Check Whether your Toothpaste is Non-Toxic ?

Toothpaste makers are constantly striving to build a better paste, but what exactly goes into these products that allows for their cavity-fighting, breath-taming, shine-inducing, gum-soothing, white-boosting magic?

 

Toothpaste may be one of the more taken-for-granted products that we put in our mouths. It’s not a food product so it gets less scrutiny than, say, Diet Coke and Twinkies. But if you brush your teeth two or three times a day, that’s 730 to 1,095 times a year. Toothpaste isn’t meant to be swallowed, but with that many brush-and-rinses annually, it’s safe to assume that at least a smidge of toothpaste will go down the hatch. Probably not enough to worry about, but it’s interesting to know what’s going in our mouths.

 

Ancient toothpastes included ingredients such as ox hoof ashes, burnt eggshells, crushed bones, oyster shells, powdered charcoal and bark.

Modern ingredients aren’t quite as poetic. What are we using to keep our pearly whites their healthiest today?

The following is a combined list of ingredients (many of them overlap between products) found in three leading toothpaste brands: Colgate Total Toothpaste, Fresh Stripe; Aquafresh All Tartar Control; and Crest 3D White Advanced Vivid Toothpaste. We’ve come a long way from the charred remains of cows’ feet.

Carbomer 956
A polymer used for thickening and as an emulsion stabilizer.

 

Carrageenan
Food-grade carrageenan is an extract of red seaweed (Chondrus crispus). It is used to thicken and stabilize a large array of food products, including frozen yogurt and reduced-fat ice cream. It’s used as a thickening agent in toothpaste.

 

Carboxymethylcellulose sodium
Carboxymethylcellulose sodium, also known as cellulose gum, is used as a thickener for creamy toothpastes.

 

Cocamidopropyl betaine
A foaming ingredient derived from coconut oil, cocamidopropyl betaine helps to emulsify and maintain consistency in flavors while the product is in the tube. When brushing, the foaming action helps distribute the paste in the mouth and then helps to remove debris from the mouth for better rinsing.

 

D&C Yellow #10 and D&C Red #30
Synthetic dyes produced from petroleum or coal tar sources; these dyes are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in pharmaceuticals and cosmetics.

FD&C Blue #1
Synthetic dye produced from petroleum; this dye is FDA-approved for use in food, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics.

 

Glycerin
Glycerin is a compound which can be used to balance and maintain moisture levels. In toothpaste, it prevents the product from drying out and helps to preserve the product — it also contributes to a good mouth-feel and improves flavor. It may be of animal origin, and is thus listed in the PETA’s Caring Consumer guide as a byproduct of soap manufacture which typically uses animal fat.

 

Hydrated silica
Hydrated silica is a derivative of silicon dioxide (found in nature as sand or quartz). It is a clear gel that acts as an abrasive in gel toothpastes. In opaque toothpaste, hydrated silica acts as a secondary abrasive. 

 

Mica
Mica is from the phyllosilicate mineral family — powdered white mica is used in a number of cosmetics, including toothpaste, for its sparkle. It is also used as a mild abrasive to aid in polishing of the tooth surface.

PEG-8 and PEG-12
The term “PEG” (polyethylene glycol) is used for synthetic polymers of ethylene oxide — in toothpaste they are used as a humectants and solvents. Humectants prevent water loss and act as stabilizers. (According to Environmental Working Group or EWG, these polymers can be contaminated with potentially toxic manufacturing impurities such as 1,4-dioxane.)

 

Poloxamer 407
Derived from petroleum, poloxamer 335 and 407 belong in the surfactant category, which allows oil-based ingredients to be dissolved into a water-based solution.

 

Propylene glycol
Propylene glycol is a small organic alcohol commonly used as a skin conditioning agent and in toothpaste as a humectant. It has been associated with irritant and allergic contact dermatitis as well as contact urticaria (hives) in humans; these sensitization effects can be manifested at propylene glycol concentrations as low as 2 percent.

 

PVM/MA copolymer
PVM/MA Copolymer is a copolymer of methyl vinyl ether and maleic anhydride and is used as a binder.

 

Sodium benzoate
Sodium benzoate prevents the buildup of micro-organisms in the toothpaste, which is good because keeping toothpaste cold in the fridge might make brushing sensitive teeth rather uncomfortable.

 

Sodium fluoride

Fluoride is one of the more controversial ingredients in toothpaste. According to the ADA, fluoride is the most important ingredient for healthy teeth: It strengthens enamel, prevents cavities and fights plaque. The debate surrounding the safety of fluoride stretches back to the 1950s when the move to add fluoride to drinking water began. Fluoride ingested in unsafe levels is toxic to humans, and the FDA mandates warning labels on all products containing the chemical that reads: “Keep out of reach of children aged 6 and under. If more than is used for normal brushing is swallowed, contact your physician or local poison control center.”
 

Except in rare cases of allergic reaction resulting in continued vomiting and dehydration, the worst symptoms of fluoride poisoning in children are diarrhea and nausea, according to the New York Times. Of the 4,453 cases of unintended ”fluoride exposure” reported to poison-control centers last year, 99 percent were minor and not one was life-threatening.

 

Sodium hydroxide

Otherwise known as lye or caustic soda. In toothpaste it works to neutralize the pH of other ingredients.

 

Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS)

Before the 1940s, toothpaste contained soap. Now SLS is used as the detergent part of the toothpaste, which makes the toothpaste lather in your mouth. (It’s commonly found in shampoos for the same purpose.) SLS has a reputation for being a skin irritant, and in a study located in the U.S. National Library of Medicine, it was found that a significantly higher frequency of aphthous ulcers (canker sores) was demonstrated when the patients brushed with an SLS-containing toothpaste.

