Guest guest Posted January 20, 2009 Report Share Posted January 20, 2009 Hi all, I've read in a couple of Raw books that there are some foods that are difficult enough to digest that we are actually a little better off by cooking them lightly. Broccoli, Cauliflower, bean sprouts, lentil sprouts, etc. I seem to digest sprouted lentils a little easier by doing this. Any opinions out there? Lorri Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 20, 2009 Report Share Posted January 20, 2009 According to Dr Jameth SHeridan ( I asked his opinion) and things I have read,you need to cook cruciferus (sp?) vegetables at least slightly because of thyroid issue, (sorry dont have the details. ) As far as bean and lentil sprouts I dont know. Catheirne - LA Tuesday, January 20, 2009 10:40 PM Cooking sprouts Hi all, I've read in a couple of Raw books that there are some foods that are difficult enough to digest that we are actually a little better off by cooking them lightly. Broccoli, Cauliflower, bean sprouts, lentil sprouts, etc. I seem to digest sprouted lentils a little easier by doing this. Any opinions out there? Lorri Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 21, 2009 Report Share Posted January 21, 2009 Hi Lorri, The answer to your question is simple and straightforward. When we say that these items are difficult for humans to digest, we MEAN that the human digestive system is not well-designed to digest them ... in other words, that they are not particularly effective foods for humans. Now, if we were in the midst of a famine, of course we would choose to eat whatever would keep is alive one more day. Since we are not in the midst of a famine, we can choose better. Regarding all manner of lentils (roughly, anything called " beans " ), even cooking does not make this stuff digestible. There are even products out there (I seem to recall something called " Bean-O " ??) that help cooked fooders minimize the unpleasant effects of eating these. One reason lentils are not food for humans is the combination of high protein and high starch in a single food. From a digestive perspective, we do not digest starches very well, and from a food combining perspective, mixing protein with starch is just about the worst of all combinations for our species (and for many other mammals, too!) In fact, it's a rather uncommon combination in Nature, and only certain animals are well-adapted to eat lentils. The entire group of anthropoid primates (that's us! :) is not in that group. Regarding crucifers (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, and the like), the fiber these contain is so heavy, so dense, that the human digestive system has a very difficult time with it. There are other problems as well ... alkaloids in some cabbages, for example ... but the bottom line is that if you eat these, your system will work relatively hard to push them out the other end. Cooking does indeed break that fiber down somewhat ... and it damages or destroys many of the nutrients, too. Why not eat foods we digest easily, naturally? Best regards, Elchanan PS: If you find a small number of high-quality sources from which to learn, you will fare much better than if you explore a large number of sources of varying quality. E _____ LA [LA] Tuesday, January 20, 2009 10:40 PM Cooking sprouts Hi all, I've read in a couple of Raw books that there are some foods that are difficult enough to digest that we are actually a little better off by cooking them lightly. Broccoli, Cauliflower, bean sprouts, lentil sprouts, etc. I seem to digest sprouted lentils a little easier by doing this. Any opinions out there? Lorri Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 21, 2009 Report Share Posted January 21, 2009 Hi Lorri, In veggies, cooking breaks down cellulose and converts some long-chain sugars into a simpler, more digestible form. The trade-off is that other nutrients in the food are deranged or completely destroyed. For a long-term, optimal-health-seeking raw fooder, the answer is to not eat these foods at all. For a transitioning (<5 years) raw fooder, however, things aren't so black and white. I think it is unfortunate that in the raw food community all cooked foods are perceived to be equally unhealthy. I don't recommend legumes (including lentils) regardless of what is done to them, for the all the reasons Elchanan points out. However, even legumes can be justified if they are replacing other foods in the person's diet that are worse. It's all relative! The other veggies you mention (in addition to others like potatoes or yams), lightly steamed and uncombined with other foods, can actually be easier for the body to handle than some of the complicated gourmet concoctions more typically eaten by transitioning raw fooders. Steamed veggies can be an integral part of a healthy transition diet, especially for people coming from any version of the SAD who find it so hard to stay raw that they must resort to very complex, condiment-laden (disguised) and ill-combined raw foods to keep themselves satisfied. People can't go from conventional eating to 100% optimal raw overnight. It's a matter of choosing the least harmful, most 'satisfying' foods to transition with. Best wishes, Nora www.RawSchool.com www.RawTreasure.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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