Today, I’m calling on you…
I answer a bunch of questions about eating late at night, some thoughts on Ayurveda, how much protein is in Karin’s salad and more.
I also show you some of the wild fennel that is growing behind the RV park!
But the main question, what foods can’t be eaten raw… I have a challenge for you…
Take a look…
Your question of the day: What foods can’t be eaten raw?
Click here, scroll down to the bottom of the page and leave your comment now!
Live Awesome!
Kev
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7:45 pm on August 6th, 2009
I’ve heard arguments for not eating cruciferous vegetables raw due to their thyroid suppressive properties. This includes: cabbage, broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, and kale. I’ve also read that oxalic acid in beet greens, spinach and chard block calcium and iron absorption and irritates the mouth and intestinal tract.
These are such nutritional powerhouses though, for myself, I don’t leave them out altogether. I eat all of these in moderate amounts… avoiding overdoing any one or more of these in a given week.
Janece, Embracing My Health
7:55 pm on August 6th, 2009
artichokes
i prefer to light steam asparagus green beans for better flavor occasionally broccoli too but only just a very little!
8:01 pm on August 6th, 2009
Potatoes, dried beans—-yucko!
8:05 pm on August 6th, 2009
As a child we ate out garden grown potatoes young and raw. I also eat asparagus raw, and prefer it that way. But then, I forage for it, too. I don’t like the idea of sweet potato raw, but that is probably just a perception, also. I don’t think I have ever had asparagus beans, I haen’t tried artichoke raw.
8:10 pm on August 6th, 2009
Are there some vegies that you should not eat the foilage. ie: carrots, kahlarabi, broccoli, etc.
8:18 pm on August 6th, 2009
I think we need to listen to our bodies, but I believe it has to do more with food combining than with the food itself. I have found that when I don’t combine sweet and fat, or protein and sweets my digestion is much better. And I truly find that eating fruits separately works better for me, so I don’t mix fruit and vegetable smoothies. Instead I do Veggie Stews, Fruit Smoothie with chunks. both of these are great meals and very satisfying.
I don’t eat potatoes raw, but sweet potatoes are awesome raw.
In Italy they eat raw artichokes and they are actually great. So again, it depends on the person and the stomach. My stomach can’t take onions.
8:18 pm on August 6th, 2009
Rhubarb greens are toxic if eaten raw and if you eat too many buckwheat greens you can have a problem with fagopyrism (extreme cold and light sensitivity) My husband and I experienced that problem several years ago. We wrote about it on pg. 165 of our “Transitioning to Living Cuisine” book.
I also have a blog post at http://www.reneoswald.com/blog on “Alternating Greens” to prevent problems from the alkaloids that are present on all greens.
Black beans and many other legumes should not be eaten raw, even after soaking. Garbanzo, adzuki and lentils are edible after sprouting.
8:18 pm on August 6th, 2009
Cacao. . .j/k
Lima beans, green beans, certain whole grains, not sure what esle.
8:19 pm on August 6th, 2009
Taro root, unsprouted beans, unsprouted grains, jackfruit seeds. I often prepare raw eggplant. I salt it and allow it sweat for an hour and then marinade it. After that it can be breaded and dehydrated.
8:29 pm on August 6th, 2009
I personally cant stomach peppers raw, especially green ones, for some reason. Or broccoli.
But I was wondering if u could please address what Janece said about thyroid suppressive properties of cruciferous veggies eaten raw– especially kale, since I eat quite a lot of that. I also heard that kelp overstimulates the thyroid. If that is true, should one eat them together or on the same day to balance out thyroid function???
And what exactly is the deal about oxalic acid?
Please clarify this because I thought going more green would be better for my health!
thanks….
8:29 pm on August 6th, 2009
Red raw potatoes are excellent for a cold. They are full of potassium plus other nutrients.. Just eat them like an apple. They are very satisfying actually.
