Ditch the Green Smoothies
Summary
TLDRDr. Marianne Teitelbaum discusses the drawbacks of green smoothies, emphasizing the benefits of cooked greens over raw ones. According to Ayurveda, cooking greens like kale and spinach reduces harmful compounds such as oxalates and goitrogens, which can interfere with thyroid function and calcium absorption. She explains how cooking with fats and spices enhances nutrient absorption and provides a recipe for a nutrient-rich 'green protein' dish. Dr. Teitelbaum highlights the importance of proper digestion and nutrient intake, urging viewers to reconsider their smoothie habits for better health.
Takeaways
- 🌿 Green smoothies, particularly with raw kale and spinach, can be harmful to your health.
- 📜 Ayurveda, an ancient health system, suggests cooking vegetables to mitigate negative effects.
- ⚠️ Raw kale contains goitrogens and thiocyanate ions that interfere with thyroid function.
- 🚫 Spinach and Swiss chard have oxalates, which can lead to kidney stones and hinder calcium absorption.
- 🔥 Cooking greens reduces harmful compounds: oxalates by 30-87% and goitrogens by 60%.
- 🥗 Cooking vegetables enhances nutrient absorption by softening fibers and utilizing fats.
- 🍳 Adding fats like olive oil or ghee during cooking aids in nutrient delivery to cells.
- 💡 A green protein recipe with cooked greens and paneer can improve iron absorption.
- 🧊 Raw green smoothies are difficult to digest and can hinder the body's systems.
- 👍 Ayurveda recommends avoiding cold, raw vegetable smoothies to maintain optimal health.
Q & A
Why does Dr. Marianne Teitelbaum advise against drinking green smoothies?
-Dr. Teitelbaum advises against drinking green smoothies because they can contain raw kale and spinach, which have compounds that interfere with thyroid function and calcium absorption, potentially leading to health issues such as kidney stones and weakened bones.
What ancient medical system does Dr. Teitelbaum reference in her talk?
-Dr. Teitelbaum references Ayurveda, an ancient Indian system of medicine, which provides guidelines on the health effects of various foods and recommends cooking certain vegetables to mitigate negative health impacts.
What are goitrogens, and why are they a concern in raw kale?
-Goitrogens, such as progoitrin found in raw kale, can interfere with the thyroid's ability to produce hormones by blocking iodine absorption, potentially leading to thyroid dysfunction.
What are oxalates, and which vegetables mentioned contain them?
-Oxalates are naturally occurring compounds in plants that can bind to calcium and increase the risk of kidney stones. Vegetables like spinach, Swiss chard, and beet greens contain high levels of oxalates.
How does cooking vegetables affect their oxalate content?
-Cooking vegetables reduces their oxalate content by 30 to 87 percent, with boiling being more effective than steaming. This helps mitigate the risk of kidney stones and improves calcium absorption.
Why is it beneficial to cook vegetables with fats like olive oil or ghee?
-Cooking vegetables with fats like olive oil or ghee enhances nutrient absorption. Fats help deliver nutrients across cell walls into the cells, leveraging the fact that cell walls in the body are made of cholesterol.
What is the 'green protein' recipe, and why was it developed?
-The 'green protein' recipe was developed by Dr. Teitelbaum's teacher, Vijay Ramakant Mishra, for a vegetarian patient who needed to increase her iron levels. The recipe includes cooked greens, paneer, ghee, olive oil, and spices to enhance iron absorption and improve overall nutrition.
What is the difference between heme and non-heme iron, and why is it relevant?
-Heme iron, found in animal flesh, is better absorbed by the body, while non-heme iron, found in plant foods, is harder to absorb. This is relevant for vegetarians who need to ensure they get sufficient iron from plant sources, often requiring enhanced absorption methods.
What impact do raw green smoothies have on digestion and overall health?
-Raw green smoothies can be difficult to digest and may create 'ama' (toxins) due to their coldness. They can also clog the body's delicate channels, affecting the digestive fire and overall health, leading to issues such as weakened bones and thyroid dysfunction.
What is the Ayurvedic perspective on cooking food versus eating it raw?
-From the Ayurvedic perspective, cooking food is beneficial as it softens fibers for better absorption, reduces anti-nutrient content, and enhances nutrient absorption by using fats and spices. Cooking food externally helps reduce the digestive burden on the body, promoting deeper nourishment.
Outlines
🥦 The Downsides of Green Smoothies
Dr. Marianne Teitelbaum discusses why green smoothies, particularly those made with raw kale and spinach, might not be as healthy as commonly believed. She points out that ancient Ayurvedic wisdom, which has recognized the benefits of cooking vegetables for thousands of years, aligns with modern findings that raw vegetables like kale and spinach contain compounds that can interfere with thyroid function and promote kidney stones. Cooking these vegetables reduces harmful substances and improves nutrient absorption.