 

SLS Bonus! The ingredient is also responsible for the unpleasant taste of orange juice after you brush your teeth. SLS desensitizes the taste buds that pick up sweetness, so your tongue is getting only the sour and bitter flavors.

 

Sodium saccharin

Since toothpaste manufacturers aren’t going to add sugar to mask the many bitter flavors listed here — they turn to artificial sweeteners, like saccharin.

 

Sorbitol

Sorbitol is a sugar alcohol used in food products and is used in toothpaste for sweetening, but it is also used as a humectant and texturizing agent.

 

Titanium dioxide

Titanium dioxide is an inorganic compound used as a colorant in a range of body care products such as sunscreens and makeup. It gives non-gel toothpastes their bright whiteness.

 

Titanium dioxide has been described as a possible human carcinogen by the Canadian Center for Occupational Health and Safety.
 

Triclosan

Triclosan is an ingredient added to many consumer products as an antimicrobial ingredient, especially in antibacterial soaps and body washes — but also in cosmetics and some toothpastes, where it is used to fight gingivitis. The chemical is so prevalent that a survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found the chemical present in the urine of 75 percent of Americans over the age of 5. Scientists have also found that one-third of the bottlenose dolphins tested off South Carolina and almost one-quarter of those tested off Florida carried traces of triclosan, from wastewater, in their blood.

 

Triclosan is listed by the EPA as a pesticide.

 

According to the FDA: “Animal studies have shown that triclosan alters hormone regulation. However, data showing effects in animals don’t always predict effects in humans. Other studies in bacteria have raised the possibility that triclosan contributes to making bacteria resistant to antibiotics. In light of these studies, FDA is engaged in an ongoing scientific and regulatory review of this ingredient. FDA does not have sufficient safety evidence to recommend changing consumer use of products that contain triclosan at this time.”

 

Xanthan gum

Xanthan gum is a polysaccharide, a sugar-based polymer produced by bacteria; it is used as a viscosity agent in personal care products and foods.

 

So there you have it. Most of us are careful and don’t gulp down massive amounts of toothpaste, but according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, swallowing a large amount of regular toothpaste may cause stomach pain and possible intestinal blockage. As well as convulsions, diarrhea, difficulty breathing, drooling, heart attack, shock, tremors and vomiting.

The moral of the story? Rinse and spit well.

 

 MI

Selfishness v/s. selflessness

One day I, still in my teens, was quite hungry and was about to start eating when my master said, “an old swami has come. He’s hungry and you must give him your food.” I denied. He said, “You won’t die. Give it to him. But don’t give it just because I am ordering you. Give it as an offering of love.” The swami came in. My master said, “I am so glad you have come. Will you bless this child for me?” But I said, “I don’t need your blessings. I need food. I am hungry.”

My master said, “If you loose control in this weak moment you will lose the battle of life.” I helped him wash hid feet and gave my food. Later I found that he had not eaten for four days.

He took the food and said, “God bless you! You will never feel hunger unless food comes to you. This is my blessings to you.”

There is a narrow barrier between Selfishness and selflessness, love and hatred. After crossing it one enjoys doing things for others, without seeking anything in return. This is highest of all joys, and an essential step in the path of enlightenment. A selfish man can never imagine this state of realization, for he remains within the limited boundaries built by his ego. A selfless man trains his ego and uses it for higher purposes.

 Selflessness is the common characteristic that we find among all great men and women of the world. Nothing would be achieved without selfless service.

All the rituals and knowledge of the scriptures are in vain if actions are performed without selflessness.

SOURCE : Living with the Himalayan Masters – SWAMI RAMA

HAZARDOUS MICROWAVE COOKING

MICROWAVE COOKING is Killing People !!!!
Microwave Oven = Cancer

Why İt is so Dangerous?

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1. Heating prepared meats in a microwave sufficiently for human consumption created:
       * D-Nitrosodiethanolamine (a well-known cancer-causing agent)
       * Destabilization of active protein biomolecular compounds
       * Creation of a binding effect to radioactivity in the atmosphere
       * Creation of cancer-causing agents within protein-hydrosylate compounds in milk and cereal grains;
2. Microwave emissions also caused alteration in the catabolic (breakdown) behavior of glucoside – and galactoside – elements within frozen fruits when thawed in this way;
3. Microwaves altered catabolic behavior of plant-alkaloids when raw, cooked or frozen vegetables were exposed for even very short periods;
4. Cancer-causing free radicals were formed within certain trace-mineral molecular formations in plant substances, especially in raw root vegetables;
5. Ingestion of micro-waved foods caused a higher percentage of cancerous cells in blood;
6. Due to chemical alterations within food substances, malfunctions occurred in the lymphatic system, causing degeneration of the immune system=s capacity to protect itself against cancerous growth;
7. The unstable catabolism of micro-waved foods altered their elemental food substances, leading to disorders in the digestive system;
8. Those ingesting micro-waved foods showed a statistically higher incidence of stomach and intestinal cancers, plus a general degeneration of peripheral cellular tissues with a gradual breakdown of digestive and excretory system function;
9. Microwave exposure caused significant decreases in the nutritional value of all foods studied, particularly:
* A decrease in the bioavailability of B-complex vitamins, vitamin C, vitamin E, essential minerals and lipotrophics
* Destruction of the nutritional value of nucleoproteins in meats
* Lowering of the metabolic activity of alkaloids, glucosides, galactosides and nitrilosides (all basic plant substances in fruits and vegetables)
* Marked acceleration of structural disintegration in all foods.

