The surprising foods better for you when eaten RAW - and why tomatoes and carrot should always be enjoyed cooked

• When it comes to nutrition, understanding the best way to prepare foods is key 
• Some vegetables are better for you when cooked as they release more nutrients 
• While others such as broccoli, garlic and red peppers are healthier eaten raw
• This guide of 10 foods looks at which foods benefit from heat, and which don't 

By EMILIA MAZZA FOR DAILY MAIL AUSTRALIA 

PUBLISHED: 00:56 BST, 4 October 2019 | UPDATED: 07:51 BST, 4 October 2019

The way your food is cooked depends on how nutritious it is for your body - and there are a surprising number of foods that are actually better for you when eaten raw. 

According to Australian nutritionist Lee Holmes, some foods like garlic and beetroot are better for you when eaten uncooked.

This guide takes a look at 10 foods that are better for your health in their raw state - and those more nutritious once they've been cooked.

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According to Australian nutritionist Lee Holmes (pictured), while some struggle to digest raw food due to sensitive digestive systems, maximum nutrition is accessed when foods like beetroot and garlic are consumed raw 

Foods you should be eating raw

1. Beetroot

As far as healthy vegetables go, the humble beetroot is a powerhouse.

It comes packed with fibre, vitamin C, potassium, manganese, and the B vitamin folate - nutrients that all help boost the immune system, increase energy and fight inflammation.

According to Lifehack, beetroots are much better for you when uncooked as heat can reduce the concentration of folate (a B vitamin) by 25 per cent.

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Beetroot is much healthier for you when eaten raw as cooking can reduce folate (a B-vitamin) by as much as 25 per cent

Be inspiralized and learn how to spiralize a beetroot

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What is folate? 

* Folate is one of the B-vitamins and is needed to make red and white blood cells in the bone marrow, convert carbohydrates into energy, and produce DNA and RNA.

Adequate intake is extremely important during periods of rapid growth such as pregnancy, infancy, and adolescence.

 Source: Medical News Today

2. Broccoli

Steamed broccoli may be delicious, but it's better for you when eaten raw. 

The 'superstar veggie' comes laden with vitamin C, calcium, potassium, protein and sulforaphane - a natural plant compound that helps fight cancer cells and slow ageing.

Findings from a study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry revealed those who consumed broccoli raw absorbed sulforaphane more quickly and in higher amounts compared to those who ate it cooked.

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Broccoli comes laden with with vitamin C, calcium, potassium, protein and sulforaphane - and is best consumed raw

3. Raspberries, blueberries and blackberries

Healthline reports berries are a great source of antioxidants, such as anthocyanins, ellagic acid, and resveratrol. 

However, if they've been through a drying process, their nutritional benefits are significantly reduced. 

Additionally, dried berries come with a sugar content that's three times higher than those in their natural state, and they're also higher in calories and carbs. 

4.  Red pepper 

If you're hoping to capitalise on the myriad of health benefits of red peppers, the vegetable is one best enjoyed raw.

Red peppers contain one of the highest levels of vitamin C and it comes with vitamin B6, vitamin E, and magnesium.

The problem with cooking peppers is that this immediately lowers the vitamin C content.

If you prefer to cook them, opt for stir-frying or roasting as this preserves more of their vitamins, advises HFC.com.au.

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Red peppers are a vegetable that contains one of the highest levels of vitamin C, however, cooking drastically reduce this naturally occurring nutrient

5. Garlic

Garlic contains two key compounds, a sulphur-rich amino acid called alliin and a protein-based enzyme called allinase.

The clove has no smell until you slice or crush it, allowing the compounds to mix and form a third compound, called allicin.

Allicin is a powerful natural antibiotic - about one-fiftieth as powerful as penicillin - and also has anti-fungal and anti-viral properties.

The compound only exists in raw garlic. Cooking kills allicin and causes it to decay into other compounds which are less effective. 

What vitamins and minerals does garlic contain? 

Garlic contains about ten different kinds of natural sugars, including fructose, glucose and insulin.

