Cooking Tips for Better Health

Cooking is a personal experience and we can implement different methods for the same meal.  For example, if we want to make mashed potatoes, we could boil the potatoes, or we could steam them, we could peel the skin, buy instant mixes, etc.  It's all about choices that will affect the nutritional value of the food you put on your table.  So here are a few cooking tips that you can easily implement in your kitchen.  

For a healthier lifestyle, you may want change what you cook as well as how you cook.  Depending on the method you choose, you may be inactivating the nutrients out of your food.  You could be preparing a meal with the right nutritious ingredients but after you are done cooking, you may end up with a dish that has no nutritional value. 

When heat is applied, many vitamins and minerals are burnt away.  The higher the temperature and the longer you cook it, the fewer nutrients you will have in your meal.  It is important then not to overcook your meals, try to cook your meals in the shortest time possible and with the minimum amount of water possible.  However, dry cooking methods such as roasting and baking are perhaps the worst method, as they require a longer cooking time.  Microwaving, frying, boiling and sautéing are some of the methods that you need to consider before you cook.  Steaming and stir-frying are better choices, as they will allow the natural nutrition to remain in your food. 

It is also important to consider the oxidation that occurs in vegetables once they are cut, as oxidation will inactivate the vitamins.  For this reason, try not to cut or chop your vegetables way ahead of time. 

Cooking Utensils

Quality cookware and utensils that do not interact with food are also something to consider.  Natural materials such as earthenware, ceramic, glass and metals such as stainless steel, cast-iron or enamel coated steel are recommended.  Avoid aluminum, plastic, teflon and other synthetic materials. 

Flavouring Foods

You may also want to think about the seasonings you add to your foods when cooking.  

Consider adding unrefined sea salt to your meals instead of the commonly available commercial table salt which is a highly refined product containing 99.5% sodium chloride with almost no trace minerals left.  Unrefined sea salt taste wonderful and depending on the method of processing, it contains 0.5 to 3% trace minerals in addition to sodium chloride and small quantities of other elements found naturally in the ocean.  You also need to remember that too much salt can cause hypertension, excessive fluid retention and other complications.  You could also add a lot of spices and herbs instead if you need to add more taste to your meals.  Try adding fresh lemon juice or lime juice to add a little extra taste. 

More Things to Consider

Choose quality vegetable oils.  Avoid hydrogenated oils and fat, refined margarines and oils, animal oils and fats and shortenings. 

Try using less white flour and introduce more fiber by adding bran and soy flour and wheat germ to your bread recipes.

Balance your diet with fresh fruits and vegetables versus frozen or canned.  Have a salad every day.  Make your own salad dressing.  Here is the one I make for my daily salads.  In the food processor chop garlic, ginger, onion, jalapeno pepper and parsley.  Add fresh squeezed lime (from 4 or 5 limes) or lemon juice, extra virgin oil, and unrefined sea salt, that's it, and it is delicious.  You could also add honey for a little extra flavor.  As far as the amount for each ingredient, I would say, 5 cloves of garlic, a 1/2" pc of ginger, 1/2 onion, 1 jalapeno pepper, a handful of parsley and 4-5 limes.  Add oil and salt to taste.  Yields about a pint.

And last but not least, cook with joy and a light heart and avoid meals prepared by people who are sick, angry or they have an unhappy attitude. 

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