Did you know consuming raw foods can cause bloating?
Bloating obviously has many causes, but looking at it from an Oriental medicine perspective I like to suggest the simplest fixes before diving into more invasive and complicated investigations. I have had a patients crying in the practice because they kept trying more and more restrictive, “healthier diets”, and actually saw their bloating, weight and issues with bowel movements get WORSE.
In each of these cases, the patient ate more and more raw food. Believing salads was really the healthy best choice. Yes its true raw food is super rich in al the vitamins & minerals our body need. Raw food can be great---in the appropriate season AND only if your digestive system is able to digest it! So if you are struggling with bloating, tiredness and uncomfortable bowel shenanigans while recently eating more raw foods, try cooking all your food.
Save the smoothies and salads for when it is warmer (but you might want to check with your acupuncturist first to see if your system is ready for them), and start doing poached or baked fruit, stir-fries, soups, and roasted or steamed veggies. If you simply cannot resist some raw leaves - make them spicy “hot” ones like watercress or rocket. Never eat just a salad always have something warm and cooked with it like soup or hot roasted vegetables.
We have this strange belief in the Western world that the only healthy way to eat vegetables is to eat them raw. That simply isn't the case. Look at how delicious and healthy homemade stir fries, thai curries, and soups are. Not to mention, delicious combinations of roasted vegetables or steamed vegetables.
Cooked vegetables can be super helpful to our digestion, and some vegetables actually have nutrients that become MORE absorbable and bio-available when they are cooked. I know, I know--this goes against everything we are told in popular diet culture. But your digestion doesn't lie to you. If you are struggling with bloating, and maybe even complicated bowel movements (either looser or constipation), raw food will make it worse. Because from an Oriental perspective cold raw food will put out your digestive fire - like throwing damp leaves onto a campfire - you smother the heat!
Try it out and let me know how it goes in the comments.
