Carrot salad is another Ray Peat recipe, and it is understood to help clean out endotoxins from the gut. The carrot fibres have the unique quality of binding with toxins including excess oestrogens, and sweeping them out of the body. The carrot fibres do not feed the negative gut bacteria. One study found that 200g of raw carrot eaten at breakfast lowered cholesterol by 11% and increased fat excretion by 50%, and increased stool size by 25%.

I frequently recommend daily carrot salad to clients for both gut health and hormonal balance. For those for whom making a daily salad is too much, eating at least one raw carrot, preferably between meals or at the beginning of a meal, is an alternative.

I have added possible variations below for those who get bored easily :)

Carrot Salad

Ingredients

For 1 serve

1 medium carrot, peeled if not organic, bottom cut off

1 tsp vinegar of your choice

1/2 tsp coconut or olive oil

1 pinch salt

Method

1. Grate the carrot onto a bowl or plate

2. Add vinegar, oil, salt and mix.

3. Enjoy

Variations

Add: Fetta cheese, grated ginger, soaked sultanas or raisins, olives, lime juice, curry powder, spring onions, pistachios, orange juice etc

You can store several days worth of grated carrot in the fridge, covered in water, which is what is usually recommended. However sometimes I love to store it covered in orange juice, so that it is even sweeter when it gets to my plate. Or I might put a splash of orange juice on it if I have freshly grated it.

It is best eaten so that carrots are the major ingredient, and on an empty stomach, so that the fibres have a chance to work on the gut walls.