8:32 pm on August 6th, 2009
Kidney beans, non-sprouted legumes, winter squash, most grains, potatoes, sweet potatoes
8:44 pm on August 6th, 2009
Combining Blackish avocado and tasteless old organic carrots. Just ate them and they gave me gas. So never eat discolored and tasteless. Stupid me.
8:54 pm on August 6th, 2009
Haha, yes, we have fennel everywhere in the Bay Area, especially Marin. If you ever drive/bike/hike to Stinson Beach or Muir Woods, you’ll see Fennel all along the road.
Just make sure it’s not hemlock, which is extremely poisonous, (killed Socrates) and also grows in the Bay Area. Poison hemlock is often described as smelling mouse-like or musty. Coniine, a toxin contained in poison hemlock, can be absorbed through the skin, so do not do this “smell test” with bare hands (and avoid touching your eyes or mouth) unless you can wash them immediately afterwards.
P.S. I asked this question in an “Ask Kev” form, but it seems you address the comments more quickly, so I’ll try here. Do you ever worry that consuming marine phytoplankton and other algae will block real b12 absorption because of the b12 analogs? One of your blogs mentioned that testing for B12 doesn’t differentiate between the analogs and the real B12 that your body can utilize, so it won’t show you whether you’re deficient. Since you still use marine phytoplankton, I’m wondering, what’s your take on it? Everyone says algae makes you feel great, but I’m worried about blocking b12.
8:59 pm on August 6th, 2009
I read that kidney beans were the only thing that you could NOT sprout…..they were poisonous. I don’t think I’ve come across anything that I couldn’t eat raw. Pretty much anything that grows in your garden. I even put the leaves to my bush bean plants into my smoothies!
9:07 pm on August 6th, 2009
I wish I had known about the effect cruciferous veggies have on the thyroid before I went raw. I ate one bunch of kale a day in my green smoothies for months thinking I was getting awesome amounts of calcium and iron, among other things. Well, all it gave me is hypothyriodism (I don’t have exact proof of this, but it is the only thing I can figure). I would have found a different green to put in my smoothie, or at least been much more moderate with it. I’d also love a show that addresses this matter!
9:19 pm on August 6th, 2009
Fennel is an amazing blood builder because it stimulates digestion and the uptake of nutrients from digestion, a “spleen qi tonic” or digestive strengthener in Asian Medicine. This makes it the an amazing herb/food for producing milk (galactagogue) for raw mom’s, since milk of course is just blood passed through the mammary glands. Fennel seeds contain numerable digestive enzymes, hence their placement at the door as you leave East Indian restaurants.
Loved the folate/folium connection, had not heard that before, awesome! Will use that from now on in my talks to field the famous wheres the b vitamin question.
I have yet to find anything edible I can’t eat raw! I am sure something is out there!
bless all you beautiful souls!
raw andy
9:34 pm on August 6th, 2009
all the ones I know of have been adressed…
Hey Suebee: You can’t digest green peppers because they are an unripe fruit, stick to red, yellow, and orange peppers and you should be fine!
9:38 pm on August 6th, 2009
I tried sprouting some kidney beans and threw up the whole day. I tried eggplant with Bragg’s Liquid Aminos and it is great! Also Zuccini (don’t know spelling) is awesome raw. Sprouting is great in the winter time and it is so cheap.
9:41 pm on August 6th, 2009
i agree with janece – i used to eat/juice tons of raw cruciferous veggies on a daily basis because they are so nutritionally great and anti cancer. well then i was diagnosed with hypothyroidism and found out that they are goiterogenic -they suppress thyroid function if eaten raw. so now i lightly steam them. or ferment them. although sometimes i will juice cabbage because it heals the stomach lining. also, i don’t eat raw beet greens and chard because of the oxalic acid (it binds calcium).
9:47 pm on August 6th, 2009
I’ve never had a problem eating any vegetable raw.
I think that as far as the thyroid issue is concerned, you would have to eat a lot of those cruciferous vegetables AND be prone to thyroid problems to begin with….
