this company: www.visions-cookware.com
2	Visit The E-Bay Web Auction Here you will find many vision cookware items on auction via the internet. They usually ship to anywhere in the world. Quite a fun way of buying once you are registered: Click Here to view the Vision Cookware on auction. CAUTION: If you live in a country other than the USA, before bidding make sure the seller is willing to ship to your country and also make sure that your country is listed in the PayPal (credit card) list of countries. Otherwise making payment can be a hassle unless the seller is willing and able to send you a company invoice.
3	Try placing the following advert in the appropriate column in the local press or Junk Mail and, depending on previous marketing activity in your country, you should get a few replies: Wanted: Vision Cookware - New or Used. Any/all sizes. Name your price. (Now add your name and phone number).

We have placed the above advert on three occasions and we now have all the vision cookware - pans and pots - that we will ever need (and we live in South Africa). Pay any price for such cookware - your life is worth it.

It is absolutely essential that any food that requires soaking is soaked in glassware and that dishes that take time to prepare, such as stews, are prepared in glassware in the oven. If you are forced to use a metal tray for baking then, wherever applicable and practical, first layer the tray with a (waxed paper) baker's sheet.

Non-Stick Cookware

If you are a sensitive individual, or you are living very healthfully, you could be severely affected by metal cookware and especially by certain non-stick frying pans - and the longer the food remains in the pan, and the higher the temperature attained, the more marked will be the reaction.

Having heard on the radio that canaries die if they are kept in a kitchen where non-stick frying pans are used, I emailed a company in the United States that specializes in re-coating non-stick pans. The following is an extract from their reply. This should be considered with the thought in mind that temperatures of between 600º to 1100º Fahrenheit are often reached during the frying process.

"The only thing I can answer is that there has been documentation that overheating cookware coated with non-stick above 550ºF can release toxic fumes. It has been documented that these fumes are harmful or fatal to birds. I do not know of any documentation that shows harm to humans. Our advice is to always keep a kitchen well ventilated when cooking. Never heat the cookware to above 550ºF. If possible, keep birds and other pets out of the kitchen when using the cookware." (Continental Coating Corporation, www.frypanman.com)

Ouch! Now I know why it is that whenever I eat food that has been prepared in a non-stick pan I always have a very unsettled evening, I always experience panic/anxiety attacks, and why the next morning I always feel as though my head has been through a washing machine. (My son-in-law is also affected, but the rest of my family do not seem to experience any noticeable effects.)

Alternatives
•	We apologize if this page is the bearer of "bad" tidings, but if this information is going to improve the quality of your life, it really is good news - especially if you can avail yourself of Vision cookware.
•	Bake in glassware instead of frying in any metal pan.
•	Wherever possible bake, steam or boil food - never fry food.
•	Only ever soak food in glassware.
•	Prepare stews and casseroles in glassware only.
•	Try baking at a maximum temperature of 160 F. Your food will taste better and will be more nutritious.
•	Avoid non-stick pans.
•	If you cannot avoid frying, see "Safe" Frying Hints.