Someone said I should read a certain book and "WOW!"
- Thread starter Hydro-Soil
- Start date
^priceless
Damnit... can't sign into youtube. LOL
There are kosher hot dogs and most of what Whole Foods sells is processed. They sell a ton of stuff with high fructose corn syrup, partially hydrogenated oils...
Yeah... I'm on page 160 (not much reading time since my last post) and he's almost finished with the whole "Whole Foods" fiasco.
I love the part where he reads the label about how the cows are given adequate space, quality feed and companion animals... then notices it says nothing about a "Pasture" lol. Turns out there isn't one.
Organic cows don't have to be 'pastured' during the 'milking' stage of their lives. They're pretty much the same as any other milk cow, just a bit better(?) feed.
I've always been kinda hands off to the 'organic' industry... now I know why, truly disgusting. Current practices are actually worse for the land in some cases than crappy chemical farming.
Wow.
Stay Safe!
I love the part where he reads the label about how the cows are given adequate space, quality feed and companion animals... then notices it says nothing about a "Pasture" lol. Turns out there isn't one.
Organic cows don't have to be 'pastured' during the 'milking' stage of their lives. They're pretty much the same as any other milk cow, just a bit better(?) feed.
I've always been kinda hands off to the 'organic' industry... now I know why, truly disgusting. Current practices are actually worse for the land in some cases than crappy chemical farming.
Wow.
Stay Safe!
1
187020
The chosen...
The chosen...
The chosen...
T
toughmudderdave
It's an excellent read. I've got about 70 pages left and I enjoyed the book immensely.
Fruits and Vegis ...none of them are GMO crops...Their meats are on another level too.... other then that.. the place sells horrible shit like everyone else...
Also their Fruits and Vegis taste so much better then all the other stores ...
The bad thing is the price... at any other store...chicken breast will be like 2.99-3.99lbs ...wholefoods will be like 8.99-9.99...
Kosher Hot Dogs still dont have Nitrates Smart ASS
Read it twice years ago... definitely an eye opener. It should be required reading for Americans every where.
And I like how Pollan puts the term 'organic' under a microscope. He really pushes local/sustainable over organic, which is nice.
He also wrote "In Defense of Food" which I found to be lacking in sustenance and boring. A lot of it was regurgitation from his other two books.
If after you're done the book you want 'more' to satisfy your curiosity go watch the docu "Food Inc."
And I like how Pollan puts the term 'organic' under a microscope. He really pushes local/sustainable over organic, which is nice.
He also wrote "In Defense of Food" which I found to be lacking in sustenance and boring. A lot of it was regurgitation from his other two books.
If after you're done the book you want 'more' to satisfy your curiosity go watch the docu "Food Inc."
thank you for the advice on the blood type foods! I've actually run into this but didn't think there was any substance behind it. I'm O-...so I have to see what O- people should be eating. I do need to lose about 30 pounds, so hopefully this shit works!
That doesn't make them good food, dumb ass.
i appologize for the mega-post,
today trying to diet is probabley one of the hardest goals to undertake,theres not a whole lot of dietary options today to make matters worst.if you cannot farm or go directly to a farm ,then you left with pre-approved multiple choices,that mostly make us sick.and farming may not be a choice in the future too.
[YOUTUBEIF]9MVwdv5HBVQ[/YOUTUBEIF]
[YOUTUBEIF]GwEib4FcD24[/YOUTUBEIF]
[YOUTUBEIF]gOups0dfdwM[/YOUTUBEIF] s510 died in the house,but the link below as well as the FDA says its signed into law probabley by XO.
http://foodpoisoningbulletin.com/2011/food-safety-modernization-act-going-into-2012/
and there is this
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press...order-national-defense-resources-preparedness
i hope the above wasnt too off topic.
if for some reason i find sources and the money for real food,id like to attemp this one again its more holistic and natural with positive results the last attempt i made my energy and yes appitite improved as well, i felt really good,even though the additives from modern food were there in the products i bought. ican only imagine the results following it to the letter.i hope you enjoy the read.the women agnes s chan wrote the boke and you can see her credentials here: herehttp://www.psy.cuhk.edu.hk/en/people/aschan/aschan.php .
and a few more case studies http://www.chanwuyi.org/showroom/mo...33929329351&editCurrentLanguage=1235069892126
http://www.chanwuyi.org/showroom/mo...069892126&customWebPageId=1285147851750356729
True followers of Shaolin Chanwuyi are vegetarians with a special diet. There is a rumor that the monks in Shaolin Temple are not vegetarians. It is not true according to Master Dejian; he said that being a vegetarian is very critical for mastering the traditional Shaolin martial arts. Thus it is traditional for Shaolin monks, at least in the southern branches, to follow a very strict vegetarian diet, otherwise they would not be able to practice Chanwu (i.e., utilize martial arts as a way to achieve Chan enlightenment). In addition, according to the theory of Shaolin Chanyi, it is better to maintain health through a healthy diet rather than curing diseases with medication. Healing through the diet is much better than healing through medicine. A vegetarian diet is the key. Master Dejian often says, “Fish creates fire, meat creates phlegm; radish, white cabbage, and tofu will give you a lifetime of safety and health.”