It also contains relatively high levels of the trace minerals copper, iron, zinc, tin, calcium, manganese, aluminium, germanium and selenium. 

The level of selenium in garlic is higher than in almost any other plant. 

Source: Amy Anderson via Daily Mail 

Foods you should be eating cooked

1. Tomato

While tomatoes are delicious in a fresh salad, they are better for you when cooked.

This is because tomatoes, along with other brightly coloured fruits and vegetables, come packed with a naturally occurring compound called lycopene.

Lycopene is an antioxidant which may help to protect against chronic conditions such as heart disease.

In the case of tomatoes, lycopene becomes easier to absorb when tomatoes are heated, reports Cornell University.

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Tomatoes are better cooked as this helps the compound lycopene to be more easily absorbed by the body

2. Asparagus

Asparagus comes laden with vitamins A, C, E, folate and potassium, however, it's unlikely you'll unlock the health benefits by eating it raw.

Cooking the vegetable helps break down its thick cell walls which means it becomes easier for the body to absorb its nutrients.

3. Artichoke

Artichokes come with an array of health benefits including the ability to lower blood sugar levels, improve digestion as well as assist with heart health, and liver health.

The vegetable includes vitamins B6, C, K as well as magnesium and also comes laden with powerful antioxidants.

According to HuffPost, steaming artichokes for 15 minutes increases the levels of the naturally occurring free-radical-fighting compound 15-fold.

Boiling them boosts their antioxidant levels eight-fold. Microwaving also helps. However, frying the vegetable isn't suggested as it removes flavonoids, a type of antioxidant.

4. Eggplant

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If you want to get the most from eggplants, cooking these helps increase the potency of anthocyanin, a phytonutrient found in the skin

Eggplant comes packed with vitamins, minerals, fibre and antioxidants.

As with artichokes, eggplants benefit from being cooked as this helps increase the potency of anthocyanin, a phytonutrient found in the skin.

Vegetables which are part of the nightshade group include tomatoes, peppers, chilli peppers and potatoes.

5. Carrot 

Carrots are a good source of beta-carotene, fibre, vitamin K1, potassium, and antioxidants.

Although delicious raw, the vegetable increases in potency when cooked.

Cooked carrots contain more beta-carotene, an antioxidant that gets converted in your body to vitamin A, which is good for your eyes and immune system. 

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-7531935/10-foods-better-health-cooked-eat-raw.html

Eat lots of Sweet Potatoes – Quite Interesting Indeed!!

It’s been said that God first separated the salt water from the fresh, made dry land, planted a garden, made animals and fish. . .  All before making a human. He made and provided all the foods we’d need to eat before we were born. These are best and more powerful when eaten raw. We’re such slow learners. . .

God left us a great clue as to what foods help what part of our body!
God’s Pharmacy! Amazing!

For instance:    A sliced Carrot looks like the human eye.  The pupil, iris and radiating lines look just like the human eye…and YES science now shows that carrots greatly enhance blood flow to and function of the eyes. A Tomato has four chambers and is red.  The heart is red and has four chambers.  All of the research shows tomatoes are indeed pure heart and blood food. Grapes hang in a cluster that has the shape of the heart.  Each grape looks like a blood cell and all of the research today shows that grapes are also profound heart and blood vitalizing food. A Walnut looks like a little brain, a left and right hemisphere, upper cerebrums and lower cerebelums.  Even the wrinkles or folds are on the nut just like the neo-cortex.  We now know that walnuts help develop over 3 dozen neuro-transmitters for brain function.   Kidney Beans actually heal and help maintain kidney function and yes, they look exactly like the human kidneys.   Celery, Bok Choy, Rhubarb and more look just like bones.  These foods specifically target bone strength.  Bones are 23% sodium and these foods are 23% sodium.  If you don’t have enough sodium in your diet the body pulls it from the bones, making them weak.  These foods replenish the skeletal needs of the body.   Egg Plant, Avocadoes and Pears target the health and function of the womb and cervix of the female – they look just like these organs.  Today’s research shows that when a woman eats 1 avocado a week, it balances hormones, sheds unwanted birth weight and prevents cervicle cancers.  And how profound is this? …. it takes exactly 9 months to grow an Avocado from blossom to ripened fruit. There are over 14,000 phytolytic chemical constituents of nutrition in each one of these foods (modern science has only studied and named about 141 of them).   Figs are full of seeds and hang in twos when they grow.  Figs increase the motility of male sperm and increase the numbers of sperm as well to overcome male sterility.   Sweet Potatoes look like the pancreas and actually balance the glycemic index of diabetics. Olives assist the health and function of the ovaries Grapefruits, Oranges, and other Citrus fruits look just like the mamary glands of the female and actually assist the health of the breasts and the movement of lymph in and out of the breasts.   Onions look like body cells.  Todays research shows that onions help clear waste materials from all of the body cells.  They even produce tears which wash the epithelial lasyers of the eyes Bananas, Cucumber, Zuchini and more target the size and strengh of the male sexual organ.  It’s true! Peanuts have a profound effect on the testicles and sexual libido. Peanuts were banned as a food for males by the church ofin during the middle ages. Most people don’t realize that arginine, the main component of Viagra, comes from peanuts.

