Chi packed breakfast dishes?

[Ramon25]

It doesnt hurt to use western science to dictate a diet either guys. taomeow has obviosly done so, and IMO opinion is the most informed poster here so far. I personally follow a paleolithic diet. Any diet that doesnt take the evolution of man atleast into some consideration is more than likely gonna be psuedo bullshit. But of course im aware of the energetic case for food aswell, I would just say that its not so (unsubstansiated) and based a little more theoretically at least in quantum mechanics. Taomeow, u are correct diet is one of the most complicated damn things on earth, for me the more you learn the less you know! But yes grains in general are not good for health. I would say, the three monsters could be 1. candida/digestive distress/leaky gut 2. high glucose and insulin( causing all kinds of hell) 3. possibly going crazy which gluten is linked to VERY strongly- Just a guess

[dwai]

OK, agree about environment interplaying with nutrition -- the sunnier it is, the less meat one can get away with eating. I've never met whole enclaves of vegetarians when I lived on the East Coast but they are ubiquitous here in California. Which only confirms my assertion (while refuting the opposite one) that meat is very yang. So is the sun. If you have plenty of one, you can get away with not having plenty of the other. This is also seasonal-individual -- I'm a far more voracious meat eater in winter (even in CA) than in summer.

 

I've read Dr. Vasant Lad's books as my first intro to Ayurveda, years ago. The book on the subject that persisted on my reference shelf is by Maya Tiwari... here's a reference back at you! I've studied many (most major and scores of minor) nutritional traditions of the world over the years, my current preferences and understanding are the integrated outcome of this endeavor, and this understanding is still not carved in stone... interacting with food is easily one of the most challenging and exciting endeavors of a lifetime... has been since the dawn of time.

 

 

 

I agree...interacting with food depends on your nature (Doshas)...and the old saying -- "one person's food can be another's poison" (and vice versa) hold true. However, there are certain standards given the human constitution is generally predisposed towards a certain type of afflictions and their ameliorations thereof.

 

 

Glad to hear you aren't an Ayurveda Neophyte.

I would assume you have read Charaka and Sushruta Samhitas? Those are important if you are serious about the topic...I will have to look up Maya Tiwari's books. Incidentally, I have had the good opportunity to read Dr. Jay Apte (and interact with her via my website medhajournal.com) who is also an authority in the Bay Area, definitely recommended. I would also recommend reading Dr David Frawley (Vamadeva Shastri) while on the topic.

 

Meat can be Yang under certain conditions (ie based on the freshness, type of meat, etc) but in general Meat is Tamasic (therefore Yin in a negative sense). I am not a militant Vegetarian and do partake...so I am giving an objective opinion, imho. I'm not interested in debating, I thought I'd share my thoughts with the OP...

 

BTW, I found your insights very interesting (albeit I did sense you were a tad confrontational with your response to my post...I take that as a knee-jerk reaction in light of my posts on Buddhism topics...what can I say...not everyone is ready to hear the bitter truth).

 

 

[Taomeow]

It doesnt hurt to use western science to dictate a diet either guys. taomeow has obviosly done so, and IMO opinion is the most informed poster here so far. I personally follow a paleolithic diet. Any diet that doesnt take the evolution of man atleast into some consideration is more than likely gonna be psuedo bullshit. But of course im aware of the energetic case for food aswell, I would just say that its not so (unsubstansiated) and based a little more theoretically at least in quantum mechanics. Taomeow, u are correct diet is one of the most complicated damn things on earth, for me the more you learn the less you know! But yes grains in general are not good for health. I would say, the three monsters could be 1. candida/digestive distress/leaky gut 2. high glucose and insulin( causing all kinds of hell) 3. possibly going crazy which gluten is linked to VERY strongly- Just a guess

 

Thank you, Ramon!

 

How do you do your paleolithic diet -- Price-Pottenger style or something else?

[Taomeow]

I agree...interacting with food depends on your nature (Doshas)...and the old saying -- "one person's food can be another's poison" (and vice versa) hold true. However, there are certain standards given the human constitution is generally predisposed towards a certain type of afflictions and their ameliorations thereof.

 

 

Glad to hear you aren't an Ayurveda Neophyte.

I would assume you have read Charaka and Sushruta Samhitas? Those are important if you are serious about the topic...I will have to look up Maya Tiwari's books. Incidentally, I have had the good opportunity to read Dr. Jay Apte (and interact with her via my website medhajournal.com) who is also an authority in the Bay Area, definitely recommended. I would also recommend reading Dr David Frawley (Vamadeva Shastri) while on the topic.

