Home › Forum Online Discussion › General › Is there a Five element nutrition cook book?
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March 19, 2006 at 11:04 pm #11790KanLiMatrixParticipant
Hi all,
I am interested in what consists of a daoist diet. Is it neccessary to be a vegetarian, aquarian, or breatharian? What types of food correspond with each of the five elements?
March 21, 2006 at 12:07 pm #11791KanLiMatrixParticipantI was able to find a diet book that seems to relate to the seasonal changes called The Body Ecology Diet which is very helpful… http://BodyEcologyDiet.com
March 21, 2006 at 12:28 pm #11793snowlionParticipantthis might of be of interest to you:
Principles of Daoist Long Life Diet By Chee Soo
Daoism is at its heart a philosophy of nature. Millions of years of existence have shaped us to be what we are, and throughout this time we have evolved eating natural foods. It is only relatively recently that diet has changed so much to include so many artificial foods. The more processed food, additives, chemicals and toxins there are in the diet the more difficult it is for the organism to cope and adapt. Avoiding, tobacco, alcohol, coffee, tea, sugar, drugs, sweets and other artificial stimulants is also recommended. In the west the life style and dietary habits have contributed to the dramatic rise in such problems as heart disease, obesity, stress, cancer, arthritis and so on. The emphasis has moved away from prevention towards drugs and surgery. What is of primary importance is health, and this can best be achieved through eating natural foods. Remember that the body regenerates itself, even the bones are replaced after seven years, and it is all built from what goes into your mouth. Nature can do its work but only if given the right tools. Ideally natural foods have been grown without the use of artificial fertilizers, chemicals or pesticides.
Environment
Each individual generally becomes adapted to the climate, foods that are eaten in a hot country may not be suitable for a colder climate. It is advisable to eat food that is grown locally and in season.. Food that comes from a distance may not be fresh or may have been stored, but above all it is probably out of season. If you eat summer foods in winter then you are tricking your body into thinking its summer and not giving it what it really needs. Eating in tune with the environment also means timing things properly, the body wants to rest at night so dont eat after 7pm. Breakfast like a king is the best way, and eat less later on in the day. Eating infront of the TV is also not a good idea, your stomach wants to digest the food and mental stimulation can distract the body away from its task and cause indigestion or even an ulcer .Also avoid drinking before meals as this dilutes the digestive juices. Variety is important, but try to eat more root vegetables in winter and leafy ones in summer. Whole foods are also important, white bread or white rice has most of the vitamins and fibre which are essential for the diet removed.
The B vitamins in wholemeal bread are important in dealing with stress and the natural fibre has a cleansing effect on the digestive system. So food must be found as far as possible in its natural state, but of course cooking is important too. In a balanced diet food should be neither raw nor overcooked. Too much raw food creates weakness internally due to too much cold energy in the centre or the stomach. Weakness in the limbs, anaemeia, coldness, bad circulation, can all result from too much raw or cold food. For many thousands of years now we have adapted to cooked food. The best method is stir frying where the food is cooked very quickly and the flavours are sealed in with the oil. Steaming is another good method especially if the water is used in making a sauce so that none of the goodness is lost. Boiling vegetables is not a good method because most of the vitamins are destroyed in the heat or thrown away in the cooking water, this is like throwing the tea away and eating the tealeaves.
These simple rules are only really manifestations of a few simple natural principles and become self evident once they have been put into practise for a while. It is simply building a strong basis for health using a time tested traditional approach. There is a way forward its just a matter of looking at things in a different light and thinking for yourself. Anything you eat, there is a natural form of it somewhere, you just have to look, because once upon a time- and it wsnt so long ago -all the food was natural.Back to top
Daoist Diet by Master Chee Soo
Master Chee Soo a very accomplished Daoist Master who lived in South Wales, never commercially received success as many modern teachers today. But was a very accomplished Master. His style was called Li family arts, which relate to health and longevity practices. He has now passed on since 1994 below is his Daoist diet he recommended for good health.Daoist eating and drinking recommendations for constant good health
Increase your consumption of these foods :
* Whole grain foods: Wholemeal bread, Brown rice, Barley, Oats, Buckwheat, Rye, Maize, Millet, Quinoa, anything made with Wholegrain flour: Pasta and Noodles; Biscuits; Cakes; Shredded Wheat; Muesli etc.
* Fresh locally grown vegetables in season, organic if possible, steamed or stir-fried is best, or frozen vegetables.
* Vegetarian food such as: Beans; Nuts and Seeds (roasted); Soya Bean curd (Tofu); Vegetarian mince, etc.
* Free range white meat such as Chicken or Turkey; eggs; non-fatty white fish or Seafood, Prawns.
* Soya Milk, Rice Milk, Skimmed Milk, Soya Yoghurt, Low fat yoghurt, Low fat vegetarian cheese.
