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Eating Beetroot Raw: What Speaks for and what against

Beetroot is healthy and versatile, and therefore a very popular vegetable in Germany. But can beetroot also be eaten raw? We explain what you should consider.

Raw beetroot: A superfood full of vital substances

Beetroot is full of important micronutrients such as phytochemicals, iron, vitamin C and B vitamins. Just 200 grams cover around 50 percent of your daily folic acid requirement.

However, this only applies to raw beetroot. When you boil or fry them, many important nutrients are lost. Most adults should therefore eat the power vegetable raw from time to time. For example, you can enjoy the beet in a salad, as a beetroot carpaccio or in a smoothie. But not everyone should eat raw beetroot – because unfortunately the vegetable also has a few disadvantages.

Eating beetroot raw: the disadvantages

In addition to many positive ingredients, beetroot also contains oxalic acid. If you eat too much of it, kidney stones can form. The acid also makes it harder for your body to absorb calcium. Cooking the beets lowers their oxalic acid content.

Beetroot also contains nitrate. The salt is initially completely harmless to health. However, if it is stored unfavorably or has to be transported long distances, it converts to nitrite. This substance is very dangerous, especially for infants. Therefore, children should only eat nitrate-rich vegetables in moderation.

Conclusion: The dose makes the poison!

Beetroot is a very healthy food that provides your body with many important nutrients. The beetroot is particularly rich in nutrients when it is raw. Therefore, there is nothing wrong with eating the vegetables raw from time to time.

To keep your food low in oxalic acid and nitrate, you should buy fresh, local produce and not store it for too long. You can get beetroot from German cultivation between June and March. If you only cook or blanch the vegetables for a short time, the oxalic acid content will already drop significantly. However, be careful not to cook it for too long – otherwise valuable ingredients will be lost.

Note: Raw beetroot is less suitable for people with kidney problems and small children. In this case, seek medical advice beforehand.

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Food

Freezing Potatoes: What Speaks for and What Against

Freeze potatoes? That’s the first thought when you’ve cooked too many potatoes again. But it’s not that easy to freeze potatoes.

Freeze raw potatoes?

Unfortunately, raw potatoes are not suitable for freezing. The low temperatures in the freezer turn starch into sugar – so the potatoes would taste much sweeter. This is not harmful to health, but the taste is very unusual. In addition, freezing destroys the cell structure. As a result, potatoes will look glassy and mushy after thawing.

Freeze boiled potatoes

In principle, however, you can freeze boiled potatoes: peeled, whole or in small pieces, you can use them after defrosting to make soup or mashed potatoes. Nevertheless, the consistency changes even when cooked, so you should really only freeze potatoes in an emergency.

However, the situation is different if you freeze the potatoes in their processed state: you can freeze potato soup and mashed potatoes without any problems, without the taste or consistency changing.

By the way, bought fries and croquettes keep so well in the freezer because they have been shock-frozen.

Instead of freezing: store potatoes properly

Freezing potatoes helps prevent potential food waste, but it’s not recommended. Because the freezer consumes a lot of energy and if the potatoes are not processed into mashed potatoes or potato soup, the consistency also suffers. If you want to preserve potatoes for a long time, a dry, cool and dark environment is ideal – for example the cellar. You can store potatoes there for months.

If you don’t have a basement or similar place for the potatoes, you should only buy small quantities. In vegetable and organic shops, potatoes are sold individually and not just in a large kilo sack. This is a much more effective way of preventing food waste.

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Food

Eating Celery Raw: What Speaks For it

Eating celery raw has many health benefits. We’ll tell you why and what else you should know about the healthy plant.

Celery belongs to the umbelliferae and originally comes from the Mediterranean region. The wild form did not yet have a tuber or stalk, but the leaves of the plant were already being used in ancient times. In the meantime, around 30 different varieties have been bred. The most common are:
celery root
celery stalks or stalks (white celery)
celery leaves

Important nutrients in celery

Celery has a long tradition, particularly as a soup vegetable. However, the plant can do much more than flavor our soup. The tuber, stem, leaves and seeds contain many healthy nutrients. The most important include:
Antioxidant Flavonoids
essential oils
Vitamins A, C, K, D, B1, B2, B6
Potassium, calcium, sodium, magnesium, folic acid and iron.