 

Meat can be Yang under certain conditions (ie based on the freshness, type of meat, etc) but in general Meat is Tamasic (therefore Yin in a negative sense). I am not a militant Vegetarian and do partake...so I am giving an objective opinion, imho. I'm not interested in debating, I thought I'd share my thoughts with the OP...

 

BTW, I found your insights very interesting (albeit I did sense you were a tad confrontational with your response to my post...I take that as a knee-jerk reaction in light of my posts on Buddhism topics...what can I say...not everyone is ready to hear the bitter truth).

 

Thanks for the reading recommendations. Alas, you can't walk into the same river twice... my chance to become deeply involved with Ayurveda was taken out of my hands by the very first TCM book that landed therein. After this... no turning back for me.

 

I didn't read your buddhist threads, sorry, I don't read buddhist threads at all unless they get reported to the mod squad. Your last sentence is a good illustration as to why. (sorry other buddhists who would never say something like this, I don't mean "all of you," only "those of you who are fond of saying things of this kind" and you know who you are.)

[Aetherous]

I've read that within TCM, beef is considered neutral, and especially good for strengthening the kidney.

 

Subjectively, after a couple of bites it makes me feel normal (gives me energy when I'm feeling drained) and also grounds me. I start to not feel like myself, and go a little haywire, if I don't have it for a while.

 

Why listen to other sources, when you can tell for yourself what's good for you and what isn't?

[Birch]

The grain-related to "enslavement" idea is pretty interesting.

 

I figure I'll "find out" in further reading/research that the grain contained the spores of the (possibly off-earth) organism that enabled the co-evolution of semiotics due to it's intensification of the visual hallucinatory faculty (neocortex?) in humans who prior to that event (uncontaminated) were (linguistically) "ego-less" and directly connected to Tao- or something to that effect...

 

Right, where's my toast.

 

Kidding, I don't eat toast.

[Brian]

...

[ShaktiMama]

Ok so some of you might be aware i am curently enrolled in jopb corps for the culinary arts. And i will likely be helping out in the school cafeteria since i am complete with the program and technicaly a chef. I am still in job corps cause i am waiting to move to conneticutt for advanced training in new haven.

 

Anyways I was wondering what are some chi packed foods one could make for breakfast in case they let my make my own thing? They may or may not let me make my own thing i have to talk to the head chef on this one. So anyone got any ideas on chi or prana packed foods?

 

For breakfast we usually have a choice of bacon or sausage hash brown and eggs and some kind of breackfast bread like a pancake or a waffle or frenchtoast.

 

 

bone broth. Congee made with bone broth even better. Good for the jing.

 

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0ISW/is_259-260/ai_n10299306/

 

s

[freeform]

Anyone soak their grains in water and whey (for 48hrs if I remember correctly)? I've seen this recommended - in fact as the only healthy way to eat grains and beans.

 

Bone-broth congee sounds delicious!

[Ramon25]

Thank you, Ramon!

 

How do you do your paleolithic diet -- Price-Pottenger style or something else?

 

well for me, its been a trial and error thing along with alot of research. I do what I consider TRUE paleo diet.

I eat only Meats, fish/and seafood, fruits and roots and tubers. My main oils are coconut and olive oil along with animal fats found in meat,bone marrow, tallow ect. I avoid nuts and seeds, dairy, eggs (most of the time) and veggies. I also try to keep my carbs between 100-120 grams a day and eat as much coconut oil as possible.

[mYTHmAKER]

well for me, its been a trial and error thing along with alot of research. I do what I consider TRUE paleo diet.

I eat only Meats, fish/and seafood, fruits and roots and tubers. My main oils are coconut and olive oil along with animal fats found in meat,bone marrow, tallow ect. I avoid nuts and seeds, dairy, eggs (most of the time) and veggies. I also try to keep my carbs between 100-120 grams a day and eat as much coconut oil as possible.

 

Did paleo man make olive oil from olives or coconut oil from coconuts.

They are processed and very concentrated.

My two cents:)

[Ramon25]

Hi Ramon, I'm not very familiar with paleo diets but have skimmed a book that a woman (I think) wrote about. What are the benefits from eschewing non-root vegetables?