Heaviest Drinking Countries

Alcohol is one thing common in every part of the world. While, there are few countries that drink socially, there are also countries that ritually binge drink. Here are the countries where alcoholic drinks are most consumed.

Moldova:

Citizens of the tiny, post-Soviet republic of Moldova are the world’s biggest drinkers with the average Moldovan consuming 18.22 liters of alcohol annually. The country consumes the highest amount of alcohol per capita in the world. Moldovans drink nearly three times the global average of 6.1 litres per individual per year. Much of their consumption is made up by the “unrecorded” drinking of bootleg alcohol. The nation is a major wine producer, with several people drinking cheap homemade wine, vodka and other spirits. The other popular alcoholic beverages are divin (Moldovan brandy), beer, and local wine.

Czech Republic:

Czech Republic is the second heaviest drinking country. The country has an annual per capita alcohol consumption of 16.45 litres. The country is well known for its beer brewing and beer guzzling heritage. Beer is consumed the most in Czech Republic, followed by other spirits and wine. Since the 1930s the Czechs have been well-known for the quality of their brewing process, which traditionally includes open fermenters, long lagering times and no pasteurization. Lagers and pilsners from the Czech Republic remain a few of the world’s finest beer.

Hungary:

Third on the list is Hungary with an annual per capita alcohol consumption of 16.27 liters.  Wine is consumed the most in Hungary, followed by beer and other spirits. The country is considered ideal for wine-making. Hungarian wine regions offer a great assortment of style. The most well-known wines from Hungary are Tokaji Aszú and Egri Bikavér.

Russia:

Russia is the fourth heaviest drinking country. The country has an annual per capita alcohol consumption of 15.76 litres. Vodka is a Russian word and certainly the famous drink in the country. Russian vodka drinkers shoot their vodka straight up, although some prefer beer too. Russians consume 32 pints of pure alcohol per capita every year.

Ukraine:

Ukraine takes the fifth position on the list. The annual per capita alcohol consumption of the country is 15.60 litres. Ukraine is known for its extensive alcoholism and is home to risky drinking.

Estonia:

Estonia is the sixth country with big drinkers. The annual per capita alcohol consumption is 15.57 litres. Spirits, beer and wine are typically consumed by the Estonians. The daily alcohol intake is higher in the country.

Andorra:

Andorra takes the seventh position on the list with an annual per capita alcohol consumption of 15.48 litres. Andorra is one of the smallest landlocked countries in Europe. It is a country where alcohol consumption is very high. It has a recorded consumption of 14.08 litres and an unrecorded consumption of 1.4 litres. The most consumed type of alcoholic drink in Andorra is wine followed by beer and spirits.

Romania:

Romania is the eighth drunkest country. The annual per capita alcohol consumption of Romania is 15.30 litres. ?uic? is a strong plum brandy that is widely regarded as the country’s traditional alcoholic drink, along with wine. Wine, yet, is the preferred drink, and Romanian wines have a tradition of over three millennia. The country is currently the world’s ninth largest wine producer.

Slovenia:

Slovenia takes the ninth position on the list. The annual per capita alcohol consumption of the country is 15.19 litres. In Slovenia, per capita consumption of alcohol is mainly characterized by consumption of wine and beer. The hills around Slovenia’s second-largest town, Maribor, are well-known for their wine-making.

Belarus:

Belarus rounds off the tenth position on the list. It has an annual per capita alcohol consumption of 15.13 litres. Most of the alcohol in Belarus is consumed in the form of spirits. The government of Belarus continues to tackle the problem of excessive alcohol consumption in the country.

How Induction Cooking Works

Here’s the Basic Idea:

“Cooking” is the application of heat to food. Indoor cooking is almost entirely done either in an oven or on a cooktop of some sort, though occasionally a grill or griddle is used.Cooktops–which may be part of a range/oven combination or independent built-in units (and which are known outside the U.S.A. as “hobs”)–are commonly considered to be broadly divided into gas and electric types, but that is an unfortunate oversimplification.In reality, there are several very different methods of “electric” heating, which have little in common save that their energy input is electricity. Such methods include, among others, coil elements (the most common and familiar kind of “electric” cooker), halogen heaters, and induction. Further complicating the issue is the sad habit of referring to several very different kinds of electric cookers collectively as “smoothtops,” even though there can be wildly different heat sources under those smooth, glassy tops.

As we said, cooking is the application of heat to food. Food being prepared in the home is very rarely if ever cooked on a rangetop except in or on a cooking vessel of some sort–pot, pan, whatever. Thus, the job of the cooker is not to heat the food but to heat the cooking vessel–which in turn heats and cooks the food. That not only allows the convenient holding of the food–which may be a liquid–it also allows, when we want it, a more gradual or more uniform application of heat to the food by proper design of the cooking vessel.

Cooking has therefore always consisted in generating substantial heat in a way and place that makes it easy to transfer most of that heat to a conveniently placed cooking vessel. Starting from the open fire, mankind has evolved many ways to generate such heat. The two basic methods in modern times have been the chemical and the electrical: one either burns some combustible substance–such as wood, coal, or gas–or one runs an electrical current through a resistance element (that, for instance, is how toasters work), whether in a “coil” or, more recently, inside a halogen-filled bulb.

Induction is a third method, completely different from all other cooking technologies–
it does not involve generating heat which is then transferred to the cooking vessel,
it makes the cooking vessel itself the original generator of the cooking heat.

(Microwaving, an oven-only technology, is a fourth method, wherein the heat is generated directly in the food itself.)