Why you should eat a lot of celery

Already in ancient Egypt, celery with its numerous ingredients was recognized as a medicinal plant and used, for example, against gout, rheumatism, digestive problems, inflammation and depression.
In traditional Chinese medicine, celery is still used today, among other things, as a remedy for high blood pressure and in Ayuvedic medicine, for example, against dementia.
Studies have shown that celery can actually be so beneficial to health. The anti-inflammatory ingredients and antioxidants also benefit the cardiovascular and immune systems, and the apigenin found in celery may even prevent and treat cancer.
Due to the high potassium content, the plant has a detoxifying effect and can help with bladder and kidney problems.
Celery also contains a lot of fiber and is very low in calories, which is why the vegetable is also popular for weight loss.

Eat celery raw – that’s why it’s worth it

It is therefore worth adding celery to your diet regularly. The tuber, stalks and leaves can be steamed, baked, fried or boiled. However, you should bear in mind when preparing it that many of the valuable ingredients are lost when it is heated. Up to 41 percent of heat-sensitive vitamins and minerals can volatilize.

In order to be able to absorb all nutrients, it is therefore healthiest to eat celery raw. Peeled celery sticks are best for this. For example, raw celery tastes delicious in salads, as a snack between meals or with delicious dips.

A freshly prepared juice is also a delicious way to eat celery raw. It helps to detoxify the body, balances the water balance and brings new energy and electrolytes after exercise or a hard day.

Thanks to the high magnesium content, the juice also has a calming effect on the nervous system and can help you fall asleep.

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Food

Eating Broccoli Raw: What Speaks For it – and What Speaks Against it

Broccoli is a true power food that you can eat wonderfully raw. What “power” is in it and when should you not eat raw broccoli?

Eat broccoli raw – power food with lots of vitamins, minerals and glucosinolates

Raw broccoli contains many important vitamins and minerals that can break down during cooking. So in order to absorb as many nutrients as possible, you can eat broccoli raw. Organic broccoli is the healthiest for you and the environment.

Broccoli contains, among other things:
The minerals calcium, magnesium, sulfur and potassium,
Beta carotene – the precursor of vitamin A, as well
Vitamin C, Vitamin K and Vitamin B5.
As in other types of cabbage, glucosinolates (mustard oil glycosides) can be found in broccoli. These secondary plant substances have a positive effect on health. Anticarcinogenic and antibacterial properties are ascribed to them.

It is therefore worth trying the broccoli raw, whether in a smoothie or in a salad. Before eating, you should wash the broccoli thoroughly.
Note: For maximum vitamin and mineral retention, it is best to store broccoli in the vegetable drawer of your refrigerator. You should consume it promptly (one to two days) after purchase.

Raw broccoli can cause stomach pain and bloating

Because broccoli is a cabbage, some people with sensitive digestive tracts may experience abdominal pain and/or bloating when eating broccoli raw.

If you are prone to the above side effects, you can try the following:
Chew the broccoli very well.
only eat small amounts raw at first,
rather eat the florets as they are more digestible than the stalk.

If you don’t like the florets raw even after following these tips, you can blanch or steam the broccoli – possibly with the addition of a little caraway or fennel (depending on your taste). In this way, most of the valuable nutrients remain available and flatulence should be reduced.

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Food

Eating Onions Raw: What Speaks For it and What You Should Consider

You can also eat onions raw instead of always frying or steaming them. This is how you benefit from the many healthy ingredients in onions.

Eat onions raw – that’s why it’s worth it

Onions are extremely healthy and have always been a popular remedy for various ailments. The most valuable ingredients of the onion include:
high levels of vitamin C,
vitamin B6 in high quantity,
vitamin B7 (biotin),
antioxidants,
Potassium,
sulfur compounds.
From a medical point of view, the antioxidants and the sulfur compounds are particularly important. But the vitamins and potassium they contain also make onions so healthy. The substance alliin, which studies have shown can prevent and even alleviate cancer, is also particularly interesting.

When heated, many of these valuable nutrients are lost. It is therefore advisable to eat the onions raw.

A blessing for health
As reported by the University Hospital in Freiburg, the onion has an anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial effect and helps with coughs and earaches. Red onions in particular can also lower cholesterol levels. Studies have shown that onions can successfully prevent cancer. Onions can even help with diabetes.