9:53 pm on August 6th, 2009
The solaneceous family’s leaves and stems should not be eaten at all (raw or cooked) but tomato leaves can be used as a poltice for wounds. That one I learned in South America. Eggplant seems to need at least some heat to be edible and you cannot eat the eyes or green skins on potatoes. Rhubarb I believe is poisonous raw. May Apples (a low growing forest plant) are only to be eaten when ripe in the forest, and pokeberries are poisonous from what I remember.
10:35 pm on August 6th, 2009
I’m finding all the comments about kale etc. facinating. I was on a very small dose of thyroid medication for hypothyroidism. After going raw for a while I felt so good I quit taking it. About the same time I started drinking a prety stout green juice (24 oz.)with lots of kale, every morning. I started feeling tired and lethargic again. Ding! Ding! Ding! I think we have a winner! I’m going to switch it up and see what happens.
Thanks everyone,
Jackie
11:21 pm on August 6th, 2009
I’m curious? Could you throw dehydrated kale chips in your green smoothies without having the theoid problem? Or possibly dehydrate at a slightly higher temp? Please comment on this topic Kevin if you have time.
11:56 pm on August 6th, 2009
Something helpful about the thyroid blockers is in “Eat Right 4 Your Type” the blood type diets. Many are type O, where it points out this problem. All these criciferous veggies came from the same base plant, but engineered the old fashioned way(splitting proteins for genetic engineering can give allergies, now wide spread in corn).
Though I have great success following this diet I can break rules when eating raw because of the enzyme release we are not used to, which changes things: I think this is closest to how we were designed to eat!
12:16 am on August 7th, 2009
Tapica and acorns
12:20 am on August 7th, 2009
Wow! A lot of people with thyroid problems. When I started on a raw food diet I already had a low thyroid. After months on raw food I still had a low thyroid and continued to take synthroid. The doctor’s said I would have to be on synthroid for the rest of my life. Not so! I weaned myself off synthroid under my doctor’s supervision, by doing yoga and focused meditation. It took about 4 months. The most important yoga poses are Shoulderstand followed by the Fish. Do the Bridge pose until you are strong enough to do the Shoulderstand (Never turn your head, even a little, while your chest is lifted. If your neck is uncomfortable, bring your body down, then adjust your neck.)I did the Sun Salutation, Shoulderstand and Fish everyday, morn. and eve. Also did Om chanting,(Good sound vibrations!) and focussed meditation (Start by sitting on the floor, cross legged with a straight back. If you need to support your knees and back, do so until your stronger; otherwise pain can be a serious distraction. This position creates a pyramid of your body. It makes it easies to bring in light and move it around. Close your eyes and invision a sun ball and bring it to your thyroid area, in what ever way is natural to you. I bring light in from above, some come in through the solar plexus, etc. Let the light stay there warming and healing. Finish by invisioning the light expanding until it fills and surrounds your body. If you do this at least daily, and in the same place and time of day, it gets easier more quickly. (early morning is best, but it is probably more important to find a time you can be consistant with.) Remember to breath into the relaxed belly.
***If you have never done a Shoulderstand, please consult a good yoga teacher. You can injure your neck if you do it incorrectly.***
Try to cultivate the understanding that you are a reflection of God. God’s child. There is only perfection. See your self as perfect and whole, all else is error! When you can do this, yoga won’t be necessary.
I hope this helps.
12:28 am on August 7th, 2009
My personal experience is the raw crucifers don’t change my energy level. I have been hypothyroid for many years and take natural hormone supplementation. I have been almost entirely raw since this feb. after a two year transition, and my energy levels have been through the roof, actually need to do grounding pranayama, yoga, and regular brisk cardio to mellow out the manic seemingly un-exhaustable energy I have lately. Been able to reduce my thyroid hormones slowly so far, hoping to get off them all together.
