Comments on: It Ain't Easy Eating Green – Or Is It? http://www.thehealthblog.com/it-aint-easy-eating-greens/ A blog about proper health and nutrition habits Fri, 17 Jun 2011 04:45:28 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Sarah http://www.thehealthblog.com/it-aint-easy-eating-greens/#comment-150 Sarah Mon, 22 Jan 2007 19:22:18 +0000 http://thehealthblog.com/index.php/2007/01/14/it-aint-easy-eating-greens/#comment-150 Thanks for the tips, Annie! I guess I should have mentioned in the post that I'm a raw foodist... so I don't really cook or prepare my foods. :) I tend to believe that eating our foods raw is the most natural way, but I appreciate your tips and different philosophy also. Thanks for the tips, Annie!

I guess I should have mentioned in the post that I’m a raw foodist… so I don’t really cook or prepare my foods. :) I tend to believe that eating our foods raw is the most natural way, but I appreciate your tips and different philosophy also.

]]> By: Ann Miller-Cohen http://www.thehealthblog.com/it-aint-easy-eating-greens/#comment-149 Ann Miller-Cohen Sun, 21 Jan 2007 19:50:06 +0000 http://thehealthblog.com/index.php/2007/01/14/it-aint-easy-eating-greens/#comment-149 Thanks for your refreshingly honest sharing, Sarah. You're not alone. These greens are challenging because most of us don't have experience growing up eating them, so we have to learn how to prepare them so they're palatable. Friends of mine who grew up in the South love kale, collards, mustard greens, turnip tops, etc.! They know how to cook them so they taste delicious and are digestible. Because these plants are super sources of nutrients which the Standard American Diet (S.A.D.) lacks--including the detoxifying sulfur-containing aminos, fiber and chlorophyll-- they're worth the effort to learn how to prepare them. The secret w all of these veggies is to either culture them, e.g. sauerkraut or kimchi, or cook them in a water bath for about 10 minutes, then drain and season. Throw the water away. That's right, especially for these five: cabbage, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, mustard greens and turnip tops which are highest in goitrogen--a natural chemical that blocks iodine absorption; but it's water soluble so water bath cooking gets rid of it and fermentation destroys it. These methods also make these veggies tastier and easier to digest. Note: Cabbage family plants are best not eaten raw because of this goitrogen chemical. For a convenient quart-jar Sauerkraut recipe, and for some more info on these plants, see the attached January issue of my "Green Gourmet" e-newsletter. Green Blessings, Annie a.ka. Organic Annie Thanks for your refreshingly honest sharing, Sarah. You’re not alone. These greens are challenging because most of us don’t have experience growing up eating them, so we have to learn how to prepare them so they’re palatable. Friends of mine who grew up in the South love kale, collards, mustard greens, turnip tops, etc.! They know how to cook them so they taste delicious and are digestible.

Because these plants are super sources of nutrients which the Standard American Diet (S.A.D.) lacks–including the detoxifying sulfur-containing aminos, fiber and chlorophyll– they’re worth the effort to learn how to prepare them.

The secret w all of these veggies is to either culture them, e.g. sauerkraut or kimchi, or cook them in a water bath for about 10 minutes, then drain and season. Throw the water away. That’s right, especially for these five: cabbage, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, mustard greens and turnip tops which are highest in goitrogen–a natural chemical that blocks iodine absorption; but it’s water soluble so water bath cooking gets rid of it and fermentation destroys it. These methods also make these veggies tastier and easier to digest.

Note: Cabbage family plants are best not eaten raw because of this goitrogen chemical.

For a convenient quart-jar Sauerkraut recipe, and for some more info on these plants, see the attached January issue of my “Green Gourmet” e-newsletter.

Green Blessings,
Annie
a.ka. Organic Annie

]]> By: Sarah http://www.thehealthblog.com/it-aint-easy-eating-greens/#comment-148 Sarah Fri, 19 Jan 2007 23:45:09 +0000 http://thehealthblog.com/index.php/2007/01/14/it-aint-easy-eating-greens/#comment-148 Iris, I think you can eat anything green uncooked too! But some veggies are definitely less digestible than others. I certainly wasn't meaning to say that we should all ban kale - rather, that we should figure out which veggies are most digestible and eat the biggest quantities of those - leaving the others for occasional consumption. :) Iris,

I think you can eat anything green uncooked too! But some veggies are definitely less digestible than others. I certainly wasn’t meaning to say that we should all ban kale – rather, that we should figure out which veggies are most digestible and eat the biggest quantities of those – leaving the others for occasional consumption. :)

]]> By: Iris http://www.thehealthblog.com/it-aint-easy-eating-greens/#comment-147 Iris Tue, 16 Jan 2007 16:23:14 +0000 http://thehealthblog.com/index.php/2007/01/14/it-aint-easy-eating-greens/#comment-147 I think you can eat anything green uncooked. It sounds nasty I know, but I put my veggies in my salad with some olive oil and some balsamic. I use a little kale in my salads too and they are very tasty! I think you can eat anything green uncooked. It sounds nasty I know, but I put my veggies in my salad with some olive oil and some balsamic. I use a little kale in my salads too and they are very tasty!

]]> By: Ryan http://www.thehealthblog.com/it-aint-easy-eating-greens/#comment-146 Ryan Mon, 15 Jan 2007 18:36:39 +0000 http://thehealthblog.com/index.php/2007/01/14/it-aint-easy-eating-greens/#comment-146 Thanks for the insights about kale, Sarah. I didn't know about it being hard to digest. One leafy plant I tried by accident is mustard chollards. (I think that's how to spell it.) We were actually looking for kale, and bought the wrong stuff. Anyway, one bite of mustard chollards and it totally clears your sinuses. It'll make your eyes water too. I had no idea a leafy green plant could have such a potent "spicy" flavor. Thanks for the insights about kale, Sarah. I didn’t know about it being hard to digest.

One leafy plant I tried by accident is mustard chollards. (I think that’s how to spell it.) We were actually looking for kale, and bought the wrong stuff.

Anyway, one bite of mustard chollards and it totally clears your sinuses. It’ll make your eyes water too. I had no idea a leafy green plant could have such a potent “spicy” flavor.

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