Spiritual Portal

This is a great book and what I'm presently reading...





~ Mark Hyman, MD

excerpts from Part I, FOOD: What The Heck Should I Eat?

 

Eric, I'm heavily into nutrition, healthspan and longevity, there is a specific answer to the question: what the heck should I eat. In addition, recent science is usually validating the suggestions of the Raja Yoga diet as written in the SRF lessons. Anyway:

-Number one class of food to be eaten is vegetables, especially so the green-leaved.
-Fruit is OK but subject to your personal tolerance to glucose. Moderate amounts are usually good.
-Nuts and seed are usually very good
-beans are usually good, starting with small amounts
-whole grains are usually good, in moderate amounts
-Fresh dairy products are very good according to Sri Yukteswar. According to modern science there is a debate, which I construe, it depends on individual tolerances and quantities.Lowfat or nonfat is best to check your blood lipids.
-Meat is usually detrimental, unless eaten in moderate amounts and together with vegetables
-Fish is better than meat, in moderate amounts, although there are ethical drawbacks.
-Mushrooms are good
-eggs re good in moderation

The very bad food includes all sort of junk food, sodas, fries, big steaks, all excess, all white sugars except some zero-calories ones.

Thank you Mccoy,

I would be happy to share the words of Dr. Mark Hyman with you as I read.

He breaks it down as you have here, and elaborates. If you're interested in hearing his thoughts on meat for example, I can dive into this chapter with you.

I intend on sharing something I read last night about the industry, which is so damn infuriating. Just like there is, "Big Brother" or "Big Pharma" so there is with our food industry.

And so many "healthy" lies... Where science is, "fixed" biased and usually 'suaded by serious financial backings.

Question...
"Or like this?"

Eric this guy recommends dead animals for food. I just can’t understand that. I mean we are yogis and I’m sensitive to killing our brother and sisters the animals. To see them lying there cut up and lying on my kitchen table offends my senses. They are evolving like us. I mean could you imagine cutting up your dogs and putting them on the table with spices to eat? How is it different if you have a pet lamb, cow or pig? Are they somehow inferior? And to think of the production and business of killing animals is repugnant 🤮. I stay as far as I can from the meat markets and the meat department at stores. It is cruelty production and processing. In fact these  animals may be just as good pets. Violence towards animals seems very cruel to me and against the principle of ahimsa and definitely has caused unimaginable destruction to nature.

Paramahansa Yogananda has said that we will eventually live off cosmic energy, eating meat 🥩 is a lingering dark habit of the Kali Yuga. Let’s put this into context. We are moving into the age of energy; the Dwapara yuga. Let’s share for instance Sri Yukteswar’s book on eating; The Holy Science. In it he explains from many angles that human beings are not meant to eat meat. In fact the way are bodies are built biologically; we are similar to other vegetarian  animals. Meat of all kinds become toxins in the body, which add to a host of other problems like sexual aberrations, moods swings, violent temperament and ecological disasters. I will start a thread on this if necessary. Vibrations of energy enter our bodies. If those vibrations are of violence we absorb them.

https://youtu.be/QfOT3Cprmvg

Sorry I just can’t imagine chopping the head off a lamb! People can make violence look good with other tasty things beside it but you still are ingesting dead animals who were slaughtered violently. These defenseless animals have done nothing harmful to us. What right have we to take their lives? I do believe that animals can sense violence in us and that I have seen them react violently towards humans because of it.

Of course, you are welcomed to your opinion- and Dr. Hayman is welcomed to his. You have chosen a different path, and you will find this hard to understand but I believe there are many true paths offered here on this planet- all of which belong to God. I intend on continuing to share what I discover, and if mccoy is interested in what he has to say about meat- I will do so(seeing as the question was directed at him). You can also ask me what he has to say on vegetables. He goes into all food types. Who knows, you might find what he's learned about vegetables more interesting. And you still might learn something after-all. I would encourage the discussion of The Holy Science in a separate thread as I intend to make the focus of this thread around the book.

I would love for us all to read something together and jump into it. I don't own The Holy Science and would like a hard copy(I don't want to read off the computer screen). Eventually I might pick this up. Or if you'd like to gift me a copy, I accept.  :D I have also created a thread with your interest in vegetarian eating, here:

http://spiritualportal.net/index.php/topic,8286.0.html

Titled, "Cooking with Legumes" by Swami Vidyadhishananda.

As I am begin to read more books and attempt to share what I discover with others- I notice those who have not read the book often have the most negative things to say about the author or the book. It's a curious phenomenon. The very same happened as a friend gifted me, "The Flivver King." As I was gifted it, another friend had the most negative things to say about Uptain Sinclair. When I finished reading the book I asked him what he thought about it, and to my surprise he said he never read it. So, I mean no offense as I make this observation.

Eric, in regard to this statement you made above. "And you still might learn something after-all. I would encourage the discussion of The Holy Science in a separate thread as I intend to make the focus of this thread around the book".

Thanks for the link from by Swami Vidyadhishananda, Eric. i did look at it before and most likely will again as long as i'm not around others at a time i'm reading it and consuming legumes (lol trying to keep gas out of my digestive track). i really do not care to support anybody now who encourages a meat eating diet, wasting my time, energy and money, since there is so much reputable and reliable advice from vegetarian dieticians, which i can learn from, who need our support and for many other reasons besides food. i have really improved my moods since being a vegetarian so i do not need to get sidetracked again with american culture and the cheeseburger generation. Its already done enough harm and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future.

That's okay Steve, to each their own. Actually- if you want to include the discussion of vegetarianism here, or provide excerpts from The Holy Science- I welcome it. It might be nice to compare notes, and I think it will help attract others who might wish to participate and include their own thoughts.

Another excerpt from the book, which tells us a little more about the author Dr. Mark Hyman:

Eric, I did a quick search and came out with the basic concepts, the pillars of the pegan diet, the one which Dr hyman advocates. Pegan = Paleo+Vegan.

I must say my impression is favourable across the board, although I don't agree with some points. But, in answer to Steve, as you say, there are many specieses of birds who flock together. Many birds are not particularly evolved spiritually, so they don't mind about meat, or perhaps they even need a little of it. On the other side, point # 8 below, Dr. Hyman is clear that meat must be eaten in moderation, as a condiment, where vegetables are the main dish and meat is the side dish. That's a pretty sensible observation.

Anyway, if we want to discuss Dr. hyman's Pegan diet I would suggest we stick to his pillars as reported in the book cited by Eric. We may discuss every single point.

Let’s look at the 13 pillars of the Pegan diet, as outlined in my new book, Food: What the Heck Should I Eat?:

1Stay away from sugar. That means a diet low in anything that causes a spike in our insulin production — sugar, flour, and refined carbohydrates. Think of sugar in all its various forms as an occasional treat, that is, something we eat occasionally and sparingly. I tell people to think of it as a recreational drug. You use it for fun occasionally, but it is not a dietary staple.
2Eat mostly plants. As we learned earlier, more than half your plate should be covered with veggies. The deeper the color, the better. The more variety, the healthier. Stick with mostly nonstarchy veggies. Winter squashes and sweet potatoes are fine in moderation (1⁄2 cup a day). Not a ton of potatoes! French fries don’t count even though they are the No. 1 vegetable in America.
3Easy on fruits. This is where there could be a little bit of confusion. Some Paleo champions recommend eating mostly low-sugar fruits like berries, while some vegan advocates recommend all fruit equally. I find that most of my patients feel better when they stick to low-glycemic fruits and enjoy the others as a treat. Stick with berries, kiwis, and watermelon, and watch the grapes, melons, and so on. Think of dried fruit as candy and keep it to a minimum.
 4Stay away from pesticides, antibiotics, hormones, and GMO foods. Also, no chemicals, additives, preservatives, dyes, artificial sweeteners, or other junk ingredients. If you don’t have that ingredient in your kitchen for cooking, you shouldn’t eat it. Polysorbate 60, red dye 40, and sodium stearoyl lactylate (also known as Twinkie ingredients), anyone?
 5Eat foods containing healthy fats. I’m talking about omega-3 fatty acids and other good fats like those we find in nuts, seeds, olive oil, and avocados. And yes, we can even eat saturated fat from fish, whole eggs, and grassfed or sustainably raised meat, grassfed butter or ghee, and organic virgin coconut oil or coconut butter.
6 Stay away from most vegetable, nut, and seed oils, such as canola, sunflower, corn, grapeseed, and especially soybean oil, which now accounts for about 10 percent of our calories. Small amounts of expeller or cold-pressed nut and seed oils like sesame, macadamia, and walnut oils are fine to use as condiments or for flavoring. Avocado oil is great for higher-temperature cooking.
 7Avoid or limit dairy. Dairy doesn’t work for most people, so I recommend avoiding it, except for the occasional yogurt, kefir, grassfed butter, ghee, and even cheese if it doesn’t cause any problems for you. Try goat or sheep products instead of cow dairy. And always go organic and grassfed.
 8Think of meat and animal products as condiments or, as I like to call them, “condi-meat” — not a main course. Vegetables should take center stage, and meat should be the side dish. Servings should be 4 to 6 ounces, tops, per meal. I often make three or four vegetable side dishes.
 9Eat sustainably raised or harvested low-mercury fish. If you are eating fish, you should choose low-mercury and low-toxin varieties such as sardines, herring, anchovies, and wild-caught salmon (all of which have high omega-3 and low mercury levels). And they should be sustainably harvested or farmed. Check out http://www.cleanfish.com/and http://www.foodthebook.com/to learn more about your fish options.
10Avoid gluten. Most gluten comes from “Frankenwheat,” so look for heirloom varieties of wheat like einkorn. Eat wheat only if you are not gluten-sensitive, and, even then, only occasionally. Dr. Alessio Fasano of Harvard, the world’s top gluten expert, has done research showing that gluten damages the gut — even in nongluten-sensitive people who show no symptoms.
11Eat gluten-free whole grains sparingly. They still raise blood sugar and can trigger autoimmunity. All grains can increase your blood sugar. Stick with small portions (1⁄2 cup per meal) of low-glycemic grains like black rice, quinoa, teff, buckwheat, or amaranth. For type 2 diabetics and those with autoimmune disease or digestive disorders, a grain- and bean-free diet may be key to treating and even reversing your illness. Stick to the 10-Day Detox Diet or even a ketogenic diet for diabetes.
12Eat beans only once in a while. Lentils are best. Stay away from big starchy beans. Beans can be a great source of fiber, protein, and minerals. But they cause digestive problems for some, and the lectins and phytates they contain may impair mineral absorption. If you are diabetic, a high-bean diet can trigger spikes in your blood sugar. Again, moderate amounts (up to 1 cup a day) are OK.
13Get tested to personalize your approach. What works for one person may not work for another. This is called bio-individuality and it is why I recommend that everyone eventually work with a functionally trained nutritionist to personalize his or her diet even further with the right tests. If you’re interested in getting tested and coached by one of my nutritionists, visit http://www.foodthebook.com/ for more information.