Chanwuyi as a Chan practice emphasizes training a calm and peaceful mind. As our bodies and emotions are affected by our food intake, followers of Chanwuyi are very careful of what to put into the mouth and then the body. The following is a true story served as an example to illustrate how diet can affect the person’s mental state adversely. There was a thireen-year-old girl who was diagnosed with schizophrenia with auditory hallucinations by a western doctor. Her parents were very worried, and took her to see many western and Chinese doctors, and three clinical psychologists, to no avail. The western doctor suggested the parents send the girl to a psychiatric institution for treatment, but the little girl refused. She had heard that Master Dejian has helped many patients and asked her family to take her to Master Dejian. After about half a month of Chinese medicine and Qi therapy, her auditory hallucinations were reduced. She and her family were very happy and planned for her to resume her study at school.
When everyone thought that the little girl was recovering, news came that her condition had deteriorated and she needed to be hospitalized. The reason for the re-ocurrence of her symptoms was that the family took her to a feast of barbeque meat and spicy hotpot. All the treatment effort had been wasted, only because of the unwillingness to stick to a good diet! This story is a very good example of the importance of abstinence from meat and hot and spicy food in order to maintain a clear mind.
Special Vegetarian Diet
All followers of Chanwuyi, especially those who want to achieve the higher level of Shaolin Wushu, will not eat meat, fish, or eggs, and only eat grains and vegetables. In addition, some of the vegetables to also avoid as they are considered “hun cai” include spring onion, Chinese chives, and garlic. In addition, Chanwuyi practitioners will not eat ginger, mustard, too hot spices, and chili food. According to Chanwuyi theories, meat, hot and spicy food has high protein, high fat, and high energy content and can stimulate blood circulation in the human body. If they are not properly digested, they stay inside the body and cause inflammation of the body and affect the blood and Qi circulation. The blockage of blood and Qi circulation and the inflammation inside the body will significantly affect the mental and physical condition adversely. It is also a significant factor affecting individuals to develop a calm and stable mind.
Since the Shaolin martial art is to train the mind and heart, individuals will find it very difficult to master Wushu if the body is not purified by the restricted diet. If one is practicing Shaolin Wushu but does not follow the restricted diet, what s/he is practicing is only four limbs and body and can’t be considered as traditional Shaolin Wushu no matter the duration of practice.
The comparison of western, Buddhism, and Shaolin Chanwuyi’s guideline on vegetarian diet (x: not recommended)
Master Dejian said that in order to learn Chanwuyi, one first needs to adopt a vegetarian diet, meaning avoiding all meat, fish, egg, and hot and spicy food including ginger, spring onion, and chili. One should eat fresh vegetables, fruit, mushrooms, soy, and grains every day. He also stresses that the way to cook is to boil or steam and to avoid using oil to fry. He does not advocate a particular type of vegetable; as long as they are fresh and seasonal, then they are appropriate food. He also does not specify any amount to eat each day and says that it’s best to be natural; just eat what you want to eat. The diet component of the Chanwuyi is different from other Buddhism vegetarian diets in which ginger and spicy hot foods are avoided by followers of Chanwuyi. It is because avoiding these foods will help to unblock the intestines of the practitioner, boost digestion, and increase appetite. That is considered a requisite for practicing Chanwuyi.
High Nutrition, Low Calories, Low-Protein Diet
Master Dejian often says, “Cows eat grass, and they are huge and strong.” Human beings do not have to eat meat to grow muscles. Take a look at another example, the gorilla. They eat only grass, fruit, and nuts, all of them vegetarian, but their mean weight is eight hundred pounds! Eating meat can help humans grow, but will also leave sources of diseases inside the human body.
Prof. Colin Campbell from Cornell University, who is also the chair of the World Foundation of Cancer Research, believes that animal protein is one of the most poisonous substances in nutrition. His conclusion was drawn from his research “China Plan,” where he discovered that in Chinese villages where the diet is mostly vegetarian, the people have lower risks of developing heart diseases, stroke, osteoporosis, cancers, and diabetes than city people who eat meat basically.
