There are way too many websites and bloggers that wish to be newsworthy. They come up with scary stories about each and every fruit and vegetable under the sun. 😯 Do you believe them all?
WARNING [they write]
“Sweet potato found to have too many oxalates and cause kidney stones” …but then they forget to mention that peanuts, rhubarb, spinach, beets, chocolate ALSO have the same component.
Then this:
“Kale, cabbage and broccoli are dangerous to everyone because they contain oligosaccharides plus they interfere with thyroid function and digestions”
Well, if you have thyroid issues, you need to eat cruciferous vegetables in measured, moderate amounts. The rest of us…relax.
They also write this:
“Grains contain anti nutrients, phytic acid, lectins and numerous other dangerous components and you must never ever eat them”
And so it goes on.
If you were to follow all the recommendations out there, in the end you won’t be able to eat anything.
Nothing. Nada. Zero. Nichts.
So who do you believe? Can you eat sweet potato or not? What about grains? Raw kale?
Here’s the thing: every vegetable or plant food COULD be dangerous to someone, somewhere. We’re all different. Look at peanuts / peanut butter…YUM…I eat it, but if my friend eats it, she could die…She’s highly allergic to them.
It comes back to this: if you have a pre-existing health issue, please ask your medical practitioner or health provider if there are foods that you should avoid.
If you’re feeling unwell after eating certain foods, then it’s best to eliminate those from your diet. For instance, I cannot eat soy too often, so I avoid it.
But otherwise do this: eat a rainbow of colours. Use different plant foods each day to ensure you do not overload your system with one particular component.
Plus this way you’ll not miss out on anything. Each and every plant food has a myriad of healthy nutrients to offer to you, no matter how insignificant it looks or tastes.
Try new things, experience new tastes and do NOT always eat the same things over and over again in large quantities.. Otherwise you may end up like two people I knew a few years ago.
One thought because carrots are so healthy [which they are] she ate them in huge quantities, and drank 1 litre of carrot juice a day [!!!] turned orange, had blurry vision, breathing issues and ended up in hospital.
Or another friend who decided to lose weight by eating loads of spinach every day for weeks, which then caused a severe toxicity in her system.
These things do NOT happen if you include a couple of carrots with spinach today, but tomorrow you use some sweet potato with cabbage.
Be informed, mix up your food, eat sensible amounts and do not believe that every crazy story applies to you.
You’ll start being scared of the food on your plate.
Until next time, be healthy and happy!
Nicki Kelly
Vegan Wellness Coach