How does an induction cooker do that?

Put simply, an induction-cooker element (what on a gas stove would be called a “burner”) is a powerful, high-frequency electromagnet, with the electromagnetism generated by sophisticated electronics in the “element” under the unit’s ceramic surface. When a good-sized piece of magnetic material–such as, for example, a cast-iron skillet–is placed in the magnetic field that the element is generating, the field transfers (“induces”) energy into that metal. That transferred energy causes the metal–the cooking vessel–to become hot. By controlling the strength of the electromagnetic field, we can control the amount of heat being generated in the cooking vessel–and we can change that amount instantaneously.

(To be technical, the field generates a loop current–a flow of electricity–within the metal of which the pot or pan is made, and that current flow through the resistance of the metal generates heat, just as current flowing through the resistance element of a conventional electric range’s coil generates heat; the difference is that here, the heat is generated directly in the pot or pan itself, not in any part of the cooker.)

How Induction Cooking Works:

The element’s electronics power a coil (the red lines) that produces a high-frequency electromagnetic field (represented by the orange lines).

That field penetrates the metal of the ferrous (magnetic-material) cooking vessel and sets up a circulating electric current, which generates heat. (But see the note below.)

The heat generated in the cooking vessel is transferred to the vessel’s contents.

Nothing outside the vessel is affected by the field–as soon as the vessel is removed from the element, or the element turned off, heat generation stops.

(Image courtesy of Induction Cooking World)

(Note: the process described at #2 above is called an “eddy current”; heat is also generated by another process called “hysteresis”, which is the resistance of the ferrous material to rapid changes in magnetization. The relative contributions of the two effects is highly technical, with some sources emphasizing one and some the other–but the general idea is unaffected: the heat is generated in the cookware.

There is thus one point about induction: with current technology, induction cookers require that all your countertop cooking vessels be of a “ferrous” metal (one, such as iron, that will readily sustain a magnetic field). Materials like aluminum, copper, and pyrex are not usable on an induction cooker. But all that means is that you need iron or steel pots and pans. And that is no drawback in absolute terms, for it includes the best kinds of cookware in the world–every top line is full of cookware of all sizes and shapes suitable for use on induction cookers (and virtually all of the lines will boast of it, because induction is so popular with discerning cooks). Nor do you have to go to top-of-the-line names like All-Clad or Le Creuset, for many very reasonably priced cookware lines are also perfectly suited for induction cooking. But if you are considering induction and have a lot invested, literally or emotionally, in non-ferrous cookware, you do need to know the facts. (Check out our page on Induction Cookware.)

(And there are now available so-called “inductions disks” that will allow non-ferrous cookware to be used on an induction element; using such a disk loses many of the advantages of induction–from high efficiency to no waste heat–but those who want or need, say, a glass/pyrex or ceramic pot for some special use, it is possible to use it on an induction cooktop with such a disk.)On the horizon is newer technology that will apparently work with any metal cooking vessel, including copper and aluminum, but that technology–though already being used in a few units of Japanese manufacture–is probably quite a few years away from maturity and from inclusion in most induction cookers. If you are interested in a new cooktop, it is, in our judgement, not worth waiting for that technology.

(The trick seems to be using a significantly high-frequency field, which is able to induce a current in any metal; ceramic and glass, however, would still be out of the running for cookware even when this new technology arrives–if it ever does.)There is also now the first of the new generation of “zoneless” induction cooktops. These essentially make the entire surface of the unit into a cooking area: sensors under the glass detect not only the presence of a pot or pan or whatever, but its size and placement–and then energize only those mini-elements directly under the cooking vessel. You can thus put any size or shape of vessel–from a small, traditional round pot to a gigantic griddle or grill–down anywhere, in any alignment, and the unit will heat it, and only it (or, of course, seveal “its”, as may be).Quoting AEG’s brochure: “The hob senses the size of the pan and only heats the exact area covered by the pan. The Maxi-sense range [uses] ‘flexible sections’ to create an all-over cooking surface. Pans can be placed anywhere on the hob as long as the section marker is covered, eliminating the restriction of traditional specific zones [ = elements]. It does not matter how many pans you have or what size they are, whether it is a fish kettle, a small milk pan, or tagine . . . .”

This technology has only been around since about 2006, and in fairness it must be said that early reports on the prototypes were not all that one might have hoped for; De Dietrich, which is to say the Fagor Group, led then, but the prototype as distributed for testing had problems remembering where things were if they were moved about any, and also with uniform heating. Presumably, the engineers learned from what they heard, because such units are now in production and available (sort of–see the note below). We see, though, that Electrolux is into this technology in a substantial way in some of their induction lines, such as AEG. De Dietrich calls it “Continuum”, AEG calls it “Maxi-sense” (as seen at the left). One supposes that soon everyone will have it; we feel it is clearly the future of induction, which in a way is to say the future of cooking, for it won’t be so long now before gas for cooking is looked back at in the same way we today look back on coal and wood.

The only lines we know of with this technology are Fagor’s De Dietrich–its premium, “upmarket” line–and Electrolux’s AEG, neither of which is regularly distributed in North America; there is, however, one distributor in Canada–who apparently also ships to the U.S.–who handles some parts of the AEG line, parts which just recently expanded from two induction units to three, the new one being one of AEG’s “zoneless” types, though one of only 6.9 kW total and three zones (yes, Virginia, even “zoneless” units have zones) and a somewhat strange profile, wide but shallow. We have no pricing or availability data.

