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Not all raw vegetables are created equal. Did you know that raw broccoli can harm your health?
Many people assume that all raw vegetables are good for them. But raw vegetables are only beneficial as a food source IF you can digest them, which is more of a widespread issue than most people realize.
Additionally, some raw vegetables are better than others, so be careful with what you munch and learn to choose the best raw vegetables of the bunch.
Vegetables are nature’s most perfect foods and are also the most abundant foods on earth. They are alkaline-forming and rich with the vitamins and minerals needed to heal your body.
Raw vegetables are said to be enzyme-rich and are therefore widely believed to be an excellent source of enzymes that aid digestion. However, many people’s digestive systems are simply too weak to digest raw vegetables in spite of all their natural enzymes.
Are YOU Digesting YOUR Raw Vegetables?
For many, digestive distress like gas, bloating and abdominal pain are common reactions after eating a meal that includes raw vegetables. Tune in to your stomach the next time you eat a raw vegetable and see how you feel.
Poor digestion of raw vegetables is more common than you might think, yet the popular raw foods movement has many of us convinced that we must eat raw foods to be healthy.
Yes, raw foods do contain enzymes, but raw vegetables also contain cellulose, a fiber that is poorly digested by humans. Though fiber has little nutritional value, it is very important for intestinal health and for helping form a healthy stool. But unlike cows and other ruminants, humans simply do not have the enzymes in our bodies necessary to properly digest the fiber in vegetables.
The enzyme needed to digest cellulose is called cellulase and it’s produced by intestinal bacteria. Cellulase enzymes break cellulose fiber down into blood sugar. Since humans cannot digest cellulose, taking a digestive enzyme like the specially formulated Assist digestive enzyme is not only necessary but vital for healthy cells. Fermenting raw vegetable is also key because this process breaks down or pre-digests the fiber.
What the Ancients Knew about Raw Vegetables
The ancients were well aware that raw vegetables were difficult to digest; in Chinese Medicine, for example, it is well known that raw foods are best eaten by someone with strong “digestive fire.” A major cause of poor “digestive fire” is that our adrenals and thyroid are both poorly nourished and taxed by toxins and daily stress. It takes energy to digest foods but they are not doing the job.
The Body Ecology system of health and healing focuses on creating this “digestive fire” by creating a healthy inner ecosystem; the foods recommended on the diet are teeming with friendly microflora (good bacteria) that reside in our intestines and keep us healthy and strong.
Until your inner ecosystem is healthy, you may have trouble digesting raw vegetables. For this reason, we suggest cooking your vegetables by baking, simmering, sautéing or lightly steaming them to make them more digestible. Simultaneously focus on strengthening your digestive fire by eating cultured foods. Cultured vegetables have an abundance of enzymes and contain beneficial bacteria that are very helpful at digesting all the foods eaten in your meals.
The 7 healing principles profiled inThe Body Ecology Diet show you how to heal your digestion and create health and vitality!
Fermented foods like raw cultured vegetables will provide you with important plant enzymes and healthy microflora to populate your inner ecosystem to build your digestive fire. The Body Ecology system of health and healing provides many other solutions to heal your digestion and create energy and vitality. Stay tuned to this newsletter for our upcoming feature on the 7 healing principles of the Body Ecology Diet.
Following the 7 principles and adding fermented foods and drinks will get you on your way to strengthening your digestive fire so that you can get the most from that raw vegetable platter!
Here’s a recap of some key ways to make digesting raw vegetables easier:
- Include fermented foods and drinks in your diet so you can build a healthy inner ecosystem to help you digest your food and assimilate the nutrients. Cultured vegetables allow you to get all the benefits of fermented foods and raw vegetables.
- Chew your vegetables completely — at least 20 times per bite.
- Bake, simmer, sauté or lightly steam your vegetables to make them more digestible.
- Blend your vegetables in a raw vegetable smoothie (link to this week’s green smoothie recipe that is included in the newsletter.
- Take Assist Enzymes to boost your digestion (link to this week’s article ‘The Smartest Ways to Assist Your Digestion in Assisting Your Health’
Beware! Some Vegetables Should ALWAYS be Cooked
Eventually as your digestion improves, certain raw vegetables can become a part of your daily diet. However, there are some vegetables that you will always want to consume cooked or fermented. This includes broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale, collards and brussel sprouts — all members of the cruciferous family that in their raw state are considered to be “cooling” and suppressing to your thyroid.
Again, it is very important to ferment or cook these very nutritious vegetables. (When we added collards as one of the many super-nutritious ingredients in our Vitality SuperGreen Drink, we went to the extra expense and effort to have them fermented.)
Remember, when you ferment any food, you increase its nutritional value. For more information, read “Why You Need to Cook These Vegetables For Maximum Nutrition.”
Meanwhile, here are a few vegetables that most people can comfortably handle raw.
But remember you are unique, so see if they work for you.
- Cucumbers
- Celery (a high-fiber vehicle for your favorite dip)
- Carrots (still difficult for some)
- Red, yellow and orange bell pepper (not green, which is typically immature and difficult to digest)
- Summer squashes like yellow squash and zucchini.
There is a long explanation to the subject of not eating some raw veggies because they slow down the thyroid. It's a long explanation but, it can be read about here: http://tinyurl.com/cbs4cg7 Short story: It's a problem that occurs if you have an iodine deficient diet
Posted on Apr 18 at 9:56 pm
Hi, I eat a lot of raw veg. Including broccoli, turnip, sprouts and cabbage to name a few!! As long as I can remember I have always ate these. Never have any problems with my stomach or digestive problems. In fact it's quite the opposite. My metabolism is great and my health is very good.
