Why Steaming Vegetables Can Be Better Than Eating Them Raw Although we recommend eating most of the diet raw, research shows that steaming is the best cooking method for preserving nutrients—and in some cases, it can actually increase the availability of powerful protective compounds compared to eating vegetables raw. Cruciferous Vegetables, Cancer Protection, and a Key Enzyme Cruciferous vegetables—such as broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts—contain compounds called glucosinolates, which are strongly protective against cancer. Scientists suggest that 3–5 servings per week of cruciferous vegetables provide substantial cancer-protective benefits. For glucosinolates to become biologically active, they must interact with a plant enzyme called myrosinase. This interaction occurs when you chew raw vegetables, breaking down the cellulose walls that keep glucosinolates and myrosinase separated. The problem?Heat can destroy myrosinase—and most people don&r…

A major reason we slow down as we age is that we’re carrying around a lifetime’s accumulation of toxins. When toxins coming in exceed our ability to detoxify and eliminate them, they get stored in our fat cells and in our liver. Toxins can remain for years—often a lifetime. These stored toxins constitute a “toxic load,” stealing our energy, compromising liver and immune functions, damaging DNA, and exerting other harmful effects. Lightening your toxic load will make you feel a lot younger, more energetic and just BETTER. In addition, toxicity is one of the two causes of disease (the other being nutritional deficiency). So the more you detoxify, not only the better you’ll feel today, the more disease you’ll prevent in your future! Of course, it’s best to avoid toxins as much as you can in the first place . Raymond Francis, Beyond Health’s founder, wrote at length in his books about how to avoid toxins in food, water, supplements, medications, h…