Absorbing protein from meat is the cause of many diseases. Professor Campbell pointed out that animal fat contains a large amount of saturated fat, and saturated fat will increase the concentration of low density cholesterol in the blood (LD2), which is harmful to the body because this kind of cholesterol is associated with the incidence rate of many degenerative diseases (for example, heart diseases, hypertension). On the contrary, protein absorbed from vegetables is beneficial in that it reduces LD2 concentration in the blood. In addition, the Oxford Vegetarian Study published findings that vegetarians have a significantly reduced risk of cancer mortality by 39 percent. In addition, vegetarians contract degenerative diseases ten years later than people who eat meat. In sum, some scientific evidence supports the Buddhist advocacy of vegetarianism being beneficial for health.
But we need to eat an abundant amount of protein, and the most healthy source of protein comes from soy (yellow bean, black bean, flat bean), nuts (walnut, almond), and grains. In fact, all plants have some amount of protein, so if we eat a variety of vegetables, beans, nuts, and grains every day, we should be able to get enough nutrition. According to the WHO recommendations, an adult should eat thirty-five grams of protein. Four ounces of tofu or one cup of soy milk contain twelve grams of protein, and four ounces of nuts contain twenty grams of protein. Thus eating an appropriate amount of beans and nuts means we do not need to worry that our bodies do not have enough protein.
Avoid Eating Hot and Spicy Food
Chanwuyi place a strong emphasis on not eating hot and spicy food, which include spring onion, garlic, mustard, and other hot food, because Master Dejian believes hot and spicy food is similar to meat in being high energy food. Ingesting hot and spicy food is closely related to dry feces and constipation. Advocating this intervention's avoidance of hot and spicy food is somewhat inconsistent with modern health research. Some studies have reported that garlic is useful in reducing blood triglyceride and hypertension, and some studies even reported that daily intake of six hundred grams of garlic can lower 6 percent of blood cholesterol. Because Americans generally have hyperlipidemia and hypertension, some dietary intervention advocates the daily intake of garlic. But these studies only report some of the functions of garlic, but for other strengths and weaknesses there is still no scientific conclusion.
Master Dejian's recommendation of avoiding hot and spicy food is based on the clinical observation and self-reflection of generations of Shaolin monks over hundreds of years and is thus very invaluable. Furthermore, the average vegetarian, if s/he has a balanced diet, usually does not have hyperlipidemia or hypertension (except those with genetic predisposition). Thus they do not need to specifically eat garlic to reduce hyperlipidemia and hypertension.
Bencao Gangmu: Discussion on Meaty Food
One day, Master took out a very aged book from his bookshelf. The book was written by Li Shizhen of the Ming Dynasty, Bencao Gangmu. He turned the pages to the section on “Vegetables,” and said to me, “From the perspective of health promotion, individuals with disease should not ingest hot and spicy food. This is not only promoted by Buddhism, but also from the perspective of Chinese medicine. Li Shizhen also mentioned this in his book. Although different spices have their medicinal effect, long-term ingestion is harmful to the body. You should spend some time to read and educate others.”
Li categorized vegetables into three categories in his book: hot and spicy, soft and smooth, and mushroom (scroll 26 to 18). There are a total of thirty-two types of vegetables in the hot and spicy category. These include common vegetables such as Chinese chives, spring onion, garlic, youcai, mustard, and ginger. Although there are some therapeutic effects from these vegetables, the book explicitly stated that long-term ingestion of these vegetables is harmful to the body. Below is the summary from Bencao Gangmu:
Chinese chives: “Frequent ingestion causes tiredness and dull eyes”
“This vegetable has a bad spicy smell. Even if one cooks it, it is harmful to health maintenance.”
“When this vegetable is not yet out of soil, it is most harmful to humans.”
Spring onion: “Spring onion is dissipative; frequent ingestion causes dizziness.”
“Cannot overdose, is harmful to body hair. Causes weak Qi to rise and closes down the organs.”
Garlic: “Long-term ingestion is harmful to the mind. Causes forgetfulness, is harmful to the eye, stops circulation, and causes diseases. Gives off a smell.”
Large garlic: “Tastes hot. Harmful.”
“Should not ingest for prolonged periods of time. Is harmful to the mind.”
Caixin: “Individuals with waist or leg diseases should not eat too much of this. This will aggravate the problems and is harmful to the Yang Qi. People with inflammation, oral cavity diseases, and those who smell must not eat it. It can also cause worms inside the abdomen.”
Southern Chinese like to eat Caixin, and most people think that Caixin is a very “healthy” kind of vegetable. But according to the Bencao Gangwu and Master Dejian's experience, frequent ingestion of Caixin is harmful to individuals with disease.
Mustard: “Long-term ingestion will turn warmth into heat. The dissipation of the heat will burn out the person and cause liver diseases.”
Ginger: “Long-term ingestion is harmful to the mind and intelligence and also harms the heart.”
“If one eats ginger during the eighth or ninth lunar month, at springtime, eye diseases will result. It also reduces longevity and muscle strength.”
“Long-term ingestion causes stagnated heat and harms the eye.”
