Food

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The Xzanth, modified 11 Years ago at 1/28/13 3:36 PM
Created 11 Years ago at 1/28/13 3:36 PM

Food

Posts: 71 Join Date: 12/28/12 Recent Posts
I am (re)discovering just how important diet is to successful meditation. I would like this thread to be practical one as opposed to a theoretical one. I want to know what foods you all recommend and which foods you do not. Which herbs and spices you like and not, Raw or cooked? etc. If anyone has particular recipes and wish to share their secrets I would love to partake.

Let me start by stating that I have discovered garlic to be completely prohibited for any kind of mediation. Even a full 6 hours after consuming it I am unable to sit still for more than 30 to 45 minutes at a stretch.
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katy steger,thru11615 with thanks, modified 11 Years ago at 1/28/13 7:22 PM
Created 11 Years ago at 1/28/13 7:20 PM

RE: Food

Posts: 1740 Join Date: 10/1/11 Recent Posts
Hey there!

One thing I've noticed about the topic of food is that I think dietary phases in life are associated with equanimity -- if we're talking about the Insight framework and the stage of equanimity.

Even if we're not talking about Insight maps, any person who's moving away from some problems in their lives and moving towards being happier and healthier in themselves usually starts showing dietary changes...more regulation, more deliberate choosing/control over impulses because they naturally are ready to support their healthiness and the natural happiness arising from basic physical healthiness.

So meditation or not, I think people start to reduce sugars/carbs or even go ketogenic for awhile when they are eager to solidify a nice change in life (in mood, in body, in mind, relations, etc). Sugars tend to cause swift physical and mental changes and if they aren't used up in exercise the brain tends to feel their usage in mood swinging. So everyone seems to understand really quickly for themselves, "Time to eat better."

That said-- I also think post-equanimity presents with zero dietary changes and a lot of natural winsomeness/pleasantness-- in this "stage" people just go through periods where they are very satisfied with their work, life, etc and there's no need to take up dietary restraints or particular fitness even. I think that kind of mind is having a good effect on the body, just like when one meditates for some longer period and can arise easily: there's some bodily effect the engaged mind is having. Same as a person sitting happily at their desk all day if they love their work that day...

So, to your point (in my roundabout way):
I want to know what foods you all recommend and which foods you do not.
Consider paying attention to the surge of pleasure the mind gets from sugars, the grumpiness the mind often presents when not getting sugars, and then taking up a diet low in sugars and/or followed quickly by exercise.
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Dauphin Supple Chirp, modified 11 Years ago at 1/29/13 1:50 PM
Created 11 Years ago at 1/29/13 1:50 PM

RE: Food

Posts: 154 Join Date: 3/15/11 Recent Posts
I've been vegan since before I started meditating, but I have never been 100% raw while meditating. Before I started meditating, I spent several months 100% raw, which gave me an amazingly peaceful and blissful feeling a lot of the time. I think I'll go 100% raw and report back my findings. The first couple of months, though, are just going to be withdrawals, so please be patient.

One thing I'm starting to think may have had something to do with meditative success was my daily consumption of a little bit of aloe vera (in combination with bananas and orange juice), but let's take it one step at a time.

Refined sugar and/or caffeine make meditation really hard for me. They seem to directly cause at least two of the 5 hindrances. emoticon
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The Xzanth, modified 11 Years ago at 1/30/13 8:21 PM
Created 11 Years ago at 1/30/13 8:21 PM

RE: Food

Posts: 71 Join Date: 12/28/12 Recent Posts
Thanks!

"the grumpiness the mind often presents when not getting sugars"

I believe that you have given me a satisfactory answer for my moods of the past few days. As a result of my renewed interest in serious and regular meditation I seem to have much more will power than was usual for me and have stopped (without too much difficult or deliberation) the daily consumption of soft drinks. Well, will power or not I am most likely reacting to this sudden change with a marked, and no doubt temporary and circumstantial, souring of my usually very 'sweet' personality. emoticon
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The Xzanth, modified 11 Years ago at 1/30/13 8:27 PM
Created 11 Years ago at 1/30/13 8:27 PM

RE: Food

Posts: 71 Join Date: 12/28/12 Recent Posts
I am definitely increasing my consumption of raw food. I am under the impression that poor dietary choices have created excess acidity in my system. I have no intention of being 100% anything however though I recall the bliss I felt when doing fasts and semi-fasts (2-3 week experiences).