Now, pillars #1: stay away from sugar and #2:eat mostly plants . Everyone agrees with that. The first two pillars are shared by almost all people with credentials who 'preach' about healthspan and longevity. Furthermore, these two pillars are also part of the Raja Yoga diet, the diet suggested by Sri Yukteswar and by the SRF lessons.
I myself follow meticulously these points.

I would suggest, before going further, let's comment together these 2 points, if you guys have any remarks.

Okay Mccoy,

I will dive into the chapters with you. Each chapter opens up with a true or false quiz. Don't cheat, try your best!

But first, the thing I intended on sharing:

We're getting to Pillar #1 I assure you.




Sugars and sweeteners:
True or False?

1) The main problem with sugar is that it's just empty calories.

2) Agave syrup is a healthy alternative to high-fructose corn syrup and sugar.

3) Saturated fat from butter or meat causes heart disease, not carbs or sugar.

4) Sugar may be more addictive than cocaine.

5) One of the benefits of eating sugar is that it provides fuel to your brain.

6) High-fructose corn syrup is sugar with a different name.

7) If you want to lose weight, replace sugary drinks with diet soda.

Eric, to tell the truth, I'm not very much interested into the politics and lobbying of food companies. Of course, the big food companies are trying to boost their sales, sometimes in a deceitful manner. They do it everywhere, here in Italy including, and they've been doing it for decades.

The basic message of Dr. Hyman is obvious and is directed to people who are illiterate about food, who've been eating mainly the SAD (standard American diet) made up of junk food prevalently.

I'm sorry if maybe that's not what you wanted to discuss first, but I'm more interested about what to do in practice. The food companies exists, they make profit and I couldn't care less because I'm not sponsoring them, unless they provide some really healthy food. They cannot escape the obligations of reporting components in labels, lest consumers associations sue them for millions or billions of dollars. So they employ subtle ways of deception, leveraging the dietary ignorance of people.

The quiz points: most of them may be true or false. I can understand the narrative chosen by Dr. Hyman but I do not agree necessarily on coconut oil and saturated fats.

That's okay Mccoy, I shared as a follow up to this post,

At one point in my career, I rescued food for a living. We would redistribute it through out the city the same day. I have seen bread lines and unfortunately many of the charities out there are giving out foods that are unhealthy for the body. Knowing this, I was still surprised to read that the number one "food" item for SNAP or food stamps-is spent on sugary beverages. My cousins suffer form obesity, and they grew up on soda and diet soda. I feel blessed to have intuited getting off soda and gatorade at such a young age...

I talked to a younger part time employee the other day and he thinks soda is harmless. I think soda is a huge offender and believe the way we think about food and what we digest effects our spiritual bodies as well.

I don't expect our interest to always align, or for you to agree with everything coming out of this book. I do plan on sharing more about the chapters of sugar and plant food. I also intend on sharing more of what interest me down the road.

For now I still need to read the chapter on sugar and sweeteners... He breaks it down into:

"The science of sugar",

"What the experts got right",

"What they got wrong",

"Seven things you need to know about sugar",

"Sugar production damaging the environment",

and "Summing it up"

Which I assume is the section you are most interested in hearing??

At the bottom of the summing it up he bullet points:

"Sweetener's: what the heck should I eat?"

"Sweetener's: what the heck should I avoid?"

-----

Presently, I mostly avoid added sugars or anything artificial. I still allow myself a little bit every now and then. I love my cheese danish and I love my dark chocolate. I also probably intake more fruits and vegetables than what the book recommends. I know a fruitarian and she is extremely gifted, vibrant and healthy.

Mccoy, let me know which segment on sugar you are most interested in hearing- I will read more tonight after work and share from there.


1) False: Sugar isn't mere empty calories. It causes heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and more. It doesn't just make you fat; it makes you sick, even if you don't gain weight.

2) False: It may sound healthy, but it's pure fructose, which causes fatty liver, diabetes, and inflammation, and it creates dangerous types of cholesterol. Plus, it is processed with toxic chemicals.

3) False: That was the lie we were told. Now we know that sugar in all its forms, not fat, is the leading cause of heart disease.

4) True: Eating sugar has a potent impact on the same parts of the brain that are stimulated by addictive drugs like cocaine or heroine. In animal studies, rats will work eight times harder to get sugar than cocaine. If they are already cocaine addicted, they will switch to sugar as their preferred drug when given the chance.

5) False: You get all the sugar you need from eating fruits and other whole foods, and your brain can get energy from fats, too. In fact, it runs better on fats such as MCT oil (from coconut).

6) False: High-fructose corn syrup is an industrial product that's metabolized differently than sugar and does even more harm, including damage to the gut and liver. It may also contain mercury as a by-product of how it's produced.

7) False: The artificial sweeteners in soda and other junk foods make you eat more than you would if you just consumed sugar instead. And they can alter your gut flora to promote obesity and type 2 diabetes. Don't drink soda- diet or otherwise.

Eric, maybe we can almost skip the sugar chapter because I'm totally convinced that added sugar, corn-syrup, fructose, glucose, is almost toxic.

Especially so for those ones who are pre-diabetic or diabetic, as is a great part of the American population. In that case, added sugar is really toxic.

As to natural sugars, if you are tolerant to them, you can eat fruit and cereals, if not, you'd better moderate a lot of those foods. Fruit juices are not healthy though unless you exercise a lot after drinking them. I used to drink lots and lots of natural juice with no sugars added, but it spikes blood glucose just the same and that's not healthy in the long run.

I'm interested in one section though, the one on sweeteners. Erythritol and Stevia are considered all right, although stevia has too sweet of an aftertaste and I prefer the former.
What's Dr. Hyman's opinion on sweeteners?

Keep in mind we're jumping to the end of the chapter on Sugars and Sweeteners going straight into the bullet-point summary. This means skipping the "why" behind some things.

Sweeteners: What the heck should I eat?

*Fresh, pureed fruit or fruit juice

*Molasses

*Organic palm sugar

*Date sugar

*Coconut sugar

*Monk fruit

*Organic maple syrup

*Honey (use the Ethical Consumer Guide)

*Stevia, sparingly (only brands certified by the Rainforest Alliance)

*Erythritol, also sparingly, although new data suggest it causes weight-gain.

Sweeteners: What the heck should I avoid?

*Artificial sweeteners of all kinds

*Sugary beverages

*High-fructose corn syrup or any ingredient with the word syrup in its name (except for pure organic maple syrup)

*Any foods with sweeteners that purport to be "all natural." The big offenders are agave syrup, corn syrup, sugarcane, evaporated cane juice, and brown rice syrup.

*Packaged foods that contain added sugar or other unnecessary sweeteners, such as yogurt, tomato sauce, bread, ketchup, candy, soups, breakfast cereals, granola, salad dressings,
and countless other processed foods. If it has a long ingredients list, or additives with the suffix "-ose," that's usually a sign there's sugar hiding in it.

*Refined white sugar

*Brown sugar

*Aspartame, also sold as NutraSweet or Equal

*Sucralose, sold as Splenda

*Saccharin, contained in Sweet'NLow

*Acesulfame potassium, contained in Equal

----------------------

Thanks for playing! Anyone else care to jump in? Or have they had their fill?