Submitted by: Helen

http://myhealingkitchen.com/soul-food/eat-lots-of-sweet-potatoes-quite-interesting-indeed/

Top 10 healthiest vegetables

Mar 18, 2009 9:48 AM by Sarah Kelsey

 

Posted in Health & Wellness / Diet & Fitness / Dieting & Nutrition

Must-Have Veggies

Veggies are an important part of everyone's diet. They contain dozens of important nutrients and have loads of dietary fiber. And just by getting your daily quota of five to nine servings, you help build your body's immunity to things like cancer, heart disease and diabetes. So what are the top veggies you should be eating to boost your disease-fighting potential? Read on to find out.

  

Tomatoes

Though technically a fruit, tomatoes are most often served like a vegetable. Full of lycopene, these beautiful red orbs (and all tomato-based products) are renowned for their cancer-fighting capabilities. Not only are they chock full of vitaminy goodness (from vitamins A to K), they also keep our blood pressure in check and help to reduce the number of free radicals in our bodies.
How to eat them: Heirloom tomato recipes

Broccoli

Few foods measure up to the disease-fighting potential of broccoli. This cruciferous veg is packed with antioxidants that help reduce the risk of stomach, lung and rectal cancers. And because broccoli is rich in beta-carotene, vitamin C and folate, it is also good at boosting your immunity to colds and flus.
How to eat it: Sesame-Ginger Frittata with Broccoli and Shrimp

Brussels sprouts

These little green veggies are especially important for pregnant woman because they're packed with folic acid, a B-vitamin that prevents neural tube defects. Brussels sprouts are also packed with vitamins C and K as well as fiber, potassium and omega-3 fatty acids.
How to eat them: Stuffed Chicken Breasts with a side of Brussels Sprouts (cooking video)

Carrots

These orange-wonders are loaded with eye, skin and hair-enriching nutrients. They're also the richest vegetable source of some important antioxidants, like vitamin A. And because they're rich in vitamin C, carrots protect your cardiovascular system from damage.
How to eat them: Carrot Raisin Muffins

Squash

A good source of anti-inflammatory nutrients like vitamin C and beta-carotene, squash, especially summer squash, can help treat dozens of conditions including asthma, osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Squash is also rich in potassium, magnesium and fiber.
How to eat it: Summer Squash Ravioli

Sweet potato

This root vegetable has dozens of anti-cancer nutrients like vitamin A, C and manganese. They're also a good source of fiber and iron, so not only do they give you energy, they can also help regulate your digestive system.
How to eat them: Sweet Potato Soup

Eggplant

High in heart healthy nutrients, eggplants are rich in antioxidants like nasunin (a unique compound that protects your brain cells from damage). And because eggplants are loaded with fiber and potassium, researchers believe they may reduce your risk of stroke and dementia.
How to eat it: Eggplant Parmesan

