A Kale Smoothie? Not So Fast…
By Toby Helmstetter, LAc
With the warmer weather, many patients are asking about changing their diets to a more spring-friendly fare. Though Chinese Medicine dietetics prefers people cook their vegetables, especially during winter, the warmer weather allows for a certain amount of cool or raw foods. Juicing, making smoothies and eating more salads are all on the agenda. But there are a few guidelines--Chinese medical and otherwise--that you may want to observe before jumping in to these healthy diet alternatives.
Cooked more than raw Chinese medicine views the stomach like a "cooking cauldron." We refer to it as a pot of boiling water that cooks the food we eat like soup to digest it and turn it into energy. If we eat too many raw or uncooked foods, we end up dampening the fire in the pot. If you've ever thrown cold veggies into a boiling pot, you know what I mean. Consuming more lightly cooked foods than raw will help keep your digestive system running smoothly. Steaming, stir-frying, sautéing, slow cooking, stewing, and baking also frees up the minerals in many vegetables. This isn't to say that you should be eating soups all summer long; balancing your cooked foods with some raw ones is perfectly healthy. One or two meals a day can feature something uncooked--a salad, a few raw veggies on the side of an otherwise warm meal.
Have a warm, cooked breakfast I know, the allure and ease of a smoothie in the morning is hard to pass up, but it's one of the most difficult things for your stomach to digest. Along the lines of the "cauldron," eating a warm, cooked breakfast keeps your digestive juices going all day long. Putting something cold (and usually freezing cold) in there first thing in the morning--when your digestive energy is at it's peak--can slow your digestion down for the rest of the day. Start off with something warm and save your cold, raw foods for lunch or snacks in the afternoon.
Cook your cruciferous veggies The crucifers--broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, mustard greens, radishes, rutabagas and turnips--is no doubt good for your health. Some of the highest sources of vitamins and minerals come from cruciferous vegetables. However, eating them raw is not recommended because they contain goitrogens, substances that block the formation of thyroid hormone. Unless you cook or ferment your crucifers (as in eating sauerkraut or kim-chee), they can suppress your thyroid and slow down your metabolism. Juicing fans often add raw kale as a quick way to get their greens in for the day; but since this may not be the best thing for your overall health, steam your kale first before juicing, or better yet, substitute another healthy green like chard or watercress.