From the above information, we can see that some hot and spicy food is harmful tohealth after long-term ingestion. Therefore sick people should avoid eating hot and spicy food. Healthy people can eat these in moderate amounts.
But there is one thing to note. Not all hot and spicy vegetables stated in the Bencao Gangwu are harmful with long-term ingestion. Some of these vegetables are seldom eaten by modern people and we do not discuss them here. Some of these vegetables are good for health and should be eaten in greater amounts. These include carrots and radishes.
Carrot: “Sinks Qi, facilitates the chest, abdomen, stomach, and intestines, soothes the organs. It is healthy food and has no bad side effects.”
Radish: “Sinks Qi, digests wheat, eliminates phlegm.”
“Counters the bad Qi in the organs. Fights poison from noodles.”
“When one overeats, eat it raw to help digestion.”
“Eating raw raises Qi, eating cooked sinks Qi.”
“Very effective in digesting the stagnates, relieving alcohol poisoning, circulating the blood.”
Lankavatara Sutra: Discussion on Meaty Food
Master said to me, “From the perspective of health promotion, one should not ingest meat or hot and spicy food when one is sick. These foods can be eaten in moderate amounts when one is healthy. But for people in the practice of Chanwuyi, whether or not they are sick, they should refrain from these foods because they are harmful to the mind; it creates greed, anger, and desire, which are detrimental to practicing and meditation. The Buddha has indicated this in the Lankavatara Sutra.”
Lankavatara Sutra is an important scripture in Buddhism. Bodhidharma came to the East with four scrolls in the Lankavatara Sutra and passed it to Huike and instructed him to learn the scripture by heart. According to Huike’s biography, Bodhidharma said, “I believe that in the land of China, only this scripture can help the people transcend to the other world.”
This scripture recorded Dahui Buddha’s conversation with Fotuo. In the latter parts of the scripture, Dahui Buddha is asked about eating meat:
“You Buddhas and people going after the Buddhist road,
Why would you consume alcohol, meat, and spring onion?
I only wish that the almighty can speak in compassion.
Foolish people are greedy and dirty,
They eat like a wolf or a tiger.
Those who kill to eat are guilty, those who do not will have good fortune.
Listen to me, and you can decide whether to eat or not.”
Dahui Buddha, after asking, answered: “I hope the almighty can understand that we have explained to people the good and the bad about eating meat. I and the other buddhas wish to explain to people who eat meat the reasons for not eating, so that they can understand. We meant well, and it is clean everywhere, and there is no more disease. We have all stopped and have become buddhas. The evils always die. If one doesn’t listen and eats meat, does Buddha have to come to save lives again?”
Buddha answered Dahui, “Thank you! Thank you! Listen! When I think of your good deeds, I will speak for you.” Dahui said, “I will listen.”
Fuotuo answered Dahui:
“I have once had families, and had been dirty,
I did not grow clean things and smelled bad.
All meat and spring onion, chives and garlic,
All kinds of alcohol, those in the practice should always refrain.
They should also refrain from sesame oil, and to sleep on a bed with holes,
Because there are many small worms inside and this is horrible.
To eat without moderation will cause indulgence, indulgence will cause hallucination.
Hallucination will cause greed, thus we should not eat.
Eating creates greed, greed causes desires,
Desires cause lust, and one will not be able to transcend.”
Fotuo showed that meat and spicy vegetables create lust in humans and cause anger and desires, which are all roadblocks to a compassionate heart. From the modern psychological perspective, Fotuo may be referring to some psychological problems, such as anxiety, mania, stress, and suggests that these problems may be related to the ingestion of meat and spicy vegetables.
According to my clinical experience, I have a few cases of stress and anxiety. With the patients’ consent, I suggested to them to refrain from meat and spicy vegetables, and their psychological problems improved after they adopted the vegetarian diet. Thus, while there is not yet scientific evidence to suggest that eating meat and spicy vegetables are related to mental problems, my clinical experience suggests that if the patients complement their therapy with a vegetarian diet, the effect can be surprisingly good. To treat psychological disorders through adopting a vegetarian diet is at once simple, with no side effects, and very economical. It is worth trying!
(Source from "The Shaolin Chanwuyi: A Chinese Chan Buddhism", Ch.7)
today trying to diet is probabley one of the hardest goals to undertake,theres not a whole lot of dietary options today to make matters worst.if you cannot farm or go directly to a farm ,then you left with pre-approved multiple choices,that mostly make us sick.and farming may not be a choice in the future too.
