In a message dated 97-07-08 09:06:12 EDT, you write: << diet which is possible when a human (or any biological creature) is in its ancestral environment without technology >> Someone raised a question about fire recently, but if it was answered I missed it. Why is use of fire (cooking) not considered part of our ancestral environment? I understand fire was used before homo sapiens so why are foods which need to be cooked to be edible "forbidden fruit"? I always thought that cooking is what allowed our ancestors to increase the meat quotient of their diet since we don't have the the teeth other carnivors have for ripping into raw flesh. I probably don't know what I'm talking about. Someone please enlighten me.