Howdy, Stranger!

It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!

Sign In Register
Examples: Monday, today, last week, Mar 26, 3/26/04
Welcome home! Please contact lincoln@icrontic.com if you have any difficulty logging in or using the site. New registrations must be manually approved which may take several days. Can't log in? Try clearing your browser's cookies.

This may be a dumb question..

YogaMamaYogaMama
edited July 2005 in General Banter
Excuse my dumb questions, but I am brand new! Is there a specific diet that Buddhists follow, or do you just eat "healthy"??

Thanks!

Kim

Comments

  • comicallyinsanecomicallyinsane Veteran
    edited June 2005
    For one thing. Never apologize for asking questions. Your questions are not dumb and niether are you. A lot of Buddhists don't eat meat. A lot do. It's a very middle way philosophy. I gues that's why it's called the "Middle Way". LOL
  • BrianBrian Detroit, MI Moderator
    edited June 2005
    There's no such thing as a buddhist diet, since buddhists come from a wide variety of cultures and backgrounds. Indian buddhists are more likely to be vegetarians, for example. Japanese Buddhists probably eat a lot of seafood and rice. I am an american buddhist who came from a part polish, part "hillbilly" background, so I eat a lot of polish food and southern food! :D

    Buddhism is truly a global path. Depending on what "group" of buddhists you find yourself associating with, you will find the diet to be whatever country or culture those people generally came from.
  • GotPocky55GotPocky55
    edited June 2005
    It's ok that you thought there was a diet. I've read that you can't harm animals which gives you the impression that you can't eat meat. Like Brain said, it depends on where you are in the world. I am a vegitarian but I have been one for about 2 years now and I have only resently considered becoming a Buddhist. hehe New People UNITE!! lol :bigclap: :D
  • AdianaAdiana
    edited June 2005
    YogaMama wrote:
    Excuse my dumb questions, but I am brand new! Is there a specific diet that Buddhists follow, or do you just eat "healthy"??

    Thanks!

    Kim

    Hi Kim!

    Welcome to the site and don't apologize for asking questions. In my opinion, the only dumb question is the one you don't ask! LOL! As I am relatively new myself, I don't think that there is a specific diet that Buddhists follow. I know that I eat pretty much what I want to except for right now since I am trying to lose weight! LOL! Anyway, welcome and I look forward to getting to know you.

    Adiana :):):lol::lol:
  • YogaMamaYogaMama
    edited June 2005
    Thanks everyone. Everyone here is so helpful and nice - it's nice to find a forum like this. Thanks for the replies...I am sure I will have many more questions coming!

    Kim
  • federicafederica Seeker of the clear blue sky... Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubt Moderator
    edited June 2005
    hello Yogamama, and welcome! Too right! There are NO dumb questions here apart from.... "ooooh! what happens if I pull this pin out....?"

    With regard to going ON a diet, I remember a very good bit of advice:


    Eat whatever you like, whenever you like.

    Just don't swallow it.

    Hang cool and enjoy. BY the way, I think I'm right in saying (though doubtless someone will contradict me..... Elohim....) I am the only one with enough screws loose to rattle. ;):)
  • JasonJason God Emperor Arrakis Moderator
    edited June 2005
    ....................Fede..........I got my eye on you.


    ;)
  • SimonthepilgrimSimonthepilgrim Veteran
    edited June 2005
    Hello, YogaMama, good to meet you!

    One of my Tibetan teachers used to suggest that, if we are concerned about the way in which animals are slaughtered for our food, we should try to buy "kosher" or "halal" meat where the conditions of slaughter are governed by anti-cruelty rules. In the UK, the RSPCA (Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) also licence and brand "Freedom Foods".

    The real point is that, as Buddhists, we can practise mindful shopping as usefully as mindful breathing!
  • YogaMamaYogaMama
    edited June 2005
    Good morning everyone,

    I am already vegetarian, so I am not concerned with purchasing the right meats, although my husband and daughter do eat chicken, and the only kind we buy is organic, free range chicken, so at least they are treated nicely before being slaughtered! LOL. Thanks for all the info...I just wasn't sure if Buddhists followed any specific diet. We are really healthy to begin with anyways, so I am always interested in nutrition.

