Kitchen Hygiene: Keeping It Natural
For many of us, cooking with extreme temperatures is the most familiar method of “sanitizing” food. Concerns over food safety can then naturally arise as we begin preparing meals without the application of heat. This can be of particular concern when preparing foods for infants (who’ve not yet built up their own antibodies) or when traveling to another country where there may be parasites and/or bacteria that are foreign to our own immunities. Observing a raw-foods diet, however, can actually improve our standard of food-safety.
One reason it can is that the living-foods diet does not traditionally include flesh-foods, dairy, or eggs, products which are found most productive of food poisoning. Meat, for example, is likely to have been tainted by fecal-borne bacteria either on the farm or in the slaughterhouse. And according to the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 70–90% of all chickens are carriers of campylobacter jejuni, the pathogen that is the most common bacterial cause of diarrheal illness in the U.S. The CDC has also estimated that one out of every fifty consumers will be exposed to a salmonella-contaminated egg each year.
Pregnant women are often advised by their physicians and mid-wives to avoid eating deli foods, hot dogs, and cold cuts as well as soft cheeses (such as feta, brie, Camembert, bleu, and Mexican style cheeses). These and other meat, dairy, and processed foods often harbor the bacteria listeria, which survives refrigerator temperatures and sometimes even deep-freezes. Pregnant women in particular are at higher risk of getting the infection listeriosis, which can also be passed to her unborn child.
The living-foods diet also supports breastfeeding, which is naturally more sanitary than using bottles and artificial nipples, which often carry bacteria even after washing.
Observing a raw-foods diet not only minimizes our exposure to these contaminants, but it also builds our bodies’ resistance to infection. With heightened nutrition and less of our bodies’ energy spent on simple digestion, the stronger our immune system becomes (along with our ability to detoxify). As our level of vitality rises, we also become a less-hospitable host to parasites. If our digestion is optimal, parasites will not proliferate but will be terminated by concentrated digestive secretions.
Living foods, by their very nature, are indeed more perishable than processed foods that can sit on the shelf for months. Here are some basic raw-food safety guidelines:
1. Wash hands thoroughly with soap and water before preparing food (and after each time you are interrupted to change a diaper, wipe a nose, cover a cough, handle money, etc.).
2. Wash foods thoroughly before preparation. Soak leafy greens to remove accumulated soil and then rinse at least three times. (This is most important with store-bought produce as it may contain mold and other toxins. That which is picked from your home garden has a much higher standard of purity and freshness.)
3. Remove all rotting or blemished spots on produce. If fruits and veggies are organic and well cleaned there is no need to peel them, sacrificing added nutrients and fiber.
4. The living-foods diet is traditionally vegetarian. If animal products are currently a part of your diet, use extra care not to allow your raw fruits and vegetables to be cross contaminated. Make sure that all meats are cooked thoroughly. This helps prevent contracting parasites. Everything that touches raw meat, dairy, or eggs, during food preparation needs to be washed thoroughly in hot, soapy water, insuring that utensils that have touched raw animal products do not come into contact with foods that will not be cooked. Use different cutting boards for raw fish and other meat than you do for fruits and veggies. Wash hands again after handling raw animal products. Wipe down your work surface area as well as cleaning the sink.
5. Fresh juices are best consumed soon after they are extracted, rather than storing them until the next day in the refrigerator. Commercial unpasteurized juices (bottled, as opposed to juices that are made fresh at home or on site at a juice bar) are not considered to be safe for young children.
6. Raw honey is not recommended for babies under the age of one year because of cases of infant botulism that have been linked to its use.
7. Fermented foods such as sauerkraut, nut/seed cheeses, kefirs, and yogurts are popular raw foods because of their distinctive flavors and digestive-aiding cultures. They are not recommended for babies under the age of one year, however, because they can also carry unfriendly bacteria.
RECIPES FOR NATURAL CLEANINGBy using non-toxic products, children can be invited to clean right along side of you. Cleaning up doesn’t always have to be a chore. Spray bottles, sponges, and bubbles are all good candidates for a younger child’s play. Play some fun music like “I’ve got to be clean” by Guster (on the album For the Kids by various artists) and go ahead and get silly and sudsy.
1. 1 tablespoon apple-cider vinegar per 1 gallon of water or ¼ cup apple-cider vinegar per sinkful. For ridding any parasites that could be present on your produce, soak raw fruits and vegetables in this solution for 15 minutes.
2. 1 tablespoon 3% Hydrogen Peroxide (H2O2) per 1 gallon water, or ¼ cup H2O2 per sinkful. Soak raw fruits and veggies in this solution for 15 minutes. Alternative method: Spray 3% H2O2 directly on produce, wait 1–2 minutes, then rinse. This will remove parasites as well as pesticide residue.
3. 2 tablespoons salt and juice of ½ lemon per sinkful of water will also act as a pesticide wash for non-organic produce.
Studies have shown that a straight 5% solution of vinegar kills 99% of bacteria, 82% of mold, and 80% of viruses. White distilled vinegar is preferred, as apple-cider vinegar can leave stains. Spray bottles can be filled with straight 5% vinegar to clean and deodorize countertops, cutting boards, and sinks. The vinegar smell will go away within a few hours.
Lavender oil and tea tree oil both have natural anti-bacterial properties. If anti-bacterial soap is desired add 5–10 drops of either oil to your regular hand soap. Many natural soaps already contain these oils. Dr. Bronner’s Castile soap, for example, comes in both varieties.
½ teaspoon washing soda
Squirt of liquid soap
2 cups of hot tap water
Combine ingredients in spray bottle and shake until washing soda is dissolved. Apply and wipe with a rag or sponge.
2 teaspoons tea tree oil
2 cups water
Combine in spray bottle and shake. Spray on moldy or mildewed areas. Do not rinse. This spray has a long shelf life.
