Maria Teresa De Donato, PhD, RND, CNC, CMH, CHom
For
the past two decades, thanks to the flourishing of alternative
medicines aiming at obtaining a state of optimum health and
well-being through the return to nature, a more balancend and
healthier diet and lifestyle, as Westerners,
we have been literally overwhelmed by a wave of information –
sometimes even contradictory – about what should be seen as the
best foods: raw or cooked? And how about microwaves?
To
properly answer these questions and determine the best way to consume
foods, we need to consider some key aspects beginning with the need
to preserve the nutrients they contain and which are necessary for a
healthy diet and hygiene. Let's start with cooking: this method has
its own advantages but also some disadvantages. In the cases of meat
and fish, for example, a complete cooking allows for the elimination
of a number of microorganisms through which the meat can come into
contact of psychrotrophic bacteria that grow in them – including
the Acinetabarater, Maraxella and Pseudornanas. The latter by
altering them cause a change both in their smell and their color
which turns into a grayish hues while a low-level of moisture can
encourage the development of molds that give the meat a greenish
color. Simply stated, then, thanks to the high temperatures that it
reaches, cooking becomes an ideal tool to solve and even avoid all
these problems.
In
the case of vegetables, on the other hand, the opposite is true: once
we have washed them is preferable that they are consumed after being
lightly cooked, steamed, or eaten raw (which is also the best way to
eat fruit) so that the body can absorb all the nutrients they
contain, that is vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, essential oils and
enzymes, which are all fundamental for proper nutrition, digestion
and optimum health. For hygienic reasons, however, it is always
recommended to consume raw foods when eating at home and to opt for
thoroughly cooked foods when having lunch or dinner out.
As
for the microwave ovens, though they may be used to warm up food –
better if only for a few seconds – in reality they are not
advisable for cooking. Why? The reason is simple: the microwaves that
they produce are a type of electro-magnet energy, like radio waves,
each containing a magnetron, that is a sort of tube in which the
activities of electric and magnetic fields affect electrons. In plain
English, this means that the radiation from microwaves interacts with
food’s molecules and alters their structure through a radioactive
process called ‘nuclear disintegration’. It goes without saying,
therefore, that microwaves should never be used for cooking, but
only, and if necessary, to warm up food.
At
this point some might be wondering how to preserve all the foods’
nutrients required for a healthy diet and at the same time keep them
in an optimal condition until they are eaten.
In this regard buying a solar dryer for foods – vegetables, fruits, meat, and fish – and for medicinal and aromatic plants may serve the needs of both family as well as the small and industrial productions. We may want to buy one which operates in full compliance with organic and biodynamic processes and requires no fuel nor produces harmful emissions for human health or the environment but rather uses exclusively solar energy.
Although
they may sound revolutionary, some kinds of dryers utilize the oldest
tradition of food preservation: drying. The latter, through the
dehydration process, eliminates all the problems previously mentioned
related to bacteria, moulds and microorganisms, which contaminate and
alter foods and make them toxic and, consequently, harmful to human
health. Furthermore, by not using additives either, it allows
excellent quality foods by preserving their natural state, and,
therefore, all the nutrients a healthy diet should include.
Thanks to a modern and innovative technology, some dryers transform the solar energy in an abundant amount of hot air able to dry the foods while maintaining their intrinsic qualities unchanged, which is also a fundamental factor in cases of the treatment of medicinal herbs. Drying occurs very quickly, away from atmospheric agents and from anything that could contaminate the purity of the product.
Other
important technical aspects to consider when buying a dryer are,
therefore, a temperature that never exceeds 50° (= 122 F.) and a resistant and
durable shield to protect foods against UVA and which safeguards,
this way, all their organoleptic (physical and chemical) properties.
We look forward to working with you!
Author:
Copyright©2012-2015. Maria Teresa De Donato. All rights reserved
Photos: Copyright©2012-2015. Paolo Trotta. All rights reserved
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