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Is eating only boiled foods unhealthy? If everything I eat is boiled, will I develop a deficiency? What will I miss by not trying other cooking methods?

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You might not be getting optimal amounts of fat. You mention below you dont use any oil/fats. If you can't get coconut oil, buy whole mature coconut's and incorporate that into your food, buy chicken/other carcasses and to make stock, use this stock to boil your food. Strain the fat from the stock and keep it in a container so after you boil your food, you can add some fat to it. If you make sure that you are getting enough fat, you won't be missing anything in my opinion by boiling only. – Soul Oct 12 at 19:16

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You will miss nothing, except maybe some texture and some enzymes.

The Bulletproof diet suggests gentle cooking of all foods, and broths with boiled meats are extremely easy to digest. You might want to eat some raw foods for good enzymes, but for most of history, meat was cooked in stews.

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What enzymes? Why do I need them? – Pasteurella multocida Sep 16 at 22:09
You don't if you're cooking your food! Plus, your body produces plenty. – Alec Sep 17 at 5:48
The thing about boiling food vs. eating it in a stew is that when you toss the boil water, whatever left the food in the boiling process goes down the drain. In stews, presumably you're also consuming at least part of the cooking liquid. – Canis Minor Oct 12 at 18:44
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I wouldn't say it's unhealthy. Eating McDonalds at every meal is probably 'unhealthy'.

Certain vitamins and mnerals can leech into the liquid though (and oxalates too, which many don't really want anyway). If you're not consuming that liquid you may miss something. And enzymes and possible enjoyment/reward, like other posters have mentioned (roast meat/veg anyone?)

On a positve, by boiling meat you will 'miss' the hetrocyclic amines that form through high-heat cooking, which may be harmful... http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/cooked-meats

You are certainly not unhealthy by boiling all the time. If you're like me though you may desire addiational variety/less rigidity after getting bored with constant concumpsion of boiledstewed stuff.*

nb There is nothing I like more than low and slow braised lamb or beef...

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But I read somewhere that boiling potatoes not only reduces the glycemic index, but also is superior to other cooking methods at preserving some nutrients. I don't have the link, but I read it from a link posted here on paleohacks. – Pasteurella multocida Sep 16 at 22:00
Yeah there seems to be the pricniple that cooking methods that are on the slower/gentler side of things (like boiling as opposed to roasting) tend to preserve more nutrients vis a vis. Remember though that vitamin c eg is degraded by cooking of any sort - you can't expect to preseve nutritnets by boiling a tomato (although you do get some lycopene...!) – Michael Sep 25 at 7:03
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The concern with boiled foods is that nutrients, especially minerals end up in the water. If you boil foods, and keep the water to drink or as a gravy/ broth/ etc then you will lose nothing nutritionally.

The other concern is with texture. if this is not an issue for you, then boil away!

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That shouldn't be a problem. Are you getting your fats though(coconut oil, olive oil etc)?

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I don't use any oils. I can't find coconut oil where I live, but I do get some fat from meat, avocados and sometimes milk. – Pasteurella multocida Sep 16 at 22:07

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