I’ve spent years following the traditional mantra of eating plenty of raw greens, but lately, I’ve noticed my habits might need a shift. As we age, it feels like our digestive fire starts to dim. In terms of my daily habits, I’ve recently switched from cold salads to steaming or roasting almost all my vegetables. My dining environment feels much more relaxed now because I am not constantly bracing for that heavy, bloated feeling that raw kale used to cause. My new routine involves a warm breakfast and a cooked lunch, which seems much gentler on the system. I have been tracking my energy levels, and they are significantly higher when I avoid cold, raw roughage. It feels like my body has to work twice as hard to break down a raw carrot compared to a cooked one. Is the raw food trend actually doing us more harm than good as we get older?
I couldn’t agree more. I switched to vegetable soups last winter and my gut has never been happier.
I’m not sure I’m ready to give up my crunch! I find that if I just chew much more thoroughly, I can still handle a salad. It’s all about the mechanical breakdown before it even hits the stomach.
You are actually hitting on a core principle of Traditional Chinese Medicine. They often suggest that older individuals avoid ‘cold’ foods because it dampens the digestive fire. I made the switch to warm meals only about two years ago and the difference in my bloating was night and day. Even my salads are now ‘wilted’ with a bit of warm dressing and sautéed mushrooms.
Does this apply to fruit too? I’d hate to have to cook my apples.
I’ve had a similar experience. My slow cooker has become my best friend. There’s something about breaking down those tough fibers for 8 hours that makes them so much easier on the pipes.
But what about the nutrients? I was always told that cooking vegetables kills off all the vitamins and enzymes we need, especially as we age and absorption becomes an issue.
Vicky, some nutrients like lycopene in tomatoes are actually more bioavailable when cooked! It’s a trade-off.
I think the ‘debate’ shouldn’t be raw vs cooked, but rather how we prepare the raw stuff. If I have a salad, I make sure it’s finely shredded or even fermented. Sauerkraut is ‘raw’ but the bacteria have already done the hard work of breaking it down for you. That’s been the game changer for my digestion lately. I still get the enzymes without the massive stomach ache.
I’m 68 and I noticed the same thing. I thought I was developing an allergy, but it turns out I just needed to steam my broccoli instead of eating it raw with dip.
Great post. It’s funny how we stick to advice we heard in our 20s even when our bodies are clearly telling us something has changed. Listen to your gut, literally!