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Dr. Melissa Kempf’s Free Health Tips

Get Rid Of The Non-Stick Cookware

I'm sure you have heard the phrase, "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure".  Nothing could be further from the truth when it comes to preparing food for yours and your family's consumption.  As one of a handful of wellness doctors in Hill Country Village right here in San Antonio, Dr. Melissa Kempf, MD has some strong health tips regarding this topic.

Get Rid Of The Non-Stick Cookware

Since Dr. Kempf loves to cook she has become quite the chef and gets excited over new recipes.  She finds that this is a great way to keep her healthy meal plans interesting and tasty.Being that she is one of a few well known wellness doctors in San Antonio, she also has some concerns for her patients.  She gets asked time and time again is there a reason to throw out the non-stick cookware?  The overall answer to this is YES!

Get Rid Of The Non-Stick Cookware

“reach 700 degrees Fahrenheit in as little as 3-5 minutes, releasing 15 toxic gases and chemicals, including two carcinogens." The company Dupont (creators of Teflon, the chemical used in non-stick cookware) claims that their pans should be used at temperatures below 446 degrees Fahrenheit (although some people have claimed that the temperature is closer to 500 and some have even said 600, but the inconsistency in the research is just as scary as this fact). Cooking at these temperatures is nearly impossible and anything that requires cooking at heats higher than “low” will quickly reach temperatures well beyond 446 degrees(even as high as 700 degrees), emitting these toxic fumes from the Teflon lining in pans.

Get Rid Of The Non-Stick Cookware

One of the main chemicals used in the manufacturing process of Teflon and other nonstick pans is _perflurooctanoic acid (PFOA) _also known as C-8. This chemical has led to cancer and birth defects in lab animals, and may have led to birth defects in DuPont plant workers. In 2005, an independent panel reporting to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) declared PFOA a likely human carcinogen. Ouch!!!

Get Rid Of The Non-Stick Cookware

So many wellness doctors in San Antonio never tell this to their patients.  It is vital to know this if we are to give ourselves the best chances for overall health. So the bottom line would be to toss those non-stick pans and look at some newer alternative cookware that could be a better choice.Unfortunately copper leaches into food when heated and the FDA cautions using inlined copper for general use.  So most copper is lined with tin, nickel, or stainless steel.  Well, these linings can come off if scoured or damaged and can end up in your food.

Get Rid Of The Non-Stick Cookware

Aluminum is a soft and highly reactive metal that can leach into food, especially when you are cooking with acidic ingredients. The metal-food reaction can form aluminum salts that are associated with impaired visual motor coordination and Alzheimer’s disease.  That's right stay away from tin foil as much as you can.

Get Rid Of The Non-Stick Cookware

So what the heck can we cook with and feel safe at the same time?  The answer is Stainless steel cookware!  All the research shows that this type of cookware is the safest.  Yes, it is a little pricey and it takes a little longer to cook, but is well worth it.  So having a little patience  with this cookware is all you need for some healthy guilt free nutrition for your family.

Get Rid Of The Non-Stick Cookware

If you like this healthy tip and want the experience of wellness doctors in San Antonio that take a preventative approach, then give Dr. Kempf a call to discuss your new approach to optimal health at 210.494.5959.