I have checked the oxalic levels in the raw greens of concern, chard, beet, spinach, etc., and they are really not high enough to be a concern in normal healthy folk. My concern with the oxalic veggies is the formation of stones. To form precipitates in any chemical solution you have to have an acidic pH, ie stones in the body, the calcium oxalates. Since a low glycemic raw diet significantly lowers body pH, the chance of forming stones is actually greatly reduced, even with consumption of the oxalic veggies. The only raw food I consume that has significantly high levels of oxalic acid is the wild wood sorrel (Oxalis sp.,sour and looks like a shamrock), and I eat so little of this I am not concerned. Rhubarb leaves are considered poisonous because the oxalic acid is so high, but the stems are considered safe even to eat raw.
As far as depleting calcium, this is not a real concern because the raw diet, especially one with lots of seaweeds and greens, is SO high in calcium the depletion from oxalic acid is totally negligable.
Bless!
12:51 am on August 7th, 2009
Hello Kevin,
This is so funny! I was actually thinking the other day whether you could provide information about ayurvedic and macrobiotics since your show is about health and not just about raw food right? So I guess this was my show tonight. I also have been pondering about leafy green vegetables lately whether they should be eaten raw only or also cooked/steamed. As a child growing up in Europe I was always told that for ex. spinach only should be eaten when it is in season since it contains oxalic acid. A couple of weeks ago I came across a wonderful vegetarian Greek cookbook. (In Greece it is very easy to eat vegan) I noticed that in all the recipes with leafy greens the greens need to be cooked/blanched. In our local newspaper there was an article about a Greek lady who hits the fields every spring with her great grandmother of 91 years old to pick dandelions. Great grandma knows exactly which one’s to pick and which one’s not and again….they were eaten cooked.(with olive oil and lemon juice) I’m sure you and Annemarie know that the countries around the Mediteranean take their food very seriously and are very traditional. The way they do things in the kitchen has been done that way for hundreds , maybe thousands of years. There must be a reason for that! I am a fan of green smoothies and green drinks and have them almost every morning. However, a number of times lately I read that the tougher ones like kale and collard greens need at least to be steamed if not cooked One of the reasons seems to be to reduce the amount of oxalic acid. (I also remember your interview with Donna Gates a couple of weeks ago. Thank you, that was great info!!) May be a master herbalist could give more clarity on this subject?
1:41 am on August 7th, 2009
I’m curious about the raw potatoes. My daughter used to be crazy about them. Nothing on them, just peeled and cut into chunks. I used to have a schoolfriend who ate them too. They taste horrible to me. Is there something in a raw potato that could be vital for someone with a deficiency? Hope you’re still hanging around the Dinas and get this one answered!
2:47 am on August 7th, 2009
Thanks for all the posts so far on raw foods you shouldn’t eat!
This is actually a test post to see if the facebook connect works
Kev
3:14 am on August 7th, 2009
kidney beans
3:31 am on August 7th, 2009
Finally! Let’s have a discussion why raw food doesn’t work for everyone.
I have candida, problems with thyroid (mild ones), weak kidneys, compromised digestion, adrenal fatigue and weak spleen. I tried raw for several months and realized it doesn’t work for me. First of, cold food further exhaust the spleen, and when I drank only vegetable juices during last week of ejuva cleanse It would make my body freezing cold (and it was a warm weather!) that I would have to wrap myself in blankets for hours. In my experience Donna Gates was right to say that thyroid needs warm foods.
After 6 months trying with raw and failing because I would feel horrible (and I can’t eat fruit which makes it a lot harder), I eat a lot cooked to try to recover my digestion, weak spleen, thyroid etc. I can’t push myself to eat even raw cauliflower anymore, so in my experience it’s true that cruciferous are hard on thyroid. They say goitrogen is gone when fermented, but I react even on sauerkraut, even though a lot less.
Also, raw is harder to digest, you really need to have enough of stomach hydrochloric acid to digest it. After the ejuva cleanse my intestines are clean, but my stomach doesn’t produce acid anymore, maybe because of these green juices I had. About oxalic acid- some people say it’s not a problem- because it’s not a problem for them. To not be affected by it one needs to have good digestive fire and juices, which is not the case for many people.