Posted on Apr 18 at 11:18 am
Hi, I would love some advice about raw juice drinks please.
I have recently started drinking one first thing on a morning, I use a juicer. Unfortunately I am having awful trouble with gas and stomach pain. I don't know if it is the juice or the juice is making my stomach more sensitive to the food I eat afterwards. Any advice would be really helpful. Thank you
Posted on Apr 2 at 9:24 am
Do we have any concrete study around this subject? Like if you eat X, Y, Z raw vegetable for M no. of days, you will get so and so benefit ?
I am particulary looking for some help with my eyes. I have read on many forums that eating raw vegetables improved their vision. Though didnt find any info on what they ate and for how long.
Any specific help here highly appreciated.
Posted on Mar 20 at 6:26 am
One thing about the body's digestive system - you can't change up on it so quickly. If you are not used to eating raw cruciferous vegetables - and you suddenly eat a meal with them - you might get some gas or stomach upset. It does not mean you should not eat them. You are supposed to introduce a small amount and see your bodies reaction. Eventually you can eat a larger amount. kale can be delicious raw depending on which varietal you grow or purchase. Red russian kale is quite delicate and can be eaten raw. Other like the leafy green kale that is most commonly seen in grocery stores - try it in a salad with olive oil, lemon juice, sea salt, avocado and diced tomato - if you don't mind using your hands to mix the ingrediants even better - the combination starts the process of breaking down the kale before it is eaten making it soft and more digestible and it is delicious.
Beans are a nother example - if you suddenly eat a bean dish when it is not part of your normal diet - you get gas. Start with a small serving and gradually increase.
Same with exercise - start with stretching and gentle exercise and build up into a routine.
Just because your muscles get sore the first time does not mean it is bad for you or that your body can't do it! It just means you have to introduce correctly and let your body adjust into good health. It is not an instant gratification but one well worth pursuing.
Posted on Mar 12 at 7:48 am
I'm eating mostly "non gas producing" veggies and chicken with some turkey that's not organic. I've decreased my symptoms of IBS and notice lately much gas. For some one to begin taking Vitality Super Green who does not daily eat fermented foods, is there a criteria on how many capsules to take starting out?
Posted on Jan 24 at 7:39 pm
I like cruciferous vegetables raw though. Is it really that bad for your thyroid to eat them raw? Is there anyway to safely eat them raw?
Posted on Jan 5 at 5:06 pm
I was amazed that eating a raw broccoli salad with a bit of dressing could cause me so much pain!! About two hours after eating it I had an overwhelming pinprick sensation in my stomach, which has become bloated, and today, nearly twenty four hours since I ate the broccoli, I am still in complete pain, like I have a brick in my belly. It did not make me constipated, I have managed to "go" several times since I I ate it. I just feel heavy in my gut and very uncomfortable. Awful.
Posted on Jan 5 at 1:41 pm
This will aid me in my detox diet I am about to start an continue for a week.
Posted on Dec 30 at 4:00 am
I haven't eaten broccoli raw in a long time and recently made a broccoli salad, which was delicious. Within 5-10 minutes after eating it I got horrible stomach cramps and strange sounds coming from my stomach that could be heard by other people. I felt like I needed to pass gas but couldn't until much later on and many hours of suffering. Needless to say I will not be eating broccoli raw ever again!!! Really glad I'm not the only one to experience this.
Posted on Dec 14 at 2:20 pm
I had no idea that kale should not be eaten raw. I had broccoli and kale in the same day-- the kale was eaten raw-- and that evening, after having broccoli, I experienced horrible stomach paid and flatulance, which I attirbuted to the broccoli. Something told me to check out kale on the i-net, and wouldn't you know-- it is cruciferous and should not be eaten raw. I already take a probiotic to help aid in digestion, as I do not have a fiery digestion system. I cannot believe I've done this to myself two days in a row. Yesterday was horrible. Today will be a repeat, because I did not think to check kale until after I started eaten another raw bowl of it for lunch today. Uggghhhh!!!
Posted on Nov 14 at 1:17 pm
I eat small amounts of raw collard leaf, and have no problems with it. I might go along with the digestive enzyme idea, because I love the crisp texture. I put a 2 inch square onto my sandwich stuck to the veggie mayo. No pains, or flatus. hee hee.....
Posted on Oct 13 at 1:22 pm
Hi and welcome Yes raw veg are good for intake but remember some of them you have to be careful with cucumber is best peeled some people can take the seeds some cant so it's best to write down what you eat then you can work out whats best to digest. I find apples peeled cut in slice's are better than just eating it plums are best peeled too easy enough boil water and let them soak but to make it easy'er justjust cut a score line then it's easy to peel. nuts hazel nuts are good but do have good chew it's better that way pine nuts almonds but do chew on them just like you would with a cocconut peeled way better for the system. i find potatoes not really good for the system nomally effects the legs in some people. so like I said do make sure you make a note what you eat. drink two teas two coffee's then mixed fruit drinks the rest of the day. mind you i dont drink the big stuff or beer or smoke and I am 65 in feb and feel 45yrs good eh and just get out into the garden look after the wild life and it will look after you .
Posted on Jul 13 at 3:54 am