Eat raw onions without complications

The carbohydrates in onions are present as so-called “fructans”. On the one hand, these substances are healthy because, among other things, they activate the intestinal flora and promote bowel movements. However, if you have a sensitive digestive system, these substances can cause stomach pain or bloating.

If your digestion is sensitive, you should only try raw onions in small amounts at first. Alternatively, you can also use the milder spring onions for the time being, which are particularly digestible.
You can also prevent flatulence with suitable home remedies, such as caraway or fennel tea. Ginger or apple cider vinegar can also help with digestive problems.
If, on the other hand, the sharp taste of the raw onions prevents you, you can first sprinkle the sliced ​​onions with a little salt and let it soak in for an hour. This removes the spiciness from the onions. You can also try the milder vegetable onions.

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Food

Eating Sweet Potatoes Raw: What Speaks For and What Speaks Against it

You can eat sweet potatoes raw, but not regular potatoes. But what about the unhealthy oxalic acid in sweet potatoes? Here’s how healthy raw sweet potatoes really are.

Eat sweet potatoes raw: That’s why they’re the better potatoes

It sounds paradoxical: while you should never eat potatoes raw, that’s no problem with sweet potatoes. But the reason is obvious: sweet potatoes are not potatoes at all. Instead, sweet potatoes belong to the morning glory family and not to the nightshade family like the potato. So sweet potatoes are much more of a root. Compared to potatoes, sweet potatoes also contain no solanine. This is the toxic substance, which is why you should not eat potatoes raw.

Sweet potatoes contain many healthy ingredients. While some are broken down during cooking and baking, when consumed raw you can benefit from:
Carotenoids and anthocyanins (antioxidants)
Potassium (helps against stress, among other things)
Minerals such as calcium, zinc and iron
Vitamin A (good for the eyes)
Vitamin C (strengthens the immune system)
Vitamin E (protects against free radicals)
lots of carbohydrates with a high fiber content, which keeps you full for longer.
Basically, you can eat sweet potatoes raw and benefit from the many good ingredients. However, it contains oxalic acid, which can be harmful to humans.

Oxalic Acid in Sweet Potatoes – What Does It Mean?

Sweet potatoes contain quite a lot of oxalic acid. This damages the kidneys, but can be broken down by boiling or long soaking. At the same time, oxalic acid inhibits the absorption of magnesium, calcium and iron. For this reason, you should be careful not to consume excessive amounts of foods high in oxalic acid. So you can eat sweet potatoes raw, but in moderation and not by the kilo.

The combination is also important: For example, calcium promotes oxalic acid absorption. So when you combine calcium-rich foods like broccoli with sweet potatoes, the oxalic acid will be balanced. You can also combine kale, soy strips or sesame seeds.

According to the Bavarian consumer advice center, it is not a problem to eat sweet potatoes raw from time to time: “Unlike table potatoes, sweet potatoes can also be served raw as finger food or in a salad,” says nutrition expert Silke Noll from the consumer advice center.

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Cooking Tips

Eating Avocado Seeds: What Speaks For and What Speaks Against it

Instead of eating the avocado pit, most people just throw it in the trash. The core contains extremely healthy ingredients. But what about the controversial bitter substance persin?

The avocado is considered a healthy superfood that is rich in unsaturated fatty acids as well as vitamins and minerals. Normally, however, we only talk about the pulp – the skin and core usually end up in the garbage.

In recent years, however, it has been found that the avocado seed contains healthy nutrients and antioxidants. So should you eat the avocado seed as well? Some swear by it, others advise against it.

Eating an avocado seed: It should be that healthy

The ingredients and health benefits of the avocado have been extensively studied – but only in relation to the pulp. The situation is different with the avocado core, where research is still in its infancy. However, previous nutrient analyzes sound promising: the avocado core contains many of the fruit’s healthy ingredients, even in a concentrated form.