* Seaweed: Nori; Kelp. Natural Soya sauce: Tamari or Shoyu. Vegetable cooking oils and fats, unhydrogenated.
* Fruit which is local and seasonal preferably cooked or dried: Dates, Sultanas, Raisins, Figs, Apple, Strawberries.
* Sea salt only, in strict moderation, or Gomasio – sesame seeds and sea salt as a condiment.
* Herbs, herbal teas and coffees, Caro, Barleycup, China Tea: Green or Black.
* Honey, in moderation, unrefined sugar only if you must.
Reduce your intake of these:
* White bread, White flour, White rice, Refined or Processed, Tinned and Packet foods
* Chemical additives, Colourings, Preservatives, Flavourings, Fruit acids, (remember to read the label).
* Red meat: Beef, Pork, Veal, Lamb, Bacon, Sausages, Meat products or extracts.
* Red or blue fish – Tuna, Salmon, Mackerel, Swordfish, scavengers such as Crab.
* Poultry or fish that is high in fat – Duck, Goose, Haddock.
* Boiled, fried or poached eggs. Scrambled or in omelettes is better, or in baking.
* Dairy products – Full fat milk, Cheese, Butter, Lard, Dripping, animal fat products.
* Alcohol, Tobacco, Coffee, Sugar, Sweets, Chocolate, Drugs, Artificial vitamins, supplements etc.
* Spices, Pepper, Mustard, Curry, Vinegar, Pickles, Rock Salt.
* Nightshades: Potato, Tomato, Aubergine.
* Rhubarb, Spinach (high in Oxalic acid)* Ice cold food and drink especially Ice Cream, Cream, Carbonated drinks etc, Raw and uncooked food .
* Fresh fruit which is out of season or imported from a different climate, Tropical fruit drinks.
* Deep fried food. Grilled, Braised, Roasted or Stir fried food is better.
Always remember –
* Buy fresh, organic, locally grown, seasonal whole foods whenever possible.
* Avoid cold food and cold drinks. Cold baths, showers or swimming in cold water.
* Reduce your fluid intake as much as possible, avoid drinking before a meal.
* These basic guidelines are only to be followed in consultation with your teacher.
* If you have a health problem consult your doctor before changing your diet.
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March 21, 2006 at 11:26 pm #11795beyondthoughtsParticipanthi snowlion!
thank you for sharing the work of chee soo, I was wondering if you know where I can find more works by him, and also where I can find more information on diet, and healthy eating. The author recommends fruits and veges that are in season, I’m trying to find a resource that can tell me what fruits are in season in the area. (I live in Toronto, Ontario Canada)
Thanks again!
March 24, 2006 at 9:33 am #11797snowlionParticipantMaster Soo’s books are currently in a reprint he had several in the 1970’s, honestly the older books were “so so”. Master Ni Hua Ching’s Book Website has a free Integral Nutrition guide on his website http://www.sevenstarcom.com look in top left hand corener of screen. It is not bad gives a brief overview.
I found the bottom book from many years ago to be helpful, and discusses five element nutrition, a wealth of practical information… hope this helps:
Healing With Whole Foods ISBN: 1556434308
Asian Traditions and Modern Nutrition,
3rd ed, paperDescription:
Used as a reference by students of acupuncture, this is a hefty, truly comprehensive guide to the theory and healing power of Chinese medicine. It’s also a primer on nutrition–including facts about green foods, such as spirulina and blue-green algae, and the “regeneration diets” used by cancer patients and arthritics–along with an inspiring cookbook with more than 300 mostly vegetarian, nutrient-packed recipes.
The information on Chinese medicine is useful for helping to diagnose health imbalances, especially nascent illnesses. It’s smartly paired with the whole-foods program because the Chinese have attributed various health-balancing properties to foods, so you can tailor your diet to help alleviate symptoms of illness. For example, Chinese medicine dictates that someone with low energy and a pale complexion (a yin deficiency) would benefit from avoiding bitter foods and increasing “sweet” foods such as soy, black sesame seeds, parsnips, rice, and oats. (Note that the Chinese definition of sweet foods is much different from the American one!)
Pitchford says in his dedication that he hopes the reader finds “healing, awareness, and peace” from following his program. The diet is certainly acetic by American standards (no alcohol, caffeine, white flour, fried foods, or sugar, and a minimum of eggs and dairy) but the reasons he gives for avoiding these “negative energy” foods are compelling. From the adrenal damage imparted by coffee to immune dysfunction brought on by excess refined sugar, Pitchford spurs you to rethink every dietary choice and its ultimate influence on your health. Without being alarmist, he adds dietary tips for protecting yourself against the dangers of modern life, including neutralizing damage from water fluoridation (thyroid and immune-system problems may result; fluoride is a carcinogen). There’s further reading on food combining, female health, heart disease, pregnancy, fasting, and weight loss. Overall, this is a wonderful book for anyone who’s serious about strengthening his or her body from the inside out.
