Written by: Danielle Christy, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
The weather is warming up and the sun is shining, no better time to clean the kitchen. It’s time to get rid of the junk that harms our environment and bring the nutrients and vibes that allow our bodies and minds to thrive. NO need to make it complicated; here are 5 simple ways to clean your kitchen and lay the foundation for optimal health. Make the heart of the home a joyful welcoming environment for the whole family.
The first step is to take a look in the pantry and fridge. Remove everything in these areas and separate them into 2 piles, one pile to save and one pile to get rid of. Take a look at the labels and remove all products that contain any added processed oil ( canola, corn, sunflower, safflower, cottonseed, refined palm and hydrogenated), added sugars, words you can't even pronounce and it’s best to have minimally processed foods that contain 5 ingredients or less. Donate or recycle any of these foods and focus on stocking your kitchen with whole real foods, minimally processed, pantry staples and as many fruits and vegetables as possible.
Next, take note of what pots, pans and cooking vessels you have in your kitchen. It's important to know that if you have nonstick pans that contain teflon, you could be harming your health without even knowing it. Teflon - as well as notorious chemicals in other common products like BPA, fragrances, and flame retardants - is that they are known to interact with our endocrine systems. They mimic or interfere with the action of normal hormones, resulting in problems with development in children, reproduction, brain health, and immunity. PFAs(PTFE and PFOA) in particular alter metabolism, making it harder for individuals to maintain weight loss. SO it is important to stock your kitchen with cast iron, ceramic and stainless steel. If you are on a budget, start slow and cast iron is really affordable and a pan I use daily. The last thing you want to do is be adding more chemicals into your food when you are trying to nourish your body.
Once the kitchen is stocked with nutrient-dense foods and the correct cookware, organize areas in your kitchen to make healthy cooking a breeze. For example, create cabinet zones: one cabinet for prep that includes mixing bowls, cups etc., one for cooking, all your pots and pans baking sheets, one for serving all your plates, bowls and serve ware and finally, one for save all your storage and meal prep containers. Also, labeling your pantry and leftovers is key. Helps keep stock on inventory and reduce waste. Streamline your kitchen to flow and work for your cooking needs.
Reduce waste to help the environment and save money at the same time. Talk about a win-win. A few things I recommend to clients is to keep an inventory of what you have in your pantry, fridge and freezer. Make a grocery list each week based on your meal plan and include ingredients you already have on hand. Make stocks with leftover vegetable scraps and compost all other scraps you don’t use. Keep the fridge clutter-free and each week before you go shopping, wipe out your shelves and drawers and freeze any sad-looking produce to blend into smoothies and soups. Small, simple steps can make a huge difference.
Finally, toss the toxins you clean with. Did you know that the air inside our homes could be up to 500x polluted than outside air? Just like the pantry, check the labels of your cleaning products and remove any products that contain no label, warnings or eye, skin, or respiratorily irritation, directions that require the use of a mask or gloves, bleach, disinfectant or sanitizer, surfactants and Fragrance. To fully make sure the product you are using is safe, check ewg.org, which provides a complete list of the best cleaning products.
Make the heart of the home a healthy and safe space for the whole family to build health and memories that last a lifetime.
Danielle Christy, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Danielle Christy is a holistic health coach and self-taught personal chef dedicated to helping families and people around the world stop feeling overwhelmed with healthy cooking by showing and coaching them on how to stock their kitchens with healthy ingredients, meal plan and get back to having family meals again. Danielle holds a BA in Hospitality from Northern Arizona University and Certified Health Coach through the Institute of Integrative Nutrition. She has helped families of all shapes and sizes create and establish a concrete strategy to ultimate health through learning what individually works for them and using whole real food as the medicine of life.