Well veggies are not really a food that humans would or did (according to most arhceolgical recor) consume. Why consume them? What the point Unless you significantly overweight? They do not have a good ration of digestible calories to non digestible plant matter, In the wild humans would treat food as a way to survive, so anything we ate, would need to give us an energetic bang for our buck. Vegtebles simply dont offer much in the way of useable energy. They are really high in fiber, we do not have digestive systmes advanced enough to really get much out of them or extract a siginificent amount of vitamins/minerals from them. Veggies are LOADED with plant toxins of all damn types, that can have low level effects on our hormones over time. Children generally dont like them (there are exceptions) for a reason: they dont get much from them so why eat them? The concept that they are a good source of antioxidants is true but how much do we reallly absorb? are these antioxidants trully beneficial or for that matter needed? the most important antioxidants are the one are body makes itself and lo and behold animal foods give us just the building blocks we need to make them, veggies do not. if you like to eat them then fine, but I dnt think they are important and might not be good for some poeple.

 

 

Regarding the comment by myth maker, yes coconut oil is a paleo food, as tropical traditional cultures used them and YES made oil from them. Paleolithic man was smarter than us, what make you think they were incapable of processing a food? Virgin coconut oil is not a very difficult thing to make and does not take much equipment, just the know how. Olive oil, I dnt knwo for sure, but that makes no difference either way, it is a fat, mostly monounsaturated, so can serve as a fat source in a modern world. where paleo eating has to adapt.

[Birch]

"Well veggies are not really a food that humans would or did (according to most arhceolgical recor) consume. Why consume them?"

 

When there's nothing else to eat? To fill oneself?

 

Other scabrous reasons?

 

Veggies could be the Twinkies of the Paleolithic

[Ramon25]

"Well veggies are not really a food that humans would or did (according to most arhceolgical recor) consume. Why consume them?"

 

When there's nothing else to eat? To fill oneself?

 

Other scabrous reasons?

 

Veggies could be the Twinkies of the Paleolithic

 

I dont get it I mean there is plenty of food that not veggies if thats what you meant. Veggies taste like shit, I doubt paleo's were snacking on them for fun. Maybe if they were starving. Anyways, Who defines food? Veggies havent played part of our diet until relativley recently, So hey, eat what you will just my conclusion based on the research.

 

Oh after rereading your post I see what you meant, HAHA im tired today,

Edited August 18, 2010 by Ramon25

[Taomeow]

well for me, its been a trial and error thing along with alot of research. I do what I consider TRUE paleo diet.

I eat only Meats, fish/and seafood, fruits and roots and tubers. My main oils are coconut and olive oil along with animal fats found in meat,bone marrow, tallow ect. I avoid nuts and seeds, dairy, eggs (most of the time) and veggies. I also try to keep my carbs between 100-120 grams a day and eat as much coconut oil as possible.

 

That's not a bad diet, but I believe you could make it better.

 

It's true that a lot of fatty meat was by far the most important food source for all early cultures -- they didn't go for rabbit or chicken, they went for the largest, fattest animal in their habitat -- whatever they had that was the biggest and the fattest, that's what they hunted for -- mammoth, bison, buffalo, whale, walrus... the fatter the better. But I've been gathering information on the eating habits of Native Americans (perusing early books on the subject, later ones have a lot of stuff made up... like, 95%), since they were eating the closest to what's natural for humans as recently as only a few hundred years ago, and some records survive. So according to my sources, they had vegetable gardens they tended to, planted fruit trees, ate lots and lots of greens, and in general the whole diet was about a huge variety... they ate everything in good season, and things they wouldn't normally eat in bad season. This, too, was typical of all peoples on earth before the advent of monoculture agricultures, selective breeding, GM, factory farming and other bats from hell: they not just thoroughly but exhaustively explored their habitat for ALL its edibles. Scientist -- biologists, botanists, agricultural specialists, etc. -- who came later were never, ever able to discover a single edible plant growing anywhere that local populations didn't know was edible and didn't eat.

 

As Freddie Mercury almost sang, We are the omnivores, my friend/And we'll keep on biting till the end...

 

...sorry, getting silly, I'm outta here.

[Ramon25]

That's not a bad diet, but I believe you could make it better.

