Don't cook your food!

[Lilliah]

I was watching a horizon program about how the human race is the only species which cooks its food. There's a theory that it's because of cooking that we've evolved to become so intelligent. Basically, it goes like this:

1. When we were closer to apes than what we are now, we ate fruits and leaves and vegetables etc etc etc. We spent the vast majority of our day chewing, because such foods are low in nutritional value, so to give us enough energy to keep going we had to just... keep eating.

2. We start eating meat. Omnomnom.

3. We start cooking meat, and other things. Cooking food doesn't increase the calorific value... however!

- It makes the energy more easily accessible, sooooo...
- We can get more energy from the same bit of food...
- While using less energy to digest it...
- Consequently having considerable more energy left over

4. The excess energy we produced was channelled up to our brains, and they went kazoom and expanded and we ended up being as clever as we are today... albeit programmed to search for fatty, energy-laden, easily digestible foods.

Moral of the story: take a vitamin supplement and don't cook anything =P A lot of the nutritional value of fruit/veg is lost when it's cooked anyway. So yeah.

[Jacklinger]

I've heard that theory, but eating like a chimpanzee is not recommended. Our ancestors cooked food for a reason, because they had to or they would die. Cooking didn't just make things easier to eat, it made it possible to eat. It wasn't really optional for them. They didn't have the teeth or jaw muscles needed to chew up raw animal flesh. Pre-sapien ancestors also cooked their food. Cooking is not really an "us" trait that only "we" have, but was a trait practiced by most hominid species, of which there were 12 in total. So we're not actually completely alone in our desire to burn our food before we eat it.

It's quite natural.

[shayyy333]

I've heard that theory, but eating like a chimpanzee is not recommended. Our ancestors cooked food for a reason, because they had to or they would die. Cooking didn't just make things easier to eat, it made it possible to eat. It wasn't really optional for them. They didn't have the teeth or jaw muscles needed to chew up raw animal flesh. Pre-sapien ancestors also cooked their food. Cooking is not really an "us" trait that only "we" have, but was a trait practiced by most hominid species, of which there were 12 in total. So we're not actually completely alone in our desire to burn our food before we eat it.

It's quite natural.

Oh hey. This is very random, but! Ive just been meaning to tell you that i think your an extremely intelligent person. Ive read quite a few posts of yours and been extremely impressed with what you say, the ideas and knowlege behind your words, and your effecient execution of conveying what you mean. Your actually pretty inspirational to me. This is a fantastic compliment coming from me by the way, i value intelligence as much as i do beauty/perfection/thinness. And considering im on an ed forum.... yeah. really good compliment!

[Jacklinger]

Oh hey. This is very random, but! Ive just been meaning to tell you that i think your an extremely intelligent person. Ive read quite a few posts of yours and been extremely impressed with what you say, the ideas and knowlege behind your words, and your effecient execution of conveying what you mean. Your actually pretty inspirational to me. This is a fantastic compliment coming from me by the way, i value intelligence as much as i do beauty/perfection/thinness. And considering im on an ed forum.... yeah. really good compliment!

Wow! Thanks! =D
That was unexpected!

[be_noticed]

Wow! Thanks! =D
That was unexpected!

lol i always thought so too and im new here. you have the greatest and most logicasl replies :)

[Jacklinger]

lol i always thought so too and im new here. you have the greatest and most logicasl replies :)

Google is 1/3rd of my brain.

[smalasussie]

LOL, yes, Jacklinger has much to say. And I too consider Google to be an add-on pack to my brain. I've wondered about this, given the popularity of the raw foods movement. I've always felt great after having raw granolas and things like that, so I think some things are better raw, for sure. But other things may need cooking, like eggs (LOL!) and meats/fish (sushi is an exception om nom). That said, I do really enjoy a medium-rare stake about once a year :)

[be_noticed]

Google is 1/3rd of my brain.