Shazzie wrote in her book “Evie’s kitchen” that her raw daughter was diagnosed anemic at age 3 I think, so she put her on supplement and stopped giving her spinach. She says even now they eat spinach only occasionally.
Another problem I have is lack of phosphorus, or imbalance of phosphorus/calcium/magnesium, and one of the cause of mineral imbalance can be mercury (I have 6 amalgam fillings). Phosphorus can be mostly found in animal foods and hot cereal, so when I experimented with eating oats porridge the tartar on my teeth started to disappear. Haven’t tried with warmed up raw oats though.
I still want to go raw because I noticed compared to cooked food when I’m on raw my body temperature is lower. Now if I eat all cooked I feel unhealthy hot, and I think it is the sign of body raising white blood cells to fight of “cooked” food, but I think only people who have somewhat good digestion and healthy kidneys can go raw.
Oh and I forgot, kidneys don’t like raw green vegetables, and they already have to work hard to expel toxins produced by my candida die-off.
I wish someone would write a step by step book how to go raw slowly when you have all these ailments that make “go raw” impossible.
And thanks for the great show Kevin!
4:07 am on August 7th, 2009
Can’t do sprouted beans except for lentils and then in only small amounts. They give me severe digestive upset. Green beans do the same thing. Lightly steaming them on low heat with a drizzle of EVOO makes them easy for me to digest. Cooked dried beans I can tolerate well.
I also don’t like sweet potatoes raw. Have tried them several ways, and even put them in raw crackers and just don’t like the taste and texture. And they kind of sit heavy on my stomach, too.
I’m traveling right now, so eating less raw, but still try to go no lower than 60%. And most days more like 75%. I always crave salads, but try to mix up the greens so I’m not always getting loads of the same ones. I think rotating foods is certainly important for those of us who have food allergies, and probably not a bad idea for everyone.
I’ve tried and tried to eat eggplant raw, and fermented and it upsets my stomach every time. I gently cook it over low heat with some EVOO and have no problem.
When I was early raw I drank lots of smoothies, then they started to upset my stomach and make me very cold so I only have an occasional one.
This is going to sound like heresy, but I think not all of us are cut out for super high raw. I can sustain over 85% raw for a few days to a week and then start to crave and cheat with really unhealthy foods. But when I drop it down to about 75% raw I stay satisfied, and stay more in control.
Thanks for the topic. As always, very good. Ginny
4:21 am on August 7th, 2009
Reply for Didiydi..I suggest you explore Donna Gates information regarding your diet dilemas and candida, lots in interesting info there.
4:30 am on August 7th, 2009
I’ve had a terrible time this week after eating broccoli slaw for a couple of days. Had awful stomach pain and feel like it’s really messed with my digestion. I’ve sworn never to eat it raw again. I love it steamed though.
Different strokes for different folks and all that…
4:50 am on August 7th, 2009
Well, I dunno re shoulds or shouldn’ts but long before i ever considered going raw I would try to eat corn raw, even if i had to rescue it from the jaws of a barbecue. Once I’d tasted the juice inside I never wanted to turn back to being compelled to make up for its lack (e.g. by being boiled out of it) by slathering butter on the outside.
Then Paul Stamets says we need to cook mushrooms to make them more bioavailable. I believe good ol’ vinaigrette will break them down enough for ease of digestion.
Now I suppose you could chase down a cute furry animal, tear it limb from limb & eat its flesh, drink its blood, but blech–why bother? Wouldn’t you find the vibrant colours and scrumptious, juicy nature of raw veges more appetizing?
!
6:41 am on August 7th, 2009
I am another one with an inactive thyroid but this is since way before I started eating raw. Nothing changed until I stopped adding raw broccoli to my salads (which I quite liked actually) and cut out the other cruciferous veg. I also began a well known healing diet recently that included cutting out all oils and I also started taking L Tyroseine and Ashwaganda soon after, which are supposed to be good supplements for this condition. Amazingly, a couple of months ago my doctor had to reduce my thyroid medication, so something I’m doing must be working – I wish I could pin it down to only one thing though – or maybe it’s the combination of everything.
