What Do Monks Eat Everyday?

[DalTheJigsaw123]

What Do Monks Eat Everyday?

[wudangspirit]

I guess this would be dependant on what monks you are referring to?

 

I know at Wudang the Taoists there are strictly vegetarian if they are true Daoshi. I cannot speak for other sects or religions.

 

Tao Bless,

 

Wudangspirit

[DalTheJigsaw123]

I mean in general. What does their diets consist off? I am quite curious. I need to change my diet, quite a bit...

[DaoChild]

So if you are looking for a healthier diet.. why don't you just eat vegetarian and only drink tea & water?

 

Why are you necessarily striving for a "Diet like a monk" ?

[Apech]

Monkey nuts?

[11:33]

The argument's out whether being a vegetarian is in fact healthier.

 

Vegetables are healthy, but no meat or even no animal products diets cause a lot of people trouble.

[xenolith]

Goji berries and a little flax meal for breakfast, apples for lunch, parsley with sun dried tomatoes, pepitas and balsamic vinegar and a little olive oil for dinner.

[WhiteTiger]

I hear they like to eat Steamed Chinese Cabbage.

[DalTheJigsaw123]

I want to see what they eat, because they are healthy and able to meditate a lot. Also they seem light on their feet. I just want to know, because I am also curious. Thanks all who commented.

[DaoChild]

The argument's out whether being a vegetarian is in fact healthier.

 

Vegetables are healthy, but no meat or even no animal products diets cause a lot of people trouble.

 

It really depends -- some of the longest lived people in the world almost never eat meat, maybe once in a long while consuming fish.

 

I personally consume no dairy, no meat, and I haven't noticed any muscle declines while lifting weight (shifting from high protein diet, to no animal protein diet).

 

Plants have more than enough protein.. the body only needs protein - it doesn't have to be animal protein.

 

The biggest issue is B12, but by and large you can be vastly more healthy than most of the population by eating vegetarian.

 

Edit: The overall reason is essentially because the diet is much higher in fiber, phytonutrients and antioxidants, and much lower in cholesterol and saturated fat. Vegetarians almost completely curb their chances of the 5 largest killers in the USA.

Edited June 2, 2009 by DaoChild

[Guest paul walter]

It really depends -- some of the longest lived people in the world almost never eat meat, maybe once in a long while consuming fish.

 

I personally consume no dairy, no meat, and I haven't noticed any muscle declines while lifting weight (shifting from high protein diet, to no animal protein diet).

 

Plants have more than enough protein.. the body only needs protein - it doesn't have to be animal protein.

 

 

 

 

That's not always true-the body requirements of some people need the high purine content in protein which is readily found in animals' tissues BUT you can also find high purine content in bee pollen and chlorella (an algae like spirulina).

 

 

 

 

The biggest issue is B12, but by and large you can be vastly more healthy than most of the population by eating vegetarian.

[Guest paul walter]

What Do Monks Eat Everyday?

 

 

 

 

Depends which monks. I tried to find this out myself over the years, but there is no simple answer. I think it has a lot to do with the minds' state and the seriousness of intention with which they live their lives, and of course which tradition/sect they are in. Also,monks aren't usually the best examples to follow in life if you're really serious about stuff-they do what they're told/too traditional too much.

 

If you're Tibetan you may eat a lot of dried meat and butter tea and vegetables.

 

Lot's of monks eat too much carbohydrate (white rice/ wheat noodles) which expand and affect the pancreas and agitate the mind through too much sugar production in the body which is not conducive to productive meditation.

 

Thai monks might be vego, with egg and milk.

 

Zen monks are vegan (no animal products) traditionally.

 

Most monks in the east will avoid all members of the Allium family (garlic, onion,shallots,leeks etc) because they have a strong effect in exciting the sexual glands.

 

If you're the Dalai Lama you'll be advocating the importance for everyone to be vegetarian one day and chowing down on ham sandwiches (and worse) at a function the next.