[YOUTUBEIF]9MVwdv5HBVQ[/YOUTUBEIF]
[YOUTUBEIF]GwEib4FcD24[/YOUTUBEIF]
[YOUTUBEIF]gOups0dfdwM[/YOUTUBEIF] s510 died in the house,but the link below as well as the FDA says its signed into law probabley by XO.
http://foodpoisoningbulletin.com/2011/food-safety-modernization-act-going-into-2012/
and there is this
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press...order-national-defense-resources-preparedness
i hope the above wasnt too off topic.
if for some reason i find sources and the money for real food,id like to attemp this one again its more holistic and natural with positive results the last attempt i made my energy and yes appitite improved as well, i felt really good,even though the additives from modern food were there in the products i bought. ican only imagine the results following it to the letter.i hope you enjoy the read.the women agnes s chan wrote the boke and you can see her credentials here: herehttp://www.psy.cuhk.edu.hk/en/people/aschan/aschan.php .
and a few more case studies http://www.chanwuyi.org/showroom/mo...33929329351&editCurrentLanguage=1235069892126
http://www.chanwuyi.org/showroom/mo...069892126&customWebPageId=1285147851750356729
True followers of Shaolin Chanwuyi are vegetarians with a special diet. There is a rumor that the monks in Shaolin Temple are not vegetarians. It is not true according to Master Dejian; he said that being a vegetarian is very critical for mastering the traditional Shaolin martial arts. Thus it is traditional for Shaolin monks, at least in the southern branches, to follow a very strict vegetarian diet, otherwise they would not be able to practice Chanwu (i.e., utilize martial arts as a way to achieve Chan enlightenment). In addition, according to the theory of Shaolin Chanyi, it is better to maintain health through a healthy diet rather than curing diseases with medication. Healing through the diet is much better than healing through medicine. A vegetarian diet is the key. Master Dejian often says, “Fish creates fire, meat creates phlegm; radish, white cabbage, and tofu will give you a lifetime of safety and health.”
Chanwuyi as a Chan practice emphasizes training a calm and peaceful mind. As our bodies and emotions are affected by our food intake, followers of Chanwuyi are very careful of what to put into the mouth and then the body. The following is a true story served as an example to illustrate how diet can affect the person’s mental state adversely. There was a thireen-year-old girl who was diagnosed with schizophrenia with auditory hallucinations by a western doctor. Her parents were very worried, and took her to see many western and Chinese doctors, and three clinical psychologists, to no avail. The western doctor suggested the parents send the girl to a psychiatric institution for treatment, but the little girl refused. She had heard that Master Dejian has helped many patients and asked her family to take her to Master Dejian. After about half a month of Chinese medicine and Qi therapy, her auditory hallucinations were reduced. She and her family were very happy and planned for her to resume her study at school.
When everyone thought that the little girl was recovering, news came that her condition had deteriorated and she needed to be hospitalized. The reason for the re-ocurrence of her symptoms was that the family took her to a feast of barbeque meat and spicy hotpot. All the treatment effort had been wasted, only because of the unwillingness to stick to a good diet! This story is a very good example of the importance of abstinence from meat and hot and spicy food in order to maintain a clear mind.
Special Vegetarian Diet
All followers of Chanwuyi, especially those who want to achieve the higher level of Shaolin Wushu, will not eat meat, fish, or eggs, and only eat grains and vegetables. In addition, some of the vegetables to also avoid as they are considered “hun cai” include spring onion, Chinese chives, and garlic. In addition, Chanwuyi practitioners will not eat ginger, mustard, too hot spices, and chili food. According to Chanwuyi theories, meat, hot and spicy food has high protein, high fat, and high energy content and can stimulate blood circulation in the human body. If they are not properly digested, they stay inside the body and cause inflammation of the body and affect the blood and Qi circulation. The blockage of blood and Qi circulation and the inflammation inside the body will significantly affect the mental and physical condition adversely. It is also a significant factor affecting individuals to develop a calm and stable mind.
Since the Shaolin martial art is to train the mind and heart, individuals will find it very difficult to master Wushu if the body is not purified by the restricted diet. If one is practicing Shaolin Wushu but does not follow the restricted diet, what s/he is practicing is only four limbs and body and can’t be considered as traditional Shaolin Wushu no matter the duration of practice.
The comparison of western, Buddhism, and Shaolin Chanwuyi’s guideline on vegetarian diet (x: not recommended)
Master Dejian said that in order to learn Chanwuyi, one first needs to adopt a vegetarian diet, meaning avoiding all meat, fish, egg, and hot and spicy food including ginger, spring onion, and chili. One should eat fresh vegetables, fruit, mushrooms, soy, and grains every day. He also stresses that the way to cook is to boil or steam and to avoid using oil to fry. He does not advocate a particular type of vegetable; as long as they are fresh and seasonal, then they are appropriate food. He also does not specify any amount to eat each day and says that it’s best to be natural; just eat what you want to eat. The diet component of the Chanwuyi is different from other Buddhism vegetarian diets in which ginger and spicy hot foods are avoided by followers of Chanwuyi. It is because avoiding these foods will help to unblock the intestines of the practitioner, boost digestion, and increase appetite. That is considered a requisite for practicing Chanwuyi.
