Five Precepts and Diet

A place to discuss health and fitness, including healthy diets, etc.
Post Reply
hansen
Posts: 21
Joined: Wed Jul 10, 2013 5:25 am

Five Precepts and Diet

Post by hansen »

My body is signaling that. I've put a lot of research and experimentation into it, and the more vegan my diet is, the better my laboratory results are. I am putting this into effect. Any form of meat has animal fat, which, with my liver, becomes cholesterol. It runs in the family. Also, alcoholic beverages are way too much high glycemic food. I''m limiting white flour, white rice, added sugar or anything where sweet is on the nutritional label. Blood sugar and total triglycerides are too high with white food/empty calories/sugar/alcohol. I'll try some relaxation tea blends. I'm down to about one beer after work now. I need more exercise too, since moving to the city, hiking is not as fun as it was. Perhaps one solution would be to merge exercise walking with mindfulness/meditation walking. So maybe a formula might look like: brisk walking = -250 calories, slow walking =150 calories. (?) Guessing. Any thots or suggestions welcome here. Hmm ... I discovered soluble fiber of any kind to be the best food for lowering LDL. :pig:
User avatar
Lhug-Pa
Posts: 1429
Joined: Sat Oct 15, 2011 11:58 pm

Re: Five Precepts and Diet

Post by Lhug-Pa »

If you haven't already done so, you could remove artificial-chemicals/pesticides, artificial preservatives, artificial colors, big-pharma's drugs, etc. (i.e. toxins) from your diet by supporting non-GMO and Organics as much as possible.

And body-weight workouts (even brief ones) are great for increasing digestion/metabolism and burning fat: Push-ups, pull-ups, chin-ups, sit-ups, squats, lunges, calf-raises on stairs, etc. (make sure to have some protein within half-an-hour after a work out).

When digestion is doing well, then everything else in the physical body operates much better; so avoid cold drinks, especially with meals.

Paschimottanasana (stretching) is also very important.

And Ayrurveda & Tibetan Medicine is recommended as well.
User avatar
Lhug-Pa
Posts: 1429
Joined: Sat Oct 15, 2011 11:58 pm

Re: Five Precepts and Diet

Post by Lhug-Pa »

And if your city puts fluoride, chlorine, or chloramines in the water supply, then I would invest in a under-the-sink Reverse-Osmosis system, or find a local artesian water well that isn't contaminated with perchlorate.

Also a Vitashower and/or Sprite or Berkey shower filter (I use both Vitashower and Sprite filters at the same time). If you get a whole-house Reverse Osmosis system, then obviously you don't need an extra shower filter.

Toxin-free, healthy water is very important.

Gluten free and/or Sprouted (preferably both) grains are much better than even ordinary 'whole grain' grains. The body treats sprouted grains as a vegetable, and is therefore able to process them much better than ordinary grains.

Grains with gluten, and non-sprouted grains, don't process in the physical body very well at all.

Gluten free is maybe not quite as important, but is still better than ordinary grains if you can't get a hold of the particular sprouted grain you're looking for (or you can sprout your own barley, lentils, quinoa, etc.),
User avatar
seeker242
Posts: 2092
Joined: Sat Mar 17, 2012 2:50 pm
Location: South Florida, USA

Re: Five Precepts and Diet

Post by seeker242 »

hansen wrote: I need more exercise too, since moving to the city, hiking is not as fun as it was. Perhaps one solution would be to merge exercise walking with mindfulness/meditation walking.
Prostrations are excellent exercise as well as excellent meditation practice too! Yoga is good too. :smile:
Blood sugar and total triglycerides are too high with white food/empty calories/sugar/alcohol
Hard to go wrong with fresh fruits and veggies. Love those! Although, fruit is high in sugar it does not have the same high glycemic response as say regular sugar, corn syrup or fruit juice because it has lots of fiber also. For example, eating an actual apple is much better than drinking a glass of apple juice. :smile:
One should not kill any living being, nor cause it to be killed, nor should one incite any other to kill. Do never injure any being, whether strong or weak, in this entire universe!
hansen
Posts: 21
Joined: Wed Jul 10, 2013 5:25 am

Re: Five Precepts and Diet

Post by hansen »

Lhug-Pa & Seeker242: Thank You for your replies. I did forget to mention organic/non-GMO. I've found several sources for these that fit the budget, locally available. I hadn't considered changing to chemical-free water however. Right now we use charcoal filtration for drinking water. Since I updaeted my plumbing it may be possible to use under the sink RO. I'll have to check that out. Good suggestion. Also we are growing food in the backyard as of this year. The arugula is doing really well! I'm eyeballing the Asian and Latino gardeners in the neighborhood for pointers. I just found some handy Qi Gong videos on Youtube that look okay. Yeah, I do gentle Hatha Yoga sometimes, not as often as I might. I think what I was getting at is that Five Precepts can be applied for a much healthier life-style. This time around, for me, the health concerns are pushing me in that direction, which is a bit different than, anecdotally, what I hear ppl taking the Precepts have in mind.
User avatar
seeker242
Posts: 2092
Joined: Sat Mar 17, 2012 2:50 pm
Location: South Florida, USA

Re: Five Precepts and Diet

Post by seeker242 »

hansen wrote: This time around, for me, the health concerns are pushing me in that direction, which is a bit different than, anecdotally, what I hear ppl taking the Precepts have in mind.

Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh teaches similar types of things regarding the precepts. This is his teaching of how to appropriately follow the 5th precept.
Nourishment and Healing

Aware of the suffering caused by unmindful consumption, I am committed to cultivating good health, both physical and mental, for myself, my family, and my society by practicing mindful eating, drinking, and consuming. I will practice looking deeply into how I consume the Four Kinds of Nutriments, namely edible foods, sense impressions, volition, and consciousness. I am determined not to gamble, or to use alcohol, drugs, or any other products which contain toxins, such as certain websites, electronic games, TV programs, films, magazines, books, and conversations. I will practice coming back to the present moment to be in touch with the refreshing, healing and nourishing elements in me and around me, not letting regrets and sorrow drag me back into the past nor letting anxieties, fear, or craving pull me out of the present moment. I am determined not to try to cover up loneliness, anxiety, or other suffering by losing myself in consumption. I will contemplate interbeing and consume in a way that preserves peace, joy, and well-being in my body and consciousness, and in the collective body and consciousness of my family, my society and the Earth. http://www.plumvillage.org/mindfulness- ... nings.html
Sounds very similar to how you are viewing them. :smile:
One should not kill any living being, nor cause it to be killed, nor should one incite any other to kill. Do never injure any being, whether strong or weak, in this entire universe!
hansen
Posts: 21
Joined: Wed Jul 10, 2013 5:25 am

Re: Five Precepts and Diet

Post by hansen »

seeker242: well, yes that's natural since my association with his teachings have a history. Thay is not afraid to make free-wheeling interpretations of things which have been more or less set in stone for centuries. I've been unable although willing to make the Plum community my very own - still that's a long list of prohibitions - good thing they are only trainings. Anyway I know what the future has in store: lots of tofu, kim chi, curried vegetables, Oolong & Pu Erh tea, miso, fruit, nuts, vegetables, rice, and beans. And arugula. :woohoo:
Post Reply

Return to “Wellness, Diet and Fitness”