Pots are made by machine in China.
Dishtowels are stitched in Taiwan.
Spoons are mass produced in a factory.
And yet, often we don’t think twice about it.
Five years ago, when I began living a healthier lifestyle, one of the first things I wanted to do was get new cookware for my kitchen. It freaked me out that I could barely remember where my silverware or cookware came from, how long I had owned them all, if I picked them up at the dollar store. Most of what I owned was plastic, cheap and practically disposable. Some of it even had Prop 65 cancer warnings on it! This was a huuuge a-ha! moment for me!! My food was touching all this stuff before it ever even entered my mouth!! This was soooo important to get under control!!!
I wanted to replace my cookware, but I didn’t. Not then. For some reason, it was something I put on the back burner mentally – investing in just about everything else – even more expensive things (moving, supplements, workout gear, green beauty products) before I got back to thinking about my kitchenware.
Today, this is probably one of my biggest wellness regrets.
Not only is what we cook with and eat off of essential to our health, it was super alarming when a quick bit of research reminded me again of the kind of effects that we can suffer if we go long enough without changing out what we cook and eat with!
Chances are, there’s all kinds of toxins lurking in your cookware, silverware and even your food wrapping! Teflon, for instance, is a huge culprit. And it’s in just about all conventional cookware. Toxic fumes from the Teflon chemical released from pots and pans at high temperatures may kill pet birds and cause people to develop flu-like symptoms (called ‘Teflon Flu’ or, as scientists describe it, ‘Polymer fume fever’),” according to Environmental Working Group. Teflon is especially prevalent in cookware marketed as “non-stick”.
Another creepy culprit? Cooking products with finishes made of perfluorinated chemicals (PFCs) that leach toxins remain the popular choice in many homes across the country. PFCs are a large group of manufactured compounds that are widely used to make everyday products more resistant to stains, grease, and water. Because they are made to help reduce friction, PFC’s are another “non-stick” marketing and manufacturing favorite. The side effects? In animal studies, some PFCs disrupt normal endocrine activity; reduce immune function; cause adverse effects on multiple organs, including the liver and pancreas; and cause developmental problems in rodent offspring exposed in the womb.
These guys can leach hormone disrupting chemicals and toxins into food… probably not the best choice!!
We cook everyday, so cooking with an unsafe material can take it’s collective toll over time.
So is it worth the risk?
Not with perfectly good, handmade, organic, pure and simple options out there it’s not!!!
I recently made the self-love move of a lifetime!
I made the leap to simple, pure, organic cookware – and I could not be happier about it!
I’ve always wanted an organic cast iron skillet so this is a personal dream come true. I would love this to be in my family for generations! To say that I am obsessed with my brand new organic cast iron skillet is an understatement. I cleaned and christened the skillet with organic Flax Seed Oil and then seasoned to cook with her for Labor Day week – totally giddy! I’m going to make soooo many amazing things on this skillet — but started with fish! I fired up an incredible sage and rosemary encrusted ginger salmon and it was absolutely delectable! New level kitchen skills! Cast iron cooking has been around in the kitchen for hundreds of years: it was a favorite over fires during medieval times and widely used in China many years before that. It was the original stockpot, slow cooker and skillet of choice. It still is. Ohhhhh, I love it so much! I’m seriously so inspired to cook every time I look at it! I can’t wait to make years and years of flavorful meals! If seasoning is a little intimidating for you (this was my first time seasoning, but the instructions that were sent with the cookware really helped!), Housekeeper Crockery’s cast iron is sold raw or pre-seasoned with organic flaxseed oil. It’s like holding a slice of history in your hands.
One of my absolute favorite classes in college was ceramics. I absolutely love handmade pottery, and I can really appreciate a nicely crafted, one-of-a-kind piece. I couldn’t believe that an organic, handmade bowl was MISSING from my kitchen! ME!! When I was finally making a lime and garden herb butter batter in this beautiful bowl, I couldn’t help but get lost in all the delightful little details and feel content in finally getting HERE – to the healthiest start to a meal there is! These nesting mixing bowls are created using pure clay. Sooo gorgeous!! I find more unique details and things to appreciate each and every time I use it. These are clearly made to last and invoke the spirit of grandmothers everywhere — with their sturdy rims and thickness they’re perfect for whipping up a meringue, salad oil, cookie dough or dinner seasoning.
Did you know that spoons were originally made from wood to soak up the flavor of your meals and give them right back to you as built-in seasoning in the future? AMAZING, right? One ticket to Flavorcountry for me, please! Huge inspiration to dive headfirst into replacing my silverware – and I starting by switching from metal to wooden spoons! Whetstone Woodenware lovingly creates these gorgeous wooden spoons. They are a family-owned company located in Indiana that specializes in reproduction woodenware. The wood is culled from Akron, Ohio from American maples and the pieces are designed to soak up the seasonings you use as you cook – just the way they used to do. How WONDERFUL is that?!
I absolutely love and trust Housekeeper Crockery because their commitment to their customers health is amazing! They use local and American artisans, foundries, forges and wood to make their exquisite products, so you can feel proud about supporting something USA-made. I personally love that they use organic materials and oils without compromise. Each piece comes with lovingly written care instructions that are super simple to follow! Ask about their adorable organic tea towels too. My grandma used to have tea towels around the house when I was a kid and I look forward to passing these organic ones onto my own granddaughter some day!
This is a self-care no brainer! And you deserve it!