Vegetables:
True or False?

1) Alfalfa sprouts are a health food.

2) Potatoes contain complex carbs, which are better for you than simple carbs like sugar.

3) The benefits of organic vegetables are overstates because studies show they're no healthier than conventionally grown food.

4) White button mushrooms are relatively low in nutrition.

5) Tomatoes can create inflammation in the body.

6) Arugula is just another kind of lettuce, like iceberg.

7) Some of the most nutritious vegetables are weird ones, like seaweed.

Here Dr. Hyman suggests those sugars which are not totally refined but have a matrix rich in vitamins and minerals. A little like the SRF diet, Yogananda suggesting honey, molasses, raw sugar.

I do not agree totally with Dr. Hyman though. All the sugars listed, except monk fruit and Stevia and Erythritol which are sweeteners, not absorbed by the body, do spike blood glucose and may give rise to a prediabetic or diabetic condition. Now, that's individual. A couple of years ago I noticed that my fasting blood sugar was drifting upward into prediabetic conditions. I soon eliminated all sugars and all fruit. That avoided spikes in blood sugar but the fasting values kept high, until a little ago when apparently they dropped down.

Bottom line, dietary suggestions have a general part but must also be individualized. All the listed 'good' sugars are detrimental if a person exhibits glucose intolerance. They have the same effect as white, unhealthy sugar. They may contribute to the occurrence of type 2 diabetes, a metabolic dysfunction which elevates the odds of mortality.

If you are glucose tolerant, that's your good luck and you can indulge in healthy sweet food. In my case I've been indulging too much in healthy sugars and this probably gave rise to the recent glucose intolerance.

Mccoy I’m not sure 🤔  what you mean here when you say “ I avoided all sugars but the fasting values kept high”. Can you explain? What fasting values? Do you mean you can run 🏃‍♀️ fast with sugar ingestion? ( I think that would be helpful for my jogging routine )  Also, wonder if ‘spiking glucose levels’  is bad for everyone? Do you have preexisting health challenges that would make bringing up sugar levels deleterious for ‘YOU’? Or perhaps 🤔 you mean  that sweets will over take the best of us healthy specimens. Those who are slowly deteriorating as sweet tooth’s, attempting to still jog a half an hour a day.  We are finding our pace slowing to a cain supported walk without any energy, because all sorts of sweets have been eliminated from our diets?

Also, at one time you brought up protein as very bad for health and increases aging. You gave us many articles from dieticians that explicitly stated the ill affects and consequences of aging quickly with protein; if people continue absorbing protein, when their bodies were past the ‘growing stages’. I noticed your position has noticeably softened since those days. Contrasting those views with the prevailing views at the time, was somewhat like adding gasoline to a flame that was being extinguished.  The 🐄 cattle ranches in southern United States are raking in money with their endless encouragement to eat steak and potatoes 🥔 to get the old dead weight out of social security expenditures. It has taken Americans the length of our countries history to get beyond that. But now they have a new tactic, that attempts to cover up the extreme harm meat does to our bodies and spirit. They made fancy neon  flashing signs on display at McDonalds,with someone holding a Big Mac taking a bite out of it as the blood seemingly drips from their mouths from the killings they are excitingly devouring. As though horror films can now be  seen in short clips by the masses and enjoyed before supporting their sickening practices.

I’m sure the Roman Empire would have relished the idea of having such water dripping horror films to promote killings in the old sports arenas where people watched other people being malled by tigers in the day. Animals, similarly salivate before ripping up their prey. How are  we humans , with the ability to be divine any different then ravenous wolves? Let’s look at it for what it is; cruelty to other living beings. The only difference I see with Dr. Hymen is he makes cosmetic adjustments with the meat he prepares by adding flowery vegetables and lets others kill for him on the off days. I suppose you could say that is an improvement over eating at the death factory; McDonalds; where death 💀 is new and improved with salivation and greasy fingers. No forcing vegetarianism here mccoy just exposing what is only too obvious to a little spiritual sensitivity and follows the principles of Yama, or non injury to all creatures.

Agreed mccoy, you can't just assume what works for one works for another. An individualized approach is best. Learning to listen to our bodies is a beautiful thing.

The chapter on Sugars and Sweeteners, before diving into the bullet points, says this on summing things up:

I have a different approach that is supported by Sri Yukteswar in this comment;

What is natural living? To understand  what natural living is it’ll be necessary to distinguish it from what is unnatural. Living depends upon the selections of food, dwelling and company. To live naturally, the lower animals can select these for themselves by the help of their instinct and the natural sentinels  placed at the sensory entrances, the organs of site, hearing, touch, smell and taste. With men in general, however, these organs are so much perverted by unnatural living, from very infancy that little reliance can be placed on their judgments. To understand, therefore, what are natural needs are, we ought to depend upon observation, experiment and reason. ~ Sri Yukteswar

Sorry for not being clear. I meant the blood glucose (or glycaemic) values when fasting, a measurement usually taken in the morning before eating. This is a measure which suggests if you are in the good side (non-diabetic), in the bad side (diabetic), or drifting toward the bad side (prediabetic). A couple of years ago, my measurements (taken at home with a glucose meter and strips on a drop of my blood) started drifting toward the prediabetic camp, so I had no choice but to intervene.
Spikes in blood glucose can be, on the long run, deleterious to health, so another condition which would make you a diabetic is to have a blood glucose value higher than a determined threshold after 2 hours from the ingestion of a determined quantity of glucose and water. There is on top of that Glycated hemoglobin, also known as HbA1c, which is the average quantity of blood glucose in about the 3 months before the measurement, and it shouldn't be above a determined threshold.

As to sugars and running, if you drink something very sugary before running (like, fruit juice), the muscular exertion will prevent an excessive spike in blood sugar, in function of course of the amount of sugar ingested and the degree and duration of the run (or whatsoever other exercise).

True enough Steve, you have a good memory. A few years ago I adhered to the idea that very little protein could be advantageous to health and longevity because protein and specifically some essential amino acid like leucine trigger the activity of the mTOR complex, a metabolic master switch which regulates anabolism and catabolism. When mTOR is little active, then autophagy and other mechanisms favorable to longevity are triggered.

The above is oversimplified. Too much protein can be deleterious but too little will result in loss of lean mass, or musculoskeletal tissue, or muscle mass. What I'm doing now is trying to eat the minimum amount of protein which will prevent loss of lean mass. This should be individually determined since there is not a single value valid for all, also considering the various degrees of activity we have.
Also protein per see does not govern the individual requirement, rather essential amino acids do, which cannot usually be synthesized by the body. For example, we may eat the minimum requirement for protein, but not eat the minimum requirement of each essential amino acid and that would mean trouble. That's why I studied the various indexes of protein quality and digestibility like the recent DIAAS score. I want to make sure that I'm eating a sufficient amount fo the essential amino acids.

Last, presently there are many researchers, including the anti-meat ones like Valte Longo, who underlined by epidemiological studies, that after growing older we require more protein because protein is less utilized and there is a drop in the hormone IGF-1, related to synthesis of muscle tissue. Also, there is a way around it if you lift weights regularly, since exercise triggers the release of the mechanogrowth factor MGF, which has the same signal role as the IGF-1 and requires only the mechanical stress of loading.

Sorry if I'm summarizing sometimes complex issues!

I totally respect your propensity toward Yama. I myself grew perhaps a little more callous with age and don't mind very much other people killing, as long as they don't interfere with my own regimen and ethical principles. The others will reap their bad karma. I don't mind. I just mind my own karma. That's my present attitude, which may be more or less wrong.

The above is a very sensible quote from Dr. Hyman

Since I feel and strong hunch that I was living in India in a recent incarnation and was bit by a cobra 🐍 and died at an early age,  I also wonder about the karmic debt people accumulate from being cruel to animals. This incarnation so far, I’ve witnessed a tremendous urge for animals to get near me and I have made continues effort to be kind to them and not let others kill them for my eating habits. Having witnessed people that have dormant anger in them being attacked by animals I am increasingly interested in the apparent instinct or intuition of animals and other creatures.

Very good strategy to quote Sri Yukteswar, since the Jnanavatar is the Jnanavatar, his wisdom is unsurpassable.

Sri Yukteswar cited empirical arguments why meat is not the ideal food for man. His logic is simple and indisputable.

The same Sri Yukteswar though would love us to use our God-given logic and discrimination to elaborate further and find what's best for us, stick to it, and forget about it. His own words. Forget about diet, there are more essential things, like meditation, Dharma, Karma, Yama, you name it.

I like the details and subtleties of modern science and try to apply them to prevent premature death. It is not easy since nutritional science today is chaos. My reasoning is guided by discrimination and the basic guidelines of Raja Yoga, as expounded by Sri Yukteswar and Yogananda. We have been very lucky in coming across these spiritual giants!

I agree that animals should always be respected. What are your thoughts about the vegans insisting that keeping cows for milk equals torturing them?
My thought is that extremely intense farming of cows is not a good thing, but the Dharma of cows is being milked. The real dark side of it is the killing of calves, which is practiced in industrial milk production.

