Foods 'n' Herbs

Eating vegetables raw is better than cooked  

Many people believe eating vegetables raw is healthier than cooked because vitamins and nutrients can be destroyed or lost during cooking.

The Chinese point of view  

Eating vegetables raw is not as healthy. First of all, they take longer to eat and to digest. Cold and raw foods need more stomach energy to warm them up to the required temperature of 100°F (38°C) before they can be digested and absorbed. It is harder and takes longer time for the system to break down the cellulose packets to absorb the nutrients. Cooking is pre-digestion, breaking down the cellulose walls and making the food easier to digest and absorb. It requires less stomach energy, less time and less work for the system.

A serving of green vegetables gives the wrong impression of plentiful because they are puffy. When vegetables are cooked, they will shrink significantly in size. It is only cooked vegetables that we are able to eat more of, which is necessary for good health. Green salad has a very low fiber content because vegetables of higher fiber content, such as Chinese bok choy, are very difficult to eat raw. Our body needs the roughage from vegetables to clean the dietary tract and to speed up food movement, which is key to avoid sicknesses related to food stagnation.

The normal washing and rinsing of vegetables may not wash out all the pesticides and toxins from chemical fertilizers and bacteria. Slightly cooked vegetables are cleaner and more hygienic. The best ways to cook vegetables are quick stir-frying or quick boiling.