🍲 Benefits of Cooking Your Greens
Dr. Teitelbaum elaborates on the advantages of cooking vegetables instead of consuming them raw in smoothies. Cooking reduces the oxalate content, which can otherwise hinder calcium absorption and contribute to kidney stones. She explains how cooking with fats like olive oil or ghee enhances nutrient absorption into the cells, and how ancient Ayurvedic practices support this method for better health outcomes.
🧑🍳 The Green Protein Recipe
Dr. Teitelbaum shares a recipe called 'Green Protein,' developed by her teacher Vijay Ramakant Mishra for vegetarians needing more iron. The recipe involves cooking greens with paneer, ghee, and olive oil, which boosts iron absorption and is easier to digest than raw smoothies. She describes the cooking process in detail and emphasizes that this method prevents the digestive issues and nutrient absorption problems associated with raw green smoothies.
🥬 Cooked Greens vs. Raw Smoothies
Dr. Teitelbaum concludes by contrasting the benefits of cooked greens with the drawbacks of raw green smoothies. She highlights the Ayurvedic perspective against cold and raw foods, which can dampen digestive fire and clog bodily channels. Cooking greens, especially with spices, enhances digestion and nutrient absorption, making it a superior option for maintaining health and preventing deficiencies.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Ayurveda
💡Green Smoothies
💡Goitrogens
💡Thiocyanate Ions
💡Oxalates
💡Kidney Stones
💡Bone Health
💡Cooking
💡Nutrient Absorption
💡Green Protein
💡Digestive Fire
Highlights
Dr. Marianne Teitelbaum explains why green smoothies are not beneficial for health.
Ayurveda provides insights into healthy diets that were understood by ancient doctors thousands of years ago.
Green smoothies made from raw kale and spinach are a recent fad, but raw vegetables might not be as healthy as believed.
Cooking vegetables is beneficial because it reduces harmful compounds and improves nutrient absorption.
Kale contains goitrogens and thiocyanate ions, which can interfere with thyroid function.
Spinach and Swiss chard contain oxalates, which can contribute to kidney stones and affect calcium absorption.
Cooking greens decreases the oxalate content significantly, making them safer to consume.
Cooking with fats like olive oil or ghee helps deliver nutrients across cell walls, enhancing absorption.
My teacher developed a recipe called 'Green Protein' to help a vegetarian patient improve her iron levels.
Heme iron, found in animal products, is better absorbed by the body than non-heme iron found in plants.
The 'Green Protein' recipe includes cooking greens with paneer, ghee, and olive oil to improve iron absorption.
Raw green smoothies are difficult to digest and can create digestive issues.
Cold and heavy foods in smoothies can clog the body's delicate channels, affecting digestion and nutrient transport.
The 'Green Protein' recipe is cooked and blended for easier digestion and better nutrient absorption.
Ayurveda recommends avoiding raw green smoothies to prevent health issues like weakened bones and thyroid problems.
Transcripts
hello i'm dr marianne teitelbaum
and today we're going to talk about why
you should ditch the green smoothies why
they're not so good for your health
you know it's just too bad that ayurveda
isn't more popular here in america
because if it were
we wouldn't have to spend years
stumbling over our mistakes and our
efforts to learn what constitutes a
healthy diet the ancient doctors figured
that out thousands of years ago for us
case in point here in the states and
some other countries making green
smoothies is the latest fad
since people view kale and spinach as
health foods
many people who don't have the time or
inclination to cook
feel that they can just toss some raw
kale and spinach in a blender with some
other liquid ingredients and make a
smoothie
this way they'll be sure to get their
daily dose of vegetables without having
to spend the time and energy cooking it
plus people incorrectly feel that
cooking the vegetables somehow kills the
nutrients in it
leaving the cooked product less
nourishing
let's see why these raw green smoothies
are not so great for your health
first of all as usual the ancient rishis
of india who cognized ayurveda
stated that many royal vegetables might
have some negative issues but those
issues would go away if they were cooked
to me that's amazing since they didn't
have microscopes to figure this out and
instead they cognized this truth in a
state of deep meditation
well it turns out they were right
kale contains a compound called
progoitrin or goitrogens
which can interfere with your thyroid's
capability of making its hormones and it
also contains thiocyanate ions
which can crowd out the iodine your
thyroid also needs to make its hormones
and both spinach and swiss chard contain
oxalates
which can leach calcium causing it to
form kidney stones
oxalates are a naturally occurring
compound in plants and bind to calcium
as they exit the body
increasing the risk of kidney stones in
some people
kidney stone formation isn't the only
problem associated with the oxalates in
the spinach
swiss chard and beet greens as well have
the oxalates and these high oxalate
foods may affect bone health since the
oxalates can bind to calcium in the gut
which is then excreted by your body
preventing calcium absorption into the
bones
but here's the good news
cooking the spinach and swiss chard and
other greens decreases the oxalate
content by 30 to 87 percent
and boiling reduces more than steaming
does