Yes Sri Yukteswar takes discrimination to a higher level, using observation, experiment and reason to determine what is the best course to take and we are not always able to follow the dictates of our bodies desires and arrive at a helpful outcome. I have the challenges of my body wanting one thing and my spirit wanting another. So I have determined that I would not have been a good candidate for the monastic life this lifetime with that type of inner turmoil manifesting. Perhaps that is why I’m a bit more forgiving of some of the moral issues I’ve found you have brought to our attention with  monastics you and I have witnessed in their struggles. Sri Yukteswar does instruct us to join the right company as part of the equation to rise above our bodies desires and separate needs from desires and food is only one of many areas where that is an issue.

I often find I’m able to do quite a lot of exercise with the right type of stimulation, although using those types of stimulation may at times have mixed results in health and spiritual elevation. We are all faced with dilemmas in our life and recognizing how to balance them with a productive outcome for our current evolution.

Swami Vidyadhishananda has shared that during his time living with monks atop the Himalayas they survived off nothing but, "green elixir."

They did not need to eat food, and the minerals in the mountain enhanced certain capabilities.
 
In AOY we read accounts of Babaji able to teleport an entire group of devotees. He is able to materialize and dematerialize. All these things I believe are possible, all of which would leave the established science and people like Dr. Mark Hyman dumbfounded.

Correct me if I'm wrong... Didn't Sri Yukteswar consciously exit his body at death- eyes opened and all? And did not Yogananda share accounts of telepathy with him(among others) and even a very specific chapter where Sri Yukteswar materialized before Yogananda after his passing?

Yes and Swami Vidyadhistananda sounds like he may have been with Babaji as well, or at the very least a group of advanced devotees himself.  I cannot really say what these minerals were or the green elixer, but as if to answer the question, if we can live off cosmic energy I have thought over that for most my life; and as if to answer my question, from the timeless sate of the gurus several weeks ago I was meditating and felt hungry since I had not eaten that day; suddenly my body felt as if it had been given some food during meditation.

The Himalayas sound like an interesting mountain to climb , I’m not a mountain climber but even a visit would most likely be a blessing.

Yes I believe it. That's very nice. Now that we've deviated from the book, I've taken a little break and wanted to chime in with some more random thoughts...

I believe when we eat to please our senses, it can create awareness(or lack thereof) around physical organs and ultimately create thoughts focused on the little self or the big Ego. Though we satisfy temporary pleasure, there's the potential of becoming saturated with misery making thoughts. Like feeling full for deciding to binge, or regretting the chocolate binge you knew you shouldn't have done.

Though, in hindsight, we aren't our thoughts...  and if we can learn to avoid fullness- or hunger, we can alleviate ourselves from being so preoccupied with the self- and find a more liberated expression by being Present.

Ultimately I think it's how fast can we realize we've attached ourselves to a negative mindset- and do we really wish to linger there? But being full has really interfered in my ability to see people with compassionate eyes- same with the itching to satisfy cravings.

So I admire the comment about switching to a more natural diet, with whole foods. Items minimally processed with less manmade chemicals... Things that don't cater to addictions or trick your brain into gorging behaviors.

A lot about the food industry, from quick fixes to satisfying unique cravings- which includes our subliminal advertisements- keeps us focused on the little self or entrenched by the big Ego.

How much do friends with good intentions influence friends? See this post for photo….

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Sun gazing, nourishing the soul...
https://youtu.be/d7qjh4BIGbc

This is a two hour film. After listening to it for 5 minutes I realized I was not going to hear this guy get to the point soon. So I looked up what his talk was about when he used a term several times; ‘dopamine’.

https://selfhacked.com/blog/dopamine/

Some people are long winded and we may have other things we have to do then spend listening to them for two hours when we don’t really know what the talk is about. Perhaps Eric will let us know how he was attracted to such a man.

Eric, at the end of all, I think you can take advantage from Dr. Hyman's suggestions.

Some of'em I find not perfectly correct though, like avoiding dairy products (there is a vegan narrative on how to avoid them, but if you tolerate them well and have no excess IGF-1, why not eat them in moderation, especially so of lowfat products??).

Also, avoiding products with gluten, if you are not intolerant, why? He gives a vague answer, with a single reference to a HArvard professor, which is really very little or nothing from the scientific point.

Also, he says to avoid beans and some vegetables (the saponins and the nightshades narrative). Again, some people may be intolerant but they are a minority. At this point, he might as well say to avoid everything, because you are going to find some minority which does not tolerate something (for example, a few people are intolerant of meat).

I myself, I eat beans as a side dish, 2 or 3 tablespoons. The digestive system will adapt and produce no air. Black beans are exceedingly good, crisp and tasty, you can cook them once a week, drain them and put'em in the fridge. Texas is notorious for his beans-based dishes.

Decided to create a new subject that responds to this subject and others as well;

A comment has also been added regarding this topic under the subject;
Dilemmas and the heading ‘Spiritual Unfoldments’

Thanks,
Steve Hydonus

Hey Steve.

A friend on another forum shared the video. I have always enjoyed sun gazing. I thought I would put it under the "Food" category, didn't Yogananda mention people surviving off the sun? Since we were talking about green elixir and feats that would defy, "the science" I thought it would be appropriate to include the video here.

Like you I did not have time to watch the whole video, but I found it interesting so I left it up here- for reference, and can come back and watch when I have more time. I do feel that sun gazing provides nourishment on a deep level. In more ways that I can presently articulate.

Hey Mccoy,


I'm still reading and enjoying the book. There's a ton of resources. I realized Dr. Mark Hyman only consumes 4-6 oz protein total in a day. I think if more people reduced their meat consumption to this extent- the entire industry would be transformed.

I do intend on sharing more of his book here.

To Both,

I don't mind when the direction of the thread changes- creation is free flowing, unrestrictive, and much insight can be drawn from this cooperative process. I would rather enjoy that process than try to force others to strict expectations. Everything within reason, and again- I intend on sharing more of this amazing book in the weeks ahead.

Cheers!

Yes he did and said that air and sunlight would be the food of the future. When/if I find the quote again I’ll post it. I believe it was in the SRF lessons.

I would ask a vegan why they felt that way. We can be kind to chickens or cows and have them as pets. They seek the company of us and we seek their company. We can feed them as they can feed us. It is mutual reciprocity. They don’t kill us so why should we kill them?

Steve, in the deceased forum there have been heated debates between vegans and vegetarians, so heated that the vegetarians asked me to ban the vegan who insisted on his agenda. He was too much insistent and obnoxious, but his point which apparently is true is that in traditional cow farming male calves are killed because they cannot produce milk.
That happens in almost all kinds of farms unless they specialize in ahimsha farming.

In traditional farms cows are over-exploited whereas in some smaller farms they can be raised with love and care. The fate of most male calves remains grim, they are either killed or destined to be butchered eventually.

I presently drink milk, yogurt and eat dairy products.

hmmm i guess that is yet one more issue i may have to address. There is enough cruelty to humans in this world to be able to also add our evil deeds to defenseless animals as well. At one time i made my own yogurt and attempted to buy fresh milk from farmers. i do try to buy soy milk and plant butter. Often i try although prices are prohibitive. But i also eat a lot of cheese in for instance Mexican food and plant cheese wow what a bad taste. Some of these practices start with knowledge and i'm glad you have brought it to our awareness.

Summers in Michigan are a lot more conducive to a vegan diet. It may be difficult to live in Alaska or near the arctic circle and be a vegetarian, not to even mention being a vegan. I found myself eating mostly vegan while living in Southern California. Vegetables and fruits were prevalent their because of the climate. It is a bit different living in Michigan.

I have already commented on this post. I’ve decided to add something here. In many cases, we are victims of circumstance and must choose for ourselves when and how to address moral issues. To some extent all of us support evil in the world. Should we all go down as martyrs for acceptance of the evil around us? To what extent are we able to make a difference? I mean one person can have strong views about killing calf’s and another about for instance using plastic that kills fish in the ocean. Another about using gasoline that is destroying the national habitat in various parts of the world. Yet another about about climate change which is actually causing many people to live in starving conditions around the globe…. The list has no end. In the meantime most of us here at the portal are attempting to create the conditions and encouragement to have others take an interest in meditation and spiritual/psychic activities: which by the way can improve all these  conditions.

Steve, now, I must confess that this answer struck me as a masterpiece of logical reasoning and spiritual pragmatism.
Yes, as clearly stated by Yogananda, this world is not suited to perfect Aihmsa.

In regard to dairy products, I give high credit to the words of Sri Yukteswar: milk and fresh dairy products are sattvic food. Probably in the times of SY many calves were used later as oxen, maybe not so many. I believe that SY was conscious that dairy farming is not the perfect non-violent business but he, as all the lineage of SRF masters, were eminently pragmatic minds.

I'm aware of the literature against dairy products, the contention mainly is that they contain addictive opioids, that they contain hormones, that they elevate IGF-1 and more.
Many of such opinions are driven by vegan researchers.

Yet, there are articles showing that hormones from milk are degraded in the gastrointestinal tract, that yogurt and fruit decrease the mortality ratio. I personally followed a vegan diet for 1.5 years and did not find dairy products so much addictive. Besides, my IGF-1 was very low.

