Raw Food Myth

One trend we've seen in the last ten years is the rise of the raw food movement. The theory, in short, is that cooking food destroys enzymes. This theory is often based more on emotion and ideology than fact or science. In fact, cooking often liberates nutrients from food and makes them more bioavailable. The difference between raw and cooked can be significant.

Tomatoes- I eat stewed tomatoes straight from the can. But now I cook them. Here's why. Cooking provides more lycopene than raw tomatoes. Lycopene helps your heart. Here's the difference in lycopene levels:

One medium tomato: 3.7 mg
Can of sauce: 19.4 mg

Take that, raw tomatoes! Look for tomatoes that include the peel.

Carrots

Boil or steam your carrots. Carrots have carotenoids, which are converted to vitamin A. Boil for about 3-4 minutes to break down the tough fibres. You can tell when your fork easily penetrates the carrots. You can also crush them when juicing them. Carrots also work best with a fat, as vitamin A is fat-soluble. Eat them in a salad with eggs, flaxseed oil, and avocados.

Bell Peppers

Stir fry them with your fajitas. Since you'll be using oil in frying pan, the fat will help absorb vitamin B6 and A. Steaming and roasting them are also good options.

Green Vegetables

These taste nasty when eaten raw, so steaming them or cooking them is mandatory. This separates the calcium from the oxalates. Eat with protein as this will increase the bioavailability of the iron.

Broccoli

Boiling and steaming preserves the antioxidants and glucosinolates, which counteract carcinogens in your body. Steam for three minutes or until the broccoli slightly wilts and turns bright green.

Onions/Garlic

Yes, onions improve heart health. But onions on a Philly cheese steak won't help your heart. The secret to onions is allicin, an enzyme. Add garlic at the very end of the cooking process so you don't destroy allicin. Add onions and garlic to your fajitas, along with bell peppers, some kind of meat, and a source of fat and you have one antioxidative meal.

Kevin