Fruits and greens (WAS: how much greens are enough? another question)

[Guest guest]

On Behalf Of Debbie S. [dlsherman422] Saturday, July

16, 2005 12:39 PM

[Raw Food] Re: how much greens are enough? another question

 

are ya'll saying zucchini, celery, cucumber, tomato

etc (i already eat all that) count as part of the

rough equivalent to a head of lettuce? so a half head

of lettuce plus all the other stuff would be ok, or

maybe _just_ the other stuff some days? will i/we

miss anything important not consuming a whole head of

lettuce, or half everyday?

_____

Hi Debbie and all,

 

One could answer your question in a number of ways, I'm not entirely certain

which way you would go ... so I'll just offer a couple of different things.

 

First, from a nutritional perspective, nothing on the planet substitutes for

green leaves. For our species, tender green leaves, such as those of the

lettuces, provide an array of nutrients found nowhere else (sometimes called

" phytonutrients " ) as well as large quantities of minerals, vitamins,

super-high-quality water, fiber, protein (lettuces contain about 15+%

protein as a percentage of total calories), on and on.

 

Setting aside celery for separate discussion, the other foods you mention --

zucchini, cucumber, tomato -- are actually all fruits in biology, even

though the culinary world treats them as vegetables. In teaching, we often

use the term " veggie-fruits, " to distinguish such foods (other than

tomatoes, which are a true acid fruit) from both the sugary fruits and the

true vegetables. But you can see now, perhaps, why we speak of salads made

from " fruits and greens. "

 

From a food combining perspective, both greens and veggie fruits can be

combined freely with other fruits, as long as the distinctions among melons

and sweet, subacid, and acid fruits are maintained. And it's fine to combine

greens, veggie fruits, acid fruits (such as citrus or berries or tomatoes)

and a high-fat fruit, such as avocado.

 

CAVEAT: The more foods you combine, the greater the biochemical load and

complexity you place on your system, regardless of the combining.)

 

Now a word from the oral health department.... It is not uncommon for people

who try a high-fruit approach to RF to end up with dental problems. One of

the primary " defenses " against such an occurrence is to consume lots of

greens, more or less daily. So while I'd not suggest becoming fanatical

about it, a large, steady stream of greens in one's diet really does serve

as a cornerstone for creating long-term health.

 

Hope this is helpful!

Elchanan