The fact is that dairy products, if the body tolerates lactose and casein, have a distinctive nutritional advantage, especially so in essential amino acids quality. Soy products approach such nutritional completeness, but they are often expensive and untasty.

My choice has been to eat dairy products, but in controlled amounts and preferably lowfat and nonfat varieties. I may change that but so far I feel good with that.

I drink warm or hot milk in the winter, cold yogurt in the summer. Plus greek yogurt, lowfat Feta cheese, some local lowfat cheese and mozzarella, some seasoned cheese like parmesan. Years ago I used to make my own kefir, now I've not so much time.

Hey guys, I'm actually reading the chapter on dairy now. Dr. Mark Hyman exposes the propaganda of, "big milk" industry and says it's not at all healthy... He says humans are the only species to continue consumption of milk after weaning and it comes with an awful lot of negative side effects. But rather than debate with the two of you(because it is evident not everyone will agree with the information in this book, and that everybody is given freedom to learn their body and practice what best suits their individual needs), I'm going to try and find a more proactive segment in the chapter worth sharing- it's somewhat relevant to yours and Steve's conversation.

The Environmental and Ethical Impact of Dairy

Taken from, Food: What The Heck Should I Eat? by Mark Hyman, MD

I have found that plant butter actually tastes good! I don’t know what to say after that last entry Eric, accept I think I want to move further away from anything the diary has to offer. I really do find fruit more appealing and uplifting from a spiritual view. And we could feed the whole world with vegetables if we could give up dairy. The land used for raising cows would give people much more food. The statistics and realities of this are all too evident and I’m willing to provide them if need be.

Ethically: Dr. Hyman may be right and above all, he suggests alternatives to intensive cow farming. Also, please remind that even the grass-fed animal whose meat Dr. Hyman suggests at the end are butchered, so the ethical issue is not resolved.

I do not perfectly agree with the following though:


Where is the evidence that most humans are prone to health troubles from eating dairy? Most humans of which ancestry? Japanese are surely not accustomed but Eurasian, caucasian, and northern European ancestries are very accustomed to dairy products and tolerate them very well. My body tolerates dairy products perfectly.

I agree on the last part of the sentence though: so go easy. Yes, moderation is advised and Yoga is the path of moderation.

Last but not least, dairy products are very good for vegetarians who exercise and need more protein, like myself.

Steve, plant butter is just fat, with some water.

Fruit is excellent if your body tolerates glucose well (I don't think you'll have fatty liver problems from fructose), but fruit has very little protein.

Vegetables have more protein usually but not of the quality of dairy products.

A nutritionally valid and ethic alternative to diry products would be to eat eggs, soy products, seitan (wheat protein) some beans, unrefined grains.

