fresh Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> because we are not In nature anymore, we are
> outside of Nature, for the most part.
> therein lies the rub. imo.


hehe that i agree with ...we are all so bombarded by outside factors... stresses at home .. toxins at work ...chasing the allmighty $$$ to pay bills and on an on an on... and everyone im sure has different things affecting their daily lives bombarding them

a perfect diet is a peice of the puzzle not the whole puzzle but a peice theres so many other things that need work .. (well in my life anyways lol) to complete the puzzle that will bring as close to that 100% feeling goooooooood

...Jodi, the banana eating buddhist

I see what you are saying fresh, but I'd have to disagree (I bet that suprises you!) Our bodies can not but be "in nature". We can be, and probably are, disconnected from nature on a psychospiritual level, but our bodies are intricately bound to Mother, whether we are aware of it or not.

There are many who ignore Her, but they can not escape the consequences of this, which brings us back to the point of our endeavors: to get back to eating the way Nature intended.

However, as Jgunn brought out, conditions are far from favorable. There are many "natural" instincts and impulses which nevertheless must be negotiated with "the way things are". We do not copulate on the streets, tho many a man and woman walks horny down them. We must use reason to negotiate our natures with Nature and with conditions as they are.

Balance is key and I'm not seeing a great deal of that here, no offense to anyone. 100% raw, when not 100% successful, tends to result in "relapses" of SAD, rather than consciously chosen bowls of brown rice and lightly steamed veggies. Extremes render extremes in the opposite direction, it's referred to in psychological parlance as "enantiodromia". It is the danger and inevitable result of imbalance on any level.

I'm not trying to discredit the practice of eating all raw food. I'm intending to do that very thing myself today. But I have concerns and questions and doubts which I can not deny and I appreciate the patience of the forum.

khale

khale Wrote:
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> For a way of eating reputed to be quintessentially
> "natural" it sure engenders an enormous amount of
> conflict and struggle. Any have insight as to why
> that is?
>
> One would think that this would be the easiest
> "diet" there is. Fruits, vegetables, nuts and
> seeds. What's so hard about that? Where is the
> complication? Where the conflict? Where the rub?
>
> Why, if this is the most natural diet a human
> being can eat, are people getting sick,
> conflicted, depressed and defensive? Are our
> instincts that messed up that "the most natural
> diet in the world" would cause this degree of
> difficulty?
>
> Wouldn't "the most natural diet available to man"
> be natural, graceful, and effortless to do?
> Certainly struggles with habit, societal
> pressures, and re-structuring of the daily round
> can be expected with any change in lifestyle, but
> shouldn't the body itself feel itself at home at
> last?
>
> I'm confused.
>
> khale
Good questions, khale and some excellent points!!

I'm interested in finding a way of eating that is as natural as possible and works for me. That is not easy to accomplish in a world where most of our neighbors are barbequeing slabs of beef and drinking beer. This is why I sought out a little support.

Keeping one's perspective and primary goal in mind is essential. Mine is for improved health and well-being all around. I'm pretty sure if everyone kept this perspective there would be far less conflict. Problem is not everyone has the same primary goal.
I'm not interested in arguing or making sure I'm always right and I'm certainly not here to point out how very wrong someone else is. I'll leave that to those who are into it. I seek a more peaceful path.

khale Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I see what you are saying fresh, but I'd have to
> disagree (I bet that suprises you!) Our bodies can
> not but be "in nature". We can be, and probably
> are, disconnected from nature on a psychospiritual
> level, but our bodies are intricately bound to
> Mother, whether we are aware of it or not.
>

yes.
to be more explicit, what i meant is that we live in homes in cities.
we do not forage.
we do not get proper movement.
we do not need to spend time concerned about predators
we have too many social and trivial aspects of life to worry about, and too much free time.
etc.

so i'm thinking we're doing quite well under these conditions actually.

i know we've all heard this, but i drove past a sign today
that said

"those who think they can and those that think they can't are both right"

but i do understand your concerns and issues.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/29/2007 04:39PM by fresh.

khale Wrote:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wouldn't "the most natural diet available to man"
> be natural, graceful, and effortless to do?
> Certainly struggles with habit, societal
> pressures, and re-structuring of the daily round
> can be expected with any change in lifestyle, but
> shouldn't the body itself feel itself at home at
> last?

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I think the answer to the above question is yes. In my experience it's not the body that's the problem but the mind. From birth, most of us have learned to eat for all the wrong reasons instead of just to feed our body. I find myself wanting to eat to escape from feeling my emotions and dealing with them or because I'm bored or at the wrong time, when I'm not able to pay proper attention to what and how I'm eating because I'm doing something else at the same time, like driving or sitting at the computer. On the rare days when I manage to eat completely right, when I only eat when I'm truly hungry and take the time to concentrate on eating, when I mono eat, when I don't eat salt or condiments or spices which confuse my tastebuds or too much fat, on those days I can really feel my body feeling itself at home at last. The only reason I don't manage to do this every day is because my mind gets in the way.

francis

well, if any ones' mind gets in the way, it would be my mind frannie. kicking against the pricks is just what I do, although I know its silly and most often futile. I just "yes, but" everything to death. Thankfully, I usually succeed in a very strong, viral, and passionate resurrection.

thanks for the words of wisdom,

khale

Haha khale that confirms the impression I had about you
I enjoy reading your posts and interacting with you on this board. We need people like you who "yes,but" everything in an intelligent way and keeps us all on our toes and re-examening our beliefs.

francis



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/30/2007 10:34PM by Frannie.

Ah, the presence of 'yes, buts'

KUDOS!