Diets are dumb

A place to discuss health and fitness, including healthy diets, etc.
lostitude
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Re: Diets are dumb

Post by lostitude »

Sādhaka wrote:
The body does not process gluten and unsprouted grains very well, contributing to inflammation.
That's only hearsay.
The fact that some people are allergic to nuts doesn't mean it's bad for everyone. Same with gluten and grains.
Bum
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Re: Diets are dumb

Post by Bum »

Since the original poster didn't write down any arguments and it's very easy to disrupt the theory that diets are stupid, I think most people misjudge diet as starving. It's not about that, it's about controlling. Yes, some diets do tend to lean toward fasting, but most of those are not permanent. Eating should be balanced just as living, and it's hard these days because most people don't have enough mental strength, will nor time to prepare and plan their meals.

I am on and off vegetarian, trying to eat vegan as much as possible when I'm preparing something that's without meat (it's easy, don't add cheese to it :) ), and I find vegetarian option to be more pleasant to my senses. I was full vegetarian for two years, then got lazy and returned to eating meat - just the sound and sensation of gnawing on piece of meat made me sick, alongside with the fact that something was killed and in the process killers wasted so much Earth's resources.

Me personally, I like vegetarian diet, and believe me, it certainly isn't about starving :)
Simon E.
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Re: Diets are dumb

Post by Simon E. »

Interesting that we are all different isn't it?
Meat does not make me feel sick.
Quite the reverse. Twice I have tried to be vegetarian and my health suffered..and yes I gave it a good go, and yes I did the research into the dietetics.
I would never even contemplate veganism.
I am posting simply to demonstrate that to anyone who reads the thread that there is no 'Buddhist' diet.

I would never try to persuede a vegetarian or vegan to eat meat.
It's not my business what they eat.
And vice -versa.
“You don’t know it. You just know about it. That is not the same thing.”

Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche to me.
Bum
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Re: Diets are dumb

Post by Bum »

Simon E. wrote: Thu Nov 23, 2017 5:25 pm Interesting that we are all different isn't it?
And we should definitely celebrate it :)

The thing is, in a way, we all advocate our principles, thoughts and ideas, but the silver lining is how aggressively we tend to do that. For instance, I would never approach someone or mock them because of their food choice.

I heard one great saying that goes something like this: it's now what you eat, but how you feel when you're eating it.

It all boils down to balance :) The Middle Way. And yes, there's no such way as Buddhist diet, at least I've never heard of it.
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Wayfarer
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Re: Diets are dumb

Post by Wayfarer »

I was born in the 1950's, so no longer young. I've put on a lot of weight and was informed that I was heading for diabetes, which is a common consequence of weight gain and bad diets. So I signed up to The Blood Sugar Diet which is aimed at reducing your blood sugar and overall BMI, in early October. I have lost more than 6Kg and am intending to lose a lot more. Not really sticking to their detailed menus any more, but just no bread, sugar, pasta, potatoes - no carbs, in short. Eating salad, fruit, vegetables, chicken, tuna, salmon, natural yoghurt, bircher muesli. Tired of being overweight. :emb:
'Only practice with no gaining idea' ~ Suzuki Roshi
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Kim O'Hara
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Re: Diets are dumb

Post by Kim O'Hara »

Wayfarer wrote: Fri Nov 24, 2017 3:11 am I was born in the 1950's, so no longer young. I've put on a lot of weight and was informed that I was heading for diabetes, which is a common consequence of weight gain and bad diets. So I signed up to The Blood Sugar Diet which is aimed at reducing your blood sugar and overall BMI, in early October. I have lost more than 6Kg and am intending to lose a lot more. Not really sticking to their detailed menus any more, but just no bread, sugar, pasta, potatoes - no carbs, in short. Eating salad, fruit, vegetables, chicken, tuna, salmon, natural yoghurt, bircher muesli. Tired of being overweight. :emb:
My household has made a similar shift for similar reasons (but not for my sake) over the last few years.
We also abandoned detailed menus pretty fast, replacing them with principles and substitutions - principles like "less carbs, more veg" and "no added sugar, ever" and "bigger main courses so we don't feel the need for desserts".
Substitutions, which let us continue making lots of favourite recipes, are like ...
white pasta or flour --> wholemeal
white rice --> brown rice or quinoa
potatoes --> sweet potatoes (counter-intuitive, I know, but it's the way to go) and/or carrots or pumpkin.

:stirthepot:
Kim
Simon E.
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Re: Diets are dumb

Post by Simon E. »

Wayfarer wrote: Fri Nov 24, 2017 3:11 am I was born in the 1950's, so no longer young. I've put on a lot of weight and was informed that I was heading for diabetes, which is a common consequence of weight gain and bad diets. So I signed up to The Blood Sugar Diet which is aimed at reducing your blood sugar and overall BMI, in early October. I have lost more than 6Kg and am intending to lose a lot more. Not really sticking to their detailed menus any more, but just no bread, sugar, pasta, potatoes - no carbs, in short. Eating salad, fruit, vegetables, chicken, tuna, salmon, natural yoghurt, bircher muesli. Tired of being overweight. :emb:
One of my former colleagues had a weight problem.....He was very thin and was self-conscious about it. So he was on a permanent weight GAIN diet!
We would be the queue for the till in the hospital dining room.
Me with my soup and salad.
He with his pork chops with triple mashed potato and gravy, and steamed pudding with custard....
“You don’t know it. You just know about it. That is not the same thing.”

Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche to me.
DGA
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Re: Diets are dumb

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Bum wrote: Thu Nov 23, 2017 4:03 pm Since the original poster didn't write down any arguments and it's very easy to disrupt the theory that diets are stupid, I think most people misjudge diet as starving.
Do you have any arguments in support of your claim that most people misjudge diets as starving?