The avocado seed provides the following nutrients:
vitamins,
minerals such as potassium, magnesium, iron,
fiber,
Amino acids,
unsaturated fatty acids,
bitter substances,
phytochemicals such as phenolic acid, flavonoids, carotenoids.
These ingredients are all considered to be extremely beneficial to health. From a medical point of view, the unsaturated fatty acids, bitter substances and secondary plant substances are of particular interest. Because of these substances, the avocado seed is said to have many positive effects. Among other things, he should…

…protect cells from oxidation by free radicals,
…inhibit inflammation,
… prevent cardiovascular diseases,
… strengthen the immune system,
…prevent infections,
…stimulate the metabolism and
Prevent thyroid disorders.
Current research suggests that the avocado seed may lower cholesterol levels. It can also be used to treat high blood pressure, diabetes and inflammatory diseases.

The antioxidant properties of the seed have already been scientifically confirmed. Beyond that, however, there is a lack of further investigations and studies on humans. So far, only research has been done on how avocado seed extract can affect the body – but not the consumption of the seed.

Potential Risks: Is the avocado seed toxic?

Because of the current research situation, the consumer advice center NRW warns against eating the avocado stone. Based on the current information, it is not certain to what extent it is healthy to consume the seed. In this context, reference is also made to the bitter substance persine, which is toxic to humans in large doses and is also found in the pulp of fruit and other types of fruit. Therefore, some voices strongly warn against eating the avocado seed. But even these claims have not yet been sufficiently substantiated.

The ingredients and possible health-promoting effects of the avocado seed sound promising. Since the popular fruit has a bad climate balance, it makes sense from an ecological point of view to use as many parts of the avocado as possible. However, due to the lack of human studies and long-term studies, we advise against eating the avocado stone in large quantities and only occasionally using it very sparingly in the kitchen.

In general, however, avocados are problematic from many perspectives: cultivation requires an enormous amount of water, which is scarce in most growing areas anyway. The mostly long transport routes worsen the ecological footprint even more. Blood also sticks to avocados from Mexico in particular, since the avocado trade there is controlled by the drug cartels. That’s why we strongly advise you to buy avocados only rarely – and if you do, then buy organic avocados from Europe, such as Spain or Italy.

Preparing the avocado seed: This is how you can eat it

The best way to use the avocado seed is to let it dry first. You have the following options for this:
Remove the brown skin from the avocado stone. This works best if you soak the core in water for a short time beforehand or let it dry for a day. Then let the washed core dry for 1-3 days.
Alternatively, you can also cut the fresh avocado seed into pieces or thin slices with a sharp knife and then let it dry. The fastest way to do this is in the sun or in a dehydrator. You can also lightly toast the pieces in a pan.
You can then prepare the dried pieces as follows:

If you have a powerful blender, you can mix parts of the avocado seed into smoothies. Since the core has a relatively tart, bitter taste, you should combine it with flavorful ingredients such as cabbage, rocket, spinach or berries.
You can use a kitchen grater to finely grate the avocado seed and add it to both sweet and savory dishes. For example, you can sprinkle the fine pieces over muesli or add them to the salad.
You can also prepare a tea from the avocado seed. Pour hot water over a teaspoon of the fine shredded pieces and let the tea steep for ten minutes before straining.
Attention: Also because of the slightly bitter taste, you should only add the core sparingly.

Tip: If you don’t want to eat the avocado seed, you can also germinate it and grow your own avocado plant.

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Food

Eating Fennel Raw: What Speaks For and What Against

Fennel deserves a place on every plate. Eating it raw is especially healthy. We will tell you which valuable ingredients raw fennel contains.

We are most familiar with fennel as a tea against gastrointestinal complaints. In fact, fennel has always been considered a medicinal plant that can provide relief not only for flatulence and digestive problems. While it is a must in Mediterranean and Asian cuisines, fennel rarely finds a place on the menu in this country – unfortunately. Because fennel is aromatic and versatile.

Fennel contains the essential oils fenchone, anethole and myrcene, which are responsible for the light aniseed scent and taste. Anethold gives the fennel a sweet note, the fennel also makes the fennel taste a bit bitter.

You can prepare fennel in a number of ways: steam, roast, bake, grill, pickle or make into a soup. The easiest way to do this is to eat raw fennel. The crunchy vegetables also retain their valuable ingredients when processed raw. Heat can reduce the levels of certain vitamins, such as vitamin C.

However, fennel also contains substances that are not heat-sensitive, on the contrary: some substances, such as vitamin A, can be better absorbed by the body if they have been prepared with heat.

