Heat changes what a food is and what it does inside you.
Cooking
Cooking is chemistry. It breaks apart cell walls, denatures proteins, caramelizes sugars, and unlocks compounds. Sometimes it makes nutrients more available (tomatoes, carrots). Sometimes it destroys them (vitamin C in long-boiled vegetables). Method matters as much as ingredient.
Cooking methods to know
- · Raw — preserves enzymes, texture, some vitamins
- · Steaming — gentle, keeps most nutrients
- · Boiling — softens, can leach water-soluble vitamins
- · Roasting — caramelizes, concentrates flavor
- · Pan-searing — browns, adds fat
- · Frying — fast, high-heat, changes fats
- · Slow cooking — breaks down tough tissue, deepens flavor
Something to investigate
Same broccoli: steamed vs roasted. Which one do you enjoy more? Which one does your gut prefer? These can be different answers.