There is also now such a thing as an induction oven. (It looks as if the usual heating coil on the base of the oven has been replaced by a ferrous plate, which is energized to heat by embedded induction coils beneath it–so any sort of bakeware will work in it.) Expect to see more such things before long.

First, let’s define some terms. Energy is a quantity: it’s like a gallon of water. In cooking, we aren’t really concerned with actual energy–we want to know at what rate a cooking appliance can supply energy. It’s like, say, a garden hose: if it can only produce a dribble of water, it doesn’t matter to us that if we let it run day and night we could eventually fill many buckets. What we want to know is how forcefully that hose can spray–how many gallons a minute it can put out–because that’s what does useful things for us in some reasonable amount of time.

So, in discussing cooking appliances, we normally talk about energy flow rates, which are just like the water flow rates expressed in “gallons a minute”–that is, we want to be able to know at what rate we can pump heat into the cooking process. For gas, energy content (quantity) is traditionally measured in “British Thermal Units” (BTU), and so the flow rate of gas energy is given in BTU/hour. For electricity, energy content is normally measured as “kilowatt-hours” (kWh) and the flow rate is just kilowatts (kW).

(Let’s restate that, because it often confuses people, being sort of “upside down”. A kilowatt is not a quantity, it’s a rate, like “knots” to measure speed at sea–there are no “knots an hour”, knots are the speed, and kilowatts are the electrical energy-flow rate. To measure total energy–as, for instance, your electric-supply company does, to know how much to bill you–we multiply the flow rate, kilowatts, by the time the flow ran, hours, to get “kilowatt-hours” of energy. So BTU/hour and kilowatts are both measures of energy flow rates, not of energy itself.)

The energy in gas and the energy in electricity just happen to be measured in different-sized numbers, but they’re measuring the same thing. It’s like miles vs. kilometers: we can say a place is about 5 kilometers away, or that it’s a little over 3 miles away, but the actual distance we’d have to walk or drive is the same. We can easily convert from miles to kilometers if we know how many of one make up the other. Likewise, we can easily convert from BTU/hour to kilowatts (or vice-versa). There are just about 3,400 BTU to a kWh–or, more exactly, about 3,413. (Keep in mind that a kilowatt is 1,000 watts: 1 kW = 1000 W).


Superficially, then, comparing cooking technologies looks easy: can’t we just look at the rated kW or BTU/hour of a cooktop, and simply convert one kind of measure to the other to compare them? Nope. The complication is that the various technologies are not all equally effective at converting their energy content into cooking heat; for example, gas delivers little more than a third of its total energy to the actual cooking process, while induction delivers about 85 to 90 percent of its energy.

That means that if we have a gas cooker capable of putting out X BTU/hour, converting that X to kilowatts does not tell the story–because a lot more of that X is wasted energy that doesn’t do any cooking than is the case with induction. To truly compare the cooking power of a gas cooker and an induction cooker, we indeed need to first convert one measure to the other, say BTU/hour to kilowatts; but we then need to slice off from each unit’s nominal output the amount that does not get used for cooking.

(Think again of garden hoses: if we have two hoses and each is getting, say, 5 gallons a minute pumped into it by the water tap it’s screwed onto, are they the same? Not if one has a pinhole leak while the other has a gaping rip. The amount of water that comes out the nozzle to do whatever we need done will differ drastically from one to the other. Induction cooking has a pinhole leak, maybe 10% to 15% of the raw energy it takes being wasted; gas cooking has the whacking great rip in it, the average unit wasting over 60% of the raw energy it consumes.)

So, to see how induction compares to its only real rival, gas, we have to make the following calculation:

BTU/hour = kW x 3413 x Eind/Egas

That last term there–Eind/Egas–is simply the ratio of the two methods’ real efficiencies: Eind is the energy efficiency of a typical induction cooker and Egas is the energy efficiency of a typical quality gas cooker.
abstract mathematics design

The snag comes when we try to find reliable figures for those efficiencies. It is remarkable how much misinformation there is (especially on the internet), largely from well-meaning but ignorant sources who do not understand the issues, or are simply repeating what they read elsewhere (from someone else who does not understand the issues). For example, the energy-efficiency values quoted by various induction-cooker makers range from a low of 83% to a high of 90%, while values given for gas cooking run, depending on the source, from 55% down to as little as 30%, nearly a 2:1 ratio.

Fortunately, in the last few years some standardized data from disinterested sources have become available, so we no longer have to rely on figures from parties with an axe to grind. The U.S. Department of Energy has established that the typical efficiency of induction cooktops is 84%, while that of gas cooktops is 40% (more exactly, 39.9%)–figures right in line with the range of claims made for each, and thus quite believable.

Using those values (and sparing you the in-between steps), we can say that gas-cooker BTU/hour figures equivalent to induction-cooker wattages can be reckoned as:

BTU/hour = kW x 7185

It is worth noting that the testing method that established the induction data used, in essence, a slab of ferrous metal as the “vessel”. It reliably established what might be called a “baseline” efficiency, and that is why we use it throughout in evaluating energy equivalencies. It remains as a possibility that particular items of induction equipment–and, for that matter, of cookware–may be a bit more or less efficient than the baseline. There are at least plausible reports that some makes, coupled with some items of cookware, can achieve true efficiences close to 90%. On this site, we do not use that value because we do not yet know of any definite, reliable data, but you should keep it clear in your mind that when we discuss the gas heating-power equivalencies of induction units, we are using what should be considered rather conservative numbers; chances are that many induction units are actually somewhat more powerful (in BTU/hour equivalents) than we set forth.