    Kim
  • JasonJason God Emperor Arrakis Moderator
    edited June 2005
    You know I wish there was bigger market for free range products. I live in Santa Cruz where it is very popular, and I agree that if I am going to eat meat, eggsand dairy products it should be from places that do not torture the poor animals, but it is so expernsive. I have a part time job and I cannot afford to aways get the meats, eggs, and milk that are free range. Sometimes I have to buy the cheaper stuff. It would be nice if more people were interested so that the prices would go down.
  • YogaMamaYogaMama
    edited June 2005
    I can't tell you how often my husband and I complain about how much more expensive it is to eat healthy, than it is to just eat junk food. Our daughter gets the best food - all organic, etc. We tried to buy all organic for the whole family, but it is terribly expensive. Luckily, we have an Organic Farmer's Market near our house and a lady that sells there brings chicken and eggs every weekend. And she is much cheaper than the food at the health food store we go to. Have you looked for any organic farmer's markets in your area? They are a wonderful thing!! My husband and I have also started our own organic garden and are so excited to get that going even more. I told him that we can only have chickens if he promises not to eat them! LOL. I would get too attached to them and want to keep them as pets!
  • comicallyinsanecomicallyinsane Veteran
    edited June 2005
    There are no organic markets here in my area. A diabetic guy at work has been looking for a place around for years and has not had any success.
  • BrianBrian Detroit, MI Moderator
    edited June 2005
    I was just complaining about this yesterday. I bought a case of those little Ramen "lunch-in-a-cup" things- super cheap, like $.75 a day to eat lunch at work.

    However, I was reading the ingredients last night. It's all processed hydrogenated unhealthy garbage. Why is it that eating cheap means eating crap that will kill you?

    I can't afford to eat a healthy organic lunch every day. Much less for the other two meals, and much less for my family of four :(
  • comicallyinsanecomicallyinsane Veteran
    edited June 2005
    You just need to plant a bunch of stuff out back and then buy the noodles and make the cups yourself. LOL
  • JasonJason God Emperor Arrakis Moderator
    edited June 2005
    There is a Farmers Market once a week, althought they don't have any meats and the egg lady comes every other week. I will be honest.....I can't cook. It's hard to buy things especially when I don't know what to do with them! Why is it that a hundred years ago you could get this stuff anywhere, and cheap, whereas now you have to travel all over to find somewhere that sells it for twice the price of the processed crap we eat that's not even really food?!? I sympathize wth you Brian. It brings a tear to my eye thinking about you eatting cup-o-ramen for lunch. :.(.
  • YogaMamaYogaMama
    edited June 2005
    Step away from the ramen noodles!!!! :) That's why my hubby and I started our own garden...not sure what we are going to do when winter arrives though! Have any of you tried an Ayurveda diet? They give great, really healthy recipes and the ingriedients are almost always cheap. Things like mung beans, rice, tofu, and veggies. Although, if you are not vegetarian, or don't like to cook, then this is not the diet for you. Lots if cooking invloved - I love it!
  • JasonJason God Emperor Arrakis Moderator
    edited June 2005
    Can you tell me where I may find some Ayurveda recipes? I am definitly willing to try new things.
  • BrianBrian Detroit, MI Moderator
    edited June 2005
    Part of our problem is that we are guilty of the "exceptionally busy two working adult household" lifestyle. Who has time to cook when you are both struggling to pay the bills? :(
  • emmakemmak Veteran
    edited June 2005
    YogaMama wrote:
    Step away from the ramen noodles!!!! :) That's why my hubby and I started our own garden...not sure what we are going to do when winter arrives though! Have any of you tried an Ayurveda diet? They give great, really healthy recipes and the ingriedients are almost always cheap. Things like mung beans, rice, tofu, and veggies. Although, if you are not vegetarian, or don't like to cook, then this is not the diet for you. Lots if cooking invloved - I love it!

