Raw paleolithic diet

[bright eyed]

having lived up in the SF/Berkeley/Bay area, i thought i had seen it all, in terms of diets at least...even had friends who had been to the "raw" restaurant and got the cookbook etc.

but the other day, caught an episode of wife swap (i'm not an avid fan i swear!) and one of the families were raw foods folks...but i had thought that meant veggies.

NO! they eat raw meat!

the whole family ate raw chicken, eggs and other meat! i was seriously surprised.

but after the shock i did some research and found, of course there is a community of people who adhere to the belief that this diet will be better for them. Raw Paleo Diets Which Include Raw Animal Foods: Raw Meat, Raw Fish, Raw Dairy

it was still hard to swallow and the family on the show was two adults and two teens - all who seemed to believe very strongly (guess you would have to!) in their diet.

the one thing i think they had going for them was that they raised their own chickens and cow - so they knew where their meat and dairy was coming from. i don't think i'd ever consider or advocate people considering this diet if they were going down to the super mart and picking up the mass produced meat/dairy/eggs...

even if you think this is the diet we had eaten for thousands of years, haven't we cooked food long enough that this isn't the diet we are meant to eat now? i have seen the survivor guys on tv chomp on some nasty looking raw stuff, but that is in a survival situation...

i've also heard the same rational for why we should feed our dogs raw meat, but pooches haven't exactly been around the fire pit w/ a stick for a few thousand years either

and there is a lot of carpaccio and sushi going on too...but the meat is usually very thinly sliced, the family on the show was munching on some chunks of raw chicken or beef...

would you! do you?

[CyclingInvestor]

I eat raw beef several times a week, and have since my teens. Burger, steaks, the
leaner the better. No particular health reason, it just tastes better. I have only gotten
mildly sick a few times in my twenties when I was cheap and ate some meat I had
stored for a few days and smelled a bit questionable.

[bpp3]

Raw food doesn't bother me, but what are the paleolithic longevity statistics like?

[W2R]

Raw beef.... no
Raw pork.... h*ll no! Not healthy.
Raw chicken..ewww, now that is disgusting
Raw fish...... sure, I grew up eating high quality sashimi often!

Guess it's a cultural thing!

[brewer12345]

My brother andhis wife ae raw foodists, but they are vegan and very picky at that. They have a retail store catering to raw foodists: Exotic Superfoods

I think they would sooner eat a stick of margarine than chow down on a raw hunk of chicken.

[lazygood4nothinbum]

sometimes i'll eat a piece of raw tofu while i'm preparing to cook it.

others who aren't me even eat animals while they are still alive. and we get horrified just from a shark attack. imagine being eaten alive. those poor oysters.

[Khan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by CyclingInvestor I eat raw beef several times a week, and have since my teens. Burger, steaks, the leaner the better. No particular health reason, it just tastes better.

Same here. A favorite is ground sirloin. When I cook beef/lamb/goat, I like it just about raw in the middle (but warmed to body temperature).

Ate raw eggs, milk, beef, fish when a child on the farm; have also had raw clams and oysters when I lived near the ocean.

Too much cultural conditioning to do raw bird.

I imagine pork raised indoors wouldn't be much of a health risk.

I also eat a lot of raw fruits and vegetables.

[dumpster56]

Well done everything. I even like a hard skin on my chocolate pudding!

[FinallyRetired]

I remember returning from a remote assignment in the Air Force, from a country where little or no beef was eaten. I stopped off in Germany on the way home, went to a restaurant and, speaking no German, my eyes zoomed in on Steak Tartare. I ordered it, my mouth watering while thinking of a juicy steak. They brought out what looked like raw hamburger with a raw egg in the middle. As hungry as I was for beef, I sent it back.

[citrine]

I caught that show too and was totally grossed out.
All I can say is yuck!....No way, no how will I ever eat raw meat.
I think it is a cultural thing....I grew up in India and love all sorts of spicy vegetarian dishes....eat meat a few times a month and everything (including filet mignon) has to be well done.

[ERD50]

Ever wonder why eskimos didn't get scurvy? They sure didn't have any fresh limes or lemons in those igloos.

They eat their catch raw - animals can produce vitamin C, enough for humans to get by. But only if you don't cook it (heat destroys Vitamin C pretty quickly), and you need to eat the parts that have the C in them, liver, skin, yummy. And raw.

Other cultures get through the winter with sauerkraut or kim-chee. Cabbage is high in C and those dishes are pickled, not cooked. Just warming the kraut may not be high enough or long enough heat to destroy much C, not sure what the limits are.

-ERD50

[aenlighten]

while hunting gathering tribes had some meat, much of their diet was vegetarian, and a good many of these are indigestible without cooking. Even the gods preferred meat cooked, burnt offerings, and smoking has been around for preservation a long time. Still some of this may have occurred with agriculture when other food became hard to come by. While grains would keep, they would be difficult to eat without grinding and baking or cooking. The modern diet only appeared in the 17th century. Before that most food was boiled or stewed in gruels and soups.

[TromboneAl]

Cycling and Khan, are we talking about beef that you get at a regular old grocery store?

[haha]

My ex eats raw meat. Kind of frightening actually.

Ha

[Khan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TromboneAl Cycling and Khan, are we talking about beef that you get at a regular old grocery store?

Usually; also from local farmers.

[roadtoharvard]

I saw the show too and it was interesting. I cook my meat and that won't change but I might try that toothpaste recipe they used: 1 part clay and 1 part butter. Sure does get em pearly white. 4/5 dentist's friend's brother in law's sister agrees!

[CyclingInvestor]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TromboneAl Cycling and Khan, are we talking about beef that you get at a regular old grocery store?

yes.- and in the old cheap days it was from the about-to-expire bin.

[Ed_The_Gypsy]

A good friend from high school, German-born, went back to Germany in the Air Force and got a big tapeworm from eating beef tartare (sp?).

I have had beef tartare and it was delicious. Also devine sushi. But no, no, no, I don't do that no mo.

The invention of fire saved many lives. Mine included, I daresay.

[haha]

I buy a sirloin or rib steak or strip steak, bone it if there is a bone, and slice it so that I have 2 steaks, each half as thick as the one I started with. They are usually 3/8" or so. Lightly salt and coarsely grind a lot of pepper onto the steaks, both sides. Your knife has to be sharp.

I preheat a very heavy iron skillet for 3 minutes on near high heat, no grease. I toss in a pat of butter, then still on high I fry the steak on one side for 1 minute, turn it and do 40 seconds on the second side. Put it on a heated plate, pour a bit of wine into the hot skillet and scrape it to make a quick sauce. Now you have an incredibly tasty and very lightly cooked steak. With a couple of fried or country style eggs this makes a killer breakfast.

Ha

[DangerMouse]

I love Steak Tartare if it is done properly. I also can't get enough sashimi. To make me even odder I love raw bacon and raw sausages (yes I know that there are health risks attached).

However if I order a steak I have it well done.