Googles saves the day :D


LOL, yes, Jacklinger has much to say. And I too consider Google to be an add-on pack to my brain. I've wondered about this, given the popularity of the raw foods movement. I've always felt great after having raw granolas and things like that, so I think some things are better raw, for sure. But other things may need cooking, like eggs (LOL!) and meats/fish (sushi is an exception om nom). That said, I do really enjoy a medium-rare stake about once a year :)

i agree. i find some things better off raw as long as they are good for you in a context of being hygienically edible. i mean i cant ever find myself eating flesh raw like you mentioned. however, i too find the raw food movement interesting when it comes to plants. i now only limit myself to boiling. frying is probably not the best thing to do especially since i have acid reflux its not a good option at all. other methods of cooking such as baking do interst me lately. i do despise cooking methods that involve marinating food with oil. for instance grilling and frying. :X

[TinyTabby]

Raw is a good idea, and I'm trying to do that more often.

We also have to remember that even if human have traditionally cooked their food and eaten meat, we don't have to anymore. We're not out hunting game and gathering wild plant to eat anymore. Even though cooking food allowed the human brain to expand, our brains won't go backward. They've already evolved and we have a lot more variety of healthy low-cal food to receive optimal nutrition w/out overdoing the cals.

[Cyrah Clarimonde]

I think it depends on how the person digests things on whether or not they can eat raw meat or not. Yes, raw meat has higher nutrition values, but it can also make one sick. Now me on the other hand, my body doesn't digest cooked meats very well for some reason, and it makes me sick. So most of the meat I eat is raw, or almost raw. Otherwise I can't eat it. I don't mind though, for some reason I prefer the taste of raw meat instead of cooked meat.

[Renaissance]

I think it depends on how the person digests things on whether or not they can eat raw meat or not. Yes, raw meat has higher nutrition values, but it can also make one sick. Now me on the other hand, my body doesn't digest cooked meats very well for some reason, and it makes me sick. So most of the meat I eat is raw, or almost raw. Otherwise I can't eat it. I don't mind though, for some reason I prefer the taste of raw meat instead of cooked meat.

You are never supposed to eat raw or undercooked meat, especially red meat and poultry. It's literally infested with bacteria, viruses, and sometimes deadly parasites. Even if it's been properly handled and inspected, raw meat can make you extremely ill or give you parasites like tapeworms. I've taken many health, nutrition and cooking classes and my mom is actually a registered dietitian..I know for a fact that raw meat can make you very sick. Please reconsider eating raw meat.

[iliketurtles]

I don't really like the raw foodist movement, they seem very puritanical and spread downright lies a lot of the time, plus holychrist the amount of effort that goes into following a totally raw diet is crazy (if you're doing it "properly" you shouldn't eat any foods that have ever been heated above 40 degrees Celcius, alcohol's out etc). Raw veganism seems a recipe for all sorts of illnesses later in life tbh, raw meat like a recipe for a botulism. The movement needs to a lot more honest about the difficulties and dangers of following the lifestyle full time, and cut out this bull about it being more "natural".

That said, eating more raw fruits and vegetables is a good idea for anyone, and it does cut out a serious amount of processed food right off the cuff. I'd say just take it with a pinch of salt really, there's good to it, but it's not the miracle it's made out to be.

[raspberrybutterscotch]

Aren't most raw foodists raw vegans anyway?

[tippingxscales]

Yes, and we're also the only mammal that continues drinking milk after we are weened (sp?)
We are constantly being told to drink milk for calcium, however their are other ways of obtaining it rather than drinking milk.


Honestly, every animal lives off of it's abilities other than humans. While our body does need some of the vitamins in meat, I think that if we really NEEDED it we would have been given the abilities to catch it ourselves..


I'm not a vegetarian, and I do drink milk, but I believe we could be much healthier if we slowed to eating what is in our natural abilities of catching..


Like the previous comments, I agree, you do strike me as intellectual (:

[vphoenix]

Milk/dairy health benefits are not limited to calcium. Also, there ARE other sources of calcium but very few people actually bother to pay attention to how much they are ingesting (just look at the rise in problems like osteoporosis) From what I've read however, it's not an inherently healthy or unhealthy food, unlike the milk industry or vegans would like you to believe. It has both benefits and disadvantages.

