My favorite topic (at this moment, at least):

I'm in the imagining/planning phase for a two-month personal retreat. I would like to hear some opinions about the food I will store and eat. Here's the preliminary list:

Steel-Cut Oats
Almond Butter
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Green Vibrance Powder
Water

I will not bring anything sweet, because I want to learn what life is like without any sugar. Almond butter might be the only item I might go overboard with at times but I will take a strong determination to limit my intake to one or two spoonfuls a day. I would like to bring as few items with me as possible while still feeling completely confident in the nutritional value and balance of the foods.

What do you think? Is it balanced enough? Am I missing anything? Would you substitute anything?

Thank you all for your thoughtful advice.

Be Happy!
Chi

howdy,
i would die on that diet. i do agree withthe green superfood part of it. if your object is simply to survive and to not enjoy the food then you just might make it. that is not a goal i would feel comfortable with though.

vitimin c is the most quickly reduced vitamin so in order to avoid rickets keep that in mind. i'm a big fan of eating well, sleeping well and giving energy to my meditation. sure, drop sugar. drop weight even.

when i do a retreat i fill the freezer with GOOD frozen vegetables, prepare spices ahead of time and try to be mindful while i am preparingit and enjoying it.

my goal on retreat is to see through illusions and habits and not to unnecessesarily create suffering.

just my take, you know your goals.

make the most of your retreat and enjoy it.

tom

Hey Tom,

Thank you for your perspective.

With food on personal retreats, the following criteria seem to be predominant in the mind:
1. Nutritious
2. Convenient and easy to prepare
3. Helpful for digestion
4. Tasty

For now, I would like to see what it's like to have an objective just to survive. It may sound weird but certain foods consistently make me forget about the Three Characteristics (buttery, sweet food to be specific [butter, greek yogurt, pound cakes, moon cakes, jaggery, honey, etc.]) and create conditions for overeating, recklessness.

How do you prepare the veggies? Just stir-fry them?

Regarding Vitamin C: Green Vibrance has ~75% of daily intake with one serving.

Im dying just reading it...

If nutrition is your goal then start from scratch. Take a little time to think and read about what it is that humans eat. You're going to make yourself really sick eating that stuff exclusively and that'll just waste your precious retreat time.

Hi Bagpuss,

Human beings can survive on lots of different stuff, no? I don't know, I am still quite immature when it comes to taking care of myself, so I could be way off-track here.

Balanced amounts of carbs, fats, proteins, and ample vitamins is important. But also, I know the more time I spend with more types of foods, the more I will be distracted and pulled into bad habits. So, I tried to limit the variety. I have actually only eaten frozen fruit and vegetables a few times in my life. Perhaps they would be good for the retreat. They never even crossed the mind until Tom mentioned frozen veggies.

The Tibetan yogis who go into caves and mountains survive on mostly roasted barley flour, some dairy, and sweets for many months/years. Certainly, I have not a tenth of the courage of a serious Tibetan yogi, but perhaps I can try for a couple months to see what it's like to live on bare essentials.

Also, the Green Vibrance stuff is really good. It's almost like a drug, but a good one.

since you ask..yes, I do love stir fry, thai, spicy..i make a garlic ginger paste ahead of time ,an old indian,( with the dot, not the feathers) cooking trick.

also, the olive oil: peanut oil is better for cooking but for salads and general use an oil with high omega 3. it will help your brain do what brains do. chia chia seeds give you that too. adding kurkuma and supplementing with a little selenium will keep cancer far away from you so you can fade away under a tree long after your 80th birthday.

ask your doctor or pharmacist about side effects and possibel blah blah bblah..

;-)

tom