Bell Peppers

Whether you prefer red, orange or yellow, bell peppers are packed with dozens of heart-healthy nutrients like lycopene and folic acid. And recent research suggests digging into a pepper every day may lower your risk of developing lung, colon, bladder and pancreatic cancers.
How to eat them: Stuffed Roasted Bell Peppers

Spinach

This chlorophyll-packed type of produce is an excellent source of almost every vitamin and nutrient you need. Scientists believe a diet heavy in spinach may be able to prevent everything from heart disease to colon cancer, and arthritis to osteoporosis.
 How to eat it: Spinach Salad

Onions

These pungent smelling veggies are particularly good for people suffering from (or at risk of developing) osteoporosis. That's because onions are loaded with a peptide called GPCS which scientists believe slows your body's loss of calcium. Onions may also be useful in the fight against heart disease and diabetes because they're loaded with vitamin C and folate.
How to eat them: French Onion Soup

More on the healthiest vegetables you can eat

10 Best everyday superfoods (veggies, fruits and more)
Foods that fight cancer
Vegetables from the sea: Sea-living superfoods
The four healthiest green vegetables

Source:  Top 10 healthiest vegetables

Nature's Alternative to Chemotherapy?

The Latest Weapon in the War on Cancer: Honey Bees

Nature's Alternative to Chemotherapy? (Slows Cancer Growth by 50%)

November 24, 2012 | 8,611 views

 

Story at-a-glance

• Propolis, the “caulk” honeybees use to patch holes in their hives, may slow the growth of prostate cancer
• When low oral doses of a propolis extract were given to mice with prostate tumors, tumor growth slowed by 50 percent, and feeding the substance to mice daily caused the tumors to stop growing
• Propolis has powerful immune-modulating effects, along with potent antioxidant and anti-microbial action, and healing, analgesic, anesthetic, and anti-inflammatory properties
• Like propolis, a handful of additional natural compounds have been discovered that show promise for treating cancer without the toxic effects caused by chemotherapy; bromelain, vitamin C, turmeric (curcumin) and eggplant extract are among them

By Dr. Mercola

Propolis, the "caulk" honeybees use to patch holes in their hives, has been used as a natural remedy since ancient times, treating ills ranging from sore throats and burns to allergies.

New research has revealed another exciting use for this seemingly miraculous substance, this time in the fight against cancer.

Propolis Slows Tumor Growth

Propolis has a number of well-known therapeutic properties, including potent antioxidant and anti-microbial action, and healing, analgesic, anesthetic, and anti-inflammatory properties. In the hive, bees use it as a disinfectant against bacteria and viruses, helping to seal cracks and "embalm" invaders that are too large to carry out.

It's been used for thousands of years in folk medicine, but despite its plethora of active components, research on this compound, and therefore its modern medical uses, is limited.

Researchers from the University of Chicago Medical Center, intrigued by propolis' anti-cancer potential, decided to look at one of its bioactive components, caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE), and its impact on human prostate cancer cells.

In cells grown in a lab, even small doses of CAPE slowed the growth of tumor cells. And when low oral doses were given to mice with prostate tumors, tumor growth slowed by 50 percent! What's more, feeding CAPE to mice daily caused the tumors to stop growing, although they returned when the CAPE was removed from their diets.

This suggests the propolis compound works by impacting signaling networks that control cancerous cell growth, rather than by killing the cells directly. However, there are at least four studies on propolis' apoptotic properties, indicating that technically it is capable of directly killing cancer cells, including prostate cancer, melanoma and more, as well.¹

This is not the first time propolis has shown promise in treating cancer. In 2009, propolis was found to suppress the growth of neurofibromatosis-associated tumors (tumors on nerve tissue) by blocking PAK1 signaling. Researchers noted:²

"Since more than 70% of human cancers such as breast and prostate cancers require the kinase PAK1 for their growth, it is quite possible that GPE [green propolis extract] could be potentially useful for the treatment of these cancers, as is Bio 30 [a CAPE-based propolis extract]."

