Eating Healthy

Eating Healthy

The best diet (or way of eating) is the one that is right for you, just like the best exercise is the one that you will actually do.  

We recognize the body requires fresh air, fresh water, fresh fruits and vegetables, mental stimulation and gentle exercise.  In an organic and balanced approach, this brings the greatest harmony and sustains life naturally. 

The body by itself does not specifically need drugs, tobacco, alcohol, meat, fish, eggs, dairy products, processed foods or refined sugar, salt, refined carbohydrates or refined fats. As mentioned before, these are not good or bad items, rather, it is a recognition that a balanced body does not require these things to sustain life. Many of these items are brought through conditioning, habit, and recreational experiences.  Surprisingly, the body can handle these items, yet with a cost to efficiency, longevity and quality of life.

Obviously such a list is contrary to most current traditions and approaches and may sound rather harsh to some and boring to others.  Yet when embraced, people find the greatest benefit with eating habits that provide the body with the most natural and simple ingredients. 

Practically speaking, most people aren't physically, emotionally, mentally or spiritually ready to take on drastic eating change.  What we suggest is to become aware of what you eat, when you eat it and how it affects you. Take steps that are right for you.  If you are a meat eater, you may choose to let go of red meat (or meat altogether) for a time to experiment.  A vegetarian may choose to release other animal products like eggs or cheese to see how that affects them.  Your body knows what is best for you and will help you if you listen. 

Fasting For Health
Fasting in your routine can be of huge benefit to the body. Fasting is not dieting which has a different focus and is often ill-fated since one usually resumes previous eating habits once the diet is concluded. With fasting, you remove certain items for a time period to give your body a rest and time to heal and rejuvenate. Done periodically, the body will delight in your new efforts!
Fasting may sound difficult at first because most of us think of a strict diet of  water only. However, one way is to simply have fresh live fruits for a day. Or you may choose to do vegetables and their juices without any processed food or carbohydrates for one to three days. Give your body a rest and see what good can happen.
One final note on fasting, one reason many do not care for fasting is that at times, the body, having been in stress mode, will kick out toxins that have been stored. This can make for some unusual almost sick-like conditions. Rest assured, the body is doing what it needs to do and the process will pass. Just think, those same toxins are already residing in you and doing things - wouldn't you rather let them leave?
Healthy Change We decided to include a health page on our site because we feel it plays such a vital role in understanding the nature of love.  In these fast paced, information filled days it can become challenging to recall deeper and more intuitive understandings.  Logic and habit frequently overrides the heart.
As an example, even though we share that animal flesh is not necessary to sustaining life in the body, we also acknowledge that in certain geographical areas, meat may be the only source of food.
In cases such as this, we are reminded that the indigenous people of many lands have historically honored the animal that provides itself for food to sustain the individual or group. Unfortunately, quite the opposite is happening in our progressive, modern societies.  Few people link the meat dish before them as having come from an animal and even fewer have regard for that life as having value.  However, with love we can once again honor the animal that gives of itself to us. 
Remember, any change in lifestyle, routine,  or new "diet" can bring up many personality resistances and fears as well as many questions from within and reflections from others. It is important to research information and let your heart guide you to a deeper truth.
For example, vegetarians often field questions like, “Where do you get your protein?” or “Where do you get your calcium?” or “What about the B vitamins?”  With a little self education, these fears can easily be laid to rest.
Such an example of a common question to vegetarians is, "Where do you get your protein?" In the first place, the protein myth is something of a misnomer – the question should be “Where do you get your essential amino acids?”  You see, a protein is really a long chain of molecules called amino acids that string together to form proteins, including muscle and other body tissues.  Our bodies require 8 amino acids from food sources outside the body, all of which can be found in abundant supply in fresh fruits, vegetables and nuts. 

The second part of the protein myth is that we do NOT require a high protein diet. A balanced approach with perhaps a low protein, higher natural complex carbohydrate diet provides much more efficient fuel and nutrients than the popular high meat protein, no carbohydrates diet. This is even more obvious when we realize human mother’s milk has 5% of its calories derived from protein.  So when we are growing the most, forming our vital organs and bones, the body designed the perfect balanced diet; why would this be any different from the rest of our lives? In his book, Diet for a New America, John Robbins explains this understanding in greater detail.

Healthy  Understanding

When we pursue a healthy lifestyle, we open ourselves to a vast universe of information.  There is great wisdom around us along with many old, worn and outdated beliefs.  

Love is a process of unfolding ourselves in all ways.  A healthy lifestyle provides a better vehicle for our adventure.  With a little patience, perseverance, and soul searching, we can enhance our life experience in delightful ways. 

Willingness to go within and question our current habits and beliefs is where we begin.  It is not always easy, yet we can allow our inner guidance to show us how to bring about a healthier approach and understanding to life.

For example, let us take a look at our natural and innate experience about food sources.  Humanity will naturally go out to a field, remove an apple from a tree, and bite into it.  Yet we do not have the same inherent desire to run up to a living  animal in a pasture, bite into and eat it while it is alive.  In fact, such an image will repulse the human.  This is an instinctive reaction to a deeper truth of our spiritual connection with all life. 

In a similar regard, we find the logical use of pesticides, chemicals and hormones as a way to increase and sustain the yield of our crops and enhance the return and health of our livestock.  Yet which of us would readily reach out and ingest the raw chemical, preservative, pesticide, or hormone if it were placed in a bottle or container before us?  Our natural heart-felt reaction is to not use such artificial substances.  However, we take these items in every day through our food.  

The intent to improve our capacity to feed our selves and all others is noble and correct.  When logic is combined with wisdom and love, we naturally find alternatives that are organic and sustainable on all levels and with harm to none.

These are just a few examples of the many ways in which we can rethink and adjust our perspectives and create a happier and healthier experience on all levels.  So, embrace what works for you and enjoy the journey.

Tip: Look for good resource books that recognize a more practical and universal truth to healthy living. Seek to find the deeper truth to some of these questions: you might be amazed to realize just how much misinformation is perpetuated every day.

 http://www.thelovefoundation.com/healthy_lifestyle.htm