Ellie:

>  What bothers me is.. if after a few bites of cabbage it tastes bitter to
> me, and I want no more, why would it be good for me cooked? Shouldn't I
> chose another veggie? Is the idea of cooking a compromise because we
> don't live in the Garden of Eden, and it's a way of getting some more
> nutrients even though there may be some toxins as a result of cooking. Is
> the issue not that Instinctive Eating of raw foods is wrong in theory,
> but just that it is impractical?

The Garden of Eden is just a myth. Paleo humans didn't worry about toxemia, and
did whatever they could to broaden the range of their foods. Hunter-
gatherers typically cook about 50% of their food, and are still healthy.

Of course, this doesn't mean that it's *necessary* to eat any cooked food,
nor even that it's *useful*. However, the practical consequence of eating
100% raw is often a restricted diet (unless, of course, you regularly go
to the forest and eat wild plants ;-) ), and the benefits from eating a
small quantity of lightly cooked cabbage probably outweigh the
inconvenience (if any).

This is not to say that *all* cooked foods are good. One of my friends has
allergic reactions when he eats pistachios which are sold under the label
"raw", but in reality are heat-denatured. In my case, I get digestive
troubles and diarrhea the next day. But so far, I don't think that a few
leaves of boiled vegetables can harm anyone.

Best wishes,

Jean-Louis
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