Propolis Has Powerful Immune-Modulating, Anti-Inflammatory Properties

What makes natural compounds so exciting, and often so powerful, is that they don't simply exhibit one therapeutic action the way, say, most drugs work. Instead, they contain numerous bioactive components that may exert dozens of beneficial actions within your body. This appears to be the case with propolis, which has been found to play a role in over 80 conditions, including:³

Inflammation	Ulcers	Radiation damage
Herpes	Warts	Periodontitis
Ear infections	Respiratory tract infections	Flu
Cataracts	Oxidative stress	Staph infection

Writing in Clinical Reviews in Allergy and Immunology, researchers expanded on some of propolis' potential effects:⁴

"Propolis, a waxy substance produced by the honeybee, has been adopted as a form of folk medicine since ancient times. It has a wide spectrum of alleged applications including potential anti-infection and anticancer effects. Many of the therapeutic effects can be attributed to its immunomodulatory functions. The composition of propolis can vary according to the geographic locations from where the bees obtained the ingredients.

Two main immunopotent chemicals have been identified as caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) and artepillin C. Propolis, CAPE, and artepillin C have been shown to exert summative immunosuppressive function on T lymphocyte subsets but paradoxically activate macrophage function.

On the other hand, they also have potential antitumor properties by different postulated mechanisms such as suppressing cancer cells proliferation via its anti-inflammatory effects; decreasing the cancer stem cell populations; blocking specific oncogene signaling pathways; exerting antiangiogenic effects; and modulating the tumor microenvironment.

The good bioavailability by the oral route and good historical safety profile makes propolis an ideal adjuvant agent for future immunomodulatory or anticancer regimens."

Other Natural Remedies Also Show Cancer Promise

One of the reasons why conventional cancer treatment is such a dismal failure in the United States is because it relies on chemotherapy. Chemotherapy drugs are, by their very nature, extremely toxic and typically work against your body's natural ability to fight cancer, e.g. destroying host immunity instead of supporting it.
One of the biggest drawbacks to chemotherapy is the fact that it destroys healthy cells throughout your body right along with cancer cells, a "side effect" that often leads to accelerated death, not healing.

Another devastating side effect of chemotherapy is the way it actually supports the more chemo-resistant and malignant cell subpopulations within tumors (e.g. cancer stem cells), both killing the more benign cells and/or quiescent cells within the tumor that keep it slow-growing, or even harmless.

As a result, this unleashes a more aggressive, treatment-resistant type of cancer to wreak havoc on your body.

Like propolis, a handful of natural compounds have been discovered that show promise for treating cancer without such toxic effects. Some of these even exhibit an effect called "selective cytotoxicity," which means they are able to kill cancer cells while leaving healthy cells and tissue unharmed, and even benefited one such compound is bromelain, an enzyme that can be extracted from pineapple stems. Research published in the journal Planta Medica found that bromelain was superior to the chemotherapy drug 5-fluorauracil in treating cancer in an animal study.⁵
Researchers stated:

"This antitumoral effect [of bromelain] was superior to that of 5-FU [5-fluorouracil], whose survival index was approximately 263 %, relative to the untreated control."

What makes this impact particularly impressive is that the bromelain worked without causing additional harm to the animals. The chemo drug 5-fluorauracil, on the other hand, has a relatively unsuccessful and dangerous track record despite being used for nearly 40 years. Selective cytotoxicity is indeed a property that is only found among natural compounds; no chemotherapy drug yet developed is capable of this effect. Aside from bromelain, other examples of natural compounds that have been found to kill cancer cells without harming healthy cells include:

• Vitamin C: Dr. Ronald Hunninghake carried out a 15-year research project called RECNAC (cancer spelled backwards). His groundbreaking research in cell cultures showed that vitamin C was selectively cytotoxic against cancer cells.
• Eggplant extract: Solasodine rhamnosyl glycosides (BEC), which are a class of compounds extracted from plants of the Solanaceae family, such as eggplant, tomato, potato, Bell peppers, and tobacco, also impact only cancerous cells leaving normal cells alone. Eggplant extract cream appears to be particularly useful in treating skin cancer. Dr. Bill E. Cham, a leading researcher in this area, explains:

  "The mode of action of SRGs [glycoalkaloids solasodine rhamnosy glycosides (BEC)] is unlike any current antineoplastic [anti-tumor] agent. Specific receptors for the SRGs present only on cancer cells but not normal cells are the first step of events that lead to apoptosis in cancer cells only, and this may explain why during treatment the cancer cells were being eliminated and normal cells were replacing the killed cancer cells with no scar tissue being formed."