 

A good starter for a human is: find as many green leafy vegetables you like and start integrating them into your diet pronto. They generally have a big cleaning and evening out effect on your body/mind in that they take a lot of the 'swings' (from savoury to sweet) and cravings you probably suffer from away by satisfying the 'middle way' of the taste bud range and making the bodies' blood sugar levels more even. That means your body isn't always in a state of crisis by 'needing' a can of soda after a half a chicken ("meat to sweet" is what they call the process). I'm presuming you are on the Standard American Diet (SAD) or something close to it ? Asian grocers have a good range of asian greens usually-I find them a delicacy almost compared to good ole spinach which was the only green leafy thing I grew up with. My favourites are Wombok (Chinese cabbage), Guy lan(Chinese Broccoli) and Bok Choy. Steam them lightly and add a soy or oyster sauce if you want. The Bok Choy is good stir fried with alittle garlic and salt mmmmmmmmmmmm... Green leafys also saturate your hunger quicker than crap like processed food,even meat. A lot of veges have this effect, which might sound counter-intuitive for people on a bulky 'western' diet. Paul

[DalTheJigsaw123]

Depends which monks. I tried to find this out myself over the years, but there is no simple answer. I think it has a lot to do with the minds' state and the seriousness of intention with which they live their lives, and of course which tradition/sect they are in. Also,monks aren't usually the best examples to follow in life if you're really serious about stuff-they do what they're told/too traditional too much.

 

If you're Tibetan you may eat a lot of dried meat and butter tea and vegetables.

 

Lot's of monks eat too much carbohydrate (white rice/ wheat noodles) which expand and affect the pancreas and agitate the mind through too much sugar production in the body which is not conducive to productive meditation.

 

Thai monks might be vego, with egg and milk.

 

Zen monks are vegan (no animal products) traditionally.

 

Most monks in the east will avoid all members of the Allium family (garlic, onion,shallots,leeks etc) because they have a strong effect in exciting the sexual glands.

 

If you're the Dalai Lama you'll be advocating the importance for everyone to be vegetarian one day and chowing down on ham sandwiches (and worse) at a function the next.

 

A good starter for a human is: find as many green leafy vegetables you like and start integrating them into your diet pronto. They generally have a big cleaning and evening out effect on your body/mind in that they take a lot of the 'swings' (from savoury to sweet) and cravings you probably suffer from away by satisfying the 'middle way' of the taste bud range and making the bodies' blood sugar levels more even. That means your body isn't always in a state of crisis by 'needing' a can of soda after a half a chicken ("meat to sweet" is what they call the process). I'm presuming you are on the Standard American Diet (SAD) or something close to it ? Asian grocers have a good range of asian greens usually-I find them a delicacy almost compared to good ole spinach which was the only green leafy thing I grew up with. My favourites are Wombok (Chinese cabbage), Guy lan(Chinese Broccoli) and Bok Choy. Steam them lightly and add a soy or oyster sauce if you want. The Bok Choy is good stir fried with alittle garlic and salt mmmmmmmmmmmm... Green leafys also saturate your hunger quicker than crap like processed food,even meat. A lot of veges have this effect, which might sound counter-intuitive for people on a bulky 'western' diet. Paul

 

 

Thank you so much. A lot of information to sift through. Will start today. Thank you all once again.

[WhiteTiger]

My favourites are Wombok (Chinese cabbage), Guy lan(Chinese Broccoli) and Bok Choy. Steam them lightly and add a soy or oyster sauce if you want. The Bok Choy is good stir fried with alittle garlic and salt mmmmmmmmmmmm... Green leafys also saturate your hunger quicker than crap like processed food,even meat. A lot of veges have this effect, which might sound counter-intuitive for people on a bulky 'western' diet. Paul

 

HAHA another one claiming lightly steamed Chinese Cabbage.

 

In California you can get Chinese Cabbage (Wombok) from Napa Valley Farms.

Generally I suggest its just better to get more local farm veggies as opposed from stuff shipped around the world.

 

I definately should have added Bok Choy to the mix.

[evZENy]

I want to see what they eat, because they are healthy and able to meditate a lot.

 

I can argue the other way around - that because of their practice is the health.

I believe that the correct Chi cultivation can overwrite bad eating habits.

But having good ones helps you waste time and energy.

