Taoism, Primal, Nature

[docinthedesert]

Taoism honors natures for its analogous lessons and it's representative cycles. Recognizing that we are animals and ride those cycles, even as we try master them, it seems very Taoist to explore nutrition from the stance of what is "natural" to the human beast. I've been paleo for about a year now, and have been fully satisfied in that choice, but wonder about the Taoist view on diet? I assume seasonal, natural foods never to excess in general, but are there any ideas more specific? And if they are specific, and based in more ancient Chinese culture, how would you apply them in a modern, Western environment?

 

 

[docinthedesert]

and disregard MovNat, totally different topic.

[Rara]

With total difficulty haha. I travel about a lot and 3 weeks into vegetarianism, I found myself eating less healthily due to limitations of what I could buy.

 

Paleo sounds lovely, but not ideal for me. I try and buy anything as natural as possible from butchers and even in the supermarket but I am not sold on that anything is apparently totally pure!

 

I try my best, but I won't break myself for my diet...otherwise I become obsessed and the Tao just goes out the window.

[Starjumper]

The Taoist idea is that you use food as your medicine. You select foods based on your body type and condition in order to balance those conditions and strengthen yourself. The idea is that you balance yourself to remain healthy and therefore never get sick or need actuall medicines. Chinese Taoists use 'medicinal' herbs in their cooking all the time. Sometimes tonifying, sometimes cleansing (you can NOT do both tonifying and cleansing at the same time). My chinese herbal doctor's dad is around 110 now, and amazingly, lives in the US (land of insiduous poisons); I asked her what he typically eats and she said "everything", meaning he ate a great deal of variety in order to aquire all nutrients and micronutrients.

 

What I did when I learned I was being poisoned on purpose is I got the fork out of the country, forever. It seems like the only choice if you don't have a master Chinese herbal doctor working on your menu, and you don't have that, do you?

 

So, it's simple. Get the fork away from the poison, and then heal yourself.

Edited March 30, 2014 by Starjumper

[GrandmasterP]

I'm not Chinese.

Like them though I enjoy eating familiar foods.

Being raised veggie I'm a veggie.

Eat whatever you enjoy eating.

We are none of us defined by our dinner.

Edited March 30, 2014 by GrandmasterP

[Rara]

The Taoist idea is that you use food as your medicine. You select foods based on your body type and condition in order to balance those conditions and strengthen yourself. The idea is that you balance yourself to remain healthy and therefore never get sick or need actuall medicines. Chinese Taoists use 'medicinal' herbs in their cooking all the time. Sometimes tonifying, sometimes cleansing (you can NOT do both tonifying and cleansing at the same time). My chinese herbal doctor's dad is around 110 now, and amazingly, lives in the US (land of insiduous poisons); I asked her what he typically eats and she said "everything", meaning he ate a great deal of variety in order to aquire all nutrients and micronutrients.

 

What I did when I learned I was being poisoned on purpose is I got the fork out of the country, forever. It seems like the only choice if you don't have a master Chinese herbal doctor working on your menu, and you don't have tyhat, do you?

 

So, it's simple. Get the fork away from the poison, and then heal yourself.

What do you mean by "tonifying"?

 

Interesting what you say about the US. Were you just referring to food? I hear that China has a huge pollution issue right now...

[Starjumper]

What do you mean by "tonifying"?

 

Interesting what you say about the US. Were you just referring to food? I hear that China has a huge pollution issue right now...

 

Tonifying is the opposite of cleansing. Tonifying means strengthening your system with nutrients that increase muscle strength, immune system, chi energy, etc. Cleansing removes nutrients and although it can lead to strengthening later, it tends to be weakening in and of itself. the main thing is that if you use tonifying and cleansing herbs/medicines at the same time they will 'fight' each other.

Edited March 30, 2014 by Starjumper

[liminal_luke]

Docinthedesert,

 

Although I haven't been so disciplined of late, I notice that when I eat primal/paleo-esque my health improves measurably.

 

I can't tell you what "traditional taoists" eat because I really don't know, but I will say this: it's very difficult to grow spiritually when your body is unhealthy. So if what you're eating is giving you radiant health I say it's taoist.

 

Liminal

[dawei]

and disregard MovNat, totally different topic.

 

 

FYI: I edit your topic title a bit to get MovNat out

[Starjumper]

Interesting what you say about the US. Were you just referring to food?

 

Not just food. For most people to learn about such things would be way too big and bitter of a pill to swallow, and many people have a violent negative rection to hearing about what is happening because it upsets their programming.

 

I suggest that if you are really serious or curious about this subject that you begin researching it. It seemed to me that most people would be very serious about avoiding purposeful poisoning, but they aren't because they've already been poisoned with flouride.

 

So, maybe first would be to avoid all flouride and try to clean it out, then educate yourself ... or educate yourself first by starrting investigating flouride.

[dee]

I try to eat almost everything.

A rule I'm trying to implement in my habits: I stay away from things with 10+ ingredients (on the label).

• I've cut out sugars (almost)
• I always choose organic if possible.

There are grown vegetables in my backyard.

 

It's all a process of learning what you like. I have days when I eat terribly (my cheat days).

 

Experiment and don't be so restrictive on yourself.

[docinthedesert]

Thank you everyone for the responses. I am trying to improve the variety of color in my vegetable intake at this time. Instinctively that seems a Taoist thing (wu hsing correspondence, etc.), but don’t have a source for that idea.

 

Starjumper – thank you for the post. I actually haven’t considered that directly (kick in the butt). Allopathic medicine is always so focused on healing dysfuction instead of preventing it with healthy improvement. What Western foods/herbs would be considered tonifying? (not necessarily American, but foods native to this part of the world?) Also, how could I find out what foods are most appropriate for my personal balance?

 

Liminal Luke – Couldn’t agree more!! Paleo has given me development with less drowsiness, less need for sleep, more energy throughout the day and a feeling of clarity. The theoretical basis for the diet seems to fit the Taoist reverence for nature as well J

 

Dawei thank you for the modification. Not familiar with actually posting in forums, and didn’t know if I was able to modify it after the initial post lol.

 

Dee – totally agree with sugars (other than fruits) and organic when I can. Alas, i’m a full time student right now, and organic is often sacrificed for other things in the budget.

[Rara]

 

Not just food. For most people to learn about such things would be way too big and bitter of a pill to swallow, and many people have a violent negative rection to hearing about what is happening because it upsets their programming.

 

I suggest that if you are really serious or curious about this subject that you begin researching it. It seemed to me that most people would be very serious about avoiding purposeful poisoning, but they aren't because they've already been poisoned with flouride.

 

So, maybe first would be to avoid all flouride and try to clean it out, then educate yourself ... or educate yourself first by starrting investigating flouride.

Sure...in the tap water. We have it here in the UK too.