    Can you explain Ayurveda for dummies like me? :D
  • SabineSabine Veteran
    edited June 2005
    Ohhhh, nooo, I'm with Brian--from the dirty South, so chicken is a staple of this one's diet. :D But I'm hoping that as I grow in Buddhism, I'll learn some restraint/discipline--which should help out my weight as well, heehee. :o
  • SimonthepilgrimSimonthepilgrim Veteran
    edited June 2005
    Eating mindfully at each meal is almost guaranteed to bring the body to its ideal weight.

    By 'midfully', I mean focused awareness of the smell, taste, texture, etc of each mouthful plus the movement of jaws, tongue, throat, stomach, etc.

    Try it sometime if you haven't yet. But beware: a small bowl of rice can last for hours as we 'watch' the eating process.
  • DharmaKittenDharmaKitten
    edited June 2005
    YogaMama wrote:
    Excuse my dumb questions, but I am brand new! Is there a specific diet that Buddhists follow, or do you just eat "healthy"??

    Thanks!

    Kim


    Definitely not a dumb question since many religions do have specific dietary guidelines. I did read a weird question on answerbag.com, though. The person basically asked how often Buddhists eat a day and what kind of utensils do we use.
  • federicafederica Seeker of the clear blue sky... Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubt Moderator
    edited June 2005
    I would have answered..."We have to STOp eating? I never stop eating, and I'm currently using a 3,700ton earth digger as a spoon".....!

    :lol:
  • BrianBrian Detroit, MI Moderator
    edited June 2005
    DharmaKitten: That person might be thinking of monks. Monks generally eat only one meal a day (breakfast). I'm not sure if that's universal, but it seems to me that most monks from various traditions adhere to this.
  • comicallyinsanecomicallyinsane Veteran
    edited June 2005
    Why do they only eat once a day?
  • SimonthepilgrimSimonthepilgrim Veteran
    edited June 2005
    It is among the rules of the sangha that eating should be completed in the morning. No eating after noon. Thus the Tathagata lived.
  • BrianBrian Detroit, MI Moderator
    edited June 2005
    Thai monks don't eat after 11:00 in the morning
  • comicallyinsanecomicallyinsane Veteran
    edited June 2005
    You guys have given me the when but I am inerested in the why. As in why would it matter when they eat?
  • SimonthepilgrimSimonthepilgrim Veteran
    edited June 2005
    You imagine there is a reason, Comic?
  • comicallyinsanecomicallyinsane Veteran
    edited June 2005
    Well everything I have learned thus far on this path has had a reason. I figure this has a reason also.
  • federicafederica Seeker of the clear blue sky... Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubt Moderator
    edited June 2005
    there may be a practical reason to it.... Where the Buddha came from, it's hot.... eating in the cool of the morning is beneficial for several reasons....
    1) your system is far more active and open to nourishment in the morning - it has 'fasted' during the night,so it's on empty and therefore able to process the nutritive qualities of food more effectively.
    2) Heat slows the digestion down and can make the system sluggish. That's why we feel sleepy after a heavy meal.... the Siesta of europe is not such a "lazy" idea of avoiding work after all... it's to give the stomach time to digest without conflicting the energies of the body vs. the mind... blood and therefore oxygen, is channelled to where it's needed most... towards the digestive system. So the brain is 'deprived' which is what makes us sleepy....
    The old adage "Breakfast like a king, Lunch like a Lord and dine like a pauper" has some truth to it....
    It's an exercise in discipline, too.... eat morning, fast the afternoon. Not to much of one or the other.... the Middle Way.....
    what think you? :)
  • comicallyinsanecomicallyinsane Veteran
    edited June 2005
    I see what you mean now Fed. You have no idea either. ;)
  • wolfscalissiwolfscalissi
    edited June 2005
    IMHO I believe they only eat once a day in accordance with the alms ritual. they only went once a day to beg for food and it was in the morning. Then they returned to sangha and ate what was given.
    Thus have I heard. Upon a time Buddha sojourned in Anathapindika's Park by Shravasti with a great company of bhikshus, even twelve hundred and fifty. One day, at the time for breaking fast, the World-honored One enrobed, and carrying His bowl made His way into the great city of Shravasti to beg for His food. In the midst of the city He begged from door to door according to rule. This done, He returned to His retreat and took His meal. When He had finished He put away His robe and begging bowl, washed His feet, arranged His seat, and sat down. From the Diamond sutra

