VeganMoFo Day 5 - Eating Simply

Here's an excerpt from a book I'm currently reading that goes along quite nicely with Dr. McDougall's and Jeff Novick's philosophy of eating simply:

Chapter 64

Put things in order
before a disorder makes its appearance.
Don't wait until your body cries.
Pay attention to the way you eat
and what happens next.

The wise desire what others do not desire:
tranquility, centeredness.
The wise learn what others do not learn,
eat nourishing foods others have passed by,
keep the natural development of all things.

A transformed diet begins with this bite.
Don't fuss over food;
keep it simple or you will spoil it.
People who explore numerous diet possibilities
are too busy trying to remember past knowledge
to pay attention to the here and now,
where life is.

Avoid calculated outcomes.
Just pay attention
and your outcome will be right for you.
The wise take action
by letting things take their course
and watching.


Commentary
Some of us get so carried away with hype about a new food or diet that we bombard our bodies with a wild array of foods that end up fighting each other in our systems. We never look beyond our tastebuds until a crisis presents itself and we puzzle over the why of a condition, such as colitis, hypertension, or other conditions.

When we keep our intake simple and listen to our whole body response we experience calmness — freedom from gas, gurgles, cramps, and fuzzy teeth; our joints move more easily and we have a steady stream of energy.

There is nothing complicated here; the body runs at peak efficiency with no calculation necessary. Give your body the undivided attention you pay your valued, most inspiring mentors.
~~~~~

Forget That Diet and Eat What You Need
The Tao of Eating

Elizabeth Terp
Paperback: 126 pages
Publisher: Trafford Publishing (July 6, 2006)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1412024552
ISBN-13: 978-1412024556

Amazon page, with Look Inside feature


And that's just ONE chapter. The entire book, based on ancient Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu's work, Tao Te Ching, compares his basic teachings on living simply and how to rule a country to eating simply and ruling your own body. Learn by observing. From the back cover:


The TAO OF EATING
is written out of what I know
and what I don't know,
all of which changes instantly:
what I know becomes suspect
and what I don't know becomes clear
in the present moment.

Under all this confusion
flows the Way,
continually softening knowledge posts,
floating well-secured docks out to sea,
exposing fresh sand where there was none.

My work is to be sensitive to all the
great and subtle changes,
awake to life.
 - Elizabeth Terp
~~~
Eating the McDougall way follows the Way.