Tuesday, 20 December 2016

Cast Iron - is the best cookware

Aluminium cookware - causes kidney problems, neurological problems, tops toxic list

Stainless Steel - has nickel (18%) and chromium (10%) - both are problematic

Teflon - carcinogenic

Copper - also on caution list

Ceramic - made mostly of oxides of silicon, aluminum, and magnesium

https://www.quora.com/Which-is-the-best-cookware-for-cooking

http://www.amazon.in/Lodge-Logic-Pre-Seasoned-Cast-Skillet/dp/B00006JSUA/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1482258602&sr=8-5&keywords=iron+utensils

https://www.reddit.com/r/Cooking/comments/3540ht/best_cookware_for_deepfrying/

Top Customer Reviews

Size: 10.25 Inch Verified Purchase
Sorry for the long review - for the short review, count the stars!

I'm a bit of a purist. I always season my cast iron - new, or used (hey, I don't know WHAT someone else used that old piece of cast iron for - maybe cleaning auto parts). I sand it down to bare metal, starting with about an 80 grit and finishing with 200.

Then I season. The end result is a glossy black mirror that puts Teflon to shame. There are two mistakes people make when seasoning - not hot enough, not long enough. These mistakes give the same result - a sticky brown coating that is definitely not non-stick, and the first time they bring any real heat to the pan, clouds of smoke that they neither expected or wanted. I see several complaints here that are completely due to not knowing this.

But there were a few pieces I needed (yes, needed, cast iron isn't about want, it's a need), and this was one of them, so I thought I'd give the Lodge pre-seasoning a try. Ordered last Friday, received this Friday - free shipping, yay!

The first thing I noticed was the bumpy coating. The inside is actually rougher than the outside, and my hand was itching for the sandpaper, but that would have defeated the experiment. This time, I was going to give the Lodge pre-seasoning a chance before I broke out the sandpaper. So I scrubbed the pan out with a plastic brush and a little soapy water, rinsed well, put it on a medium burner, and waited. Cast iron tip number one - give it a little time. Then give it a little more time. Cast iron conducts heat much more slowly than aluminum, so you have to have a little patience.

Then I threw in a pat of butter, and brought out the natural enemy of badly seasoned cast iron - the egg. And, sure enough, it stuck - but not badly, just in the middle. A bit of spatula work and I actually got a passable over-medium egg. Hmmm. But still not good enough. So I cleaned up the pan, and broke out the lard.

I have only one justification for using lard. I don't remember Grandma using refined hand-pressed organic flax oil, or purified extra-virgin olive oil made by real virgins. Nope, it was pretty much animal fat in her iron. A scoop of bacon grease from the mason jar beside the stove and she was ready to cook anything. Grandaddy wouldn't eat a piece of meat that had less than a half-inch of fat around it. "Tastes like a dry old shoe.", he'd declare if it was too lean. In the end, I'm sure their diet killed them, but they ate well in the meantime. Grandaddy was cut down at the tender age of 96, and Grandma lasted till 98. Eat what you want folks - in the end, it's pretty much up to your genetics.


So I warmed up my new pieces, and smeared a very thin layer of lard all over them - use your fingers. Towels, especially paper towels, will shed lint, and lint in your seasoning coat doesn't help things at all. Besides, it's kinda fun.

Here's cast iron tip number two - season at the highest temp you think you'll ever cook at - or higher. If you don't, you won't get the full non-stick thing, and the first time you bring it up to that temp you'll get clouds of smoke from the unfinished seasoning. I put my pieces in a cold oven, and set the temp for an hour at 500 degrees (F, not C). Yeah, I know, Lodge says 350. Lodge doesn't want panicked support calls from people whose house is full of smoke. Crank the heat up.

You have two choices here. You can put a fan in the kitchen window and blow smoke out of your house like the battleship Bismarck under attack by the Royal Navy, or invest in an oxygen mask. You will get smoke. You will get lots of smoke, especially if you're doing several pieces at once, like I just did. This is a good thing - that's smoke that won't be jumping out to surprise you the first time you try to cook with any real heat. The goal is to heat until you don't get smoke, and in my experience, 500 degrees for an hour does that pretty well.

Let the pieces cool in the closed oven. Then re-grease and repeat. And repeat again. And don't glop the fat on. Just enough to coat. More thin layers are better than fewer gloppy layers. I managed four layers last night without my neighbors calling the fire department.

Seems like a lot of work? Look at it this way. It's a lifetime commitment. Treat your iron well, and it will love you right back like you've never been loved before. And this is pretty much a one-time deal, unless you do something silly.

The end result of my all-night smoking up the kitchen exercise? Dry, absolutely no stickiness, black as a coal mine at midnight and shiny - but still bumpy - could it possibly work with that rough surface?

