Search the Community

I did a search before posting, but only found quite outdated information, the most recent being around 2008, so decided to post this new thread. I would like to know how Daoism approaches the subject of food, diet in modern society, as opposed to the life of a wandering sage living in the wilds. Our modern world is a very different place, and the quality of our foods is for the most part far removed from nature. So I would like to know how one should go about establishing a healthy diet from that point of view. Please don't bombard me with stuff relating to the typical western view of nutrition - I'm looking for something more specifically Daoist based. Personally I have never been able to digest meat very well, and have a natural disinclination towards eating it. But I also understand that Daoism is not about imposing restrictions and rules. The key point seems to be the importance of harmonizing with one's environment. But what does that mean in the society we actually live in? Where I live, it is pretty pointless to expect to gain all the essential nutrients from locally grown foods, because the soil itself is bereft of them. Not only that but everything is sprayed with powerful insecticides and other chemicals all year round. There are many local ecological farms starting to produce vegetables, but their prices are exorbitantly high, and I cannot afford them. In my opinion whether or not one agrees with eating meat, the slaughtered animals are so full of drugs, chemicals and other harmful toxins that I see no advantage in eating them, and plenty of risk to the health. Local people rear rabbits and chickens and live off them throughout the year. I buy eggs from them, because they are free range and at least the chickens are reared in more natural conditions than the atrocious conditions of the chickens that produce the variety sold in supermarkets. But everything else has to be purchased from shops or supermarkets. So let's start the discussion...