Please do keep me posted regarding your experience with a raw food diet. While I am reticent to commit to such a discipline I have several friends who are doing it. I am compiling their experiences (and perhaps yours as well) for future reference.
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katy steger,thru11615 with thanks, modified 11 Years ago at 1/31/13 7:55 AM
Created 11 Years ago at 1/31/13 7:53 AM

RE: Food

Posts: 1740 Join Date: 10/1/11 Recent Posts
Hi!

You've got a "sweet" base... nice :0)

So I can relate to how periods of natural will give rise to good choices and willing meditation.

For me the trick remains training during the times that are not naturally easier.

So just for perspective on sugars and the brain, if a person were to stop consumption of all but about 18 grams of carbohydrates per day (that is, for example, found in a couple cups of collard greens...) the brain would go through about four days of escalating irritation demanding sugar for fuel. (If a person were sedated and given no carbohydrates, the peak-demand process takes about two days). By the fifth day craving lessens; on the sixth day friends and family tend to say, "Hey, [XYZ-person] looks good"; and by the seveth day, the person just feels awesome.

What is happening is that the brain is switching from sugar as a source of energy to fat-conversion-into-energy (making ketone bodies from fat). Ketone bodies have great effects on the brain (there are neuro protective findings)-- lots of university research coming out these days on this and mental disorders and cancers. By seven days of <20g carbohydrates daily a person sees huge changes in their sense of wellness and well-being and their bodily functioning (but the first four days are mentally challenging and often need insoluble fibers...)

Unless a person has Diabetes Type I (and diabetic persons should only consider this with their doctors, in my opinion), I definitely recommend people evaluate a carb-less diet for one week.

Meditators doing such a short week-long sugar elimination can quickly see how craving and addiction work on the mind. I've never had a drug/alcohol problem, but after doing a few rounds of ketogenic eating over the course of the past two years, I've felt like I could sponsor a person in addiction treatment and the behavioral stuff that comes with that. Maybe in another while that opportunity would come up. I dunno emoticon

Good luck with your work on this!
Be Free Now, modified 11 Years ago at 1/31/13 3:00 PM
Created 11 Years ago at 1/31/13 2:50 PM

RE: Food

Posts: 61 Join Date: 2/4/12 Recent Posts
Hello Friends,

I am moving towards eating once every two days. It's definitely not easy, but I feel so much more energy and peace radiating from the body and mind. I am much more open and receptive and non-clinging. The energy moves fast, the mind moves fast, and there is less clinging to sense desires. There is much more joy and generosity that comes from renunciation. It's actually pretty darn awesome. I got the inspiration from this radical Nation of Islam leader on seventhfam.com in his book How to Eat to Live. Although there are clearly some dogmatic and unappealing aspects to the writing, his thesis of resting the body more leads to a longer and healthier life is clearly argued.

On the days I eat, I do my best to eat as much fruit and veggies as possible. Although I still eat lots of nuts, I am doing my best to cut down on the nut consumption, as I can feel a lethargy come when I eat too much.

I have also ordered a couple of green superfood mixes from Amazon that had good reviews. I am waiting for them to arrive.

I feel fruit and veggies should be the foundation of a solid, peaceful diet. Science has done so much in terms of laying out what is good and what is not good for us (although, of course, not all of it agrees with each other). Refined sugars, saturated fat, and the lack of fruit and veggies lead to unhealthiness. Basically, I feel, a person who meditates, who has access to all different types of foods, will do their best to move from packaged, processed, and junk foods to diet with more fruit and veggies. I mean, they come from the earth, they are natural, and you can feel how good they are for you by the lack of heaviness. Our bodies are mostly water, so we should consume things that are mostly water. We are lucky in the west that we have so much choice. We are not monks who have to take what is given. We can control the food and drink that goes into our bodies.

It feels the more we practice, the more we realize how eating bad food affects our mood and the moods of those around us. It affects how we see things, how aggressive we are, how angry we get, etc, etc.