I put the skillet back on a medium burner, put a pat of butter on and tossed in a couple of eggs. After the whites had set a little, I nudged them with a spatula, and they scooted across the pan. I'll be... it works. My wife came back from the store and wanted scrambled eggs. If there's anything that cast iron likes less than fried eggs, it's scrambled. But it was the same thing all over again. No stick. No cleanup. Just a quick hot water rinse with a brush in case something got left on the pan (I couldn't see anything, but hey), then I put it on a med-hi burner till dry, put a thin coat of lard on the pan and waited until I saw smoke for a minute. Let cool and hang up. Done.

So. do I like the bumpy texture of the Lodge pre-season? Nope. Does it work? Yes, and contrary to my misgivings, it works very well. My wife pointed out that even some Teflon cookware has textured patterns in it. The Lodge pre-season isn't a perfect surface out of the box - but it does give you a big head-start. After a night's work, my iron is ready to face anything, and you just can't beat that.

Lodge makes a great product. For the quality, durability, and versatility, you can't beat Lodge cast iron. Plus, it's made in America. I like that. If you've never experienced cast iron cooking, you've just been cheating yourself. Plus, the price, for a piece of lifetime cookware, is insanely cheap.

And my sandpaper is still on the tool shelf.
178 Comments  3,556 people found this helpful. 

Size: 12 Inch
I own several Lodge cast iron products and use them everyday. I have 3 teeneage boys that enjoy cooking, and after they destroyed a few teflon coated pans, I decided I would go heavy into cast iron. These pans are indestructible. You can use them in the oven or stovetop, and if you keep it seasoned properly food will not stick. Also, to avoid sticking problems, you may want to remember to allow the pan to get hot before applying oil or food.
As to seasoning, the Logic line now comes preseasoned. But don't make a big deal about this. To season a cast iron skillet simply coat it lightly with oil and bake it for a half hour or so. I have also seasoned these skillets on the stovetop. Cast iron is also great because it does not easily scrap like stainless steel and aluminum pots. Aluminum pans are painful to me, as my teeth fillings react to the aluminum. With cast iron, you won't have this problem. I also take my Lodge pan camping and set it right over the coals to cook. No melted handles or scorched bottoms to mess with.

https://www.amazon.com/Lodge-L8SK3-Skillet-Pre-Seasoned-10-25-inch/dp/B00006JSUA/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1482259345&sr=8-3&keywords=cast+iron+cookware

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Monday, 19 December 2016

Hard water is water with a higher mineral content



[–]bonobo1 9 points  
Obviously the soap used can't do anything about the water pressure. Hard water is water with a higher mineral content. The positive charged atoms in hard water bond with negatively charged soap particles meaning the mixture can no longer dissolve with water, hence the lack of soapy/bubbles and problems with scum.

To fight dementia and Alzheimer’s, go for sauna bathing 4-7 times a week

Better house ventilation and outdoor activity helps protect against Tuberculosis

CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

The seasonal variability of tuberculosis is quit clearly demonstrated by the epidemiological data;showing mostly a peak in notification numbers in early spring and summer months. This finding may have important implications, it seems that the risk of M. tuberculosis transmission appears to be the greatest during the winter months, particularly in overcrowded and poorly ventilated settings. There are several possible reasons of the seasonality of tuberculosis: serum vitamin D level variability, indoor activities, seasonal changes in immune function and patient or health care system delays in the diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis. Additionally, seasonal variation in food pattern, age and sex are important factors which can play a role in tuberculosis notification variability. Further prospective studies are required to better understand the fundamental patho physiologic mechanisms underlying seasonal immune system competence and tuberculosis.
The knowledge of the role of environmental factors (infection, cold, etc.) or other triggers (indoor activity, vitamin D intake) could be used to improve prevention measures and educational strategies,especially in people with a risk of infection. People should be informed of the increased risk of disease transmission during the cold seasons, and educated about the importance of seeking health care if they develop tuberculosis symptoms. People should be informed about the importance of proper housing ventilation and the potential benefits of increased outdoor activity in natural UV light. Furthermore, people should be motivated to maintain health dietary habits including a nutrient rich in vitamin D. There is also a need to improve health accessibility of health care services, especially in rural areas in some countries. Clinical practitioners have to be educated on the importance of continuous and good surveillance and timely reporting of tuberculosis patients.
There are many gaps in the current knowledge, but it can be assumed that research on behavioral and physiological mechanisms and their effect on the seasonality of immune function are likely to provide important insight into the role of the environment in influencing health and well-being.

