In our society of highly processed foods, there is a tendency to not eat crunchy food, when was the last time you ate a whole raw carrot for example?
Chewing is the first part of digestion, your saliva contains digestive enzymes and the bones of your teeth get a work out, so chew. Think celery, cucumber, grated raw beetroot, raw or only lightly cooked green beans.
In saying that, sometimes when it comes to vegetables cooking is not necessarily harmful, take the Zucchini where when you eat it raw it contains more vitamin C but when you cook it the vitamin A content increases so include it both ways in your diet.
The antioxidant power of tomatoes is boosted when cooked and always cook broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables such as cabbage to help minimise interruption of production of thyroid hormones, otherwise include them they are important for bowel health.
Maintaining balance between consuming some crunchy vegetables and some cooked is something for us all to be mindful of. Why not stuff a baked sweet potato with some raw veg for one meal this week?
Come and see the lovely range of in season organic veg we stock here at COS.
By Monica Shepherd, Naturopath & Nutritionist at COS Organic Store