High Nutrition, Low Calories, Low-Protein Diet
Master Dejian often says, “Cows eat grass, and they are huge and strong.” Human beings do not have to eat meat to grow muscles. Take a look at another example, the gorilla. They eat only grass, fruit, and nuts, all of them vegetarian, but their mean weight is eight hundred pounds! Eating meat can help humans grow, but will also leave sources of diseases inside the human body.
Prof. Colin Campbell from Cornell University, who is also the chair of the World Foundation of Cancer Research, believes that animal protein is one of the most poisonous substances in nutrition. His conclusion was drawn from his research “China Plan,” where he discovered that in Chinese villages where the diet is mostly vegetarian, the people have lower risks of developing heart diseases, stroke, osteoporosis, cancers, and diabetes than city people who eat meat basically.
Absorbing protein from meat is the cause of many diseases. Professor Campbell pointed out that animal fat contains a large amount of saturated fat, and saturated fat will increase the concentration of low density cholesterol in the blood (LD2), which is harmful to the body because this kind of cholesterol is associated with the incidence rate of many degenerative diseases (for example, heart diseases, hypertension). On the contrary, protein absorbed from vegetables is beneficial in that it reduces LD2 concentration in the blood. In addition, the Oxford Vegetarian Study published findings that vegetarians have a significantly reduced risk of cancer mortality by 39 percent. In addition, vegetarians contract degenerative diseases ten years later than people who eat meat. In sum, some scientific evidence supports the Buddhist advocacy of vegetarianism being beneficial for health.
But we need to eat an abundant amount of protein, and the most healthy source of protein comes from soy (yellow bean, black bean, flat bean), nuts (walnut, almond), and grains. In fact, all plants have some amount of protein, so if we eat a variety of vegetables, beans, nuts, and grains every day, we should be able to get enough nutrition. According to the WHO recommendations, an adult should eat thirty-five grams of protein. Four ounces of tofu or one cup of soy milk contain twelve grams of protein, and four ounces of nuts contain twenty grams of protein. Thus eating an appropriate amount of beans and nuts means we do not need to worry that our bodies do not have enough protein.
Avoid Eating Hot and Spicy Food
Chanwuyi place a strong emphasis on not eating hot and spicy food, which include spring onion, garlic, mustard, and other hot food, because Master Dejian believes hot and spicy food is similar to meat in being high energy food. Ingesting hot and spicy food is closely related to dry feces and constipation. Advocating this intervention's avoidance of hot and spicy food is somewhat inconsistent with modern health research. Some studies have reported that garlic is useful in reducing blood triglyceride and hypertension, and some studies even reported that daily intake of six hundred grams of garlic can lower 6 percent of blood cholesterol. Because Americans generally have hyperlipidemia and hypertension, some dietary intervention advocates the daily intake of garlic. But these studies only report some of the functions of garlic, but for other strengths and weaknesses there is still no scientific conclusion.
Master Dejian's recommendation of avoiding hot and spicy food is based on the clinical observation and self-reflection of generations of Shaolin monks over hundreds of years and is thus very invaluable. Furthermore, the average vegetarian, if s/he has a balanced diet, usually does not have hyperlipidemia or hypertension (except those with genetic predisposition). Thus they do not need to specifically eat garlic to reduce hyperlipidemia and hypertension.
Bencao Gangmu: Discussion on Meaty Food
One day, Master took out a very aged book from his bookshelf. The book was written by Li Shizhen of the Ming Dynasty, Bencao Gangmu. He turned the pages to the section on “Vegetables,” and said to me, “From the perspective of health promotion, individuals with disease should not ingest hot and spicy food. This is not only promoted by Buddhism, but also from the perspective of Chinese medicine. Li Shizhen also mentioned this in his book. Although different spices have their medicinal effect, long-term ingestion is harmful to the body. You should spend some time to read and educate others.”
Li categorized vegetables into three categories in his book: hot and spicy, soft and smooth, and mushroom (scroll 26 to 18). There are a total of thirty-two types of vegetables in the hot and spicy category. These include common vegetables such as Chinese chives, spring onion, garlic, youcai, mustard, and ginger. Although there are some therapeutic effects from these vegetables, the book explicitly stated that long-term ingestion of these vegetables is harmful to the body. Below is the summary from Bencao Gangmu:
Chinese chives: “Frequent ingestion causes tiredness and dull eyes”
“This vegetable has a bad spicy smell. Even if one cooks it, it is harmful to health maintenance.”
“When this vegetable is not yet out of soil, it is most harmful to humans.”
Spring onion: “Spring onion is dissipative; frequent ingestion causes dizziness.”