In fact, Panasonic states for several of its units that efficiency is 90%, noting that: Heating-efficiency measurements were taken based on standards of the Japanese Electrical Manufacturers’ Association and using a Panasonic standard enamelled iron pot. Also: a University of Hong Kong research product showed induction efficiencies from 83.3% to 87.9%, numbers clearly in line with 84% as a minimum and 90% as possible.

So How Much Power Is What?

Perhaps the most useful way to use that conversion datum is to see what good gas-cooker BTU values are and work back to what induction-cooker kW values would have to be to correspond. But what are good gas-cooker BTU values? Here too, opinions will vary. As a sort of baseline, we can look at what typical mid-line gas ranges look like. As numerous sources report, a typical “ordinary” home gas range will usually have its burners in these power ranges, give or take only a little: a small burner of about 5,000 Btu/hour; two medium-level burners of about 9,000 Btu/hour; and (depending on width, 30 inches or 36 inches) either one or two large burners of anywhere from 12,000 to 16,000 BTU/hour
woman cooking over open fire

When one moves from stock home appliances up to the deluxe level (sometimes called “pro”, though ironically the warranties for such units expressly forbid commercial use), gas ranges and cooktops naturally become more powerful. On these, burner powers run up to 18,000 BTU/hour or thereabouts (one highly regarded specimen of this class has four 15,000-BTU/hour burners and two 18,000-BTU/hour burners). One expert source remarked of such gear: Most commercial-style home ranges offer 15,000 BTUs per burner, which is perfectly adequate for most at-home cooks. You won’t always need all that heat, but if you want to caramelize a bell pepper in seconds, or blacken a redfish like a pro, well, you’ll need all the heat you can get. My advice: Go for the big-time BTUs (which, in the tests he was discussing, was that 18,000 BTU/hour level).

So let’s summarize by showing representative gas-power levels and their induction-power equivalents (remember, calculated quite conservatively):

Typical home stove:
small: 5,000 BTU/hour gas = 0.70 kW induction
medium: 9,000 BTU/hour gas = 1.25 kW induction
large: 12,000 BTU/hour gas = 1.70 kW induction; or 15,000 BTU/hour gas = 2.10 kW induction

Typical “pro style” stove:
medium: 15,000 BTU/hour gas = 2.10 kW induction
large: 18,000 BTU/hour gas = 2.50 kW induction

(Even for wok cooking, the most power-hungry kind there is, experts consider 10,000 BTU/hour good and 12,000 BTU/hour “hot”.)

So how do actual real-world, on-the-market induction cooktops stack up against gas?

It’s an almost comic mismatch. Sticking to build-in units (as opposed to little free-standing countertop convenience units), it is difficult, perhaps by now impossible, to find a unit with any element having less than 1.2 kW power–which puts the smallest induction element to be found equal to the average “medium” burner on a gas stove. The least-expensive 30-inch (four-element) induction cooktop has:

a 1.3-kW small element (between 9,000 and 9,500 BTU/hour),
two elements of 1.85 kW each (well over 13,000 BTU/hour), and
one element of 2.4 kW (over 17,000 BTU/hour).

The least-expensive 36-inch (five-element) induction cooktop has:

a 1.2-kW small element (8,500 BTU/hour),
a medium element of 1.8 kW (13,000 BTU/hour),
a larger element of 2.2 kW (16,000 BTU/hour),
and two elements of 2.4 kW (over 17,000 BTU/hour).

The very highest-power gas burner to be found in the residential market is 22,000 BTU/hour, and that’s a sort of freak monster, whereas a 3.6-kW and 3.7-kW element–which is around 26,000 BTU/hour of gas!–is found in many induction cooktops. (Moreover, the elements on some induction units can share power with one another, so that if not every element is already in use, a given one can be “boosted” beyond its normal power level, for uses such as bringing a large pot of water to a boil, or pre-heating a fry skillet.)

So, in sum, induction is not “as powerful as gas”–it’s miles ahead.

(There is, incidentally, a lesson there: even really serious cooking does not, save for perhaps a few specialty cases, require stupendous amounts of power, and you should not be seduced into choosing between units sheerly on the basis of the maximum available firepower per element. For one thing, most units of the same size have total maximum unit capabilities that are nearly identical: the differences lie in how they distribute that total among the unit’s elements, which are invariably four on a 30-inch-wide unit and five on a 36- inch-wide unit. When a pro tells you that really “big-time” power is the equivalent of around 2.5 kW of induction, you should ask yourself whether getting elements with significantly more power than that really should be a major consideration in your decision-making process.)

(There is a much more substantial discussion, which we strenuously recommend anyone at all interested in induction-cooking equipment read, on our site page titled Kitchen Electricity 101).

So now that you know how induction works, and how–at least in raw cooking power–it compares with gas, let’s go on to examine in more detail all the Pros and Cons of Induction Cooking.

Related articles

• Cook Where You Please On This Induction Range (gizmodo.com.au)
• It’s Tea Time, With No Wasted Energy (earthtechling.com)
• Induction Cooking…I have seen the future and it is cool! (foodservicewarehouse.com)

Steps to Go-Green in 2012

2011 was a year of extreme weather and climate changes, in order to make the coming year a bit nature friendly and healthy to live let’s have a look at what should we do to prevent the mistakes done till now. Know what you can do in this growing jungle of concrete to reduce the hazardous environmental impacts.

1. Camera Batteries: Adopt Rechargeable, Omit single-use:

Replace the single-use batteries of your camera with rechargeable ones. It will not only save energy but also your money in long run as it will be a onetime investment.  Rechargeable batteries hold charge for long time and are easy to handle.