 

It's true that a lot of fatty meat was by far the most important food source for all early cultures -- they didn't go for rabbit or chicken, they went for the largest, fattest animal in their habitat -- whatever they had that was the biggest and the fattest, that's what they hunted for -- mammoth, bison, buffalo, whale, walrus... the fatter the better. But I've been gathering information on the eating habits of Native Americans (perusing early books on the subject, later ones have a lot of stuff made up... like, 95%), since they were eating the closest to what's natural for humans as recently as only a few hundred years ago, and some records survive. So according to my sources, they had vegetable gardens they tended to, planted fruit trees, ate lots and lots of greens, and in general the whole diet was about a huge variety... they ate everything in good season, and things they wouldn't normally eat in bad season. This, too, was typical of all peoples on earth before the advent of monoculture agricultures, selective breeding, GM, factory farming and other bats from hell: they not just thoroughly but exhaustively explored their habitat for ALL its edibles. Scientist -- biologists, botanists, agricultural specialists, etc. -- who came later were never, ever able to discover a single edible plant growing anywhere that local populations didn't know was edible and didn't eat.

 

As Freddie Mercury almost sang, We are the omnivores, my friend/And we'll keep on biting till the end...

 

...sorry, getting silly, I'm outta here.

 

The fact that they tended to gardens implies agriculture and farming in a sense. thats not paleo. Also I have papers by actaul athroplogist showing that veggies were quite unrepresented in the diets they have been able to study. further even weston a price himeslf studied a ton of cultures who ironically did not eat much in the way of veggies. If you have read his original book you must have noticed it? Also they did not usually eat much variety. I am aware of what you are reffereing too, with the natives, as I have also read of them farming plant foods and hunting game. They had quite abundent diets. even showing pilgrams how to plant corn (agriculture) But again many cultures began to eat and plant foods when there enviornments ran out of meat or wernt as plentiful. I do eat quite a bit of variety and cycle my foods except for a few daily staples. Humans have eaten a wide range of diets. The healthiest pre industial scoeiety's studied by weston did not eat veggies in any significent amounts. We are designed for a high quality omnivorous diet. high quality meaning not much indigestible plant matter. Also I never really said I didnt eat non animal foods, I said I didnt eat veggies.

Edited August 18, 2010 by Ramon25

[Mal]

Almost missed out on a cool discussion just cause I don't eat breakfast (or lunch)

[voidisyinyang]

Genetically Modified Foods reeking havoc for animal health:

 

http://www.responsibletechnology.org/utility/showArticle/?objectID=2989

 

The experience of actual GM-fed experimental animals is scary. When GM soy was fed to female rats, most of their babies died within three weeks—compared to a 10% death rate among the control group fed natural soy.[3] The GM-fed babies were also smaller, and later had problems getting pregnant.[4]

 

When male rats were fed GM soy, their testicles actually changed color—from the normal pink to dark blue.[5] Mice fed GM soy had altered young sperm.[6] Even the embryos of GM fed parent mice had significant changes in their DNA.[7] Mice fed GM corn in an Austrian government study had fewer babies, which were also smaller than normal.[8]

 

Reproductive problems also plague livestock. Investigations in the state of Haryana, India revealed that most buffalo that ate GM cottonseed had complications such as premature deliveries, abortions, infertility, and prolapsed uteruses. Many calves died. In the US, about two dozen farmers reported thousands of pigs became sterile after consuming certain GM corn varieties. Some had false pregnancies; others gave birth to bags of water. Cows and bulls also became infertile when fed the same corn.[9]

 

In the US population, the incidence of low birth weight babies, infertility, and infant mortality are all escalating.

 

So that means

 

corn, soy, canola -- what else is genetically engineered? Wow 13% of Zukes in the U.S.... creepy. GE tomatoes are making a come back as well:

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetically_modified_food

 

But wait - a victory against evil!

 

http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_21416.cfm

 

Victory! Judge Revokes Approval of Modified Sugar Beets

 

* By Andrew Pollack

The New York Times, Aug 13, 2010

Straight to the Source

 

A federal district court judge revoked the government's approval of genetically engineered sugar beets Friday, saying that the Agriculture Department had not adequately assessed the environmental consequences before approving them for commercial cultivation.

Edited August 18, 2010 by drewhempel

[Taomeow]

Almost missed out on a cool discussion just cause I don't eat breakfast (or lunch)

 

Well... I AM all over this discussion and I never eat breakfast either.

 

(doesn't mean I don't know what I would eat if I did.)

 

It has always surprised me that so many people somehow manage to wake up hungry. I know the "breakfast is the most important meal" blah blah drill... but I simply never wake up hungry, ever. And I have this policy, I don't eat if I'm not hungry.

 

I have night munchies. I know the drill too... it's just that I can never go to sleep hungry.

 

Tried "breaking" myself to conform to conventional thought in this regard many times. Doesn't work! So now that I'm reading up on Native American nutrition, I've discovered they didn't eat breakfast either. In fact, they didn't eat the first meal of the day till they did something physically strenuous -- if there was nothing urgent to do, they played games. Late night meals, however, were common. Hmmm...

