Importance of Eating Cooked Vegetables with Every Meal
The cooking of vegetables is necessary for optimal mineral and nutrient absorption. Unlike animals such as cows, who have multiple stomachs to aid in digestion, humans have only one stomach. Digestion and nutrient absorption is greatly diminished when vegetables are eaten raw. Vegetables absorb the highest amount of minerals from the Earth, much greater than that of fruits. When we begin to properly develop and heal the soil, even adding practices such as Electroculture, our vegetables will be more heavily packed with easily absorbable minerals and nutrients, making us more healthy. Greater mineral content within our bodies will allow for people to eat less food, but have greater nutrients and overall health. This will help reduce the issues with lower obesity rates. More on this concept in the next section.
In addition to the high mineral content, steamed veggies create an environment for the cleansing of the body of toxic substances and oxide forms of nutrients. Both folate found in veggies, particularly greens, and Methyl groups (TMG) are necessary for the detoxification of the liver. These nutrients are essential for DNA health, high brain function, and protein synthesis.
Steamed vegetables stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system, which is the healing mode of the nervous system. When the parasympathetic NS is activated and working optimally, the body is in a state conducive for healing and regeneration. Being stuck in fight or flight mode by excessive sympathetic NS activation does not allow the body the environment needed for deep genetic healing. Not only is this diet a healing diet, but it is also an anti-disease diet. Very low in sugars and fermentation, but high in fiber, cooked veggies are anti-yeast and anti-parasitic. Anti diabetic, anti obese, and anti heart disease, due to the high levels of bioavailable nutrients, and low sugar levels. All of these benefits touch each organ system, and each biological system, down to the bone marrow itself. Incremental removal of toxic metals from the bone marrow helps the body to generate healthier red blood cells.
Vegetables should be cooked until soft, but not overcooked. Utilizing a pressure cooker, one can simply steam vegetables for 1 minute, and this should suffice for properly cooked vegetables. Otherwise, traditional steaming of vegetables is another great option. Other ways of cooking vegetables utilizing high temperatures can possibly damage the vegetables by creating toxic byproducts. There are three main categories of vegetables. An even mixture of vegetables from each category should be eaten weekly, or even daily. Vegetables can be divided into Roots, Greens, and Cabbage family veggies.
Root Vegetables include shallots, scallions, carrots, rutabaga, onions, leeks, and daikon. These root vegetables are fine for daily use. Others such as yam, sweet potatoes, beets, and parsnips are fine, but shouldn’t be eaten every day. The African Yam in particular is essential in the diet of a Sickle Cell Warrior, but should not be eaten daily. Three servings per week of African Yam is recommended, but not more.
Green Vegetables include turnip greens, mustard greens, collard greens, green onions, green beans, spinach, cilantro, parsley, swiss chard, bok choy, watercress, Chinese cabbage, carrot tops, and possibly others. Kale currently is reported to have high levels of a toxic metal here in America. So it would be wise to avoid kale at this time.
Cabbage Family Vegetables include purple cabbage, green cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, broccolini, and brussel sprouts.
For optimum health and healing, do your best to make cooked vegetables half of your foot intake minimum. For even better health and quicker recovery, I recommend 70 percent of your food intake be the steamed vegetables above. Your choice of sea salt, garlic powder, or small amount of other seasoning is fine to add for taste.
