The change in my health when I switched from a carnivorous and unbalanced diet to a vegetarian balanced one was dramatic.
I was 16, and had a cronic cold, plus frequent fever and other mishaps. Suddenly, I decided my diet was not a good one. My family stressed the consumption of meat, fried food, sweets, little fresh fruit and vegetables. I reversed all that. In 6 months I was cured from chronic cold, which no medicines could cure. I enjoyed perfect health, did not get ill at all even though I started to practice extreme titikhsa, endurance to cold weather (and hot weather in the summer).
All it took was eliminating fish meat and fish, eliminating refined cereals, substituting honey and unrefined sugar to White sugar, eating plenty of fresh fruits, nuts and fresh and cooked vegetables. I also practiced hydroterapy, with application of cold water.
I got ill a few years later though when I went to the extremes. Cycles of fasting and overeating, extreme raw vegan diet. The Prana in my body was drained away.
Yoga is the path of moderation and discrimination.
I was happy to find your diet routine throughout the years mccoy. I understand your last paragraph about fasting and overeating. It took me quite awhile to get use to fasting - as the Master recommends once a week or three days a month. And I admittedly also went from fasting to over eating. Although over the years, I’ve had to talk to myself and remind myself when coming off a fast to slow down and take it easy with the food. Somewhat like talking to ourselves during meditation and reminding the mind to settle down. I have found it much easier when I can take a day off from a routine working schedule. The mind is less occupied with its usual source of energy and you can for instance just lay in bed and practice a mantra or take a beautiful nature walk that fills your senses with wonderful thoughts apart from the addiction to food. Then when you come back to eating you discipline your mind and thoughts with a slower intake of food but something that fulfills your minds ravishing behaviors. For instance, I’ll start out again with a smoothie or cottage cheese with Avocado or something that delights my watering mouth (lol). In all our activities we gain the ability to slow down and eventually control our appetites through the constant practice of meditation which gives us more patience with others which also starts with patience with ourselves.
Sure it is a result of moderation but from where does moderation spring? I have found that it comes from a constant reminder to say to ourselves, “come on little boy you can do it … just rest a little and get up after a bit and see that you have avoided binging and now you may get something light to eat or perhaps lay there and practice a mantra while you enjoy your new found discipline.
Mccoy in the discussion I feel like I’m talking to myself over the years. Attempting to cure my ravishing appetites. Just having moderate success now before I drop off and this body decays and is forgotten by me and everyone else. Quite an irony in the end of the story.
