Detoxifying and Cleansing Vegetables

Let me tell you the truth first for those who are anxious to find a solution - 90% of the "intestinal cleansing tools" and "defecation products" that are so popular on the market are IQ taxes. Common vegetables that can really help you defecate smoothly and maintain intestinal health should meet the core requirements of "high dietary fiber and containing natural prebiotics" ", low irritation". For these three characteristics, the most effective ones in daily personal testing are cruciferous green leafy vegetables such as kale and shepherd's purse, mushrooms such as shiitake mushrooms and enoki mushrooms, plus broccoli, wakame, and red radish. Don't just buy those processed products with laxatives added. Eating the right vegetables is better than anything else.

A while ago, I made skewers with a friend for three days in a row. We took turns with butter hot pot, grilled skewers, and spicy crayfish. On the third day, I squatted on the toilet until my legs went numb. My mother didn't let me touch the enzymes at home, so she cooked a large pot of wakame and enoki mushroom tofu soup with stir-fried lettuce. I drank two large bowls in a row and felt smooth in the afternoon. Later, I asked my best friend in the nutrition department to find out that these things hit the favorite spot of the intestines.

Here I have to mention the "celery cleansing theory" that everyone has been arguing about for a long time. It is quite interesting. One group of people firmly believes that the crude fiber of celery can scrape away the grease on the intestinal wall, and they eat celery sticks raw.； Another school of thought says that most of the fiber in celery is insoluble, and eating too much will wear down the intestinal mucosa. People with gastric ulcers and irritable bowel syndrome may even experience flatulence and abdominal pain if they eat too much raw food. I personally tried to eat raw celery sticks for two days in a row. I was really bloated and burped constantly after eating. Later, I cut the celery into sections and stir-fried it until soft before eating.

A few years ago, kale became so popular in fitness circles that everyone in the fitness circle got a pack of kale. I bought the powder before, and it smelled so astringent and bitter that it smelled like grass. I drank it twice and threw it all away. Then I bought fresh, tore it into small florets, kneaded it with olive oil, sprinkled some black pepper, and roasted it in the oven for 5 minutes. It was as crispy as potato chips. After eating half a plate at a time, the problem can be solved in 5 minutes when you wake up the next morning. It is 10 times more effective than drinking green juice with half a bottle of sugar. It has the right ratio of soluble fiber and insoluble fiber, as well as glucosinolates, which can help regulate intestinal flora. The only thing you need to pay attention to is not to cook it for too long. Once it is cooked, most of the nutrients will be lost, and the taste will be so mushy that it is difficult to swallow.

Oh, yes, there is another unpopular thing, which is the shepherd's purse that grows all over the mountains and fields in spring. My grandma digs a basket and dries it every spring, and uses it to make steamed buns in winter. Every time I eat two big buns, I have to go to the toilet twice on the same day. I thought it was because there was too much oil in the stuffing, but I found out after checking. The dietary fiber of shepherd's purse is more than three times higher than that of spinach. There are also natural organic acids that can stimulate intestinal peristalsis. However, the oxalic acid content is high. Whether it is eaten fresh or dried, it must be blanched for 1 minute before eating, otherwise it will be astringent and affect the absorption of calcium.

Many people think that enoki mushrooms are "see you tomorrow". They think they are indigestible and useless. In fact, the fungal polysaccharides they contain are natural prebiotics and will not be absorbed by the human body, but they will feed the beneficial bacteria in the intestines. I always order two plates every time I eat hot pot. Even if they are excreted as they are the next day, they can drive away the food residues in the intestines, which is much more effective than those delicate vegetables that are completely digested after being eaten. If you have an elderly person with constipation at home, make some dried mushrooms to stew chicken and pork ribs. Dried mushrooms have higher fiber than fresh mushrooms, are gentle and non-irritating, and are much more reliable than taking irritating laxatives.

To be honest, there is no marketing concept of "detoxification" and "defecation" in mainstream nutrition. The "intestinal cleansing" that everyone talks about is essentially to help the intestines return to normal peristaltic rhythm and discharge the metabolic waste that should be excreted. Don't believe those nonsense that "defecating can lose 10 pounds". What you poop out is basically water and food residue, and weight loss is also temporary. The core of eating these vegetables is to make the stomach comfortable, not to lose weight.

There is another pitfall that is easy to step on. Many people think that vegetables can cleanse the intestines. They eat old pumpkins with sweet noodles, and the more they eat, the more they eat. In fact, old pumpkins are high in soluble fiber and sugar. If people with severe constipation eat more, they will increase their burden due to flatulence. It is better to eat crispy raw pumpkins. green pumpkin, or just nibble on a red radish. Last time I was greedy and bought a red radish to eat as fruit. It was so spicy that I gasped, but it went smoothly in the afternoon. The mustard oil in it can really stimulate intestinal peristalsis. Of course, if you have a weak stomach, don’t follow my example and eat it raw. Cutting it into shreds and frying it into vinegar will also work.

I now keep a pack of dried wakame in my office drawer all year round. If the takeout at noon is too oily and greasy, I soak half of it, add a little soy sauce and sesame oil to make a hot soup and drink it. My stomach will not be bloated in the afternoon, and I don’t have to eat these "intestinal cleansing vegetables" all the time. It is much more reliable to eat three or four times a week than saving hundreds of dollars to buy enzymes and green juice.