 

This can be seen in many cases, where 100+ years old people, drink, smoke and eat food, which would be otherwise considered unhealthy. Yet their lifestyle - mentality, social network, happiness are responsible for their physical health (got tons of these guys in my country - many real Taos in them, I believe:-)

And the opposite - you may have very healthy diet, but not being careful about how you use your Chi, can turn yourself into an young and beautiful corpse :-) Many masters in different traditions are such examples, especially some who used their energy to fight, compete otherwise or cure.

 

P.S. I am vegetarian, try to eat organic and grow and prepare as much of my food as I can.

Edited June 2, 2009 by evZENy

[Guest paul walter]

I can argue the other way around - that because of their practice is the health.

I believe that the correct Chi cultivation can overwrite bad eating habits.

But having good ones helps you waste time and energy.

 

This can be seen in many cases, where 100+ years old people, drink, smoke and eat food, which would be otherwise considered unhealthy. Yet their lifestyle - mentality, social network, happiness are responsible for their physical health (got tons of these guys in my country - many real Taos in them, I believe:-)

And the opposite - you may have very healthy diet, but not being careful about how you use your Chi, can turn yourself into an young and beautiful corpse :-) Many masters in different traditions are such examples, especially some who used their energy to fight, compete otherwise or cure.

 

P.S. I am vegetarian, try to eat organic and grow and prepare as much of my food as I can.

 

 

 

 

Yes,I agree. It's probably important to try and find organically grown things like veges as you introduce them into your diet as the taste will help 'convert' you. One of the problems with fruit and veg underconsumption for most people is the crap taste/profile of the things you buy commercially-they don't make you want to indulge in that way if you get my meaning. Also nutrient wise they are usually superior. I think if you want to extract the best from your food you must appreciate what your eating, can be especially so for veg/vegans. This I understand as an element of chi/life force cultivation and the use of the 'material' inputs of the world for further sustaining your relation to the 'outside' and to yourself. It's a real meditaion to be able to feel the growth patterns and seasonal changes that you otherwise have nothing to do with on a daily basis-really grounding. Growing your own food organically and preparing it yourself while being calm and appreciative in life and of life is probably as good as the hand to mouth aspect of existence gets n'est pas? you'll probably all think "but what about sex"-ahhhhh...you've obviously never grown organic veges.....

 

LeonBasin, if you are asking for advice seriously, do yourself a favour and take control of your diet and introduce things carefully, in a manner that you won't react against or deviate from because you made impulsive choices at the beginning. Get to know the food, it's properties (vitamin/mineral content), tastes, even how it grows, make a few dishes you love that you want all the time and that is full of good stuff. This is a simple way of getting yourself on the track with low risk of deviating from it. I know it sounds like a major project but diet/eating is SO undervalued and abused in our 1st world cultures that the spin off is you find a lot out about yourself and your relation to lifes processes and consequently value and take more responsibility for yourself. Oh, and stay away from diet books and fad food books-they drive you nuts with all the contradictory info they have. Good luck.

[DalTheJigsaw123]

Yes,I agree. It's probably important to try and find organically grown things like veges as you introduce them into your diet as the taste will help 'convert' you. One of the problems with fruit and veg underconsumption for most people is the crap taste/profile of the things you buy commercially-they don't make you want to indulge in that way if you get my meaning. Also nutrient wise they are usually superior. I think if you want to extract the best from your food you must appreciate what your eating, can be especially so for veg/vegans. This I understand as an element of chi/life force cultivation and the use of the 'material' inputs of the world for further sustaining your relation to the 'outside' and to yourself. It's a real meditaion to be able to feel the growth patterns and seasonal changes that you otherwise have nothing to do with on a daily basis-really grounding. Growing your own food organically and preparing it yourself while being calm and appreciative in life and of life is probably as good as the hand to mouth aspect of existence gets n'est pas? you'll probably all think "but what about sex"-ahhhhh...you've obviously never grown organic veges.....

 

LeonBasin, if you are asking for advice seriously, do yourself a favour and take control of your diet and introduce things carefully, in a manner that you won't react against or deviate from because you made impulsive choices at the beginning. Get to know the food, it's properties (vitamin/mineral content), tastes, even how it grows, make a few dishes you love that you want all the time and that is full of good stuff. This is a simple way of getting yourself on the track with low risk of deviating from it. I know it sounds like a major project but diet/eating is SO undervalued and abused in our 1st world cultures that the spin off is you find a lot out about yourself and your relation to lifes processes and consequently value and take more responsibility for yourself. Oh, and stay away from diet books and fad food books-they drive you nuts with all the contradictory info they have. Good luck.

