Are Microwaves Dangerous?

When my oldest was just a few moths old, I promised God that I'd do my best to feed her as healthy as I could if He'd show me how.  And He has.  In fact, He shows me new things everyday, thanks to the wonderful world of blogging.  What I considered 'healthy' when I made that promise and what I consider 'healthy' today are two VERY different things!  I'm amazed at how little I knew about such things then.  

About 2 years ago, I read something that claimed that a microwave could be something to avoid.  At that point I was struggling to change other things and scrapping the microwave would have been a bit on the radical side of 'healthy living'.  So I continued reading about it and started praying that if God wanted us to go without He'd show me.  

About a month ago, I got my answer.  I noticed our microwave was either not warming the food at all, or it was burning it. Then one day, it gave up the ghost. I finally had a valid reason to get rid of the thing.  Why keep a microwave that doesn't work in a kitchen that's too small anyway??  

photo credit

So, are microwaves dangerous??  I'll give you the facts and you can decide for yourself.  I read from people on both sides of the argument and these are the facts that both agree with:

1.  Russia and other European countries have, at one point or another, banned Microwaves due to the health problems they can cause.  {More research has been done on microwave ovens and microwaves in general in Russia than here in the U.S.}  These bans have since been lifted for the sake of personal freedom.  Which, I totally think is the right thing.  I don't think the government has any right to tell us if we can or can not use a microwave!!  It's a personal thing.  A decision each of us should make on our own and for our families.
2. Microwaves use microwaves to heat our food.  {Deep, I know.}  There is a reason some say they are "nuking" their food when they use a microwave.  Microwaves are radiation.  So we are radiating our food when we heat or cook it in the Microwave. 
3. Microwaves heat our food by changing the molecular structure of our food.  As the molecules bump around and hit against each they cause friction which produces heat which then heats our food.
4. Changing the molecular structure of our food changes the way the body can use the nutrition in that food. In other words the nutritional value of our food is no longer good and some believe this molecular change can actually cause health problems.  
5. Many people believe that microwaves heat food from the inside out.  This simply is not the case.  It starts from the outside and works it's way in.  If you're cooking a chunk of meat, the microwaves in your microwave will not be able to reach the center of your meat which will leave you with a hunk of meat that is still cold in the center.  {Which leaves me wondering just how safe it is to eat meat that isn't cooked all the way through.} 
6. Microwaves do not heat uniformly.  This means that some of your food will be hotter than others.  {Which is why you should never use a microwave to heat a baby bottle.}  This also causes problems with meats as some of the blood may be heated to dangerously high temperatures and other parts of the blood in the same piece of meat may not be heated up enough.  ~ Not a chance I'd want to take.
7. Microwaves are radiation.  Radiation is not a good thing.  Even radiation that is used to kill cancer cells in cancer patients will eventually 'cook' you.  My mother had a very good friend that died of cancer.  One day, while visiting with her sick friend, my mother noticed a burnt smell and asked her what it was.  She was horrified to hear the answer -  the radiation "treatments" had fried her insides.  
8. Microwaved foods lose nutritional value due to the changing of the molecular structure of the food.  Why eat food that doesn't have as much nutritional value as it should, or did when you bought it? 

For more information I'd love to invite you to read my friend Jill's blog!  She blogs at Jill's Home Remedies and she does a fabulous job!  If you want to know more about herbs and alternative medicines you should go check her out!  

Here is another site that has some interesting microwave oven information.  You can read it and decide for yourself.

Back to my personal microwave story - my husband was ok with getting rid of the microwave because it didn't work anymore.  When I told him I thought we could do without one altogether he thought I was crazy.  Now, it's been a whole month and I have to say, I don't think either of us have missed it at all.  Life is not any harder without it.  We are doing just fine.  I never even think about it anymore.  

If you decide to keep your microwave for fear of scaring your husband away; there are things you can do so nothing too serious happens because of it: {These are warnings that pro-microwave people listed.}

1. Stay at arms distance away from it while it's on.
2. Never let children stand too close.
3. Never use a microwave that has a door that doesn't shut all the way - ever!  Both sides of the argument agreed with this - you don't want those radiation/microwaves zapping you.
4. You should not cook in the microwave.  If you must use a microwave, use it to re-heat and not to cook just to be sure your food has been cooked all the way through.
5. The whites of your eyes, your kidneys, liver and stomach are all more sensitive to these radiation waves from your microwave than other organs. 

Whatever side of this argument you are on, we must remember that we are all here on earth to please God.  We are to care for our bodies in the best way we, personally can.  If you don't feel this is a big deal, that's between you and your God.  I, personally always had doubts about the safety of microwaves.  I never was told that they were bad, but I always wondered how they could be safe in the back of my mind.  After reading both sides of the argument and going without a microwave for a few weeks I've decided that life isn't any harder on me because I don't have a microwave.  I'd rather not put my family at risk.

I'd love to hear what you think about it all.  You can leave me a message below to share your thoughts.  I do ask that you be kind.  This isn't something we should be ugly or unkind about. 

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