Food habits and seasonal rhythm of nutrient intake

It is well known that malnutrition increases risk of contracting tuberculosis and profoundly affects immune system functions.[] This influence may vary according to the seasonal cycle, because the availability of food or in the amount of food intake during the seasons. One study conducted in the USA shows seasonal variations in the nutrient intakes and the meal patterns of humans. A marked seasonal rhythm with increased total caloric intake was observed, especially of carbohydrate, in the fall, associated with an increase of meal size and a greater rate of eating, but not found changes in winter and spring.[] Another study conducted in Gambia found energy intake among women in the wet season was clearly inadequate, while in the dry season intake almost met energy requirements.[] This finding may be linked with seasonal variability of tuberculosis particularly in wet season in Cameroon with high number of tuberculosis case notifications.
Additionally, vegetarianism and tuberculosis have been linked with increased incidence of tuberculosis among immigrants from the Indian subcontinent who live in the UK.[] Vegetarian diets have been reported to be associated with deficiencies of certain minerals and vitamin in particular vitamin D. This kind of food (vegetarian) is common among Hindus due to religious restrictions.[] That could be a contributing factor and may help to explain the seasonal peaking notification of tuberculosis among Indian origin patients in the UK. Recently, immigrated persons had a higher risk of developing tuberculosis disease than those who had been in the UK more than 5 years or who were born in the UK.[,] Thus, people may have latent tuberculosis which is reactivated when their vitamin D level is diminished due to the largely dark climate of the UK in addition to the absence of vitamin D diet resource as a consequence of vegetarianism.[,]

Share of the seasonality with other infectious diseases

Winter is known to be a season of respiratory infectious diseases, both viral and bacterial.[] In addition, some infectious diseases exhibit frequent and shared patterns in the same season such as increased incidences of pneumococcal and meningitis during influenza season and the occurrence of streptococcal disease, varicella zoster virus infection, and bacterial super-infection in children with seasonal measles virus.[] This frequency may contribute to explain a result of predisposition to infection with other pathogens in winter, which could be also a reason to the high rate of tuberculosis notification in Spain in late winter (February) and spring associated with flu viral infections as the authors suggest. That could also relate to increased admission of patients with respiratory tract infections in the UK and Russia during the winter season thereby, leading to the diagnosis of tuberculosis particularly in children. This diagnosis can be made by vigorously investigating children with existing respiratory complaints for possible tuberculosis.[] The Influenza virus or other pathogens cannot cause tuberculosis, but may accelerate disease manifestation in patients with latent tuberculosis or increase susceptibility of individuals to infection and therefore, develop the disease faster than those without these diseases. The process is probably aggravated by an increasing frequency of coughing consequential from other winter viral and bacterial respiratory infections.[] However, the general finding of this review coincides with this hypothesis due to the higher number of tuberculosis notifications in spring and summer especially among children.

Seasonal immunity competence

The exact mechanism of M. tuberculosis reactivation in a particular time of the year is still not well understood in most cases.[] Recent evidence suggests that the immune system competencies vary through the year with significant periodicity in immune cell function and in the number of some peripheral blood leukocytes subsets.[] In this regard, it is not surprising to see seasonal variability in tuberculosis manifestation with a peak of notification rates in spring and summer. Experimental studies findings support these observations. For example, the natural killer cells and CD4 T-cells have been reported to be increased in winter associated with an increased level of Interleukin-6.[,] This could be a reason for a better immune response against Mycobacteria in winter compared to summer, obviously not preventing infection, but allowing to control it in winter, whereas the infection later progresses to disease. Moreover, these findings consist with a study conducted in India, showing that the morbidity of tuberculosis is high in summer compared to winter.[] In contrast, in Western Africa, CD4 cells count were low in children in the rainy season (winter).[] That may give an explanation for a peak of tuberculosis notification in Cameroon during the winter season.
In addition, there is some evidence that the fluctuation in weather temperature during winter seasons may act on the respiratory epithelium by slowing mucociliary clearance and inhibiting phagocytosis, which then lead to increase the susceptibility to infection.[] This may give us an explanation about the findings of this review regarding the peak of seasonal notification of tuberculosis cases and the possibility of infection during winter season.

Indoor activity

Generally man spends more time indoors in cold (winter) than in warm season (summer), which coincides with the scientific fact that overcrowding, increased humidity, and low airflow provide a suitable environment for M. tuberculosis to survive. Additionally, transmission is more likely during winter months due to diminished amounts of natural ultraviolet light. In summer season, the absorption of natural ultraviolet light is higher and can kill M. tuberculosis within a short time, while it can survive in darker conditions for a longer period. These properties of M. tuberculosis support the suggestion that most disease transmissions occur indoor. The fact that there are higher transmissions rates in winter followed by the development of disease several months later would be supported of the findings of this study.