Eat fruit and veggies. Be Healthy. Be Happy!
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The Xzanth, modified 11 Years ago at 1/31/13 8:08 PM
Created 11 Years ago at 1/31/13 8:08 PM

RE: Food

Posts: 71 Join Date: 12/28/12 Recent Posts
Many studies link a reduced calorie diet with increased longevity.

Have you tried soaking and/or sprouting your seeds or nuts? For example, I soak almonds over night and the remove the peels to eat them (less than 20/day... seeds and nuts are concentrated food). I have read that it revitalizes them, it certainly improves the taste!

To be perfectly straight however, tigers are also mostly water and they do poorly on a diet of fruits and veggies. (though I understand that we are not tigers) I certainly believe in exploring which diet suits us best (and paying attention to any possible unwanted side effects). I also believe in bio-chemical individuality. One man's (or woman's) meat is another man's poison.

I have a friend who is exploring sun gazing; staring at the sun when it is close to horizon (sunrise and sunset). He believes that he will one day be able to obtain his nutrition directly from sunlight. I say go for it! (but pay attention as mentioned above)

I also met a man once who stated that for 6 years he subsisted solely on fruit and nuts (whatever the plant gave of its own accord in accordance with his principles of non-violence). His experiment eventually needed to be discontinued as he had slowly become too weak to walk. In this case I believe he was a good man to accept defeat. He embraced veganism at that point.

Peace and goodwill...

(you have me looking forward to a mean salad tomorrow)
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Dauphin Supple Chirp, modified 11 Years ago at 2/1/13 6:06 AM
Created 11 Years ago at 2/1/13 6:06 AM

RE: Food

Posts: 154 Join Date: 3/15/11 Recent Posts
I overdid sun gazing several years ago by trying to do it when the sun was not close enough to the horizon. To this day, I have what I believe to be solar retinopathy. I can't see yellow (or distinguish between blue and green) in the center of my field of vision (a spot the apparent size of the sun). It improved a little bit over the first few days, but since then has remained constant, as far as I can tell, except the brain has become more used to it.

An update on my current nutritional experiment: I went 100% raw when I posted to this thread a few days ago. Today is probably going to be the worst day. I was lying in bed awake most of the night, listening to snoring. Now I'm smelling this perfume and keep wondering why any woman in her right mind would ever prefer it to natural body odor.
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Simon T, modified 11 Years ago at 2/1/13 11:44 AM
Created 11 Years ago at 2/1/13 11:43 AM

RE: Food

Posts: 383 Join Date: 9/13/11 Recent Posts
The Paleo diet made a huge difference in my energy level. You don't have to follow all the recommendation.
The most important is to eliminate ENTIRELY grains from you diet. This mean no bread, no pasta, no cake, no rice.

It's not easy at first since grains are found in everything. You end up increasing your intake of meat, fish, nuts, fruits and vegetables to compensate.

Keep your intake of sugar and dairy products low. Avoid rice (wild rice is OK). Some people need to cut potatoes too.

By following those advices, I feel much less tired during the day. I basically never feel hungry since I eat more food that provide energy for a long period of time. I can eat once a day and I'm fine.

The amount of rice we are being served on retreats can be ridiculous. Rice make people feel sleepy. It's the worse food to have in the stomach on the cushion.
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The Xzanth, modified 11 Years ago at 2/3/13 12:37 PM
Created 11 Years ago at 2/3/13 12:37 PM

RE: Food

Posts: 71 Join Date: 12/28/12 Recent Posts
Ah yes... the pain of perceiving things 'as they really are'. ;-)
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katy steger,thru11615 with thanks, modified 11 Years ago at 2/3/13 1:10 PM
Created 11 Years ago at 2/3/13 12:58 PM

RE: Food

Posts: 1740 Join Date: 10/1/11 Recent Posts
Hi Xzanth (where's that name from, btw?)

Food: uhm... there are stages to the whole dietary quest: no carb diets ("ketosis" which often manifest as "paleo", "atkins" and whatnot) are part of that. By eliminating huge swings in metabolism a person gets to see how much their mood is just coming from reactivity to chemistry. Several days in a row of xyz-mood adds up to being xyz-life.

But each person can basically do what they want: some days I just don't eat or I have a bit of tea. Other days I eat whole bags of potato chips (very rarely ;).