Thanks guys.  :)

~~~~Love & Light~~~~

So now, after being kind to animals and earth friendly you are willing to let me know what I’ve been eating is akin to whale blubber? Take a look at all those wonderful oils to lubricate my creaking limbs! Even the tin man didn’t have this formula!

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These are the secret 🤫 ingredients…

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Shhh 🤐 don’t tell anyone…I wasn’t supposed to let you know. Just for you so you can navigate the universe freely with these mystical oils.

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Steve, the ingredients label confirms my previous hypothesis that the product is just fats. Vegetable fats, of course, dairy-free, flesh-free. I will not pronounce on their spiritual qualities since I have no relevant data.

Strangely, the ingredients on the front read 'pea protein' but there is zero protein declared on the nutritional facts.

If it tastes good to you, then it's good, although it shows 5 grams of saturated fats per tablespoon, that is there is a nontrivial amount of saturated fats, the same kind prevalently contained in dairy products and in meats.

I live in the region of EVOO, so I mainly eat extra virgin olive oil as a fat, plus lots of walnuts and other nuts.

I only gave you the ingredients because I love you, otherwise I would have kept this secret 🤫 formula to myself. When you make it to the land of OZ the great wizard will give you the formula I’ve provided for you, out of the generosity of my heart. Even the Tin Man just got a symbolic gift but I’m giving you the oils to replenish your creaky bod to make you a youthful floating spirit. Is that not the purpose and fulfillment of this copious thread😄? It isn’t the oils separately that make the difference, but just the right amount mixed with an ancient recipe to rejuvenate your spirit that Ponce de Leon searched for in the Caribbean. This fountain of youth will turn men into boys once again! The alchemy will transcend the individual ingredients.

Of course the alchemy is the source of the benefit, to all three bodies, material, astral and causal. It also goes without saying that the blessings (not listed on the label) are a secret and fundamental ingredient of the alchemy. Thanks very much for this priceless formula!

I find people are more receptive when I mention Dr. Mark Hyman has 40 years of experience and list some of his credentials.

It's interesting to me, to see someone who has no understanding of the man presenting said information defend their own beliefs and challenge excerpts from the book, themselves having no professional experience in the field- compared to their reactions once they learn a little bit more about the man presenting the information.

I remember being gifted Flivver King by Upton Sinclair only to have an observer chime in with his thoughts towards Sinclair, having never read the book I was gifted. He had negative things to say despite not knowing the contents in the book.

Similarly... I remember lending Autobiography of a Yogi only to be handed the book back via mail because ones internal beliefs and attitudes told them- "this book is not for me."

Are they wrong? No, not necessarily. But I don't think people always realize how limited our views are... And how quick we are to judge another based on our preconceived notions.

About the Author

Mark Hyman, MD, believes that we all deserve a life of vitality- and that we have the potential to create it for ourselves. That's why he is dedicated to tackling the root causes of chronic disease by harnessing the power of functional medicine to transform health care. Dr. Hyman and his team work every day to empower people, organizations, and communities to heal their bodies and minds and to improve our social and economic resilience.

Dr Hyman is a practicing family physician, an eleven-time #1 New York Times bestselling author, and an internationally recognized leader, speaker, educator, and advocate in his field. He is the director of the Cleveland Clinic Center for Functional Medicine. He is also the founder and medicate director of The UltraWellness Center, chairman of the board of the Institute for Functional Medicine, and a medical editor of the Huffington Post and was a regular medical contributor on many television shows and networks, including CBS, The View, Katie, and The Dr. Oz Show.

Dr. Hyman works with individuals and organizations, as well as policy makers and influencers. He has testified before both the White House Commission on Complementary and Alternative Medicine and the Senate Working Group on Health Care Reform on Functional Medicine. He has consulted with the surgeon general on diabetes prevention and participated in the 2009 White House Forum on Prevention and Wellness. Senator Tom Harkin of Iowa nominated Dr. Hyman for the President's Advisory Group on Prevention, Health Promotion, and Integrative and Public Health. In addition, Dr. Hyman has worked with President Billy Clinton, presenting at the Clinton Foundation's Health Matters, Achieving Wellness in Every Generation conference, and the Clinton Global Initiative, as well as with the World Economic Forum on global health issues. He is the winner of the Linus Pauling Award, the Nantucket Project Aware, and the Christian Book of the Year Award for the Daniel Plan and was inducted in the Books for Better Life Hall of Fame.

Dr. Hyman also works with fellow leaders in his field to help people and communities thrive- with Rick Warren, Dr. Mehmet Oz, and Dr. Daniel Amen, he created the Daniel Plan, a faith-based initiative that helped the Saddleback Church collectively lose 250,000 pounds. He is an adviser and guest co-host on The Dr. Oz Show and is on the board of Dr. Oz's HealthCorps, which tackles the obesity epidemic by educating American students about nutrition. With Dr. Dean Ornish and Dr. Michael Roizen, Dr. Hyman crafted and helped introduce the Take Back Your Health Act of 2009 to the United Sates Senate to provide for reimbursement of lifestyle treatment of chronic disease. And with Tim Ryan in 2015, he helped introduce the ENRICH Act into Congress to fund nutrition in medical education. Dr. Hyman plays a substantial role in a major film produced by Laurie David and Katie Couric, released in 2014, called Fed Up, which addresses childhood obesity. Please join him in helping us all take back our health at www.drhyman.com or follow him on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

I understand that is why when we look at a man like this we must take into account he may not have ever read the SRF lessons written by Paramahansa Yogananda nor the Holy Science written by Sri Yukteswar, nor the teachings of Amma. All these Masters deplored the wanton murder of animals and ingesting such poisons into our bodies. But having read them and seen such people, I recognize that such people who make out to know the mechanisms of the human body and the impact of dead animals on it, remain in incredible darkness promoting ingesting such poisons in any combination with foods suitable to human consumption… with a mere 40 years of human credentials and lacking any specified spiritual awareness from the Rishi’s - who have accumulated wisdom over many life times and gained wisdom through countless contacts with spiritual experiences-and guidance of great avatars.

Thanks Steve, all valid points worth consideration. Attached is a photo of my lunch- a beautiful vegetarian meal inspired by reading this book- and inspired by friends and spiritual giants alike.


It's really good after having sit in the flavors overnight.

Brussel sprouts, northern beans, egg from a farmer who loves his chickens, dill, lemon, garlic and a little red pepper.

All organic and all local, small farm produced.

The salad is raw mix leafy greens with pumpkin seeds, apple, avocado and lemon

Yum.

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Vegetables
Excerpt taken from, Food: What The Heck Should I Eat? by Mark Hyan, MD

What we still don't know for sure,

We're just beginning to understand the role of food as medicine, and how exactly the chemicals in plants interact with our own cells and those in our microbiome. We've all been told that our genes are our destiny. But that's not entirely true. Studies show that your genes can be turned on or off by the foods you eat. This is referred to as the science of nutrigenomics. There's evidence that the plant RNA may regulate our own DNA, an extraordinary thing to contemplate. It means that there may come a time when you'll know precisely which plants you need to eat to maximize your health and protect against disease.


Seven things you need to know about vegetables

1. Eat the Rainbow
Vegetables and fruits use their colors to signal which beneficial substances they contain. Red means one thing, yellow another, purple something else. The colors attract the insects and animals that will disperse the plant's seeds; these are the same chemicals- phytonutrients- that give flowers their colors. It's the language of the plant kingdom, and we would do well to learn it because each color represents a different group of healing compounds.

Did you know that our hunter-gatherer ancestors ate more than 800 varieties of plants? That's how they got so much fiber each day. Because they foraged far and wide, they typically ate a range of wild plants of all different colors. In other words, they ate the rainbow, and you should too. Think of that next time someone hands you a plate of pale, white mashed potatoes or iceberg lettuce salad.

Our ancestors didn't have drugs or pills. They ate their medicine in the form of plants. In general, the more colors you eat when it comes to plants, the more anti-inflammatory, detoxifying, healing compounds from the phytonutrients you'll soak up. Some of these colors even work together synergistically to have a more powerful effect, which is another reason you should eat a diverse array of veggies. Though these are not "essential" like vitamins and minerals, without them you will age and die faster.


....
So what do all those colorful nutrients mean? Here's how to read the rainbow:

RED: Indicates the carotenoid lycopene in tomatoes, bell peppers, and carrots. Lycopene protects against heart disease and genetic damage that may cause cancer.

BLUE-PURPLE: Is caused by anthocyanins in eggplant, beets, red cabbage, and purple potatoes. Anthocyanins prevent blood clots, delay cell aging, and may slow Alzheimer's onset.

GREEN: Is found in the brassicas- broccoli, Brussels sprouts, bok choy, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, collards, arugula, and others- indicates phytochemicals, sulforaphane, isocyanates, and indoles, which inhibit carcinogens and boost detoxification.

PALE GREEN-WHITE: Appears in garlic, onions, leeks, and other vegetables and alliums and is caused by allicins, which have powerful anticancer, antitumor, immune-boosting, and antimicrobial properties. These vegetables also contain antioxidant flavanoids like quercetin and kaempferol.

ORANGE: Represents alpha-carotene and beta-carotene in carrots, pumpkin, acorn and winter squash, and sweet potatoes. Alpha-carotene protects against cancer and benefits skin and vision.

YELLOW-GREEN: Signals the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin, which benefits our eyes and safeguard our hearts against atherosclerosis. Vegetables in this group may not always appear yellowish to the eyes. They include spinach, collard, mustard, and turnip greens, yellow corn, pease and even avacado.


....

1) False: Salmonella contamination is a big problem with alfalfa sprouts, and they contain toxins such as canavanine, which can cause cancer.

2) False: Most potatoes are not much better than white bread. The old distinction of simple and complex carbs is pretty much useless. Fingerling or Peruvian potatoes are better than most because they have a lower glycemic index and more nutrients.

3) False: Unless you like having lethal chemicals inside your body, go organic. The one study showing no difference between organic and conventional was funded by the food and agriculture industry. Many other studies have linked organic vegetables to a decrease in negative effects from pesticides and have found that organic vegetables contain more nutrients and phytochemicals than conventional ones.

4) True: They are surprisingly short on vitamins and contain cancer causing toxins when eaten raw, as many people do in salad.

5) True: Some people react badly to nightshades (potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant). Negative effects include pain, inflammation and arthritis.

6) False: Unlike lettuce, arugula is in the cruciferous vegetable family. It is more like broccoli than lettuce and contains all sorts of nutrients like calcium and phytochemicals that help with detoxification of environmental chemicals and prevent cancer.

7) True: We should all make an effort to eat them more often. In fact the best way to get more nutrient-dense food is to eat organic foods, wild foods, or unusual plants such as purslane, dandelion greens, opr kohlrabi, for example. They are not staple foods so are less likely to be genetically altered (as long as they're not startchy either).

Get a new food fact and weekly recipe directly from my kitchen. Sign up for free at www.foodthebook.com

My opinion is that Dr. Hyman and others eminent colleagues of his (the cited Dr. Ornish has huge credentials) have a mission toward the general public, whereas the mission of the great saints is restricted to spiritual aspirants. In some aspects, the teachings overlap (for example, the benefits of plant-based foods). In other aspects, the teachings diverge (for example, meat).

