Facts vs feelings

People are not rational. We don’t make decisions based on facts, we make decisions based on how we feel. Or so they say.

Yet this week, it was a fact that changed my mind. I kind of already knew it, but when I saw a TV show about it, it became especially clear: PFAS are bad for me, my family and the environment, and I shouldn’t have them near me.

If you’ve never heard of PFAS, it’s the chemicals that the Teflon layers in non-stick pans are made of. The problem with PFAS is that they break down very, very slowly. Which is why they can be found everywhere. In our soil, in our water and even in our bodies. Because PFAS can harm your immune system and cause cancer, they are not the kind of molecules you want in your house.

So when I watched my favorite the Dutch TV show Keuringsdienst van Waarde, about how pans with Teflon layers should be banned, and how according to chefs, they were never better than non-Teflon pans anyway, I made a decision: I’m getting rid of my Teflon pans. Despite the fact that I love using them. Especially our crepe pan, which is perfect for making — you guessed it: crepes. My daughter loves to eat in them weekends. And I like making them. But I like my family’s health better.

Directly after the episode ended, I looked up the best brand of ceramic non-stick pans and ordered their crepe pan online. It felt good. Because my new pan hasn’t arrived yet, I did have to use the Teflon pan yesterday. That didn’t feel good.

Maybe it wasn’t facts that changed my mind, after all.