and cooking the kale reduces the
goitrogens by 60
just like the ancient doctor said
and if you think the cooking of the
vegetable kills some of the nutrients
the real fact is that the cooking
process softens the fibers of the
vegetables for best absorption into the
cells
and if you cook the vegetables with the
fat like olive oil or ghee or both
these fats grab the nutrients and
deliver them across the cell walls into
the cells
keep in mind that all the cell walls in
our body are made of cholesterol
so the ancient doctors knew it was best
to use fats in all of our cooking to
ensure maximum absorption of nutrients
so while cooking may destroy some
nutrients or flush them out in the
cooking water
the net result is even more absorption
into the cells than if the vegetables
were raw
my teacher vijay ramakant mishra
developed this recipe which he called
green protein
when he had a vegetarian patient who was
anemic and was told to eat beef to bring
up her iron count
she of course was averse to doing so
therefore he developed this recipe for
her
her iron came up in a matter of three to
four months and this recipe became one
of his most famous recipes which we
recommend when we hear a patient needs
more iron or is having a hard time
digesting in general
now iron comes in two forms heme
and non-heme iron
and the heme iron is found only in
animal flesh like meat poultry and
seafood
and heme iron is better absorbed by the
body
non-heme iron is found in plant foods
like whole grains nuts seed legumes and
leafy greens and is harder to absorb
which is why many vegetarians eventually
become deficient in iron
now cooking the greens with some paneer
along with ghee and olive oil enhances
the absorption
of the iron into the cells
and we also think this is a much better
alternative to having the raw kale or
spinach smoothies
which being raw are also very difficult
to digest
and can create almond from the coldness
they contain
by cooking the food you are giving your
digestive tract a break since all the
food you eat
you have to cook on the inside with your
pitted digestive organs so you might as
well cook the food before it comes into
your body and nourish your body's
cellular system at a much deeper level
than with the raw green drinks which
also might include channel clogging whey
or pea protein
cold and indigestible coconut milk
bananas avocados and frozen fruits
these cold and heavy foods will not only
put out your digestive fire for the rest
of the day
but they'll definitely clog the body's
system of delicate channels which carry
toxins blood
lymphatic fluids and all the other
bodily fluids
so here's the green protein recipe
add one and a half teaspoons of ghee
a half teaspoon of a masala blend which
is a spice mixture blend or some ground
cumin turmeric fennel coriander whatever
spices you like
then add some pieces of paneer about a
half cup and cook it into the ghee and
spices for a couple of minutes
add some greens maybe four or five cups
like lacinato kale collard greens swiss
chard spinach
chop the greens quickly and roughly
because they'll be blended later
add a few sprigs of fresh fresh parsley
and then add a quarter cup of water and
a tablespoon of olive oil and then put
the lid on and cook until the greens
become bright green don't let them turn
dark green
let the greens cook in the ghee olive
oil spices and paneer for about two to
three minutes
stir it a couple times as you cook it
swish chard and baby spinach will take a
little short time to cook because it's
so tender but kale and collard greens
will take a few extra minutes
pour the whole mixture into a blender
and blend it until smooth
you can add a little bit of boiled water
if the mixture is too thick to blend
now you could also use chicken for the
protein if you're not vegetarian
but it's best to use freshly made paneer
in this recipe as opposed to cottage
cheese mozzarella or cottage cheese
squeeze some fresh lime on top and sip
on it as a side dish or a main dish for
lunch or dinner depending on how hungry
you are
the vitamin c in the lime juice further
enhances the absorption of iron
and in general cooking the food with
spices ignites our digestive fire
which will in turn enhance the
absorption of any food into the cells
so for all the reasons listed above
ayurveda is not a fan of cold raw
vegetable smoothies in general
but especially if those vegetables are
green leafy vegetables loaded with
oxalates and thyroid depressing
goitrogens and thiocyanates
not to mention the channel clogging
effects of the cold foods which also put
out your digestive fire
i hope you decide to forgo your cold
green smoothies
besides your bones your hair and nails
will thank you
the hair and nails show you the strength
of the bones and drinking raw green
smoothies will definitely weaken your
bones
since the oxalates are taking out the
calcium which the bones desperately need
combined with the fact that the raw cal
decreases thyroid function
and when the thyroid is low the bones
will suffer
since they can't absorb calcium
so these green smoothies are bad for
your health on many fronts
i hope you found this information useful
as you strive to learn how to eat for
optimum health and well-being thank you
Посмотреть больше похожих видео
How Does Cooking Affect Nutrients in Veggies?
The Truth About Milk - Nectar or Poison?
Why Vitamin K2 is So Important and How to Get It Naturally
daniela kano 1
"Natural Bone-Healing Secrets Big Pharma Doesn't Want You to Know'' | Dr. Barbara O'Neill
The REAL Reason Why Apple Cider Vinegar Helps with WEIGHT LOSS - Dr. Berg
5.0 / 5 (0 votes)