By the way, Dr. Ornish suggests a low-fat plant-based, vegan cuisine, possibly with low-fat dairy products and egg whites. There are so many doctors with vast credentials, and every one of them has a nuance in his teachings, targeted to particular sets of people.

I want you to know mccoy that despite the psychic and spiritual experiences many of us have talked about having over the yrs. i find that Spirit has given you a very important tool and gift that never seems to stop reminding me as the years pass. That is an incredible gift in harmonizing people with tact and diplomacy. A recognition of what is suited and helpful for everyone.

Steve, thanks for the appreciation and I appreciate you back for being able to exhibit flexibility in your thoughts, many people cannot really deviate from their extremist attitudes.

Excerpt from the book, Food: What The Heck Should I Eat? by Dr. Mark Hyman

Good excerpt!

Dr. Mark Hyman mentions karma while discussing fruit,

Good suggestions overall, even though if we want to be perfectly moral in our food choices we should be retired because that becomes a full-time job.

I sure try and buy most produce in season, since in my family we eat boatloads of vegetables. Right now Savoy cabbage, cauliflower, and fennels, are inexpensive and satiating choices. Frozen veggies like spinach and swiss chard can also be pretty cheap and an excellent alternative to fresh produce (besides being time-saving).

Thanks Mccoy.

I don't suppose there's getting something 100% entirely correct. If that were the case we may be called Avatars with the ability to levitate and receive our nourishment from the sun alone.

So I think people are where they are, doing the best they can... And when the time comes for their next step in personal evolution, it will be apparent. Other times I find what knowledge I have acquired falls on deaf ears if I share it with someone so accustomed to their own lifestyle choices. Other times I ignore the wisdom of moral and healthy eating to satisfy base cravings, and I too don't always "hear" what someone has to say.

All in God timing.

Fortunately, our loving Father is so patient. My Beloved God.

Imagine my surprise that I stumbled across an excerpt in this book confirming what Alex Jones has been warning the public about for over a decade now.

The fabled, "they're turning the frogs gay!" meme which has been terribly taken out of context originated from Alex Jones warning the public about atrazine and other harmful substances.

Taken from, Food: What The Heck Should I Eat - Grains
~Dr. Mark Hyman

Good to hear Eric maybe Alex is helping us turn a lot of our population gay as well so we can slow population growth! An admirable message!

Steve, this is your second attempt at voicing your sarcasm and I can't help but think it's because you are fishing for a response. The reason I have chosen to ignore you the first time is because I consider it unproductive and a go nowhere or get angry at the other kind of conversation. I don't appreciate your sarcasm even though you really do believe what you are saying, genital malformity and the toxicity of atrazine is no laughing matter.

Please see this thread you've created,

http://spiritualportal.net/index.php/topic,8131.msg39900.html#msg39900

An excerpt of your words,


I don't find your replies cute or funny, and I don't believe you somehow have a more correct view of the world than me. Please don't limit me to your views either. Thanks.

Eric your statement above brought a reverie to me. I don’t remember when or how I made that statement you quoted so I cannot respond to it. I will say this; I do find tremendous irony ( no sarcasm intended ) with Alex Jones commentary. And actually I am dead serious. Short of killing our brothers and sisters, influencing them to become gay to curb population explosion is a great idea. What ever it takes to have less cars on the road and enjoy nature without prosecution from private ownership of most nature lovers treasures.

I disagree, and you can click the link I've provided if it jars your memory. According to the records you made that post 10-12-2022.

I don't think spreading HIV and disrupting the endocrine system is a great idea *at all.* Essentially you're promoting disease- physiological and psychological. Things like mass shootings, suicide, murder, fear, anger- compulsory behaviors. Of course we've created drugs with the promise of fixing these "issues" when most of these issues could be addressed by better understanding the laws of nature, organic practices and consuming whole and nutritious foods. Meditation is a big help too but the west is more likely to prescribe xanax and ADHD medication.

Intentionally sabotaging peoples biology and food supply in the name of population control is quite nefarious- not something to be celebrated. I don't know why, as an adult, I'd need to tell you that.

Wow 😮 I only said that Alex Jones making fogs gay or for that humans as well…. Would bring a reduction in humans multiplying as rats. The most invasive of species. I never promoted the methods you spoke of in your last post. That’s your idea, not mine.

Then, it is clear you don't know what you mean or what you support when you say turning people gay in the name of population control sounds like a great idea. We were talking about toxic chemicals disrupting a persons biology.

I'm going to steer the conversation just a little bit- I saw you posted something with all kinds of seed oils and thought I'd provide a little insight as presented by Dr. Mark Hyman on the subject of Omega 3's and Omega 6's.


As Mark Hyman says, the bottom line is we absolutely need polyunsaturated fats- both omega-3 and omega-6. But we should get them from whole foods and whole plant foods.

On a separate note, palm oil is one of the largest cause of deforestation, disrupting ecosystems and have violated human rights- even threatening the orangutans.

In his summing it up chapter,

He goes on to say anything with the word hydrogenated is poison...

You and I don’t have to agree on everything. Yet we both can bring our views to the table. First of all I do believe that over crowded environments result in a lot of tense situations. That tension does result in eventual health problems. Secondly Eric you are talking to someone who has avoided lard for his whole adult life. You are talking about toxic chemicals in food and I’m talking about toxic food and toxic environments affecting our food and biology.  I love Spanish food but I had to learn some Spanish to avoid lard in Mexican refried beans. ¿Tus frijoles refritos tienen manteca de cerdo? ( Do your refried beans have lard in them? ) Paramahansa Yogananda has stated many times that  pork and pig products as the worst for spiritual development among foods. And lard is Pork fat.

So in view of your comment about me and this subject I will say this now …. You are my brother and friend but only because you made the comment that I ‘do not know what I mean or what I support.’ I will now respond to your assertion. Some people you follow do not know what they mean or support. Fair enough? Lastly you put up some words I presumably said in the 2022. I find those words non offensive and innocuous. So I’m not sure what your intent was in quoting them.

Your quote from the last post

In his summing it up chapter,

Quote
...We've been conditioned to believe that unsaturated fats from vegetable and seed oils are best, and that butter, coconut oil, lard, ghee, and other saturated fats are toxic. But in fact, the reverse is true. Focus on eating the fats and oils that our ancestors ate, and banish the insutrtially produced, highly processed ones from our kitchen.

Fair enough, but if you want to be in mutual understanding or completely fair then it might be better to add the original context to my assertion-
"Then it is clear you don't know what you mean or what you support when you say turning people gay in the name of population control sounds like a great idea."

And we can also say that, relative to the wisdom relayed to us by Yogananda with regards to an initiates or devotees spiritual path that Dr. Mark Hymans advice on nutrition is not compatible. 

In fact I believe lard is quite nutritious and does well as a cooking agent whose contents can withstand temperatures that turn some seed oils toxic.

Even Gurunath, a supposed Kriya Master, told the meat eaters in his satsang that they should not abstain from meat. He simply said to eat it sparingly and to include plenty of greens.

What is more important are the mindful practices we cultivate, whatever the path we choose. With regards to nutrition, I mean to say that choosing grass-fed and pasture raised meat, supporting local small farms and organic practices have a far better impact than eating mass slaughtered, highly processed animal products where animals are treated poorly and fed an obscene diet. I say this as my opinion, and hope to apply this practice not just with what I eat but how I approach others who think differently than me.

I don't think I'm barred from Gods grace or spiritual progress by choosing a diet or lifestyle that works for me.


Separately- you asked why I quoted something you posted from 2022.

The intent, with quoting your words, was to prove your point. That many concessions take place in getting along with people. I agree. It was a pleasant surprise to see you had at one point felt something similar here:

http://spiritualportal.net/index.php/topic,8131.msg39900.html#msg39900

We can carry that conversation on, but I would hope by now the point has been made.

It does sound like a great idea. Why? Because the irony of the situation is that Alex Jones most likely didn’t mean it as beneficial. But slowing our invasive species from reproducing at current levels is most likely the best thing that could happen to our environment, our health and our safety to our planet.

We can chat further about Zelensky at a thread appropriate for it. Sufficient onto today are the troubles thereof.

You've made untrue claims about me and I've done my best to dispel your presumptions or poor humor(whichever it is).

I don't understand what irony you think there is. Alex Jones warned the public that atrazine is an endocrine disruptor. It wasn't a conspiracy theory and many of his claims are taken out of context to sound absurd. Aside from being a news reporter, he is an entertainer too. But we were talking specifically about a toxic chemical and somehow you think that turning people gay is a great idea. On top of that, you are saying you would advocate for this concept as a means to control the population. It is not a great idea, you are talking about supporting the spread of disease and nefarious practices(like interfering with another persons biology) for the sake of population control. I consider it shallow thinking at best and evil at worse. I don't think it's necessary to continue on with this conversation.

Okay Steve you think genocide is a great idea, I don't think it is *AT ALL.* This is one of those fundamental roadblocks we hit every so often. I pray for our continued peace.

Yea Eric, and all this because of gay frogs. We can thank Alex for such a generous contribution to our conversation.

The citations regarding atrazine:

28. Hayes TB, Khoury V, Narayan A, et al. Atrazine induces complete feminzation and chemical castration in male African clawed frogs (Xenopause laevis). Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 2010 Mar 9; 107(10): 4612-17. Sass JB, Colangelo A. European Union bans atrazine, while the United States negotiates continued use. International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health 2006 Jul-Sep; 12(3):260-67.

and

29. Agopian AJ, Lup PJ, Canfield MA, et al. Case-control study of maternal residential atrazine exposure and male genital malformations. Am J Med Genet A 2013 May;161A(5):977-82

Moral of the story here is to be mindful of the corn you are eating.

Oh yeah, and ...
(https://ascensionnotes.org/images/BeWrobg.jpg)

My motto would be; it’s better to stop arguing and let each person resolve their own differences. Life is not always a matter of right and wrong 😑 Especially when we recognize that opinions themselves are under the influence of duality and can eventually be subjected to the other side of the pendulum. Until we rise above the paradoxes of material existence and see all views as part of a fabric that the creator has manifested we are likely to miss some important points that we may have to live out to empathize with all views.

After all, is it right to be wrong against someone else? And is it wrong to be right and supportive with another human being?

AFAIK, frogs can naturally change sex, an aspect which is not present in humans. So, although I agree that atrazine pollution should be avoided, the effect is not necessarily the same in frogs and humans.

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/frogs-reverse-sex-more-often-than-thought

Healthy frogs can mysteriously reverse their sex
Frogs have been shown to reverse their sex in polluted suburban ponds. Now, the same has been shown to happen in more pristine forests.

BYDOUGLAS MAIN
PUBLISHED MARCH 21, 2019
• 7 MIN READ

What determines whether an animal becomes male or female? For frogs, sex is much more complicated than we thought.

For some creatures, like reptiles and fish, sex can be heavily influenced by the environment. Sea turtles that grow up in warmer sand are more likely to become female, for example. Mammals, however, are much more bound to genetics: If you’re genotypically male in the womb, you’re likely to develop outwardly as such.

Amphibians such as frogs lay somewhere in the middle. They’re mainly influenced by genetics, but the environment also plays a role. In the laboratory, certain pollutants like synthetic estrogens and herbicides have been shown to induce genetically male frogs to develop outwardly as females.