Author Biography:
Paul Pitchford is a teacher and nutrition researcher. In his healing work with individuals, he develops rejuvenative plans based on awareness and dietary practices. His early training, following ancient traditional practice, was primarily through apprenticeships and private instructions with masters of meditation and East Asian medicine. For more than three decades, he has applied the unifying wisdom of Far Eastern thought to the major dietary therapies available in the West to create a new vision of health and nutrition.
Reviews/Endorsements:
“Healing with Whole Foods contains a wealth of information on health, diet, alternative medicine, natural food presentation, and recipes, researched by an expert in the field. Readers will learn how to apply Chinese medicine and the five-element theory to a contemporary diet; treat illness and nervous disorders through diet; and make the transition to whole vegetable foods. The most detailed source book yet published on preparing food and eating consciously, Healing with Whole Foods includes complete sections on Ayurvedic principles of food-combining; the treatment of disease conditions through meals; transition from animal products to whole vegetable foods; micro-algae; selection of waters and salts; the extremely complex varieties of oils, sugars, and condiments; vitamins and minerals; fasting and purification; food for children, food presentation and proportions; vibrational cooking; the physiology of nourishment; color diagnosis and therapy; consciousness in diet changes; plus descriptions of the nature and uses of various grains, legumes, miso, tempeh, tofu, seaweeds, nuts and seeds, sprouts, and fruits. Also featured are sections on chutneys, relishes, pickles, different milks, rejuvelac, yogurt, salads, and desserts.”
-Midwest Book ReviewMarch 24, 2006 at 10:04 am #11799beyondthoughtsParticipantSnowlion,
Thank you so much for sharing the Healing with Whole foods, I really appreciate it.
=)
March 24, 2006 at 1:58 pm #11801FajinParticipantThe best thing one can do for their health is simply preserve the water (kan) inherent in foods without adding fire (li) to it. We should eat the food we were naturally meant to eat, fruits, that which comes from a tree. Chinese medicine is good, but they don’t know what happens when you eat completely raw for a while, your body undergoes a complete and rapid transformation. Our bodies are designed to digest fruit. Food is not about decoration or embellishment as are with recipes and different “meals.”
All you need to eat are foods high in biophotons and they will completely revitalize you. They will cure any cancer, AIDS, anything, etc. Also, eat lots of greens, like a salad bowl a day, or blend a whole bunch of them with some fruits and drink only water that is fluoride free. This sounds like alot of work but after a month or so, you will completely get used to it and you will naturally “love” fruits. I think there were some Daoist Immortals who ate only raw fruits as well, can’t remember which ones, would have to look it up. Read more on this website: http://www.fruitarian.com
and the link on the bottom about the biophotons and the diet that includes the most biophotons, there is still more research being conducted on biophotons, but it’s all looking good.
March 24, 2006 at 9:22 pm #11803beyondthoughtsParticipanthi Fajin,
Wow this is incredible, thank you for the info on healthy eating I will definately be looking up the things you and snowlion recommended. Thank you again guys, I can’t wait to start eating healthy! =)
March 24, 2006 at 11:06 pm #11805beyondthoughtsParticipanthey Fajin, and to anyone else who has been on a fruit diet or similar, can you share your experiences?
fluoride free water? where can we find this, and is our tap water fluoride free? if it contains fluoride does boiling help clean it?
March 25, 2006 at 5:30 am #11807FajinParticipantHello Beyondthoughts,
I admire your high respect and gratefulness to any help. You see very kind, I appreciate you for that. Go to the website I will post down below, Frederic has a no-nonsense approach to living raw, and you can start by getting his book on it. He has comments from may people on his site and he has really great articles. He is the man on raw foods. I strongly recommend you get his book, the smartest investment you’ll make for your health.
There are many stupid raw food diets out there will all kinds of crazy recipes like raw pizza, and use many crazy gadgets, but these are all unnecessary. He takes the simple approach, read his book called “Raw Secrets”, it will blow you away.
Look into what he says about dental health and what you can do about too much acidic fruits that cause dental problems. Acids are the #1 biggest reasons to dental problems, that and refined sugar foods that you should completely stay away from. Fruits have natural fructose which cleans your teeth and is naturally meant for your body to digest.
The website about the Dries diet is very much so recommended for cancer patients because it cures them right away, just use the group 1-7 foods as a guide as to what foods have the highest content of biophotons and shoot for organic foods if possible.
You should buy fruits that are in season because most grocery markets freeze the fruits whiping out that which is most important in raw foods, biophotons.