    ^gassho^
  • comicallyinsanecomicallyinsane Veteran
    edited June 2005
    That makes sense, Wolf.
  • YogaMamaYogaMama
    edited June 2005
    From doing Yoga, I have learned a lot about Ayurveda - the two seem to go hand in hand. Ayurveda is basically a way to eat in order to balance your dosha's (vata, pitta, and kapha). It is a method of cooking using all different kinds of spices and herbs, whole grains, tofu and lots of fruits and veggies. First you need to find out what your body type is, and then you cook accordingly. They have all different recipes for people to follow. It is very interesting and I am still learning so much about it. Here are a few links:

    http://www.yogajournal.com/health/toc_4.cfm

    http://www.everydayayurveda.org/

    Hope that helps!
  • AdianaAdiana
    edited June 2005
    YogaMama,

    Thanks for the links. I bookmarked them to check them out later on.
    I want to say hi and welcome to the site. I look forward to getting to know you.

    Adiana :):):lol::lol:
  • YogaMamaYogaMama
    edited June 2005
    You are welcome! I hope you find the information to be helpful. I am looking forward to getting to know you as well.
  • DharmaKittenDharmaKitten
    edited June 2005
    Brian wrote:
    DharmaKitten: That person might be thinking of monks. Monks generally eat only one meal a day (breakfast). I'm not sure if that's universal, but it seems to me that most monks from various traditions adhere to this.

    Good point. I hadn't thought of that. Funny how many people think all Buddhists live like monks. I don't think all Christians live like Christian monks/priests/nuns. Then again, most people do probably have more experience with Christians, at least as far as they know. I mean, unless you're an Asian guy with a shaved head wearing an orange robe, who's going to automatically assume you're Buddhist? I wear a Buddha pendant and people still have no clue.

    Speaking of which, people do notice the pendant. You wouldn't believe how many people have actually grabbed at it to have a closer look - while it's still on my neck!

    Them - "Does it have any significance?"
    Me - "Yes, it's Buddha."
    Them - "Oh, so why would you wear that?"
    Me - "I'm Buddhist."
    Them - "No, really."
    Me - "Yes."

    Fortunately, my mom, mom-in-law, and step-mom-in-law stopped after my first answer. I don't think they want to know how that conversation ends. Last thing I heard, my step-mom-in-law had told someone that she thought I was into "Eastern mysticism." Eastern, yes. Mysticism, not really.
  • comicallyinsanecomicallyinsane Veteran
    edited June 2005
    I wonder if ignorance really is bliss?
  • SabineSabine Veteran
    edited June 2005
    comicallyinsane wrote:
    I wonder if ignorance really is bliss?
    :bigclap:
  • SimonthepilgrimSimonthepilgrim Veteran
    edited June 2005
    Very few cliches are as dangerous as that one, Comic, apart, perhaps, the idea that we can't learn by other people's mistakes!

    Your own Buddhist studies will have shown you that ignorance is one of the seed conditions of interdependent co-arising!

    "Where ignorance is bliss, 'tis folly to be wise"
  • comicallyinsanecomicallyinsane Veteran
    edited June 2005
    Simon that one is making me think. Thank you.
  • emmakemmak Veteran
    edited July 2005
    Getting back to the topic of food, if people looked upon food as fuel, and ate for nutritive reasons, and not mainly for enjoyment, people would be so much healthier. Once you are aware what is in some of the food you eat, you may never eat it again.... Scary...
  • YogaMamaYogaMama
    edited July 2005
    emmak - I agree with you completely. My husband and I are very picky about the things we eat and we always know what is in our food before eating it. We also feed our daughter the same way. It takes more work, but is definitely worth it.
  • comicallyinsanecomicallyinsane Veteran
    edited July 2005
    i agree with you both. That is why I never look to see what is in my food. I know it sounds ignorant. That's because it is. LOL I am working on my diet one food at a time. I am trying to find a happy medium with my allergy and the foods that are available to me. My wife and I are talking of bulding a greenhouse for fresh vegetables with no chemicals in them for she and the kids. :D
Sign In or Register to comment.