I am basically just much much more aware of my mind and body and metabolism is like the anapanasati of corporeal meditation. ***

So, you can do a vegan raw food or a vegan ketosis or a greens blahblahblah...and if the head is in a great space, it's just gonna be fine. For folks going though a "Dark night" cycle/sickness I super-highly recommend either vegetarian ketosis or paleo ketosis: whichever works for the person's moral needs.

Aubrey de Grey (since you raised longevity) is one of the researchers who links metabolism to longevity. He strongly advises each person "know themselves" and research and tend one's own specific weaknesses. I could not agree more. So play with the diet thing immersively enough to learn about how your mind and mood are arising from food and exercise, but also consider that there is no magic bullet fixed diet: people adjust all the time because they are fluid process. And also sometimes -- on some great occasion, this little mind of mine shines regardless of what is digesting away-- I think we all know that we're not always bound to diet and metabolism (you know, when we have some nice big crush, we're like floating around no matter what happens)...but when the mind is stressed/depressed at length, yeah, it's impacted by everything increasingly.

Can I get a hallelujah?

;) aw, just preachin'


_______
*** this means that, yes, diets are usually doing something beneficial, but the thing that ends up helping a person year-over-year is not a "magic bullet" diet, but the awareness of one's own body and mind that comes with experiment and observation. Now I don't always need to take up a dietary measure when some illness crops up, I take up an exercise measure. Diet and body care are huge parts of the meditation self-study.
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Dauphin Supple Chirp, modified 11 Years ago at 2/4/13 6:26 AM
Created 11 Years ago at 2/4/13 6:26 AM

RE: Food

Posts: 154 Join Date: 3/15/11 Recent Posts
Update Day 6 (I think):

In the middle of the night, my throat was really sore, but it's back to normal now. I woke up with intense feelings of fear, thinking about brutal violence, rape, child abuse, that kind of thing. I'm not posting this to whine, but I know in a couple of months I'll be raving about how beautiful and clear everything feels, and then I'll get the occasional comment along the lines of, "I could never do this. I tried going raw once for a week or two, and my body kept telling me it wasn't right for me." Of course your body is going to tell you it's not right for you. It's called withdrawals.
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The Xzanth, modified 11 Years ago at 2/4/13 11:46 AM
Created 11 Years ago at 2/4/13 11:46 AM

RE: Food

Posts: 71 Join Date: 12/28/12 Recent Posts
It's not the negative symptoms I'd feel after a couple of weeks that would worry me, it is the (hypothetical) negative symptoms I might feel after several months or years. I've got plenty on my plate right now (pun intended) so I think I will continue moving in baby steps.

I happy that you are keeping us in the loop. Do you live in a warm climate? What do you think of raw food living in a cold clime like Canada? Lately I sometimes even lightly cook my apples because it's 30 below (Celsius) outside and the last thing I feel that I need is cold food.

On another note. I am now aware of the fact that my body does not digest wheat as well as it does other grains. Too bad because wheat is everywhere.
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Dauphin Supple Chirp, modified 11 Years ago at 2/4/13 1:15 PM
Created 11 Years ago at 2/4/13 1:15 PM

RE: Food

Posts: 154 Join Date: 3/15/11 Recent Posts
I live in Florida, which is supposedly nice and warm. We were a few degrees above freezing last night and are expecting similar temperatures tonight. I sometimes drink warm/hot water, and I turn the heat on. That way it doesn't seem too bad. Going raw, however, in the beginning, always feel very uncomfortable, like you're going to starve, freeze, become depressed, so it would probably be preferable to make a change like this when it's warm outside.

Regarding wheat: If your body has a problem with it, this might be a blessing in disguise. If you "can't" eat all the processed foods that contain wheat ingredients, that's probably a very good thing. emoticon If you're not raw, you can have a simple, inexpensive, healthy life by eating a lot of rice and beans. Some people really thrive on that. Carrots, spinach, parsley, sesame, and even corn or cabbage are tasty additions to such dishes, and they are usually easy to obtain. Personally I don't seem to tolerate beans too well, but if I use mung beans or even lentils, then I don't really have much of a problem. Right now, though, I don't even have to worry about any of those things. emoticon
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The Xzanth, modified 11 Years ago at 2/12/13 10:33 PM
Created 11 Years ago at 2/12/13 10:33 PM

RE: Food

Posts: 71 Join Date: 12/28/12 Recent Posts
katy steger:
Hi Xzanth (where's that name from, btw?)


