Elizabeth Miller <[log in to unmask]> writes:

> Certainly we were not unsuccessful as a species before we cooked food and
> cooking did not complete our evolution -- we're still evolving, I'm sure.
> People probably stayed with cooking because it makes a lot of foods more
> palatable and easier to eat

In my experience, raw meat is not more difficult to eat.  If we are
talking about an ancient race of people who evolved eating a raw,
natural diet, I doubt that they would discover someday that the meat
they have always eaten is "difficult" somehow.  Raw meat is also more
palatable to me.  At first I didn't like the texture, but after a
while I came to see the texture of cooked meat, especially red meat,
as undesirable, denatured somehow.


I am not directing these comments to you Elizabeth, just adding my
perspective.  Raw meat leaves my stomach quickly and does not produce
any foul smelling flatulence, while cooked meat does.  After a while
of eating raw meat exclusively, I could tell that my body was better
utilizing the protein, because I was building muscle tissue without
exercising, and this did not happen when I was eating a cooked paleo
diet.

I think we have been sorely misled about the "dangers" of eating raw
animal food and bacterial poisoning.  To me, it is the same propaganda
as the people who push low-fat diets.  I don't listen to the high-carb
philosophies anymore and I don't listen to the people warning about
the dire consequences of ecoli, mad cow disease, salmonella.  I am far
more afraid of pollution and human-created toxins in my environment
than I am of bacteria.  What of those people who age their meat for
weeks or those people who rot their meat?  I actually think the
bacteria that causes so much fear in people is healthy!  I think of
bacteria as friendly now; I can depend on my nose to tell me if
something is too full of bacteria and I should not eat it.

just another perspective.  i honor everyone's diet choices, i just
think that if people who eat raw on this list do not feel welcome, we
are losing a whole community who have valuable things to offer.

jana