For the record, I did not advance a theory when I started this topic. I wanted to provoke a discussion by leading with my opinion, which remains my opinion: diets are dumb. A healthy relationship to food isn't dumb at all. Food, in and of itself, is excellent stuff and I'm glad I have plenty of it.

Nothing in this discussion so far has disproven my opinion that diets as identities, e.g. "I'm a paleo" or whatever, are a dumb idea.
Pero
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Re: Diets are dumb

Post by Pero »

DGA wrote: Fri Nov 24, 2017 8:05 pm For the record, I did not advance a theory when I started this topic. I wanted to provoke a discussion by leading with my opinion, which remains my opinion: diets are dumb. A healthy relationship to food isn't dumb at all. Food, in and of itself, is excellent stuff and I'm glad I have plenty of it.

Nothing in this discussion so far has disproven my opinion that diets as identities, e.g. "I'm a paleo" or whatever, are a dumb idea.
Haha but those are two different things. :)

Anyway, if anyone is interested in an interesting explanation about what foods are healthy for us and what not and why, and other interesting things, I recommend the book "The Plant Paradox". You will learn that the saying "you are what you eat" is not far from the truth haha.

As for myself, I noticed that when I reduce sugar intake I fall asleep more easily, sleep better, my energy levels are more even and I have better digestion. Have not really held to a diet much more than that. I tried one because of my knee pain - diet was supposed to be 20% of the effect, special stretches 80%, but I was lazy on the stretches so I didn't get much out of the method, except the sugar thing and increased water intake both of which I still find beneficial. The other diet I tried for a short time was from the Plant Paradox, which was very interesting but unfortunately unsustainable as it required me to actually prepare food to/and cook, something I really don't feel like doing after coming home from work. :rolleye:
Although many individuals in this age appear to be merely indulging their worldly desires, one does not have the capacity to judge them, so it is best to train in pure vision.
- Shabkar
DGA
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Re: Diets are dumb

Post by DGA »

Pero wrote: Fri Nov 24, 2017 8:21 pm
DGA wrote: Fri Nov 24, 2017 8:05 pm For the record, I did not advance a theory when I started this topic. I wanted to provoke a discussion by leading with my opinion, which remains my opinion: diets are dumb. A healthy relationship to food isn't dumb at all. Food, in and of itself, is excellent stuff and I'm glad I have plenty of it.

Nothing in this discussion so far has disproven my opinion that diets as identities, e.g. "I'm a paleo" or whatever, are a dumb idea.
Haha but those are two different things. :)
Yes, that's true. But in practice I think they are closely related.
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Johnny Dangerous
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Re: Diets are dumb

Post by Johnny Dangerous »

DGA wrote: Fri Nov 24, 2017 8:28 pm
Pero wrote: Fri Nov 24, 2017 8:21 pm
DGA wrote: Fri Nov 24, 2017 8:05 pm For the record, I did not advance a theory when I started this topic. I wanted to provoke a discussion by leading with my opinion, which remains my opinion: diets are dumb. A healthy relationship to food isn't dumb at all. Food, in and of itself, is excellent stuff and I'm glad I have plenty of it.

Nothing in this discussion so far has disproven my opinion that diets as identities, e.g. "I'm a paleo" or whatever, are a dumb idea.
Haha but those are two different things. :)
Yes, that's true. But in practice I think they are closely related.
I have to say I completely agree with your basic premise. I've been in perpetual eye roll mode seeing all the posturing that goes on around food choices on thanksgiving..but you could insert any holiday there. It seems people are always ready to point out how much more ethical, healthy, environmenally sound etc. their dietary choices are.
Meditate upon Bodhicitta when afflicted by disease

Meditate upon Bodhicitta when sad

Meditate upon Bodhicitta when suffering occurs

Meditate upon Bodhicitta when you are scared

-Khunu Lama
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Wayfarer
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Re: Diets are dumb

Post by Wayfarer »

Simon E. wrote: Fri Nov 24, 2017 10:21 amMe with my soup and salad.
He with his pork chops with triple mashed potato and gravy, and steamed pudding with custard....
Hah! That’s funny. Actually I now see I have had a lot of dreadful eating habits. It hasn’t been that hard to knock them off. But the real middle-aged spread hit me ten years ago; I started a job in a building with a food court on the ground floor; every lunchtime it was ‘two choices with rice, thanks’. That was when I really started to pile on the weight. I wish someone had taken me aside at the time and told me how hard it was to lose it once you’ve gained it. :x
'Only practice with no gaining idea' ~ Suzuki Roshi
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Lindama
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Re: Diets are dumb

Post by Lindama »

to put it in a nut shell.... diet stories are similar to other stories we tell. ofc, stories have nothing to do with actually eating food
Not last night,
not this morning,
melon flowers bloomed.
~ Bassho
Simon E.
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Re: Diets are dumb

Post by Simon E. »

Well, they are a bit.
Sometimes the cigar is just a cigar.
“You don’t know it. You just know about it. That is not the same thing.”

Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche to me.
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Aemilius
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Re: Diets are dumb

Post by Aemilius »

There is an article about the Diet of Buddha in Guide to Buddhism A 2 Z, which is informative and most interesting. For some obscure reason I can't form a link to it.
svaha
"All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.
They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
Sarvē mānavāḥ svatantrāḥ samutpannāḥ vartantē api ca, gauravadr̥śā adhikāradr̥śā ca samānāḥ ēva vartantē. Ētē sarvē cētanā-tarka-śaktibhyāṁ susampannāḥ santi. Api ca, sarvē’pi bandhutva-bhāvanayā parasparaṁ vyavaharantu."
Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 1. (in english and sanskrit)
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