Vitamin D status variability

The potential factor that has been suggested in most articles is the link between vitamin D level and impaired host immunological defence with the reactivation of latent M. tuberculosis infection.[] Several studies from various regions, ethnic groups, and cultures show positive association between the serum level of vitamin D and susceptibility to TB infection or reactivation.[] Serum vitamin D concentrations are significantly lower in TB patients compared with those in control groups. Several mechanisms have been proposed to explain this relation, most of them concerned with the possibility of the role of active metabolite vitamin D (25-(OH) D) in the hosts defence against human tuberculosis, thus suggesting that metabolite (25-(OH) D) can act to suppress the growth of M. tuberculosis through the induction of nitric oxide (NO) production by macrophages.[]
Significant seasonal vitamin D level variations were observed in several communities, which reveal a variation of values for 25-(OH) D, increased during summer and spring, while gradually decreasing in autumn and winter.[,] Various authors are in favor of the idea that highest TB rates in spring and summer are associated with the seasonal variation of vitamin D level.[,,] The significant observations of the seasonal peak of tuberculosis in Indian immigrants in Kuwait in late April was consistent with the findings of tuberculosis peaking from April to June in northern India. Also, it may well be that the immigrants from India have a very high proportion of TB and arrives Kuwait mainly in winter month while migrants from Sri Lanka and other low burden countries have a low proportion of TB and arrive mainly in summer.[]
Several studies on vitamin D level variations suggest that heavy clothing in winter is considered as a barrier that can reduce ultraviolet radiation reaching the body and thus, the conversion of vitamin D. In addition, some cultural factors such as style of clothing (veiled clothing) were shown as potential factors which influence serum vitamin D concentrations, particularly in women. Women in some conservative cultures also tend to spend longer periods of time indoors.[,] According to these findings, one could hypothesize that women in some communities are more susceptible to TB than men as a consequence of vitamin D deficiency and/or duration of time spent indoors. Other studies conducted in various countries show that the vitamin D deficiency is more predominant among women regardless of age, lifestyle, and clothing (veiled).[–] This finding is contradicted by studies which show no significant difference between genders in seasonal notification of tuberculosis.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3068579/

Africans are more likely to have sickle cell because SC trait is protective against malaria, which still ravages Africa.

submitted  by [deleted]

[–]baloo_the_bearInternal Medicine | Tissue Engineering | Hematology/Oncology 27 points  
Actually, yes; and it wouldn't even take that long. In some groups of people who have lived at high altitude for generations, there are specific and discernible biochemical changes in the blood that make it more efficient at transporting oxygen. The molecule in question is 2,3-DPG. It helps stabilize the low oxygen tension state (T state) of hemoglobin and causes a shift of the oxygen-hemoglobin dissociation curve to right. This helps the blood offload more oxygen to respiring tissues, thus reducing potential tissue hypoxia in situations where this may occur.
Some of these changes are inducible, meaning a person who normally lives at sea level can spend some time in high altitude and acclimate to the new environment. However, the rapidity and degree to which this happens is thought to be determined genetically. This is why before climbing some of the tallest peaks in the world, climbers have to spend time at base camp to allow their bodies to undergo some of the physiologic changes to try to avoid altitude sickness, which can be fatal.
There have been studies to look at these phenomena. They can be seen here, here, here, and here. The last link probably directly answers your specific question. It's an old paper and they don't gave a great explanation for the exact mechanism, but it's worth the read. Feel free to message me or reply if you have further questions.
[–][deleted] 3 points  
Thanxs for the reply! Truly helped me, gonna take a look at those links.
Edit: Further questioning, if you don't mind, what if those effects were constant, meaning they would keep lowering and lowering, reaching levels of oxygen that we cannot live in rn, but in very a long time frame where the body would be able to adapt through 'evolution'? I assume there's no concrete answer for that, but you seem well versed in the subject and I'd love to hear (if there is no real answer) some speculation on what you think would happen.
[–]baloo_the_bearInternal Medicine | Tissue Engineering | Hematology/Oncology 3 points  
Honestly, I'm not too sure. There are microorganisms (extremophiles) which have evolved to thrive in extreme environments such as low oxygen, or high/low temperature. There is a fungus in Chernobyl that was discovered to use radiation for energy. But to extrapolate that sort of adaptation to complex, multicellular organisms seems too much of a stretch. I think at a certain point the viability of the organism would be reduced, either in growth, or intelligence, or both, leading to an evolutionary dead end rather than a flourishing species. Most organisms in such a situation would try find a new niche to inhabit rather than face mounting environmental pressure. Done artificially, I'd think it would go more in the growth restriction direction.

[–]gladeyes 2 points  
Also the tribes that live north of the arctic circle have developed better blood flow to their extremities and the ability to withstand freezing temperatures. Genetic selection is powerful.
[–]baloo_the_bearInternal Medicine | Tissue Engineering | Hematology/Oncology 2 points  
Yep there are many such cases, the most well known are that Caucasians are more likely to have cystic fibrosis because it is protective against cholera, which ravaged Europe; and Africans are more likely to have sickle cell because SC trait is protective against malaria, which still ravages Africa.

https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/51uxo7/in_a_scenario_where_human_life_is_exposed_to_long/