7:28 am on August 7th, 2009
My homeopathic doc says raw potato juice is great for building up a weak digestion. I throw a couple of red skin potatoes in my green juice.
9:36 am on August 7th, 2009
If eating raw cruciferous veggies in our smoothies is bad for thyroids if not cooked, what about freezing the collards/kale for smoothies? Freezing does change the molecular structure a bit. So would that make it better for smoothies? Looks like every thing I use in my smoothies is bad…… Little confused.
I am starting Donna Gates diet. Hope it works.
10:04 am on August 7th, 2009
Of course, eating what feels right for each person is important and individual.
But how does one distinguish between what is not good for them because it bothers them vs if their system was in better health, that it would then not bother them?
10:04 am on August 7th, 2009
While it’s interesting to read people’s opinions about what foods can/cannot be consumed raw, it would be much more informative and practical to post a comprehensive list of such foods with scientifically-based facts supporting why they can/cannot be eaten raw. For example, potatoes and rhubarb are just fine eaten raw. Basically, I think just about any non-poisonous plant can be eaten raw. While they may not be appetizing, have the greatest bioavailability or agree with everyone’s digestive system, it doesn’t mean they can’t be eaten raw. Kevin, please provide such a list if you can. That would be most helpful. Thank You! :^)
11:38 am on August 7th, 2009
So many likes and dislikes! Many foods, raw or not, are acquired tastes. Rene Oswald’s advice makes good sense.
Acorns come in 2 broad types, from white oaks and from red. Squirrels tend to plant the red; this washes out much of the tannins. White’s edible.
Tapioca? I doubt it’s raw to start with, certainly highly processed.
Oxalate- I’ve heard it both ways, cooked or raw is better, the other way you absorb more. No studies I know of. Rule of thumb: your body makes about 50mg, so try to keep in that ballpark with foods.
Eat Right for Your Blood Type is such a crock, yes it works for some as does any idea, for a while. The evolutionary tale it tells is, to be gentle, dead wrong; major blood types are older than folks, found in gorillas for example, contrary to his just-so story. And you find members of the same species or genus, similar inside, having different results in the ‘tests’.
Oh, and more on young coconut: methyl bromide, not formaldehyde, keeps them from going bad in the boats to wherever, I’m told. Double eeewww.
11:46 am on August 7th, 2009
Have you seen Lucy’s testimonial over at We Like it Raw http://www.welikeitraw.com/rawfood/2007/09/lucy-before-luc.html? She apparently cured herself of hypothyroidism with raw foods. She says she puts plenty of greens in her smoothie every morning. Go figure.
1:25 pm on August 7th, 2009
I don’t believe I will ever be 100% raw. Having sprouts, greens and lots of raw in my diet agrees with me. When I shared with my acupuncturist, she said I have a tendency to be cold and need the heat of some warm foods to keep me balanced. I tend to agree. I have never liked being so extreme in anything, so, I follow my intuition about what I should eat raw or cooked. (I am extreme about not eating animals and their secretions tho.) People might be better if they went ‘within’ and ask their higher self what is best for them. Learn to listen to your own body and how you feel after eating something.
1:52 pm on August 7th, 2009
Thank you, Andy, for Number 17 about milk.
Will go through the other comments later…
Thank you everyone for your contributions.
3:01 pm on August 7th, 2009
Raw swiss chard makes my throat feel funny. No one I have asked about this understands what I mean. Maybe I’m allergic…
4:27 pm on August 7th, 2009
I agree with you all on the topic of cruciferous veges, i have met a 30 year raw fooder and told me after all those years eating too many greens in particular the cruciferous type, he has damaged his thyroid gland. Everyone appears to be different and must learn to listen to their body and educate yourself. It seems the ultimate diet is ‘Breatharian’;) I find myself sensitive to diff. types of foods and in certain combinations, I guess you’ve got to experiment, try new things and how they combine with other foods in your diet. Ive also learnt that chewing and not eating late is very, very important. Good luck everyone! Thanks Kev.
