The pressed salad tops a regular salad any day!  This special style of salad is utterly delicious and ever so good for your health.

Pressed salads are made up of raw vegetables finely sliced and then pressed down to release their water content. This makes the vegetables more digestible and retains the vitality of the vegetables’ live enzymes.

Below is my favourite pressed salad recipe, a sample video from the Pure Cook’s Training course.   Read on for the low down on why these salads are the best for your digestive and overall health.

Favourite Pressed Salad of Beetroot, Apple & Fennel

 

Good Gut Bacteria Benefit

The act of pressing encourages a slight fermentation, promoting enzymes which aid digestion and support immunity.  In this lactic acid fermentation the good gut bacteria; the Lactobacillus bacteria proliferate and breakdown lactose and other sugars to lactic acid.  The lactic acid that preserves the vegetables and gives them their yummy tangy flavour.  Incidently, lactic acid is a natural preservative that inhibits the growth of harmful bacteria.

Lacto fermented foods were eaten as part of the diets of every traditional society. Today Europeans relish pickles and sauerkraut.  The Orient is known for pickled vegetables and kimchi.  In Africa, porridges are made from soured grains.

More Positives of Pressed Salads and Lacto-Fermentation

Digestive Aid

  • Reintroduce good bacteria into the intestines
  • Aid absorption of nutrients, since the good gut enzymes are harboured.
  • Safeguards digestive health and conditions including IBS, ulcers and colitis
  • Breaks down fat, so pressed salads are ideal for detoxing and to enjoy with a heavy meal.
  • Good for opening the cells and bringing oxygen to them
  • Regulate acidity of blood, making the blood more alkaline
  • Pressing helps break down fibrous vegetables, making them easier to digest

Drive Health

  • Studies show that fermented foods contribute to lower rates of skin problems, asthma and autoimmune disorders.
  • The lactic acid helps lower fat in the blood stream, improves circulation and lower high blood pressure.
  • Pressed salads aid bodily cleansing
  • Protect us from harmful bacteria

Nutrition

  • Vitamin content is higher than in raw vegetables
  • Rich in vitamin B and C
  • Helps absorb calcium
  • Help open cells in body and bring oxygen to them