Research has also begun to suggest this happens in the wild. In 2014, a paper in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that pollution-laden runoff into suburban ponds in the U.S. might be turning larval male amphibians into females. (Related: 99 percent of these sea turtles are turning female—here’s why.)

However, continuing work by the same research group shows that sex reversal is also taking place in more pristine forest ponds—suggesting it’s also a natural phenomenon, at least in this species.

A study published in February in the journal PeerJ found sex-reversed frogs in the majority of water bodies studied. It also found no relationship between the degree to which the area around ponds was developed by humans and the proportion of sex-reversed animals.

“This isn’t just a story about pollution–instead, it suggests that frogs can adjust their sexual destiny to local circumstances,” which may include variations in temperature or some other environmental variable, says Rick Shine, a researcher at Macquarie University and the University of Sydney, both in Australia.

“That sounds ridiculously sophisticated for a simple frog, but recent studies have documented exactly the same sophistication in a few lizard species” and other animals, says Shine, who wasn’t involved in the paper.

"The herbicide atrazine is one of the most commonly applied pesticides in the world. As a result, atrazine is the most commonly detected pesticide contaminant of ground, surface, and drinking water. Atrazine is also a potent endocrine disruptor that is active at low, ecologically relevant concentrations. Previous studies showed that atrazine adversely affects amphibian larval development. The present study demonstrates the reproductive consequences of atrazine exposure in adult amphibians. Atrazine-exposed males were both demasculinized (chemically castrated) and completely feminized as adults. Ten percent of the exposed genetic males developed into functional females that copulated with unexposed males and produced viable eggs. Atrazine-exposed males suffered from depressed testosterone, decreased breeding gland size, demasculinized/feminized laryngeal development, suppressed mating behavior, reduced spermatogenesis, and decreased fertility. These data are consistent with effects of atrazine observed in other vertebrate classes. The present findings exemplify the role that atrazine and other endocrine-disrupting pesticides likely play in global amphibian declines."
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/41656838_Atrazine_induces_complete_feminization_and_chemical_castration_in_male_African_clawed_frogs_Xenopus_Laevis


Effects on humans:
"Exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals has been associated with risk for male genital malformations. However, residential prenatal exposure to atrazine, an endocrine disrupting pesticide, has not been evaluated. We obtained data from the Texas Birth Defects Registry for 16,433 cases with isolated male genital malformations and randomly selected, population-based controls delivered during 1999-2008. County-level estimates of atrazine exposure from the United States Geological Survey were linked to all subjects. We evaluated the relationship between estimated maternal residential atrazine exposure and risk for male genital malformations in offspring. Separate unconditional logistic regression analyses were conducted for hypospadias, cryptorchidism, and small penis. We observed modest, but consistent, associations between medium-low and/or medium levels of estimated periconceptional maternal residential atrazine exposure and every male genital malformation category evaluated (e.g., adjusted odds ratio for medium compared to low atrazine levels and all male genital malformations: 1.2, 95% confidence interval: 1.1-1.3). Previous literature from animal and epidemiological studies supports our findings. Our results provide further evidence of a suspected teratogenic role of atrazine."
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23494929/

Thanks mccoy I wonder? Since nature itself shows cases of changing sex if it is a natural phenomena; that shouldn’t be considered morality corrupt. I found this observation you made quite fascinating;

“However, continuing work by the same research group shows that sex reversal is also taking place in more pristine forest ponds—suggesting it’s also a natural phenomenon, at least in this species.”

If this is the case shouldn’t we justifiably extrapolate that humans-endowed by the added attributes that other living creatures do not have of free choice-may also have the potential to change their sex to suit environmental factors or their own preferences? Especially since I know someone who had both female and male biological bodily parts and was asked what was it’s preference.

Mmmm...., I don't think we can justifiably extrapolate from amphibians to human beings. Those frogs change sex according to external stimuli which are governed by species survival.
Also, from our standpoint, sex has been karmically assigned and our biology does not allow natural changes, so it can be argued that wanting to change sex artificially means refusing to accept karma and we know well that this is a recipe for an unhappy life and future reincarnations where the same issue arises again.
The special case of a human with both male and female attributes is so rare that I wonder what's the karmic reason and requirement, that is, what is the androgynous person expected to do. By whom the person you know was asked about the preferences? Was the preference about the official sex and name?

Time for a little nutrition Satsang with Dr. Mark Hyman!

Nuts are also highly recommended in the SRF lessons, I'm a huge fan of all nuts and seeds. Lectins are an old fear of the paleo community and they overstress their danger. Raw nuts are fine for most people unless it is exceeded the right amount (when much younger, sometimes I would eat one pound of almonds plus handfuls of raisins and then feel bloated for a few hours).

Things to keep out of your food:
~ Mark Hyman

I agree with most of the above points, but not all.

I'm afraid I have to disagree with eating only the food our grand or grand-grandmothers ate and with not eating zero-carb sweeteners.

Technology moves ahead even in the food industry and not everything new must be seen as detrimental, although most industrial products sure are deleterious as Mark Hyman says.

First; of course I’m going to add all kind of meats and bottom feeding fish. However you already know that so let me ask some other questions. Thanks Eric since you work at a store selling food I don’t know if you have the answers to this, but if you do let us know OK below;


First #3 what’s wrong with soybean oil?
#4 what’s deleterious about corn syrup?

You might enjoy listening to this 9 minute clip,
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/why-you-should-avoid-vegetable-oils/id1382804627?i=1000456271039

Description: Many of us grew up believing that vegetable oils were good and butter was bad. We were told, even by government and medical associations, to use more vegetable, seed and bean oils (like soybean, corn, safflower, canola). Now we know this advice was completely wrong. In this mini-episode, Dr. Hyman explores the origin story of how Americans began embracing vegetable oil with his guest, Nina Teicholz, and we consider what the best oils actually are.

Nina Teicholz is an investigative science journalist and author. Her international bestseller, “The Big Fat Surprise,” has upended the conventional wisdom on dietary fat–especially saturated fat. It was named a 2014 *Best Book* by The Economist, the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Mother Jones, and Library Journal. Teicholz is also the Executive Director of The Nutrition Coalition, a non-profit group that promotes evidence-based nutrition policy.

Find Dr. Hyman’s full-length conversation with Nina Teicholz:

https://drmarkhyman.lnk.to/NinaTeicholz


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

And an excerpt:

https://drhyman.com/blog/2016/01/29/why-oil-is-bad-for-you/

Eric, pls allow me to say that all the above has to be taken with a huge barrel of salt and is part of the present-day craze on butter, animal fats and the carnivore diet.
Nina Teicholz wrote a book that humors the anti-establishment views of many Americans who like to eat their beef steak, their butter-laden donuts and so on.
The fact that the book is anti-establishment and that went on the first page of the New York Times does not necessarily mean that it tells the truth.

As a matter of fact, I've been following those discussions, I've listened to luminaries on various credible podcasts and there is no evidence that beef and butter are not a cause of atherosclerosis, conducive to heart and brain disease and sometimes to death. Simple chemistry is undeniable, beef, butter, wholefat cheese, contain elevated amounts of saturated fats that boost the production of cholesterol, especially ApoB particles, which according to all lipidologists is the cause of atherosclerosis, if present in high concentrations in the blood.

The beef industry and the dairy industry hire some of the best marketers in the world. They know how to manipulate people and how to take advantage of and support narratives favorable to their sales.

To answer to Steve:

What's bad in soybean oil? Nothing in particular, except the excess of it which is used in some of the junk food products.

What's bad in corn syrup? Here, I would say it's not something to indulge in. It's a concentration of sugars and fructose, whose excess, in overweight people, may cause fatty liver disease. If you are lean and have a good glucose tolerance, then it won't harm you much. But please check your fasting blood glucose (also HbA1C and blood glucose 2 hours after a meal with carbohydrates).

I respect that mccoy.

I continue to follow Mark Hymans advice and treat it as special because it really helped me during a time where I was mysteriously hospitalized and decided to take control of it. "Wellness Arrow" being a personal message from God.

I also agree that not all modern medicine need to be vilified- there are wonders of modern medicine to be grateful for! Just like, technology doesn't need to be scary. The fear comes from those who would exploit, damn the consequences- or worse, develop with nefarious intent. I don't feel afraid when I have proper knowledge and can see for my self. Even in the midst of malpractice. Which is why I believe this expression to be most true- it comes down to individual choice. I choose for the most part, naturopathy. Both naturopathy and allopathy are valid- and each comes with its lessons. Which is a big part of the life experience, "what its all about." Some find themselves dabbling in a little bit of both.

I kind of believe that maybe even the mRNA technology has a potential for good. It definitely needs more time though. I also believe in free energy and think technology to utilize that will be commonplace in the "golden age" that awaits us.

With regards to Mark Hyman, he is a literal life saver. It's been a game changer for me- and I no longer have to go from Dr. to Dr. following the dictates of what the insurances regulate or feel handcuffed financially and mentally to a mysterious ailment.

Let food be your medicine.

I believe in that, and the results speak for themselves. My thoughts towards your thoughts: your reasoning and temperament are balanced and justified. To each their own.

from Mark Hyman,

Food Is Medicine: Doctors Can Prescribe Food For Chronic Disease

"Our diets are the main driver of the chronic disease epidemic we are experiencing today. But food is also the most powerful medicine available to heal chronic diseases. The food we eat literally serves as information, instructions, or code that controls almost every function of the body—including our hormones, appetite, brain chemistry, immune system, gene expression, and even the microbiome.

Today on The Doctor’s Farmacy, I’m excited to talk to Mark Walker about incorporating food as medicine into the healthcare system, how we can prescribe food as physicians, and what it will mean for our nation's health and economy."
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/food-is-medicine-how-doctors-can-prescribe-food-for/id1382804627?i=1000625321167&_kx=pFwwfXPtKX0cBJezNHOAZtR3SqXVG0GOkxjGI2eUQsLS-vQsTB77BJsRj8ahxigO.HKMsXE

Eric, if you have felt better after following Hyman's suggestions, then you should keep following him, after all, he preaches moderation and is not a supporter of the carnivorous diet.

I just disagree with some of his more extreme stances, like for example eliminating all dairy products, indiscriminately. It is not what we ate in most of our evolution, but it is a mutation that might have been advantageous, and sure is advantageous to those who are not wealthy and need to avoid malnutrition (low cost and high nutritional value of dairy products).

Let me know if you're interested in what he has to say about pesticides or GMO's. Here is the section on additives.

There's one more additive which is a chemical used in yoga mats and can be found in the bread sold at Subway. Will come back later, unless you research it and find it before me. = )

They used to have their whole wheat subs - when other places weren’t available…. More United Clone businesses than you can count - now they are infiltrated with white flour. I avoid the place if possible. Corporate sandwiches put independent sub shops out of business…. But I bought sandwiches at independently owned places till they didn’t exist.

The additive is called Azodicarbonamide.