Brent
5:43 pm on August 7th, 2009
Raw rhubarb is scrumptious!! I cut a stalk up into little 1/4″ chunks, add that to a basket of strawberries, and either a little bit of agave, stevia, or honey, and voila! strawberry/ruhubarb compote! Yum. I’ve also done this with fresh peaches instead of the strawberries. The sweet/sour thing is really nice.
6:14 pm on August 7th, 2009
Hmm, I always loved raw potatoes, even as a wee toddler, preferably red. Great with salt. I know, it seems confusing and contradictory, but I do believe the raw cruciferous and oxalic acid issues are valid. So steam them lightly and of course, everything in moderation. A reasonable amount can’t be THAT damaging, I love those stalks raw! Adrenals are the root cause of the thyroid issues, so if you are stressing out, it’s hard to get any kind of valid reading of thyroid normalcy. The medical profession loves to give it names and and have you take pig based pills, that really confuses your body. Try Jameth Sheridan’s Vanilla Spice with maca or any Maca Magic product. I’ve seen many people get off all that thyroid/HRT downward spiral simply by getting in touch with their bodies, lifestyle changes and managing emotional reactions to life’s realities – you know, change what you can, accept what you cannot and have the wisdom to know the difference. Know where you end and other things begin, your thyroid will kick in with some natural support. I will look forward to the list though, if there is one cuz I’m no expert! See you in Ft. Bragg oxox
6:54 pm on August 7th, 2009
From what I understand, the goitrogen problems with cruciferous vegetables can be counteracted by adding sea vegetables to your diet.
7:36 pm on August 7th, 2009
Thank you Kevin for answering my question !
9:19 pm on August 7th, 2009
Some have mentioned that raw greens are bad for the kidneys–or at least hard on the kidneys. This is not true across the board. One man (his story is on youtube)restored a kidney that the doctors wanted to remove by consuming raw foods, and specifically green juices. His doctors were shocked as they had learned that damaged kidneys never reverse themselves. I think that most people’s difficulties is in the transitioning to raw. Many of the symptoms, struggles, and discomforts come from switching to a radically different diet. My colon hydrotherapist said that it takes at least two years for the body to fully adjust to the raw food diet…and that is a minimum amount of time.
10:55 pm on August 7th, 2009
Aren’t there some veggies that are more nutritious when heated? I don’t think I need to eat a 100% raw food diet for optimum health. Any thoughts? thx!
12:29 am on August 8th, 2009
Which beans are not edidle raw? Black beans was mentions above, but what other legumes is toxic raw? I also have to mention that raw red bell peppers make me feel really good! I don’t know why, but it always does. YAY
12:32 am on August 8th, 2009
Kev, Do you know if coconuts have enzyme inhibitors like other nuts.
5:20 am on August 8th, 2009
Hey Kevin, was that plant really fennel or whas it queen anns lace, better known as wild carrot? Did it have a licorice oder? Just curious. I have not see fennel in the wild before. It is an excellent aid for digestion particularly the seeds.
7:08 am on August 8th, 2009
Thank you for showing wild food to us!
1:55 pm on August 8th, 2009
I make a raw baba ganoush that is wonderful. So- I like raw eggplant. Raw potatoes… Yuck! Dehydrated zucchini—Gross!
1:55 pm on August 8th, 2009
All very interesting. I had a non-functioning thyroid and other autoimmune issues and after years of terrible health and no success with synthetic hormones, I now have a functioning thyroid and the best health of my life. I eat all heavy greens in abundance and actual find it is when I do not do this that my health suffers.
So many posts here show individual sensitivities or allergies. Could it be that this may play a big part in what a person should or should not eat? A strong argument for listening to your body and finding your personal healing journey.