 

Thank you so much! I appreciate your comment. You are right, I have started. Thanks!

[Brother K]

Thank you for the info and views on various monastic diets. I have been looking for diet information for a while on here and read though may long threads on the subject but I think I go the most practical information from your reply. Thank You again.

 

 

Depends which monks. I tried to find this out myself over the years, but there is no simple answer. I think it has a lot to do with the minds' state and the seriousness of intention with which they live their lives, and of course which tradition/sect they are in. Also,monks aren't usually the best examples to follow in life if you're really serious about stuff-they do what they're told/too traditional too much.

 

If you're Tibetan you may eat a lot of dried meat and butter tea and vegetables.

 

Lot's of monks eat too much carbohydrate (white rice/ wheat noodles) which expand and affect the pancreas and agitate the mind through too much sugar production in the body which is not conducive to productive meditation.

 

Thai monks might be vego, with egg and milk.

 

Zen monks are vegan (no animal products) traditionally.

 

Most monks in the east will avoid all members of the Allium family (garlic, onion,shallots,leeks etc) because they have a strong effect in exciting the sexual glands.

 

If you're the Dalai Lama you'll be advocating the importance for everyone to be vegetarian one day and chowing down on ham sandwiches (and worse) at a function the next.

 

A good starter for a human is: find as many green leafy vegetables you like and start integrating them into your diet pronto. They generally have a big cleaning and evening out effect on your body/mind in that they take a lot of the 'swings' (from savoury to sweet) and cravings you probably suffer from away by satisfying the 'middle way' of the taste bud range and making the bodies' blood sugar levels more even. That means your body isn't always in a state of crisis by 'needing' a can of soda after a half a chicken ("meat to sweet" is what they call the process). I'm presuming you are on the Standard American Diet (SAD) or something close to it ? Asian grocers have a good range of asian greens usually-I find them a delicacy almost compared to good ole spinach which was the only green leafy thing I grew up with. My favourites are Wombok (Chinese cabbage), Guy lan(Chinese Broccoli) and Bok Choy. Steam them lightly and add a soy or oyster sauce if you want. The Bok Choy is good stir fried with alittle garlic and salt mmmmmmmmmmmm... Green leafys also saturate your hunger quicker than crap like processed food,even meat. A lot of veges have this effect, which might sound counter-intuitive for people on a bulky 'western' diet. Paul

[11:33]

Goddamn! Soda is NASTY!

[DalTheJigsaw123]

Goddamn! Soda is NASTY!

 

Hell yea it is! Water is beautiful. With ice it's even better!

[Guest paul walter]

Hell yea it is! Water is beautiful. With ice it's even better!

 

 

Chilled drinks aren't recommended. Chinese dietetics. Paul

[DalTheJigsaw123]

Chilled drinks aren't recommended. Chinese dietetics. Paul

 

Wow,really? Can you tell me a little bit about it?

[Ya Mu]

...

Generally I suggest its just better to get more local farm veggies as opposed from stuff shipped around the world.

...

Yes!

SO much difference in the qi of the food for YOU if you eat local farm grown vegetables. Try to find those that don't use pesticides.

[wudangspirit]

Great comment.

 

This plays into cold energy into a warm controlled environment. Will send your body into shock. Natural temperature is better.

 

If you're hot it is better to drink warm or hot tea. We Westerners are always going to the extreme and don't think about balance.

 

Too much cold will disturb your qi. Too much hot will bring up too much fire in the organs. It's about balance.

 

 

 

Chilled drinks aren't recommended. Chinese dietetics. Paul

[DalTheJigsaw123]

Great comment.

 

This plays into cold energy into a warm controlled environment. Will send your body into shock. Natural temperature is better.

 

If you're hot it is better to drink warm or hot tea. We Westerners are always going to the extreme and don't think about balance.

 

Too much cold will disturb your qi. Too much hot will bring up too much fire in the organs. It's about balance.

 

 

Wow, that is very interesting. What about when it comes to food? to hot, cold or warm? What is the take on food?