Comments on: Does cooking make us human?

By: JavaChick

JavaChick — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 15:59:26 +0000

Thanks for the summary – definitely food for thought! I eat a lot of raw veggies & salad because that’s the way I prefer my veggies. And a lot of the raw food that I see pictured/described on food blogs looks really tasty and healthy. However, it seems to me that by going completely raw you would be cutting out plenty of other nutritious foods. Plus there is the inconvenience factor. In the end, everyone has to do what is right for them. For me an all raw diet would not be practical or enjoyable – it gets cold here in the winter, can’t imagine not being able to eat hot food!

By: Amber

Amber — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 14:26:00 +0000

I only briefly read about this in Omnivores Dilemma but I would love to read more on it. I am not sure where I stand but it is very compelling to read. Pretty cool Kath linked this to her blog!!

By: Emily

Emily — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 22:49:54 +0000

Over the summer when raw food seemed to be very popular across the blogs, I secretly started to feel guilt everytime I warmed up my oatmeal or microwaved my broccoli. Of course, looking back, that is absurd to feel that especially since I eat healthy whole foods most of the time. But the research you’ve shared is even more reassuring that I live healthfully. Thanks for sharing!!

By: Kasey @ Fit For Wellness

Kasey @ Fit For Wellness — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 21:40:50 +0000

Very interesting… especially the scientific data tied into his theories… thanks for sharing

By: Lara

Lara — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 20:37:50 +0000

I read about this in the New York Times a few months ago and found it fascinating. Not sure why so many people think a raw food diet is healthier than cooked food. I love raw veggies and have some raw cookbooks because I think the recipes are good but the “science” that raw foodists always tout is totally bogus. If it makes someone feel better then great, but with the exception of a few things that have slightly more nutrients raw than cooked there is no health advantage to eating raw from a nutrient standpoint.

By: fitforfree

fitforfree — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 20:19:18 +0000

So interesting! I’m definitely going to listen to/read this, mostly because I want to know how they account for the high variability in humans’ digestive systems . . .

By: Kath Eats Real Food » Kath Eats [At] Real Food

Kath Eats Real Food » Kath Eats [At] Real Food — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 19:51:18 +0000

[...] Salad Girl Maggie (who I just met in SF!) actually just posted about the raw food trend on her blog the other day after reading/listening to this transcript from NPR about the new book Catching Fire: How Cooking Made Us Human by primatologist Richard Wrangham. Maggie summarized it here: "Does Cooking Make Us Human." [...]

By: September’s end update- bumming, yumming, and working « Yogiclarebear’s Blog

Thu, 01 Oct 2009 17:24:15 +0000

[...] below, here are a few more things I liked about September: CANNING! Salsa, applesauce, jam. Philosophical food talk with Maggie @ Say Yes to Salad. Recognizing faces and hats of ED and DE with some insights @ [...]

By: (A Nutritionist Eats)

(A Nutritionist Eats) — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 14:26:03 +0000

This is very interesting! I’m certainly all for raw foods, but I could never eat an entirely raw diet. I’ve found that during the summer eating raw comes naturally, but when the temp drops I begin to want warm foods.

By: Gena (Choosing Raw)

Gena (Choosing Raw) — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 13:43:44 +0000

Well I think you can guess my feelings on most of this, though I do give the author a great deal of credit for pointing out how fundamentally flawed the human digestive system is. That said, he and I do not agree on what renders food more digestible for us!

So glad you enjoyed the research.