Your theory about our bodies being able to produce everything we need is nice but you have to consider that we've evolved significantly - the human body is used to the eating habits we've adopted over the centuries. The reason meat is better than supplements is because it is significantly easier for the body to process. Do you HAVE to eat meat to be healthy? Nope, it's just easier. Do you need the vitamins, amino acids, etc found in meat? Yes. Also, we do catch meat ourselves. Just like animals employ different tools and tricks besides mere brute strength, we have created every hunting mechanism that exists.

I've done a lot of research about diets and the bottom line is that eating meat itself is no more or less healthy than being a vegetarian. The problem is what meat you eat, how often you eat it, and how much you eat. Diet is just a balancing act.

I hope that made sense, I'm pretty tired >_>

[Renaissance]

Milk/dairy health benefits are not limited to calcium. Also, there ARE other sources of calcium but very few people actually bother to pay attention to how much they are ingesting (just look at the rise in problems like osteoporosis) From what I've read however, it's not an inherently healthy or unhealthy food, unlike the milk industry or vegans would like you to believe. It has both benefits and disadvantages.

Your theory about our bodies being able to produce everything we need is nice but you have to consider that we've evolved significantly - the human body is used to the eating habits we've adopted over the centuries. The reason meat is better than supplements is because it is significantly easier for the body to process. Do you HAVE to eat meat to be healthy? Nope, it's just easier. Do you need the vitamins, amino acids, etc found in meat? Yes. Also, we do catch meat ourselves. Just like animals employ different tools and tricks besides mere brute strength, we have created every hunting mechanism that exists.

I've done a lot of research about diets and the bottom line is that eating meat itself is no more or less healthy than being a vegetarian. The problem is what meat you eat, how often you eat it, and how much you eat. Diet is just a balancing act.

I hope that made sense, I'm pretty tired >_>

Couldn't agree more. I'm going into Dietetics as a major and I have previous experience with health & nutrition classes, and you've basically summed up everything they've said. Meat is not bad for you - it depends on what kind it is, how often you eat it, and how you prepare it. Obviously, a lean, skinless chicken breast baked or grilled is much healthier than half a pound of hamburger meat fried in lard. Meat, like everything else, is part of a balanced diet as long as you know how much to eat and how to prepare it in a healthy way. Those who have high cholesterol from eating too much meat have probably made it the wrong way, not because they eat meat itself. Though you're right, eating it and not eating it is neither healthy nor unhealthy if done properly.

Saying that our bodies sustain themselves is rather contradictory; why do people starve to death if our bodies "provide" all the nutrients we need, then? Why can we only produce 4 of the 13 essential vitamins we need to have to live? While it's true we can "live" off ourselves for a set period of time, in no way can we do it indefinitely. Our bodies are made to survive, but they obviously can't survive on air alone.

[Chew]

I eat only raw fruits, veggies & greens, mainly fruit, cooking food kills enzymes & makes it harder to digest & protein and fat makes you crave sugars which make you hungry. x


You are never supposed to eat raw or undercooked meat, especially red meat and poultry. It's literally infested with bacteria, viruses, and sometimes deadly parasites. Even if it's been properly handled and inspected, raw meat can make you extremely ill or give you parasites like tapeworms. I've taken many health, nutrition and cooking classes and my mom is actually a registered dietitian..I know for a fact that raw meat can make you very sick. Please reconsider eating raw meat.

There is a diet called the raw paleo/primal diet of raw meat eaters, they are very sick & research has shown them not to live very long.

Chewthin. x

[Jacklinger]

Ancient humans who lived in ancient Africa when our species was only a few thousand years old still cooked their food. Humans and fire and toolmaking are an inseparable trio of aspects that if denied one another often lead to big problems and death. Just like how chimpanzees use sticks to get termites while no other primate does (I guess we could but termites taste yucky). And don't forget the other 11 species of humans that are extinct now, probably all of them also used fire to cook food, both meat and vegetable.

So we should eat raw food no more than a lion should get up on two feet and walk into a McDonalds and order a bigmac. =D