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How Simple Can Simple Be?


A picture of an image with the word " sprout ".

Experimenting with an eating plan to see if I can hear the body better from a point of basics and then add different food types to see what effects they have for me personally.  It isn’t always that one’s life slows down and simplifies enough to indulge in the simplicity of eating as well.  For now, I am eating fruits, vegetables, nuts, yogurt, olive oil, rice, oatmeal, and drinking one or two cups of tea/coffee a day.  I feel great and exercising twice a day has worked well so far.

There were a couple of days of eating outside my box and it included white flour, processed food, and cheese.  For the average American, no big deal right–and it wasn’t even scary stuff.  I did notice that it felt like a lump living inside whereas I normally don’t notice my intestinal tract.  I recognized the feeling even though it wasn’t a big deal, but in comparison to the current simplified state, I wouldn’t want to go back to it on a regular basis.   It was nice to know that my body was adaptable and could adjust.

The Indian food where I currently live has a lot of chiles and spices, so I eat with the group at the ashram when one particular cook makes food who tones all of that down.  Every now and then I dip into it and enjoy the flavors, but my digestion doesn’t love the spices.  A friend suggested drinking fresh squeezed lemon water, so that has been an antidote of sorts.

It isn’t surprising that eating simply adds to wellness, but it is surprising that it takes some effort to support the practice.  So much of what is available is prepackaged,  white-flour based, preservatives, and not fresh.  When I return to the US, I plan to keep it as my baseline and add salad.  A lot of the shift is a change in mindset:  enjoying the taste of basic foods and enjoying the feel of basic foods inside of the body.  It took me almost 3 months to detox to this baseline.  Getting to know your personal needs and what works well for you individually is the key.

Robin Quivers: Nutty for Nutrition
By Robin Quivers
Like a lot of people, I used to think I was incapable of doing anything about the way I felt everyday. Now that I know how much changing what you eat can transform your life, I can’t stop proselytizing.
Health on The Huffington Post – http://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/health

Nutty for Nutrition

I’m nutty for nutrition. I’ve become one of those people who can’t stop talking about the connection between food and health. Like a lot of people, I used to think I was incapable of doing anything about the way I felt everyday. Now that I know how much changing what you eat can transform your life, I can’t stop proselytizing.

Yes, I went through something and I now think everyone should benefit from my journey. That’s true, but it’s hard not to speak out when I feel so good and I’m getting so much more out of life. Is that such a bad thing to want to share?

It’s like a religious conversion. I see and hear things now that would have gone unnoticed before. For example, I was riding with a friend in LA who’s Muslim. He was observing Ramadan by abstaining from all food during the daylight hours, of course, but also restricting his eating at sundown to juices and raw fruits and vegetables. He said he felt great and his joint pain had subsided. “But”, I asked him, “I bet you can’t wait to get back to eating the way you normally do, can you?” His reply: “No, I can’t.”

Even when people have proof that something about the way they eat is affecting them adversely, they have trouble making the leap to changing their eating habits. So it becomes almost impossible to convince people who haven’t even perceived that there is a problem to change the way they eat. But the truth is that we have all been lulled into accepting a much lower level of health and well being than we could achieve. I even think a case could be made that the effects of a poor diet are much worse than just not experiencing as much energy and vitality as possible.

But there’s the rub. What constitutes a poor diet? What is a healthy diet? People tell me they eat healthy. Of course they always say “most of the time” right afterwards. But they’re also always complaining about some chronic condition they suffer from as well. “I have migraines”, “I suffer from allergies”, “I have acid reflux”, “I’m taking something for my arthritis”. And of course there’s the ever popular “I’m tired”.

Watching TV you get the impression these conditions are normal because there are ads for medication or supplements to combat each one. Yes, even “tired” has a cure. Everyone knows you’re going to need a boost after lunch so get your caffeine supplement here. But what if it were possible not to experience any of this? What would life be like if you just woke up feeling good, had lots of energy and never noticed a slowdown unless it was caused by incredible exertion? Would that be a life worth living?

I propose that with proper nutrition — not government suggested daily requirements — you could have that kind of life. I wonder why it’s such a secret, and I wonder why more people aren’t looking for it. Having made the journey from one to the other, I know it’s possible, and I can’t stop telling people it exists.

A picture of an image with the word " sprout ".

Selfseeds Nutrition

 

2 Comments

  1. Mary on November 13, 2012 at 3:47 pm

    Sue, this is a great post. I have also found that certain foods have amazing affects on the body. I used to have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, low energy, allergy attacks, shortness of breath and joint pain. Using the right foods I have been off all medication for over a year now. The staples include non-processed, fresh broccoli, oats, nuts, arugula (and other green leafy veggies), onion, garlic, orange/red fruits, brown rice, cardamon spice and organic chicken. I also noticed that things with white flour, cheese, high salt, high sugar and processed foods in general seem to interfere more than nurish.



    • seoff on November 14, 2012 at 3:34 am

      Wow, amazing living proof! Thank you for the share! Sue