Xzanth is many things to me. I figured that it made it handy as a handle... and prone to get me into puns... I love puns. The name itself probably stretches back to childhood and playing dungeons and dragons with friends. To me it feels playful and ancient all rolled up in one.

I'm at
Simple food, simple life.
Get it live!
But don't skimp-out on taste.

My digestive system should be such that I may sit undisturbed in meditation anything less indicates dysfunction. In this regards the diet I enjoy at Goenka Vipassana retreats is a good template for a balanced diet. After eating bacon and eggs for a few years (to no apparent ill effect) I have I believe successfully switched to a standard healthful, yogi diet. Frankly the bacon and eggs (read: fast food) lost all of their taste, what I eat now is so much more delicious, feels good all the way down. :-p

I believe that feeding ourselves is a sacrament. It's in every little thing or it's in nothing at all. While I am almost completely vegetarian I have nothing personal against eating meat. I am not a fan of factory farming but that's another story.
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katy steger,thru11615 with thanks, modified 11 Years ago at 2/13/13 10:03 AM
Created 11 Years ago at 2/13/13 10:03 AM

RE: Food

Posts: 1740 Join Date: 10/1/11 Recent Posts
It sounds like we have a similar diet these days:
standard healthful, yogi diet.
. And if someone gives me food or has me over for dinner, well, naturally I love that and eat what's there.

I am still, however, practically evangelical that people try a vegan or even other ketogenic diet when they are feeling like a wreck mentally/physically for months and months (except diabetes type I persons). A seven-day test can produce great results. Somewhere in the DHO I have a post linking to a lot of recent studies: from Duke University showing absence of schizophrenia in a 70-year old patient with 53 years of prior schizophrenia after about three weeks of ketosis to absence of gliobastoma multiforma in another 70-year patient in Italy to significant reversals of Alzheimer's damage (Mary Newport, MD) and to Oxford trials with Parkinsons.

Yikes, there's that evangelical bit coming up!


Xzanth is many things to me. I figured that it made it handy as a handle... and prone to get me into puns... I love puns.
Hmm... I got nothin' for this. Xzanth, Xzanth, dhamma hot pants?

Anyway, bon app emoticon
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Dauphin Supple Chirp, modified 11 Years ago at 2/13/13 5:53 PM
Created 11 Years ago at 2/13/13 5:51 PM

RE: Food

Posts: 154 Join Date: 3/15/11 Recent Posts
It's now becoming clear to me that Xzanth's name may have something to do with the fact that, out of the blue, I looked into astaxanthin again a few days ago, and this time I actually started taking it. By the way, I also did some research on pumpkin seed oil, of which I am slowly finishing up a bottle, and apparently it's even less raw than I thought it might be, as it is generally pressed from roasted seeds. I guess these "irregularities" make me something like 90+ percent raw for now, but I'm happy to report that I have apparently left the worst of the detox behind. I'm still losing weight and feeling a little tired sometimes, but generally things are starting to look up. One thing I had almost forgotten was the heightened sense of smell. It can be quite unpleasant sitting next to someone who smells like stale garlic and that sort of stuff. It made me withdraw into a very deep meditation, though, so I can't complain.

Just in case anyone is wondering, this is what I ate today, and it is fairly typical for the current phase of my journey: several bananas, two brazil nuts, some mung bean sprouts, juice of collard greens, parsley, cilantro, ginger, lemon, carrots, black kale, celery, cucumber, with a little bit of powdered turmeric and spirulina, maybe a tablespoon of hemp seeds, part of a B12 supplement, and a vegetarian astaxanthin supplement. Other things I'm eating these days include mangoes, pears, avocados, apples, oranges, sesame seeds, blueberries, pumpkin/squash juice, and probably a half dozen other species of fruit I forgot to mention.