2. Use more Public Transport:

Using public transport is one major step which you can take to conserve the energy and fuel. By leaving your car for few days will give you a lot of knowledge about your city and will make you a better social beign.

3. Use more local or organic food:

Replace some of your grocery with organic or local food. The best suggestion is to exclude any of your staple food and have some local food instead. This practice will reduce the level of non-organic chemicals which seep into the water system and air through food.
4. Be more vegetarian:

“Eating one vegetarian meal per week will save about 35 pounds of meat a year – that’s 84,000 gallons of water, 245 pounds of grain and 15.5 gallons of gasoline” according to Earth911.com. So try to reduce the consumption of meat.

 

5. Make a homemade Compost Pit:

You can get rid of most of your garbage without much hassle which a simple homemade compost pit which you can place in your garage, kitchen garden or roof top. You can purchase a local “Kambha “  and start you pit less composting and can contribute to the go green slogan.
6. Learn the art of Hypermiling

Hypermillig is all about making skillful changes in the driving style which will indirectly help you to save fuel.  This whole concept stared in 2009 and has been proved to give 35% more fuel mileage without and investment or purchase.

 

 

Related articles

• What is the best argument for using local food? (greenanswers.com)
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• Innergie PocketCell (techfresh.net)
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Snacks That are Healthier than You Think

We all have been told, at least at one point of time, to avoid stuff like chocolates, wine or even dairy products1 whatever the reasons may be, a few of these citations have been baseless. Especially, since now many scientific researches prove them wrong. So here is a list of snacks that are actually healthier than you think.

Chocolates

Consuming chocolate in moderate amount improves workout: perfect example and proof actuating that Nature is perfect in her magnificence! A research showed that feeding chocolate (to mice) resulted in fifty percent greater stamina and greater muscle growth. So all you need to do is keep a few bites of chocolate on hand!

Red wine

This delicious companion to scrumptious meals has long been measured comparatively fit in temperance. It includes resveratrol, which lowers cholesterol and guards the blood vessels. A study illustrates a relationship between wine and sunburn protection. Researchers found that the flavonoids in wine help protect skin cells from sun damage.

Roasted Peanuts

Stick to some roasted peanuts next time you are out in the park or just strolling down the roads. And pass over the nitrate-loaded hot dog. Studies have revealed that well roasted peanuts are higher in antioxidants. But for all you know, no study has proved parallel results for Cracker Jacks or cotton candy.

Chocolate Milk

Studies have been ballyhooing chocolate milk’s capability to build muscle and abet in workout recovery. The blend of protein, fat, carbs, and micronutrients is ideal for the body. Vitamin D helps transfer the calcium required by your body for weight loss into cells. A rese3arch showed motionless bike riders were able to pedal 49% longer after drinking chocolate milk in opposition to a sports drink.

Full-fat Cheese

When flavorful varieties of cheese are eaten mindfully, one can in fact see a decrease in appetite.The protein/fat combo in addition to truly distinctive flavors and an everlasting assortment of choices could really make full-fat cheese a dieter’s best friend. Yes, seriously!

Related articles

• A Heart-Healthy Diet: Wining and Dining the Heart (webmd.com)
• Short walk ‘halves’ chocolate habit (independent.co.uk)
• Craving chocolate? Try a brisk walk instead, study suggests (mirror.co.uk)

4 ways to get your child to eat healthier

Childhood obesity has become a national health care crisis over years. The combination of fast food and fat food leads many children under performing unnecessary medication. Kids need nutritious foods to keep themselves strong and healthy. As a parent you start an interesting example, feed them the right food, eat them yourself and let your child develop a healthy habit that they can practice in the rest of their lives.

Add creativity

Allow Children to have a deeper understanding of the foods they are eating and make it exciting and colorful. Junk food companies attract children because their food is exciting, fun and colorful. Have snack items pre-chopped and readily available to eat or assemble. Here are some exciting tricks to get your child?s interest. Use colored tooth picks to pick up fruits, challenge them to a slurp on coconut popsicles which are nutritious and sweet. Give the fruits and vegetables funny names and fabricate elaborate stories. Some stories will end with these funny-named vegetables getting swallowed alive by the giant child. Allow your child to feel cool and exciting when they eat their lunch at school or snack at home

Stop Fast Food

The excess sugar in the fast foods and sodas lead to diabetes in children. Their bodies fail to produce the insulin that controls the sugar levels and metabolism. Fast food obesity is the root cause for major diseases that can develop in children. Research says 15-20% of American children in the age group of 12-18 years are overweight. These children spend little time in physical activities or sports. This will lead to a sedentary life style, from there to mental stress and other emotional disturbances. Instead of fast foods, try to prepare healthy meals during the weekend and be healthier.

Get them involved

Involving kids in the meal preparation is one of the best ways to get them eating healthier food. Discuss with them what they would like to eat for dinner and cook together. Take them to the supermarket and let them pick up their favorite vegetables and have them help set the table with special serving platters, place mats, napkins, serving platters and decorations that they helped choose. Encourage them to try new food items.

Be a model for them

‘Do as I say and not as I do’ is not going to work here. Children notice everything their parents do and say in front of them. Positive and negative comments will influence your child?s attitude about foods. Adults pass on their own eating habits to their kids. Kids eating typically reflect what they are taught by their parents. Sit together and turn off the Television during meal time. Eat vegetables and let your child sees you eating your vegetables. If you improve your own eating habits, you will also be able to help your kids eating as well. Never skip meals, especially breakfast, drink water and milk instead of soda and avoid junk food.

