Food, mood, what you chew and digest along the way...

[alchemystical]

Was speaking to a yogini the other day and she was astounded to learn that I eat meat as most following the 8 limbed path abstain from that type of sustenance. Obviously a lot of them are quite frail and don't engage in lightly choreographed violence along with their regular spiritual development but it was a very interesting conversation that got me thinking and now I'm curious as to what you lot make of the topic.

Through the years I've tried loads of different eating styles on for size and, amusingly enough, haven't found one that fits. Going the vegan approach literally made me lighter than air as you can tell the body runs a lot "cleaner" in terms of inflammation, waste processing, recovery etc.. as the food digests and excretes so much quicker. It also had the effect of making my meditation so much easier/deeper to focus with but the bad part was that no matter what/how I ate and hit my macros etc.. I just didn't look healthy even though I felt pretty awesome. It also wasn't easy to tap into the darker emotions for use when training as my vibe was elsewhere.

Going a full on meat eater approach I found almost the inverse with boatloads of power in the ring but I could tell from the way my body felt it was running on "dirty" fuel as it used it but not as smoothly as the vegan path.

A combination of the two is acceptable but satisfies neither end really as I can feel the meat dishes sitting in my gut longer than usual whereas the veg ones excrete exceedingly quickly. Its obvious to me that each type of food has a "charge" in terms of how the body applies it and what states it generates and this in turn depends on your individual makeup and how you engage with life along with the types of activities you partake in so there are quite a few variables at play.

Another fascinating factor is this, pure conjecture on my part but very interested in hearing what you make of it, I feel that its easier for me to get in touch with (and thus liberate) the darker emotional states I carry within via my sparring when I'm eating the flesh of dead animals. Now, and here we go so strap in tight, there is a part of me that feels very strongly that this is due in part due to the emotional imprint of said creatures sad life and death being conveyed to their flesh (possibly via endocrine reactions releasing stress hormones?) which I then consume and thus use as the building blocks of generations. Its hard to build a happy home from bricks made of rage, seen?

On the flipside the Vegan approach seems to make me very top heavy in the sense that there is very little in the way of grounding and I spend a lot of time being a blissninny as it just feels so good even if it its quite impractical.

Obviously I can force a "state" with either eating plan but I prefer to allow myself to ease into my practice and feel what arises when I'm on the mat as that is more naturally aligned as I don't like this mood making approach that many have as its akin to wearing a mask and I'm about the opposite of that.

Also the use of spices. Folks, I could go for hours on this topic as its so evident that some create a "hot" temperament whereas others "cool". I say this not physically but almost like a hue instead, akin to a very low level filter placed over your consciousness that the rest of your reality is decoded through, very subtle but noticeable.

The most amazing experience has been totally refraining from eating and going on an extended water fast just to see what happens. Now that was very, very interesting in terms of providing an insight into both mind and body as your awareness is literally on a whole different level and after a few days when ketosis has kicked in you actually are very energetic but with a supremely clean type of energy that is far different from the other two previously mentioned as it appears more centered or, to be more accurate, centrally radiating outwards. Obviously this was not at all sustainable as emaciated isn't a good look on the way but I thought I'd give it a spin for the experience and I highly recommend everyone who is healthy try it at least once after making the appropriate presentations.

One of the saddest things about modern life is the majority of food you buy is literally dead. There is no energy surrounding it and not in a woo woo kind of sense but once again based on experience of living on a farm for a while where the farmer had what he grew with pills and potions for commercial sale and what he grew to feed his tribe. The difference was literally night and day, its so hard to explain yet you grasp it with the first mouthful as there is more, way more, to the food that its visual/physical aspects as this intangible element makes all of the difference.

Whether this is due to accident or design, the commercial processes they do these days to keep food fresh and shiny, how its grown or the combination of all the above the simple fact is food isn't what it used to be, especially if you're engaging in both internal and external methods of development simultaneously as the correct input is essential for your optimal performance.

No point quoting old masters, their days and thus tastes were different as they inhabited a vastly different world. This is a very modern situation and one I don't think many notice and if they do fewer speak on as they are either a) too busy trying to fit the paradigm assigned to them by ancient wisdom or b) have never experimented with their options of c) just don't feel the difference. Plus there are so many other factors these days like EM interference, artificial light and its impact on innate rhythms, endocrine disruptors etc..

For me it is very, very evident and in as little as 30 days I can totally flip my frame depending on what I choose to eat and it creates very noticeable effects in not only my physical presentation but also mental processes and thus presence which others easily detect even when I haven't told them I've changed anything as their comments say it all.

Just wondering out loud really as one must eat to live it seems and whether your domain is primarily mental or physical when it comes to development there is no getting away from the rather unique situation we all find ourselves in these days as I hope I've illustrated. I welcome your input and hunger for some food for thought!

Best

[MuadDib]

I also have similar experiences. The type of bodily activity (or passivity) and variation in food intake produce different states. After I finish a weight training workout, I feel ferocious and enter what I call a primal state. A strong craving for eating animal products develops. When I eat animal products (the strongest effect is from red meat, then chicken, eggs and fish), I feel a strong desire to do weight training and possibly other violent things. I believe this is the experience you describe as dark; I prefer to call it primal or ferocious.

 

Similarly, if I refrain from eating meat and consume a purely vegetable based diet, I have the exact experience as you do. The urge for violent physical activities subsides and I enter an elevated state where meditation and energy work becomes much easier.

 

The saying "you are what you eat" has deep meaning.

 

Kudos for water fasting, I engage in it regularly and reap the benefits.

 

In the end, I prefer to view these states as primal vs. elevated instead of dark vs. light. I think it is useful to listen to the body. I find that the body sends us many signals and many people choose to ignore them. If I feel like I'm catching a cold or flu, I feel a strong need to eat lots and lots of vegetables and also spices. At other times, I feel like eating animal products and engage in strenous physical exercise. For me, striking a balance works best.

[alchemystical]

Yes, semantics are just that but no doubt we are pointing toward the same thing. Anyone else have any views on the subject of food or are you sitting there licking empty plates?

[Eden]

does anyone else notice how building energy is easier with a more fat protein diet than a higher carb diet? I almost feel like my gut and belly are a battery and when I eat carbs it sort of surges the battery too much.. my hara contracts . But fats and proteins feel different energetically in the belly and my belly feels alot more relaxed and open... like that Fat Happy Buddha with his belly hanging over his waste strap. Eating carbs and higher glycemic carbs sometimes feels like my gut is being electrocuted  My brain feels remarkably different as well when running on more fat/protein foods than carbs. I am utterly fascinated by this cause its like the OP saying, the difference is night and day and just a few days or few weeks of different diet will result in a completely different person. Its almost scary how different of a person I am depending on my diet.