I guess I'm finding out that I am no longer a true 100% raw fanatic, but more in line with you guys in that I want to eat what works, not prove some extreme ideal.
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The Xzanth, modified 11 Years ago at 2/14/13 12:36 PM
Created 11 Years ago at 2/14/13 12:36 PM

RE: Food

Posts: 71 Join Date: 12/28/12 Recent Posts
Dauphin Supple Chirp:

I guess I'm finding out that I am no longer a true 100% raw fanatic, but more in line with you guys in that I want to eat what works, not prove some extreme ideal.


I never thought of you otherwise but I think a flexible mind is a healthy mind. On the other hand, I've met a committed raw foodist who lost his teeth and was confidently awaiting his 3rd set. I did not spend long with him so I don't know how it all turned out. I certainly hope another set came in. I guess it's always a fine line between staying power and sheer stubbornness.

I've heard, "Raw for healing and cooked for building". You mentioned taking a B12 supplement, do you know about Food Grade Nutritional Yeast? (it sounds a little gross but tastes great!)

You make me hungry for summer / wish (again) that I were born in a warmer climate.
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Dauphin Supple Chirp, modified 11 Years ago at 2/15/13 7:56 AM
Created 11 Years ago at 2/15/13 7:56 AM

RE: Food

Posts: 154 Join Date: 3/15/11 Recent Posts
The Xzanth:
You mentioned taking a B12 supplement, do you know about Food Grade Nutritional Yeast? (it sounds a little gross but tastes great!)


Yes, I've had it before and enjoyed the taste. It's cold and rainy here today, by the way, but spring is coming soon.
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katy steger,thru11615 with thanks, modified 11 Years ago at 2/15/13 3:34 PM
Created 11 Years ago at 2/15/13 3:33 PM

RE: Food

Posts: 1740 Join Date: 10/1/11 Recent Posts
If anyone has particular recipes and wish to share their secrets I would love to partake.

Alrighty! Well, lately I've been lucky to sauté tofu in coconut oil then let de-thaw a bag of frozen spinach and a bag of frozen mushrooms on top of this with the pan covered (about 10-15 minutes), then a quick sear of the whole thing. Then I add whatever spices I'm in the mood for: some hot oil/cinnamon/cardamom/pepper/some salt. Sometimes I do this with carmelized shallots. That's one way. To this I've added, too, tomato paste, can o' coconut milk and some lime juice to get a kind of Thai-ish soup taste going.

cheers emoticon
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Joshua, the solitary, modified 11 Years ago at 2/15/13 7:39 PM
Created 11 Years ago at 2/15/13 7:39 PM

RE: Food

Posts: 86 Join Date: 9/28/12 Recent Posts
I find two light meals a day works fine. I don't mind what it is as long as it doesn't seem heart-stopping like thick ham or saucisson. Regular concentration practice suppresses desire to eat unless painfully hungry.
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The Xzanth, modified 11 Years ago at 2/16/13 9:12 AM
Created 11 Years ago at 2/16/13 9:12 AM

RE: Food

Posts: 71 Join Date: 12/28/12 Recent Posts
Joshua ..:
I find two light meals a day works fine. I don't mind what it is as long as it doesn't seem heart-stopping like thick ham or saucisson. Regular concentration practice suppresses desire to eat unless painfully hungry.


I totally agree. I've gained a little weight since reducing my caloric intake and practicing, :-) All muscle. :-D

Recipe:

All-Purpose Dressing / Sauce
1 Lemon Pressed.
Olive Oil
1 Tablespoon Nutritional Yeast
Salt
Pepper
Lara D, modified 11 Years ago at 3/4/13 1:44 PM
Created 11 Years ago at 3/4/13 1:44 PM

RE: Food

Posts: 54 Join Date: 1/29/13 Recent Posts
I can see how the types of food we enjoy / eat regularly might very well be related to our state of mind. When we are depressed, we tend to crave calorie-rich, fatty, salty, sweet (and maybe even spicy) foods. My guess is that we become (for lack of a better word) energy or nutrient starved and seek outside solutions.

I wonder if it's like a negative feedback loop gone wrong. For example, one day we expend a lot of energy one day and feel good (analogous to A&P, mania, or general high energy). And then, we hit a low afterward due to the uneven energy expenditure during the previous part of the cycle. So we don't feel as well physically and mentally and we try to compensate to bring us back up to where we wanna be. For some people, that might mean the use of drugs (even caffeine), calorie consumption, etc.