• Turmeric (Curcumin Extract): Of all the natural cancer fighters out there, this spice has been the most intensely researched for exhibiting selective cytotoxicity.⁶ Remarkably, in a 2011 study published in the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, rats administered curcumin, the primary polyphenol in turmeric, saw a decrease in experimentally-induced brain tumors in 9 out of 11 treated, while noting that the curcumin did not affect the viability of brain cells "suggesting that curcumin selectively targets the transformed [cancerous] cells."⁷

Natural Strategies for Cancer Prevention

When it comes to cancer and other chronic diseases, effective prevention trumps progressive treatments in my eyes. I believe you can virtually eliminate your risk of ever developing cancer (and radically improve your chances of recovering from cancer if you currently have it) by following some relatively simple risk reduction strategies—all of which help promote a healthful biological environment in which your cells can thrive and combat disease naturally.

• Optimize your vitamin D levels.
• Reduce or eliminate your processed food, fructose and grain carbohydrate intake.
• Control your fasting insulin and leptin levels. Normalizing your insulin levels is one of the most powerful physical actions you can take to lower your risk of cancer, and improved insulin and leptin control is the natural outcome of reducing or eliminating fructose, grains, and processed foods from your diet.
• Normalize your ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fats by taking a high-quality krill oil and reducing your intake of most processed vegetable oils.
• Get regular exercise. One of the primary ways exercise lowers your risk for cancer is by reducing elevated insulin levels, which creates a low sugar environment that discourages the growth and spread of cancer cells, which thrive on sugar-based metabolism (anaerobic glycolysis). Controlling insulin levels is one of the most powerful ways to reduce your cancer risks. Additionally, exercise improves the circulation of immune cells in your blood. Your immune system is your first line of defense against everything from minor illnesses like a cold right up to devastating, life-threatening diseases like cancer. The trick about exercise, though, is understanding how to use it as a precise tool. This ensures you are getting enough to achieve the benefit, not too much to cause injury, and the right variety to balance your entire physical structure and maintain strength and flexibility, and aerobic and anaerobic fitness levels. If you have limited time, high-intensity Peak Fitness exercises are your best bet but ideally you should have a good strength-training program as well.
  
• Get regular, good-quality sleep.
• Reduce your exposure to environmental toxins like pesticides, household chemical cleaners, synthetic air fresheners and air pollution.
• Limit your exposure and provide protection for yourself from EMF produced by cell phone towers, base stations, cell phones and WiFi stations. On May 31, 2011, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), an arm of the World Health Organization (WHO), declared that cell phones are "possibly carcinogenic to humans."
• Avoid frying or charbroiling your food. Boil, poach or steam your foods instead.
• Have a tool to permanently reprogram the neurological short-circuiting that can activate cancer genes. Even the CDC states that 85 percent of disease is caused by emotions. It is likely that this factor may be more important than all the other physical ones listed here, so make sure this is addressed. Energy psychology seems to be one of the best approaches and my particular favorite tool, as you may know, is the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT).
• Eat at least one-third of your diet in the form of raw food.

[-] Sources and References

• ¹ GreenMedInfo Bee Propolis
• ² Phytother Res. 2009 Mar;23(3):423-7.
• ³ GreenMedInfo Bee Propolis
• ⁴ Clin Rev Allergy Immunol. 2012 Jun 17.
• ⁵ Planta Med. 2007 Oct;73(13):1377-83.
• ⁶ GreenMedInfo Selective Cytotoxicity
• ⁷ J Nutr Biochem. 2011 Jul 18.

+] Comments (2)

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