Raw Versus Cooked Vegetables & Fruits

[Guest guest]

Raw Versus Cooked Vegetables & Fruits

 

_http://www.healingnaturallybybee.com/articles/veg3.php_

(http://www.healingnaturallybybee.com/articles/veg3.php)

© Copyright Bee Wilder

Raw Vegetable & Fruit Enzymes

 

Many food faddists today recommend eating all raw foods, including freshly

squeezed vegetable and fruit juices. The main reason given is because heat

destroys enzymes in plant foods, which are proteins that convert the food we

eat

into chemical structures that can pass through cells lining the digestive

tract.

As Dr. Edwin Howell reports: " In addition, vegetables and fruits are not

concentrated sources of enzymes. When produce ripens, enzymes are present to do

the ripening. However, once the ripening is finished, some of the enzymes

leave and go back into the stem and seeds. " - see _Enzymes and Longevity_

(http://www.living-foods.com/articles/enzymes.html) .

Have you ever tried juicing unripened vegetables and fruits, which

supposedly contain enzymes that raw foodists believe are so important for

health?

Dr. Howell contradicts himself by stating: " If enzymes were in the food we

eat, they would do some or even a considerable part of the work of digestion

by themselves. " Didn't he just state that vegetables and fruits are not

concentrated sources of enzymes? Then why is does he promote eating raw

uncooked

vegetables and fruits?

He goes on to say: " However, when you eat cooked, enzyme-free food, this

forces the body itself to make the enzymes needed for digestion. This depletes

the body's limited enzyme capacity. " This subject is very controversial and

does hold up to the light of truth as argued in _Assessing the main arguments

and corollaries of Howell's theory of food enzymes_

(http://www.beyondveg.com/tu-j-l/raw-cooked/raw-cooked-2d.shtml) . See the whole

article _Is Cooked Foods

Poison?_ (http://www.beyondveg.com/tu-j-l/raw-cooked/raw-cooked-2d.shtml) .

Enzymes & Nutrients in Plant Foods

What raw foodists fail to realize is that enzymes in these foods, along with

all of their nutrients, are located inside the cell walls of plants - see

this image: _Plant Cell Anatomy_

(http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/plants/cell/) . However all plant

cell walls are made of cellulose fibers, and

the human digestive system is incapable of breaking them down. Therefore, the

cellulose cell walls of plants must be broken down before they are digestible,

and in order for nutrients, including minerals, and enzymes to be available.

 

That is the reason why all raw plant foods are very hard on the digestive

system, particularly for anyone with digestive problems and/or those who have

candida/yeast overgrowth.

In addition, sugars in vegetables and fruits are released very quickly into

the bloodstream, which increases the insulin production in order to maintain

proper blood sugar levels. Fructose, found mostly in fruits, is worse because

it releases into the bloodstream much faster than other types of sugars.

Dangers of Fructose in Fruits

Fruit is mostly fructose sugar with some vitamins, minerals and other

nutrients. All of those vitamins and nutrients are easily obtained from meats,

eggs, and vegetables. It is a little known fact that many vegetables, like

broccoli and peppers, contain more vitamin C than any fruits, except for

acerola

cherries, and that meats and eggs also contain vitamin C.

There isn't very much sugar needed to maintain blood sugar levels, since a

maximum of appoximately 1 teaspoon is circulating throughout the body at any

given time. Since 58% of protein and 10% of " good " fats are converted to

glucose inside the body, all of the body's requirements for sugar is easily

fulfilled.

Even healthy people should consume no more than 2 servings of fruit per day,

which must be accompanied by plenty of " good " fats in order to slow the

release of fructose into the system.

Sugar/Carbs Are Not the Best Source of Energy

Carbs are any foods not classified as protein or fat, which includes grains,

nuts, seeds, fruits, vegetables and many other foods.

Sugar/Carbs is not the best source of energy for the body. " Good " fats like

butter, coconut oil, lard and other natural occurring fats from animals are

the best source of energy since they do not tax the body's resources in order

to digest and utlize them compared to sugars/carbs.

These " good " fats do not require stomach acid, digestive enzymes nor bile in

order to digest them. Most of these " good " fats go directly from the

digestive system through the lymphatic system and into the bloodstream. These

fats

also do not make your body create fat like carbs and " bad " vegetable fats do,

since any excess fat consumed is " thrown off " or " discarded " by the body. For

information on what " good " fats " are " see _Fats & Oils from The Skinny on

Fats_ (http://www.healingnaturallybybee.com/articles/fats1.php) . Also see _Fat,

taking the fear out of eating them_

(http://www.healingnaturallybybee.com/articles/foods15.php) .

How to Break Down Cell Walls of Vegetables & Fruits

It takes heat or fermentation, and time to make the nutrients and enzymes

(whatever they do contain) available in vegetables and fruits, particularly

minerals. In fact freshly juiced fruits and vegetables contain no minerals or

enzymes since juicing does not break down the cell walls.

Breaking down cellulose cell walls of vegetables and fruits is done by two

different methods:

1. Cooking them long enough for their " color " and " texture " to change,

evidence that the cell walls have been broken.

" Color change means they will get lighter in color. " Texture change " means

they will become softer, which is more noticeable with root vegetables. Root

vegetables should be soft enough to easily mash up with a fork.

2. Fermenting them also breaks down their cell walls, i.e. kimchi,

sauerkraut, etc. Fermenting foods actually pre-digests them.

For example, kale cooked for an hour delivers far more minerals than lightly

steamed kale. Therefore cooking vegetables and fruits maximizes the

nutrients available, particularly minerals, and fermenting vegetables

pre-digests

them and aids overall digestion.

You can save vegetable cooking water for soups and broths, or drink it as

is, with some ocean sea salt and spices added, to taste. Or use this

mineral-rich cooking water instead of regular water to make _Bee's Electrolyte

Drink_

(http://www.healingnaturallybybee.com/recipes/recipe170.php) .

Good healthy juices can be made from vegetables and fruits - see _Bee's

Nutrient-Rich Vegetable or Fruit Juices_

(http://www.healingnaturallybybee.com/recipes/recipe302.php) .