In the name of speed we often enthusiastically adopt new technologies without fully knowing their effects and implications. Microwave ovens are ubiquitous in office pantries and kitchens, and are practical for quickly heating up a cup of soup or leftovers, or thaw frozen food you forgot to take out last night. Some people are even cooking in their microwave to reduce kitchen time, such as for making baked potatoes, which would otherwise take well over an hour in the oven.

Growing up in Europe we never had a microwave at home. And I ditched the one and only I ever owned about 20 years ago and don't really miss it. At the time it hadn't been proven that microwaved foods were safe to eat. Now we know that microwaving food alters its molecular structure, rearranging the food's biochemistry, and with it our blood chemistry (!!). In addition to what it does to your food, which has of course an effect on your body, we also know that the electro-magnetic field of a microwave, even if it doesn't leak, has health implications. See a comprehensive article in the HuffPost on the whole microwave issue.

It's no big deal to live without a microwave oven. I reheat a single cup of tea or soup in a very small casserole on the stove on simmer - doesn't take much more than the minute it takes in the microwave. I try to remember to take my frozens out ahead of time so they can thaw in the fridge. But if I do forget I either thaw them in a big bowl in room temperature water, or I simply leave it out on the counter to thaw (I know I know, those bacteria scare tactics, but I am alive and well, and I don't make a habit of it). Soup or broth can be thawed on the stovetop on simmer as well. And frozen vegetables go right into a casserole with a bit of water or butter on low. Leftovers, such as casseroles without liquid, go in the oven to reheat. As for popcorn - put a generous tablespoon full of oil in a large casserole, add 1/3 cup of popping corn, close the lid, put on the stove on high, and in less than five minutes your popcorn au naturel is ready. Sprinkle with some salt, some parmesan cheese, some nutritional yeast, or whatever else strikes your fancy (cumin gives it a TexMex taste). It doesn't get much faster than that (and it won't rearrange your blood chemistry).