“Cannot overdose, is harmful to body hair. Causes weak Qi to rise and closes down the organs.”
Garlic: “Long-term ingestion is harmful to the mind. Causes forgetfulness, is harmful to the eye, stops circulation, and causes diseases. Gives off a smell.”
Large garlic: “Tastes hot. Harmful.”
“Should not ingest for prolonged periods of time. Is harmful to the mind.”
Caixin: “Individuals with waist or leg diseases should not eat too much of this. This will aggravate the problems and is harmful to the Yang Qi. People with inflammation, oral cavity diseases, and those who smell must not eat it. It can also cause worms inside the abdomen.”
Southern Chinese like to eat Caixin, and most people think that Caixin is a very “healthy” kind of vegetable. But according to the Bencao Gangwu and Master Dejian's experience, frequent ingestion of Caixin is harmful to individuals with disease.
Mustard: “Long-term ingestion will turn warmth into heat. The dissipation of the heat will burn out the person and cause liver diseases.”
Ginger: “Long-term ingestion is harmful to the mind and intelligence and also harms the heart.”
“If one eats ginger during the eighth or ninth lunar month, at springtime, eye diseases will result. It also reduces longevity and muscle strength.”
“Long-term ingestion causes stagnated heat and harms the eye.”
From the above information, we can see that some hot and spicy food is harmful tohealth after long-term ingestion. Therefore sick people should avoid eating hot and spicy food. Healthy people can eat these in moderate amounts.
But there is one thing to note. Not all hot and spicy vegetables stated in the Bencao Gangwu are harmful with long-term ingestion. Some of these vegetables are seldom eaten by modern people and we do not discuss them here. Some of these vegetables are good for health and should be eaten in greater amounts. These include carrots and radishes.
Carrot: “Sinks Qi, facilitates the chest, abdomen, stomach, and intestines, soothes the organs. It is healthy food and has no bad side effects.”
Radish: “Sinks Qi, digests wheat, eliminates phlegm.”
“Counters the bad Qi in the organs. Fights poison from noodles.”
“When one overeats, eat it raw to help digestion.”
“Eating raw raises Qi, eating cooked sinks Qi.”
“Very effective in digesting the stagnates, relieving alcohol poisoning, circulating the blood.”
Lankavatara Sutra: Discussion on Meaty Food
Master said to me, “From the perspective of health promotion, one should not ingest meat or hot and spicy food when one is sick. These foods can be eaten in moderate amounts when one is healthy. But for people in the practice of Chanwuyi, whether or not they are sick, they should refrain from these foods because they are harmful to the mind; it creates greed, anger, and desire, which are detrimental to practicing and meditation. The Buddha has indicated this in the Lankavatara Sutra.”
Lankavatara Sutra is an important scripture in Buddhism. Bodhidharma came to the East with four scrolls in the Lankavatara Sutra and passed it to Huike and instructed him to learn the scripture by heart. According to Huike’s biography, Bodhidharma said, “I believe that in the land of China, only this scripture can help the people transcend to the other world.”
This scripture recorded Dahui Buddha’s conversation with Fotuo. In the latter parts of the scripture, Dahui Buddha is asked about eating meat:
“You Buddhas and people going after the Buddhist road,
Why would you consume alcohol, meat, and spring onion?
I only wish that the almighty can speak in compassion.
Foolish people are greedy and dirty,
They eat like a wolf or a tiger.
Those who kill to eat are guilty, those who do not will have good fortune.
Listen to me, and you can decide whether to eat or not.”
Dahui Buddha, after asking, answered: “I hope the almighty can understand that we have explained to people the good and the bad about eating meat. I and the other buddhas wish to explain to people who eat meat the reasons for not eating, so that they can understand. We meant well, and it is clean everywhere, and there is no more disease. We have all stopped and have become buddhas. The evils always die. If one doesn’t listen and eats meat, does Buddha have to come to save lives again?”
Buddha answered Dahui, “Thank you! Thank you! Listen! When I think of your good deeds, I will speak for you.” Dahui said, “I will listen.”
Fuotuo answered Dahui:
“I have once had families, and had been dirty,
I did not grow clean things and smelled bad.
All meat and spring onion, chives and garlic,
All kinds of alcohol, those in the practice should always refrain.
They should also refrain from sesame oil, and to sleep on a bed with holes,
Because there are many small worms inside and this is horrible.
To eat without moderation will cause indulgence, indulgence will cause hallucination.
Hallucination will cause greed, thus we should not eat.
Eating creates greed, greed causes desires,
Desires cause lust, and one will not be able to transcend.”
Fotuo showed that meat and spicy vegetables create lust in humans and cause anger and desires, which are all roadblocks to a compassionate heart. From the modern psychological perspective, Fotuo may be referring to some psychological problems, such as anxiety, mania, stress, and suggests that these problems may be related to the ingestion of meat and spicy vegetables.
