cooked meat question

[Justin]

Slow cooked meat for many hours in a crock pot, and the rich gravy stock generated from this style of cooking, why is it so appealing to the human taste buds?
Is the gravy stock full of concentrated protein and is therefore so appealing?
I cook for my parents every night and theres something special about the flavour generated when the rich gravy is poured over the roast potatoes and the meat falls apart like butter.
How can something so tasty be so wrong .

I sometimes question whether a more nutrient dense paleo diet with cooked meats, butter, lard, sea food, eggs, organ meats etc, would be more beneficial to my health (see http://www.westonaprice.org/index.html) but i'm still VERY happy with the wai way.

[CurlyGirl]

To me, Justin, the problem with the Weston Price way is that very little is said (if anything) about the dangers of cooking - i.e. the long-term effects of ingesting all those chemicals generated by the application of heat to proteins/sugars/fats/cholesterol, etc. That is why the Wai diet makes the most sense to me - it documents the problems to which cooking gives rise, and then systematically shows you how to avoid those problems by avoiding cooked food without damaging your health (indeed, you actually enhance your health).

[Oscar]

Knowing that HCA's can be very addictive, appetite enhancing, etc, maybe that is also what we smell? Or our mind remembers the addiction?

[RRM]

How can something so tasty be so wrong

Actually, the most addictive substances are generally not so good for us (alcohol, heroine etc), and the most tasty cooked foods contain the most harmful substances (meat versus veggies).
Indeed, that delicious flavour contains some of these addicitve chemicals, which is what triggers our appetite so much

[CurlyGirl]

So my years of disordered eating were not so much related to psychological problems as to my inherently high susceptibility to the addictive chemicals in prepared foods...

It helps to know this.

[RRM]

Yes. And I think it is extremely cruel to let people with eating problems believe that it is they who are weak; that is they who are to blame, while the addictive nature of beta-carbolines and opioid peptides has been very well documented, and knowing that already in 1985 major food companies openly discussed how to best use such appetite enhancers.

Its cruel because it damages people's selfrespect, which is one of the most intrusive ways to hurt someone...

[nick]

Yes. And I think it is extremely cruel to let people with eating problems believe that it is they who are weak; that is they who are to blame, while the addictive nature of beta-carbolines and opioid peptides has been very well documented, and knowing that already in 1985 major food companies openly discussed how to best use such appetite enhancers.

Are you referring to someone at Nestle who wanted to use it to increase sales? I remember reading that in one your articles. However, I couldn't find the actual article itself.

[RRM]

Are you referring to someone at Nestle who wanted to use it to increase sales? I remember reading that in one your articles. However, I couldn't find the actual article itself.

Yes, that was Witherly from Nestlé quoted by Solms in his book
"Food Acceptance and Nutrition"
London 1987, page 403.

It was published in the US in 1988. You can get used and new copies at Amazon.com

[Oscar]

In our society, when there is a choice between morality and money, money almost always wins.

[Cairidh]

*almost* always?

I never liked cooked meat *shakes head*
But frying a food always makes it taste better, and frying is the most harmful cooking method...
If you eat something thats bad for you, like alcohol or drugs or cooked food, your body wants more of it to stay in balance, so perhaps your body makes it taste good to you? Whereas perhaps if you'd been raised on raw food from birth and you ate cooked meat, gravy and roast potatoes, you'd think they tasted disgusting.

[nick]

Thanks RRM. I was so curious at that statement/amazing fact that is really a major point in some of your research. Have you read the book? Does it go more into depth about addictive substances?

[Oscar]

*almost* always?

I've had a scientific education, so I've learned to be cautious when drawing conclusions. Can't say 'always' when it's not always the case.

If you eat something thats bad for you, like alcohol or drugs or cooked food, your body wants more of it to stay in balance...

Huh? I thought it was just addiction related...

[CurlyGirl]

Its cruel because it damages people's selfrespect, which is one of the most intrusive ways to hurt someone...

That's how I've felt for years - weakened by my own self-punishment (guilt also) and angry about being made to feel so helpless. The diet books never go into the addictive nature of processed foods - they just tell you to suck it in, get your act together, follow the programme and all will be well. But of course, to sell things to people (snack foods, diet books, etc), you have to convince them first that who they are is somehow not enough, or wrong, or in need of modifications/'improvements'. So many women (and men) walking around feeling hurt, everywhere!

[CurlyGirl]

Look at this:
http://onhealth.webmd.com/script/main/a ... ekey=56880

[RRM]

Its a step, at least...
dopamin is just one of the neurotransmitters involved, but its a step...

Good that they mention steak: "one in four Americans wouldn't give up meat for a week even if they were paid a thousand dollars to do so".

Now they need to know why its steak so particularly...