New Guy Here Saying Hi

[newbjpt13]

So I figured I would post info about myself. I am one of those people who studies both Taoism as well as modern science, nutrition, and exercise theories. I am planning on going back to school for Modern Nutrition. Much of the modern research studies with controlled and experimental groups are interestingly pointing back to ancient Taoist practices. I feel sometimes that people who follow Taoism get so caught up in wanting to sound and feel mystical that they reject modern science rather than realize how both are intertwined and Taoism shares more with science than it does "religion".

I plan to go for Modern Nutrition since many people would not respond well to the Taoist practices of explaining nutrition. The type of Taoism I follow does not really have altars or practice writing talismans or the like. I am not sure if anyone has read Stephen T. Chang's books on Taoism, but that is close to the perspective of Taoism I hold.

[Basher]

Interesting....welcome to TTB's.

 

One of my favourite Books on Taoist Health / Diet is:

 

The Tao of Long Life - Ch'ang Ming (Paperback - 1982 reprint) Aquarian Press (by Professor Chee Soo).

 

Mostly Vegetarian diet, with emphasis on eating organic, locally grown food.

 

Basher

[newbjpt13]

Yeah, I plan to read some more Taoist books as time goes by. I read Tao Te Ching and Chang's books. Yeah, it is getting there that is difficult for me with a long history of consuming addicting modern food. So, I have been teaching myself how to prepare and cook a lot of food. I have given up on any recipes involving long cooking times in the oven since that is how more toxins form and practicing stir frying a lot with some great sauces like organic fermented rice Mirin and fermented soy sauce. I also have started trying to take the time to put my veges and such in boiling water for about 1 minute to get off contaminated byproducts, natural or otherwise. I also have spent a long time looking for sweeteners without to much sugar and am going to try Monk Fruit extract. I can't quite give up using some modern sauces since I like the way they enhance flavor.

 

I don't plan to give up meat, but I try to cut it back to maybe under 8 ounces daily in my stir fry. I think there is enough evidence that meat is needed in a diet. However, maybe if vegetarians would cut out grains and soak all legumes the vegetarian route may be the healthier option. I feel Taoists and vegetarians try to spiritualize it to often. I get Taoist texts explain the importance of being vegetarian, however they also may have not had the ability to study organisms at a microscopic level. We see now with microscopes the truly complex structure of the amount of organisms we destroy through breathing in air. Could it also not be said that for us to only define life by the forms we can see and experience an egotistical view, which we are not supposed to cultivate? If some evidence suggests that a little meat, just a little mind you is beneficial could we not eat it in our pursuit of balancing our health? In a way to refuse to eat a little meat to maintain our health is degrading to the life forms we destroy but can not see a daily basis. Although, I also admit being a vegetarian may be better for health if grains are avoided and legumes used in moderation. When Taoists cling to tightly to ancient texts of how spirituality is tied to abstaining from all meat without considering the changes our understanding of the universe brings through even modern science is it still Taoist?

The thing I still find most interesting in modern nutrition is about grains and the Taoist Bigu practice. When grains are heated some natural substances are formed into Acrylamide. Acrylamide is one of the most damaging carcinogens known to science. Grains are the highest sources of acrylamide. The EPA even makes acrylamide dumping illegeal. Even the FDA is beginning to acknowledge some of the dangers of it. Grains also have the highest levels of phythates, which leech some of the most important nutrients from our bodies. Although phythates are found in many natural foods. Although, soaking grains and legumes for over about 8 hours decreases phythates a lot.

The thing I find amazing is that the Taoist Bigu states that the grain worm demons consume the body from inside out as they report to heaven. However, what does cancer do? It literally and figuratively consumes the body from the inside out when it attacks new cells. I find it interesting that much taoist nutrition now includes large amounts of legumes and grains. I have a hypothesis that due to Mao Zedong's cultural revolution damage in recent history has caused Taoisim in China to not be aware of some of its older health practices such as Bigu.

Edited January 18, 2013 by newbjpt13

[Alchemistgeorge]

Welcome! I'm also a big fan of Stephen Chang's books! A lot of good stuff in them.

[Basher]

Howard Gibbon, here in the UK, is one of the late grandmaster Chee Soo's highest graded Instructors.

Here's a link to the Lee / Li Family "Taoist Diet Sheet", I hope that you find it to be of some interest.

 

http://www.howardgibbon.com/Chang-Ming-Diet.html

 

 

Basher

[三江源]

Howard Gibbon, here in the UK, is one of the late grandmaster Chee Soo's highest graded Instructors.

Here's a link to the Lee / Li Family "Taoist Diet Sheet", I hope that you find it to be of some interest.

 

http://www.howardgibbon.com/Chang-Ming-Diet.html

 

 

Basher

Basher, what is the idea here behind 'reduce your fluid intake', do you know?

[Basher]

Unfortunately I don't know the exact reasoning behind this. As I originally studied the various Lee Arts in the 1980's and I've probably forgotten loads of important information. Believe it's something to do with not overburdening the kidneys.

 

But I do remember that the Grandmaster always emphasised that we should practise the various arts with our tongue touching the roof of our mouths. Partly to "complete" the MCO. He also said that our saliva should always be swallowed to improve our health / retain our energies.

 

I do still have a copy of the Chang Ming Diet Book, but it's in Archive storage (along with 100's of my other books). I'll see if I can dig it out. But in the meantime, anybody can get a copy quite cheaply from one of those on-line shops.

 

Unfortunately, after the death of Chee Soo (in 1994 ?), the top six UK Instructors each set up their own organisations. as they were in different parts of the UK. Each teaches (what they believe) to be the real Lee / Li arts. Some of these continue to promote the Chang Ming Diet, others do not.

 

Basher

[newbjpt13]

Yep, heard of quite a few of those recommendations before. I heard it's good to chew the food in your mouth about 100 times before swallowing, tough to remember but I try. I am doing better on liquids around room temperature. One of the problems I have is that knowledge of North America herbs is not to vast. I have heard of a mushroom that grows within 2 states of Michigan that has possibly more L-Theanine than tea for lowering the brain wave frequencies down one. There is probably more information if one probes Native American knowledge of herbs, one of the problems with this is that there is still much knowledge lost through time since Native Americans did not have an early writing system like China.

I have read about 2 of the most ancient books of Chinese herbology that even historians trace back around 1500 years at least. I take 4 herb concentrates a day with 12 total kinds and take Saturdays off from it and a week off twice a year.

I take: Chlorella, Ganoderma Lucidum, Eucommia Ulmoides, Qian Shi

Ginseng, Gan Cao, Astralagus, Goji

Spirulina, Atractylodes, Polyganum Multiflorum, Cassia Obtusifolian

Ant, and Pearl Power internally

Edited January 22, 2013 by newbjpt13

[newbjpt13]

I try to remember to hold my tongue to my roof when not talking to people. Lol, again these little things are important but tough to remember. I think another benefit to the tongue touching the mouth is that it makes it far more difficult to breath through our mouths and forces us to breathe deeper through the nose for maximum oxygen intake.