According to my clinical experience, I have a few cases of stress and anxiety. With the patients’ consent, I suggested to them to refrain from meat and spicy vegetables, and their psychological problems improved after they adopted the vegetarian diet. Thus, while there is not yet scientific evidence to suggest that eating meat and spicy vegetables are related to mental problems, my clinical experience suggests that if the patients complement their therapy with a vegetarian diet, the effect can be surprisingly good. To treat psychological disorders through adopting a vegetarian diet is at once simple, with no side effects, and very economical. It is worth trying!
(Source from "The Shaolin Chanwuyi: A Chinese Chan Buddhism", Ch.7)
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S
Space Ghost
I absolutely looooooove the book and the PBS special (based on the book)
If you like his work and his philosophy, you'll love this lecture that he gave at (I believe) UC Berkley....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QeCra-sn0dI
It's a very good lecture primarily about the role of "forgetting things" in daily life and how adaptive that is...
If you like his work and his philosophy, you'll love this lecture that he gave at (I believe) UC Berkley....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QeCra-sn0dI
It's a very good lecture primarily about the role of "forgetting things" in daily life and how adaptive that is...
Don't say "because it's 'Free Range'".
They're a huge chain... the 'Free Range' is a legal term and there's no room for that in a commercial meat production facility that can supply that kind of quantity.
Free range chickens get 2 weeks of access to 'free range' before slaughter. They never use it because the last 4-5 weeks trained them to stay inside. *shrug*
Same thing for beef cattle. Train them to stay inside... then open the doors, they stay inside. It's all marketing.
Unless you're getting your 'meat' by hunting or from a "Grass Farmer" (look it up) you're most likely getting contaminated or at least very low quality meat. (Regardless of how it looks or you believe it tastes.)
The food supply in this country is absolutely disgusting.
Stay Safe!
Loved it... great book. 
I found the section where he was trying vegetarianism to be a bit funny.
Ate red meat my whole life until recently. Turns out the "A" blood type shouldn't eat it. (Some A's can eat a little bit of goat without too much trouble.)
I've completely quit eating meat for dietary reasons and reading about all these philosophical reasons to do it seemed just silly. After choosing foods by blood type for a while, the term "vegetarian" seems out of place.
Highly recommend the book, great insights into our whole food web along with details in the industries that you'd not have suspected.
Pick it up if you can, he's a good read.
Stay Safe!
I found the section where he was trying vegetarianism to be a bit funny.
Ate red meat my whole life until recently. Turns out the "A" blood type shouldn't eat it. (Some A's can eat a little bit of goat without too much trouble.)
I've completely quit eating meat for dietary reasons and reading about all these philosophical reasons to do it seemed just silly. After choosing foods by blood type for a while, the term "vegetarian" seems out of place.
Highly recommend the book, great insights into our whole food web along with details in the industries that you'd not have suspected.
Pick it up if you can, he's a good read.
Stay Safe!
Netflix has a movie called 'Forks over Knives', worth a gander...
Forks over Knives is good but incomplete...
(Edit: They found that people in the phillipines that ate too much meat had health issues... DUH! They're mainly the "A" blood type like me... No red meat! They're saying how bad milk is when the "B" blood type is the only blood type that cow milk is beneficial or neutral for... it's 'Avoid' for all other blood types. Don't believe it? If you're A, AB or O... don't consume any dairy for a month and then drink a glass of milk. Natural health really comes down to eating the appropriate foods and those foods can now be chosen according to your blood type.)
The O blood type doesn't do 'great' without red meat protein. They're the true paleolithic diet folks. My daughter gets downright cranky after 2-3 days without red meat... doesn't matter what or how many plant proteins she gets.
Cut out all processed, refined, adulterated and chemical foods. Then cut out all the foods that are wrong for your blood type.
Absolutely amazing results... though I did do that in reverse.
Stay Safe!
(Edit: They found that people in the phillipines that ate too much meat had health issues... DUH! They're mainly the "A" blood type like me... No red meat! They're saying how bad milk is when the "B" blood type is the only blood type that cow milk is beneficial or neutral for... it's 'Avoid' for all other blood types. Don't believe it? If you're A, AB or O... don't consume any dairy for a month and then drink a glass of milk. Natural health really comes down to eating the appropriate foods and those foods can now be chosen according to your blood type.)
The O blood type doesn't do 'great' without red meat protein. They're the true paleolithic diet folks. My daughter gets downright cranky after 2-3 days without red meat... doesn't matter what or how many plant proteins she gets.
Cut out all processed, refined, adulterated and chemical foods. Then cut out all the foods that are wrong for your blood type.
Absolutely amazing results... though I did do that in reverse.
Stay Safe!
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