That’s why you should eat fennel raw

Fennel contains many important nutrients. The white-green tuber contains minerals such as calcium, potassium, magnesium and iron. Among other things, these substances ensure strong bones, a functioning oxygen transport system, and healthy hair and nails.

The essential oils are particularly effective substances. They have a positive effect on some gastrointestinal complaints. If you want to do something good for your stomach or your digestion with fennel, it is advisable to eat raw fennel. Because the essential oils evaporate quickly in the heat.

Fennel is also rich in vitamins. It contains vitamin C and B vitamins. These vitamins are heat sensitive. On the other hand, the vegetables also contain vitamin A, which can only be properly absorbed by the body after it has been heated.

Fennel therefore contains substances that can and cannot tolerate heat. Raw fennel is extremely healthy, but there’s no harm in cooking fennel from time to time. A cooking method that is very gentle is steam cooking. Only a few vitamins are lost in the process.

Here’s how you can eat raw fennel

Preparing the fennel for consumption is simple:
If necessary, you can remove the outer 1-2 very tough fennel leaves. With fresh fennel, however, this is usually not necessary.
Wash the fennel thoroughly and cut in half.
Remove the woody stalk and cut off the stalks. You can save these for soups.
The tender fennel green is also edible, you can chop it finely and use it as a topping for salads or sandwiches.
You can grate, grate or dice the fennel leaves into thin strips.

Raw fennel is suitable, for example…

As a vegetable snack: You can simply use thicker strips for dipping humus and the like.
In a salad: Finely chopped or chopped, fennel goes well with other raw vegetables, nuts and a light dressing.

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Lifestyle

Combining Food: This Speaks For and Against The Diet

Find out here what food combining is and what advantages and disadvantages the diet offers. In the end, you can decide for yourself whether food combining makes sense for you or not.

What is food combining?

The basic principle of food combining is very simple: during the diet you must not eat carbohydrates and proteins together. This means that you have to change your diet: because you can no longer put cheese on bread and you can no longer eat legumes because they are rich in carbohydrates and proteins.

The background: The inventor of food combining, William Howard Hay, believed that carbohydrates and proteins are processed differently by the digestive system. By eating them separately, Hay says, you give the proteins and carbohydrates an optimal environment to digest. This is supposed to relieve the burden on the intestines.

In concrete terms, this means: Proteins need an acidic milieu, carbohydrates a basic milieu. According to Hay, carbohydrates are less digestible when they enter the intestines together with proteins. Because the acidic milieu of proteins is opposed to the basic milieu of carbohydrates. This leads to gas, bloating and weight gain. Conversely, the solution for Hay is: food combining.

What are the advantages of food combining?

Food combining should not just be a diet, but a complete change in diet. The separate intake of nutrients is said to help against feelings of fullness, flatulence and stomach pain. According to the proponents, food combining also has the following positive properties:
helps to lose weight,
balances the acid-base balance,
delivers more energy
provides a lot of vitamins, trace elements and minerals,
good for allergy sufferers.
Note: There must be at least four to five hours between meals. This gives the enzymes enough time to be absorbed by the organism and not to get in each other’s way.

Disadvantages: What speaks against food combining?

It has not been scientifically proven that carbohydrates and proteins can only be digested separately. In addition, many foods contain both proteins and carbohydrates. The body can still process them.
With food combining there is also a risk that you will eat an unbalanced diet and eat too many grain products.
If you stop eating rice with your vegetables from now on, your body will need other filling foods. This is often meat, fish or high-fat foods such as avocados. The food combining diet quickly gets a miserable ecological balance.
Of course, nobody wants to live exclusively on cabbage and do without potatoes in winter either. A diet based on seasonal and regional foods is therefore complicated with a food combining diet.

Losing weight through food combining?

The fact that you can lose weight through food combining is not due to the way you eat. Rather, you automatically eat more fruit and vegetables with food combining. Because of the waiting times between meals, you simply eat less throughout the day. This saves you calories, which leads to weight loss. There is therefore no direct connection between weight loss and food combining.

In view of the poor ecological balance, food combining is not recommended per se. In principle, however, an alkaline diet is not bad and if food combining helps you personally, it can make sense for you. Experts recommend, however, to lose weight carefully and not to force the weight loss radically.

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