Should we eat our vegies raw or cooked? Well it depends! In the case of some vegetables, cooking can actually increase the variety of nutrients that get released inside our digestive tract. Eg the cooking of onions or the roasting of garlic increases the variety of their sulfur containing compounds that help protect our health and support liver detoxification.
On the other hand, if you want the antibiotic activity of garlic it’s best to have it raw and crushed.

As we know, the longer a vegetable is exposed to heat, the greater its nutrient loss so raw vegies, if fresh, are often higher in nutrients and enzymes. Boiling results in more nutrient loss than steaming. To preserve its nutrients, spinach should not be cooked for more than one minute however kale (try it if you haven’t already!) needs to steam for 5 minutes for maximum nutrient availability and its optimum cholesterol lowering effect.

When eating raw vegetables it is important to chew them well (20 times per mouthful) as this helps to prepare the vegetable for digestion. This will reduce any bloating you may experience.

So, the answer?  Eat 50% raw and 50% lightly steamed or roasted – then you will get the optimal benefit from both!