Related articles

• Childhood Overweight and Obesity (education.com)
• Help Your Child Grow Healthy and Strong (education.com)

10 Cos Benefitting From Rupee Downfall

The steady fall in the value of rupee is not a good sign for India but there are organizations that are benefitting from this. Exports and global acquisitions of Indian companies are on the rise, despite the economic slowdown in India. Financial Analysts say that exports will experience only a short-term gain and might not work well in the long-run. However, there are a few organizations which are benefitting from the depreciation of rupee, which are as follows:

1) ADF Foods

ADF Foods in an ethnic Indian food company, which specializes in chutneys, pickles, spices, canned food and frozen food. It is an export-oriented organization and it also has its own, special brands. According to Business Standard, ADF Foods witnessed net sales of 52.25 crores in the second quarter of 2011, which is higher than that of last year. Net sales have increased by 42 percent as compared to last year. Experts say that having a strong brand presence is very important to transcend fluctuations in money value. Since, ADF Foods has a good brand name in the market because of its own brands, like – Ashoka, Camel, Aeroplane, Truly Indian, Khansaama and ADF Soul, ADF is doing quite well in the market.

2) Bombay Rayon Fashion

Bombay Rayon Fashion (BRF) export their products mostly to US and Europe. According to Business Line, the exports of BRF have gone up and a steady rise is seen in its stock value but this growth might get stunted because of increased costs of raw materials, depreciation of rupee and high interest rates. There was a 20 percent growth in the revenues in the quarter ended, June 2011. Still, the company is facing troubles due to the increasing cost of input materials. According to S.P. Tulsian, most textile companies, like BRF, Raymond and Bombay Dying, will experience only marginal increase in revenue due to depreciating value of rupee.

3) Gokaldas Exports

Gokaldas Exports is a leading organization in readymade garments, based in Bangalore. It has reported net sales of 271.75 crores in the quarter ended September, 2011, thus, indicating an increase of only 2 percent when compared to last year. It, however, reported a loss of 30.12 in the same quarter. This may be because of the fact that the US and European markets are not doing that well. Also, an increase in wages due to the revision in minimum wages, is making the company face losses. Like BRF, this too faces the increased cost of inputs.

 4) Lupin

Lupin is a leading pharmaceuticals company of India and has businesses in mostly the U.S. There was an increase of 24 percent in both its net sales and net profit in the second quarter of 2011. This growth was attributed to good brand name and entering a licensing agreement with Medicis Pharmaceutical Corporation. Lupin also showed a growth of 14 percent in the net sales in Japan (Kyowa Pharmaceuticals) and 61 percent growth in South Africa (Pharma Dynamics), both in the second quarter.

5) Plethico Pharmaceuticals

Plethico Pharmaceuticals is among the leading global healthcare companies, based in India. Plethico has registered a steady decline in its profits over the last few months. It has reported a net loss of 22.91 crores in the quarter ended September, 2011. It, however, had registered a net gain of 7.62 crores in the quarter ended June, 2011, which is better than last years. The fluctuations in Plethico might be due to managerial changes as President, Rajiv Bedi, and Chief Operating Officer, Hemant Modi, resigned this year. Unlike Lupin, Plethico is not able to derive full benefit of the sliding rupee.

6) Piramal Glass

Piramal Glass is a leading pharmaceutical and perfume manufacturing company, catering mostly to the U.S. and Sri Lanka. India still provides for more than half of its sales. Piramal Glass registered sales of 197.46 crores and a net profit of 22.23 crores in the quarter ended September, 2011. Managing Director of Piramal Glass, Vijay Shah, said that the U.S. acquisition helped them gain both, better technology and a bigger customer base in the premium segment (Estee Lauder, L’Oreal, Revlon and Elizabeth Arden).

7) Tata Global Beverages

Tata Global Beverages (TGB) is a wing of the Tata Group and its operations are spread all over the world. TGB has registered a whopping increase of 93.9 percent in its consolidated profit in the year 2011. According to sources, this tremendous increase can be attributed to better sales and lower costs of operations. This growth was mostly due to sales from outside India and hence was not affected much by the depreciating value of rupee.

8) United Phosphorous

United Phosphorous (UPL) is a Mumbai based crop-protection, seeds and chemical company. The agricultural sector is said to gain prominence in the coming months and hence better growth is expected in this sector. According to Unicon Investment, UPL is expected to register a net profit of 51 percent at 173.2 crores by the end of 2011. However, according to Livemint.com, after acquiring the US-based company, RiceCo, there has been a decline in sales in the month of December, 2011. Still, the market value of UPL is strong right now.

9) Mirza International

Mirza International in one of the leading leather-based product companies in India. It caters to customers from all over the world. It registered sales of 155.46 crores and a net profit of 11.27 crores in September, 2011. It is also planning to divest in a sister company, Mirza (UK). The Europe crisis does not seem to have much effect on Mirza International but the rupee down-slide might catch up to it.

10) Gitanjali Gems

The reputed Gitanjali Gems mostly caters to the US in foreign markets. It has various companies under its wing, namely – Gili, Asmi, Nakshatra, Sangini and the like, apart from jewelleries, Gitanjali Gems also manufactures watches. It was also involved in a number of acquisitions of foreign companies in the last few years. It registered net sales of 3167.6 crores, for the quarter ended September, 2011, indicating a 26.2 percent growth over the last year. It also registered a net gain of 132.2 crores in the same quarter. This growth has been contributed to better consumer reaction from Tier II and Tier III cities in India. Brand name is also a strong point of Gitanjali Gems and, hence, the growth.

Related articles

• Indian Rupee Getting Cheaper: Opportunity or Curse? (ktrmurali.wordpress.com)
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