22/01/2025
BEFORE THE FOOD POLITICIANS CORRUPT YOUR MIND LET READ THIS TOGETHER
PLANT POISONS: Eat Smarter
Nature, like any seasoned warrior, has its defenses.
Plants, the ultimate survivalists, don’t want to be eaten.
They arm themselves with chemical weapons to protect their seeds, leaves, and fruits.
And here we are, munching on their offspring without a second thought.
But understanding these defenses doesn’t mean we stop eating plants—it means we learn to outsmart them, just as our ancestors did.
Let’s break it down, poison by poison, and learn how to navigate this edible minefield.
🟢 1. Oxalates: The Sneaky Stone Builders
Where They Lurk: Spinach, avocado, managu, terere, beet greens, and rhubarb.
The Danger: Oxalates bind to calcium in your body, forming sharp crystals. These can lead to kidney stones and block nutrient absorption.
How to Outsmart Them:
Boil and Drain: Cooking leafy greens reduces oxalate levels significantly. Skip raw spinach smoothies unless you're aiming to become a human quarry.
Add Dairy: Cream, milk, or fermented mursik binds oxalates, neutralizing their harmful effects. Think spinach in coconut cream—it’s not just tasty; it’s genius.
Avoid Overconsumption: Don’t go overboard. Eating five avocadoes a day isn’t a flex—it’s oxalate overload.
🟢 2. Lectins: The Gut Irritants
Where They Lurk: Beans (ndengu, njahi, kidney beans), grains (maize, wheat), and peanuts.
The Danger: Lectins are proteins that can irritate your gut lining, causing bloating, diarrhea, and poor nutrient absorption.
How to Outsmart Them:
Soak and Rinse: Soaking beans and grains overnight reduces lectin content. Rinse until the water runs clear.
Cook Thoroughly: Boiling destroys most lectins. Add another rise while mid-cooking. No more half-cooked ndengu, please.
Fermentation: Traditional fermentation (like souring uji) neutralizes lectins and boosts nutrient bioavailability. Your grandma knew what she was doing.
🟢 3. Phytates: The Mineral Thieves
Where They Lurk Locally:
Whole Grains: Maize (used in ugali and githeri), millet (uji), sorghum.
Legumes: Njahi (black beans), ndengu (green grams), beans, and peas.
Seeds: Groundnuts (peanuts) and simsim (sesame seeds).
How to Outsmart Them:
Sprouting: Sprout legumes like ndengu or grains like sorghum before cooking. This traditional method breaks down phytates.
Fermentation: Let your uji (made from millet or sorghum) ferment for at least 24 hours. This improves its nutrient profile and reduces anti-nutrients.
Pairing with Vitamin C: Add a squeeze of lemon or serve githeri with kachumbari. Vitamin C boosts iron absorption by countering phytates.
Roasting: Roast groundnuts or sesame seeds before eating. This reduces phytates and enhances flavor.
🟢 4. Goitrogens: Thyroid Saboteurs
Where They Lurk: Cabbage, kale, broccoli, and soy.
The Danger: Goitrogens interfere with iodine uptake, potentially causing thyroid problems.
NB: people with hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid should never eat raw cabbage)
How to Outsmart Them:
Cook Them: Heat deactivates most goitrogens. Boil, steam, or sauté your cabbage and kale.
Avoid Raw Overload: Kale smoothies are overrated and potentially harmful if you’re guzzling them daily.
Balance with Iodine-Rich Foods: Eat seaweed or iodized salt to counteract goitrogen effects.
🟢 5. Saponins: The Foamy Foes
Where They Lurk Locally:
Legumes: Ndengu (green grams), njahi (black beans), beans, and pigeon peas (mbaazi).
Grains: Sorghum and quinoa (though less common locally, sorghum is a staple).
How to Outsmart Them:
Rinse Thoroughly: Soak and rinse ndengu, njahi, or sorghum before cooking. For legumes, ensure you wash until there’s no foam left in the water.
Cook Well: Boiling reduces saponins in legumes and grains. Never undercook them—half-done ndengu or njahi can leave your gut irritated.
Fermentation: Traditional fermented sorghum uji breaks down saponins effectively, making it gentler on your stomach.
🟢 6. Tannins: The Flavorful Thieves
Where They Lurk: Tea, coffee, and some legumes.
The Danger: Tannins interfere with iron absorption and can irritate sensitive stomachs.
How to Outsmart Them:
Limit Timing: Drink tea or coffee between meals, not with meals.
Add Lemon: A splash of lemon juice in your tea reduces tannin effects.
🟢 7. Alkaloids: The Bitter Defenders
Where They Lurk: Nightshades like potatoes, tomatoes, and eggplants.
The Danger: In large amounts, alkaloids can cause inflammation or digestive upset.
How to Outsmart Them:
Peel and Cook: Most alkaloids are in the skin. Peel your potatoes and cook your eggplants thoroughly.
Avoid Green Potatoes: The green indicates higher alkaloid levels. Toss them out.
The Plant Milk Problem
Let’s talk about plant milk—oat, almond, soy, or peanut. It takes an absurd number of seeds to make a single glass of milk.
Would you eat 50 almonds in one sitting? No.
So why drink their concentrated essence?
Milk kefir is your best choice!
It’s easier to digest, supports gut health, and doesn’t carry the concentrated toxins found in seed-based milks.
Stick to traditional dairy, the smarter and healthier option!
This picture have nothing to do with what you have read but more that you can find at our clinc call 0722674174 or Whatsapp for our catalogue
Dr Alex Bush Mûkûrû Û Mwîthî
