Guest guest Posted June 7, 2001 Report Share Posted June 7, 2001 Since we are on the topic of diet (sorry, a bit behind in my posting), there is recent news from medical sciences that the heart muscle can regenerate itself. Along the same line, I would like to mention that my experimentation at times with a predominantly raw food vegetarian diet demonstrates that it can dramatically lower blood pressure and ease the stress on the heart. In the 1970s, I came across books by Paul Bragg, a well know advocate for a natural diet. Makes for good reading and much useful information on fasting and the benefits of a primarily raw vegetarian diet, especially as the body ages and the associated cardiovascular risks go up. The full health benefits of a plant based diet have started to become more apparent to science in recent years only. However, people point out that many vegetarian yogis like Swami Yogananda suggested including eggs in the diet. David Bozzi has spoken of the benefits of whey protein in the diet to meet protein needs. I have heard that Swami Vivekananda started eating meat after he came to America. Fasting is common among most religions and is said to have both health and spiritual benefits. We welcome the sharing of experiences and knowledge on the matter of diet, food, and exercise in the context of spirituality. Thank you. /join Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 8, 2001 Report Share Posted June 8, 2001 Dear friends: > Since we are on the topic of diet (sorry, a bit behind in my >posting), there is recent news from medical sciences that the heart >muscle can regenerate itself. > > Along the same line, I would like to mention that my >experimentation at times with a predominantly raw food vegetarian >diet demonstrates that it can dramatically lower blood pressure and >ease the stress on the heart. > > In the 1970s, I came across books by Paul Bragg, a well know >advocate for a natural diet. Makes for good reading and much useful >information on fasting and the benefits of a primarily raw >vegetarian diet, especially as the body ages and the associated >cardiovascular risks go up. > > The full health benefits of a plant based diet have started to >become more apparent to science in recent years only. However, >people point out that many vegetarian yogis like Swami Yogananda >suggested including eggs in the diet. David Bozzi has spoken of the >benefits of whey protein in the diet to meet protein needs. > > I have heard that Swami Vivekananda started eating meat after he >came to America. > > Fasting is common among most religions and is said to have both >health and spiritual benefits. > > We welcome the sharing of experiences and knowledge on the matter >of diet, food, and exercise in the context of spirituality. Thank >you. I'm a big fan of fasting, raw foods, juicing, supplements (particularly natural things like lecithin and algae), and a (primarily) vegetarian diet, all of which seem to be very helpful both in terms of good health and as a useful adjunct to my spiritual path. But as Bragg and many others have said, vegetarianism is not for everyone - we are all different, and have different needs, and differing abilities to metabolize the vitamins and minerals needed for good health, and I think it is more important to listen to our own bodies and our changing needs than to be overly idealistic about following a particular diet. If you have been eating a wonderful organic pure vegetarian diet for a few years and feeling great, and you suddenly feel like you should eat a bit of fish, there is a good chance that you aren't getting something you need (at least at the moment), and (IMHO) should indeed have that bit of fish. As somebody pointed out on the list some time ago, even the Dalai Lama will sometimes eat some meat, because he gets sick if he doesn't. FYI: from what I have read, the idea that one has trouble getting sufficient protein from a vegetarian diet is a myth. Most studies show that if 5% of your diet is protein, that is plenty (even the USDA says 6.5%, and they appear to have vested interests in selling meat). Most vegetables are 20-25% protein. Consider that most of the animals that people eat are herbivores - obviously, they are getting all the protein that they need from plants. Another myth that seems to have been discredited recently is the idea that vegetarians need to combine foods (as in grains and legumes) to get a complete protein. Modern nutritionists (trying to figure out why many vegetarians seem to be healthier and longer-lived thatn those eating "complete proteins") have found that all the essential amino acids can be obtained from eating a good variety of vegetables or grains over a 1-2 day period. For example, the nutrition editor of Vegetarian Journal, illustrates this by pointing out that if you only ate 6-8 potatoes you would get all the essential amino acids in a single day (obviously, this diet would not provide some of the other essential nutrients). There is more to good nutrition than counting up the amino acids (and vitamins and so forth) that should be available in the things we have eaten. For example, on average, each person has at least one vitamin that they cannot metabolize from food, regardless of how much of it they are eating. If you can't metabolize it, you don't utilize it. And some vitamins (etc.) are simply too difficult to get enough of, even with the best diet. Supplements are important, too, even with juicing, which is a great way to get more of your daily needs without overeating, but won't help with something you can't metabolize. Fasting is an excellent way to detoxify the body, and it definitely makes meditation more powerful. I fast on the full moon and the new moon (as suggested in Lifting the Veil), and those full moon meditations after 24 hours of fasting... Wow!!! And it always leaves me feeling cleaner, energized, and more oriented towards eating well, taking good care of my body, practicing my yoga... Many blessings for excellent health and continuing happiness, Sadhant Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 8, 2001 Report Share Posted June 8, 2001 Dear Sadhant Singh, Do you mean that you do your full moon meditation on the day after the full moon, since you fast on the day of the full moon? Please clarify. Thanks Jiwan Mukta Kaur > Fasting is an excellent way to detoxify the body, and it definitely > makes meditation more powerful. I fast on the full moon and the new > moon (as suggested in Lifting the Veil), and those full moon > meditations after 24 hours of fasting... Wow!!! > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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