But chances are, if we're not careful, we will overcompensate... and thus start the cycle all over again. Our energy levels will skyrocket and consequently crash again.

An interesting study would be to see if our blood sugar levels or basal metabolism rate changes in response to output. Maybe that's also why good diet and exercise (and routine) are absolutely necessary when we are seeking to fix the cycle. I wonder how much of our mental and spiritual states are directly related to our basic physiology. I bet it's more than we'd imagine.
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Bagpuss The Gnome, modified 11 Years ago at 3/4/13 3:20 PM
Created 11 Years ago at 3/4/13 3:20 PM

RE: Food

Posts: 704 Join Date: 11/2/11 Recent Posts
I've gone from being vegan early last year (for a year or so) and a massive sugar fiend, to discovering "paleo" --now it's all "what humans (hunter gatherers) are made to eat": Meat and veg, extremely low carb, high fat, no sugar.

Lots of steak and bacon. No grains/bread/pasta at all

Now I find i have strength, even energy, even blood sugar, no hunger crashes. Spend a lot of time in ketosis. Awesome stuff.

It's helped meditation in the same way as it has my health: Everything is more even.
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Bailey , modified 11 Years ago at 3/4/13 7:59 PM
Created 11 Years ago at 3/4/13 7:54 PM

RE: Food

Posts: 267 Join Date: 7/14/11 Recent Posts
When I first started meditating I got VERY sensitive to foods. I would choose foods that gave me subtle vibrations and hated ones that gave me gross sensations. If I could go back this is what I would tell myself:

"I would rather you be equanimous with what you eat than be too picky"

These guys are giving you great advice about food but don't get too picky.
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Dauphin Supple Chirp, modified 11 Years ago at 3/22/13 7:14 PM
Created 11 Years ago at 3/22/13 7:14 PM

RE: Food

Posts: 154 Join Date: 3/15/11 Recent Posts
It's been almost two months. The transition period is over. I feel great, but I have to admit I can see no big difference in my meditation. Maybe both the very pleasant and the very unpleasant feelings on the cushion are less extreme now, but this might also be due to the fact that I have pretty much resigned to the fact that nothing big is going to happen for many months, at least not the way I am practicing at the moment: just concentration, about an hour a day.
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Dauphin Supple Chirp, modified 10 Years ago at 7/19/13 6:05 AM
Created 10 Years ago at 7/19/13 6:05 AM

RE: Food

Posts: 154 Join Date: 3/15/11 Recent Posts
Half a year into it, everything has pretty much stabilized.

Slightly off-topic (my apologies for hijacking this dormant thread):

I'm meditating so little these days that I get these "random cessations." I don't know if anyone else experiences this, but every few days, I will get this strong urge to sit still and close my eyes, and when I do so, within at most a few minutes, I experience a quick cessation or three.

Life is good. When I meet difficult or unpleasant people, I don't even waste much thought on conflict, but just try to help everyone as best I can, and even the most deluded person catches on to that after a short while, so my interactions are usually rewarding, pleasant, effortless, and effective.

I haven't applied for a job since I started practicing the Dhamma a little less than three years ago, unemployed. Just a couple of days ago, I had to quit one of the pleasant jobs I currently have because an even better opportunity has presented itself. I'm doing better than ever before (in a worldly sense), and everything I do these days (to make money) is a direct result of my willingness to help out wherever a need arises, without expecting anything in return.

This forum sometimes seems very focused on the dangers of hardcore vipassana meditation, and the positive results are usually just measured in what really matters (mental cultivation / meditative "attainments"). I won't argue what is essential and what is unessential, but I just felt like talking a little bit about the positive side effects of the Progress of Insight, even in unessential areas such as one's career or finances.

I am immensely grateful to the Buddha, Ajahn Brahm, who told me without words that Theravada Buddhism is for real, my teachers, Daniel Ingram for writing MCTB and creating this forum, and everyone on here who helped me understand when understanding was crucial.
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James Phillip Turpin, modified 10 Years ago at 9/22/13 8:44 PM
Created 10 Years ago at 9/22/13 8:44 PM

RE: Food

Posts: 21 Join Date: 6/16/13 Recent Posts
On the topic of eating for longevity, I started eating this stuff:
http://c60.net/
before I found this website.