Which is what so many here are doing and a applaud you all for.
3:42 pm on August 8th, 2009
I have a list of plant foods NOT to eat raw. If anyone is interested, you can find it at http://bit.ly/6c8gS
As far as goitrogens and crucifers… my understanding is that eating them raw will not effect those with thyroid problems if one is iodine sufficient. So that is something to consider.
For those who are hypothyroid, be sure you are not consuming Lemon Balm (Melissa) herb, as a tea or using the greens as food, as this would be contraindicated for you.
Hope this helps!
3:45 pm on August 8th, 2009
I have a list of plant foods NOT to eat raw. If anyone is interested, you can find it at Facebook page for All Natural Healthcare.
As far as goitrogens and crucifers… my understanding is that eating them raw will not effect those with thyroid problems if one is iodine sufficient. So that is something to consider.
For those who are hypothyroid, be sure you are not consuming Lemon Balm (Melissa) herb, as a tea or using the greens as food, as this would be contraindicated for you.
Hope this helps!
11:22 am on August 9th, 2009
I think everyone raising the questions/issues about when raw doesn’t work would be a good topic for an entire show. Surely it must be possible to tweak the raw diet to one’s needs, but unfortunately it is hard to track down such information, and trial-and-error is sometimes not possible when one is very ill!
As well, I think this issue surrounding toxins in foods, whether they be goitrogenic, or oxalic acid, or what have you, is important to discuss. Is there enough of these toxins to harm people? Do people need to be “weak” in the thyroid area to be affected, or is anyone at risk? How much of the food (or food group) in question needs to be consumed in order to do harm to one’s self?
We get told to eat lots of greens for minerals, but if people don’t know to rotate their greens, or to avoid greens X, Y, and Z because of a toxin in them, they may go overboard in eating them, and thinking that they are doing themselves a world of good!
FINALLY, I want to address the issue of iron: I cannot for the life of me, despite eating lots of greens and a very healthy diet, maintain enough iron stores to be in the “normal” range on blood tests. I hate supplementing because supplemental iron can be food for pathogens in your gut, and for other reasons. I’d love to give up red meat (and all animal meats in general), but until I get this iron issue sorted, I don’t know what to do there. Surely some expert somewhere has a solution for this!
Thanks! As always, I love watching the show
3:30 pm on August 10th, 2009
I just got back from the NOFA conference (Northeast Organic Farming Assoc) in Western Mass, and one of the keynote speakers was Paul Stamets, mycologist and Author of “Mycelium Running”. He said that mushrooms should never be eaten raw because they will not be digested at all and so have no nutritional value unless cooked. But even more importantly, he said that morel mushrooms in particular are EXTREMELY toxic if eaten raw and can kill you, but, when cooked, the toxic substance is cooked out. So morel mushrooms can be eaten safely only after cooking.
5:53 pm on August 10th, 2009
Hi Kevin,
since you showed everyone the fennel plant I thought it would be important that you mention the plant that looks similar in a lot of ways to fennel and is extremely poisonous. It also grows in abundance on the west coast. It is poison Hemlock. The difference is it has white flowers and a purplish color at the base of the stem. It’s leaves are more carrot like than fennel. But, there has been deaths caused by people mistaking it for fennel or wild carrot…
Sincerely, Melina
9:14 am on August 11th, 2009
According to Paul Stamets/fungi.com mushrooms like button mushrooms and portabellos should not be eaten raw. They have agaritines which are carcinogens. You need to cook them above, I think it is 415 degress, to break down those compounds.
check out Daryl Hannah’s visit with Paul: http://www.dhlovelife.com/v2/show/archive/?wk=24
2:31 pm on August 24th, 2009
Taro and Taro Leaves can’t be eaten raw because of certain type of crystal in them that will cut up your throat and stomach. Taro grows in Hawaii as well as other tropical locations and may go by other names outside of the hawaiian islands.
Kiani