[Mal]

Tried "breaking" myself to conform to conventional thought in this regard many times. Doesn't work!

 

Me too (hope we don't kill the breakfast thread )

[Birch]

He, NOW I feel normal.

 

I don't eat breakfast except when I feel like it (more in winter). When I was a kid I was pumped full of Kellogs breakfast adrenaline (now there's a weirdo...)

[mYTHmAKER]

Tea or water when i wake up,

First meal is around 2 pm

[dwai]

Thanks for the reading recommendations. Alas, you can't walk into the same river twice... my chance to become deeply involved with Ayurveda was taken out of my hands by the very first TCM book that landed therein. After this... no turning back for me.

 

I didn't read your buddhist threads, sorry, I don't read buddhist threads at all unless they get reported to the mod squad. Your last sentence is a good illustration as to why. (sorry other buddhists who would never say something like this, I don't mean "all of you," only "those of you who are fond of saying things of this kind" and you know who you are.)

 

I think we should walk in which ever river serves the best circumstantial purpose.

I find TCM and Ayurveda equally fascinating. The fact that TCM also deals with meridians and Chi makes it even more so relevant. But Ayurveda as a system is very sound and has a framework comparable to that of TCM...albeit techniques such as Acupuncture are more prevalent in TCM.

 

What are your thoughts on cooking? How should food be prepared for consumption? Any special techniques per TCM?

[Taomeow]

I think we should walk in which ever river serves the best circumstantial purpose.

I find TCM and Ayurveda equally fascinating. The fact that TCM also deals with meridians and Chi makes it even more so relevant. But Ayurveda as a system is very sound and has a framework comparable to that of TCM...albeit techniques such as Acupuncture are more prevalent in TCM.

 

I agree -- Ayurveda is fascinating, these are both powerful and complete systems, and the reason I prefer TCM is not because it is "better" but because it is not as difficult for a solo lay practitioner to implement. Pop Ayurveda as given to the Westerners seems easy enough, but the real thing (e.g., as taught in Maya Tiwari's Secrets of Ayurvedic Healing) is sooo complex... "techniques" abound, and many procedures are more technically involved than acupuncture by several orders of magnitude. Ayurveda is to TCM what yoga is to taijiquan -- both are strongly efficient, but the former is way more "convoluted" than the latter. Similarly, the Hindu religion (and everything it spilled into buddhism in the course of cross-polination) is, compared to taoism, very complicated. The same applies to cooking... I tried to read a cooking encyclopedia written by a professional Ayurvedic chef and she starts out by explaining that you need three or four of your sisters, daughters, nieces to help in the kitchen, but then adds bluntly, "in order to do real Ayurvedic food preparation, you need to have servants in the kitchen!"

 

What are your thoughts on cooking? How should food be prepared for consumption? Any special techniques per TCM?

A few principles to start out with (and I got a confirmation that they are a living tradition during my recent trip to China) --

1. Most preparation is done before cooking begins -- the cleaver rules! Everything is shredded into small pieces. Meats come in thin transparent strips, vegetables are cut uniformly into small morsels or thin slices or straw-like bits no thicker than vermicelli.

2. Then rapid stir-frying or grilling takes only a few minutes. Very short term, very high temperature cooking is typical. Vegetables aren't eaten raw but are never overcooked to mushy conditions. The color of a cooked vegetable is brighter than that of its raw version -- the moment the color intensifies is when the stir-frying stops.

3. If they eat it raw, they think of it as a fruit. Tomatoes and cucumbers are in this category. I've seen people bite into a cucumber in Xi'an many times, the way we bite into an apple. (Don't try it with a supermarket cucumber, it tastes like nothing.)

4. Awareness of food's energetics is part of the culture -- you find entries on restaurant menus like "soup to moisten the lungs," "kidney qi strengthening congee" and the like.

 

This of course is just the tip of the iceberg... TCM is huge and equipped to customize an individual diet with much precision if necessary or desired -- for any purposes, physical or spiritual or social. (You eat certain things because there's a festival during which they are traditionally eaten -- for a few days you eat the same thing a billion others are eating simultaneously with you -- and have been doing this for thousands of years -- that should do something interesting to the "spirit of unity")

[thelerner]

Here is a site that goes deep into the 'paleo lithic' life style and its benefits.

 

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/primal-blueprint-101/

 

Good stuff, amazing recipes, hearts, livers and as well as nice curry dishes.

 

 

Michael