Page 28 - October 2022
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Monthly Challenge: Cooking for Healing
Cast Iron Cookware
Cast iron cookware is centuries old, of hemoglobin in the blood and also
and for good reason. It’s extremely as part of myoglobin in the muscles.
durable, and when taken proper care, However, there is much debate about
it will stand the test of time. Masters of how much of the iron is absorbed by
cast iron can even take the oldest, most the body, as everyone’s body functions
oxidized pieces and refurbish them to differently. The amount of iron
become good to use again! relseased into food also depends on the
age of the pan. The newer the pan, the
The benefits of cast iron don’t stop at more iron is released into food.
durability, however. There are many
health and cooking benefits as well. Well- Acidic food specifically is great at
seasoned cast iron essentially becomes soaking up more iron. For example,
nonstick, and requires less oil for cooking. in a study published by the Journal
Because of this natural nonstick attribute, of the American Dietetic Association,
there are no chemicals that are commonly spaghetti sauce cooked in cast iron
used to make commercial nonstick pans. jumped from .6 mg to 5.7 mg after
One chemical in nonstick pans is called being cooked in a cast iron pot.
perfluorooctanoic acid, a scary word in and
of itself, and has been said to be “possibly Lodge Cast Iron is the leading cast iron
carcinogenic to humans”, according to the company, and offers many beautiful,
World Health Organization. affordable products to start your
journey today!
Cooking in a cast iron pan may also
give food a boost in, well, iron. This So, the October Challenge of the Month
is extremely beneficial to women, is to replace all non-stick cookware in
children, and anyone on a plant based your kitchen by healthier options, and
diet, as these groups of people tend to cast iron is one of them.
have less iron. Iron aids in transporting
oxygen through the body as a part Stephanie Davidian
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