The Chinese say not to eat cool or yin foods in morning and winter as much because it cools you down. Look into ayurveda (indian medicine) for which fruits are of the pitta or fire type. They are more warming, particularly the red stuff.
About the water, I don’t know about your tap system, you’d have to get it checked. Personally, I buy water that has no flouride, just go to a health food store and ask for water without fluoride or from the grocery store look at the back label and check for fluoride PPM and make sure it says 0, indicating it has no fluoride. Boiling doesn’t do it.
Believe me, this diet works incredible wonders. No cooking required and it completely supports any path you embark on. It leaves you feeling smiling, calm, relaxed, and emotionally at peace with a ton of energy. Check out Frederic’s site.
Best of luck to you beyondthoughts,
FajinMarch 26, 2006 at 12:13 am #11809beyondthoughtsParticipantMy deep thanks and appreciation to you Fajin, thank you once more!
To healthy eating and living! and to life!
=)
March 26, 2006 at 8:02 pm #11811johnsonParticipantI’ve tried all the raw diets, fruitarian, lo-fat fruitarian, avocado and greens, tons of juiciing, etc., etc. The best foods I’ve found for a raw diet are shellfish, fish roe, fresh greens, sea salt, flax oil, and cconut oil. Go easy on fruit, dried fruit, nuts, nut butters, and “raw gourmet” food. Fruit, espeically dried fruit, will ruin your teeth. Avocadoes will usually sap your energy if you eat a lot. The quality is more important than anything else. Superfood is several years away, but we may all be eating superfood in 20-30 years, the kind that will let you live for hundreds of years. Meanwhile, be careful with the foods I mentioned. Nuts and fruit will tear your teeth up. Get some raw fats and greens, particularly shellfish and coconut. Remember, you can heat it up to 117 degrees Fahrenheit, and still have it ber raw. There’s no point in eating food much below body temp. Food that’s about 2-3 dgrees above body temp is easier to digest, and is stil raw. Raw organ meats have been very healing to many people as well, as long as they are from healthy animals. Check out Dr. Weston Price’s work at http://www.westonaprice.org. Veganism will ruin your health, long-term, unless you include some dairy, insects, eggs, or something. I have seen more than one vegan slowly deteriorate over time. Protect yourself with good-quality fat.
March 26, 2006 at 9:37 pm #11813FajinParticipantHello Johnson,
I would like to reply to some of what you said so you and others can get a better idea of the power of raw foods.
>>The best foods I’ve found for a raw diet are shellfish, fish roe, fresh greens, sea salt, flax oil, and cconut oil. Go easy on fruit, dried fruit, nuts, nut butters, and “raw gourmet” food. Fruit, espeically dried fruit, will ruin your teeth. Avocadoes will usually sap your energy if you eat a lot.<< *Seafood and meat may be eaten raw, but it isn't needed. Fruits are better digested and have biophotons which are more potent. You won't find good quality raw seafood these days, especially in polluted waters. Oils are liquid fat, for fats look to nuts (or seeds). They are a much better choice. I prefer raw almonds for their biophotons. It's brain food too. Salt is not needed in the diet, except a little in winter, cletic salt is the better choice. Dried fruits are garbage, stay away from them and same with nut butters and all that rediculuos "creative" bullshit. You need to be simple, as simple as taking from a tree what was meant to be. Yes, greens are amazing, the best stuff in the world. Eat a whole lot of them, it cools the heart especially and allows peaceful, calm, meditation and daily life, not to mention the fact that they are packed with so many minerals (frequencies of light). >>Superfood is several years away, but we may all be eating superfood in 20-30 years, the kind that will let you live for hundreds of years.<< *Yes, that's true. Food can allow you to live hundreds of years without any energy work in the future. I think it was discovered a village in Greece where they ate only raw foods and lived to be 140 years on average. Some even living almost 200 years. They can boost up your yuan qi, the whole secret is in the biophotons and the nourishment they receive from the tree, which depends on the earth's magnetism and soil content. The minerals are key here, they are frequencies of light. Read Dr. Gabriel Cousen's book, "Spiritual Nutrition". Monatomic minerals are a lie, beware of them, they are temporary and don't work long term, they eventually deplete you. Daoists have experimented and so have Egyptians and Essenes and others. They don't work on making the golden elixer, like monatomic gold claims. It is a lie, only you can do it. >>Nuts and fruit will tear your teeth up.<< *No. That is only if you are not aware of acids. Look at an acid/alkaline chart to see which one is which. Have 75/25 ratio of alkaline/acids and every time you eat acids, rinse your mouth with water. Brush your teeth with bar soap, or atleast a non-fluoride tooth paste or buy tooth soap from Frederic Patenaude's site. It re-enamalizes your teeth - I know. I had cavities and I needed a filling, I refused. I used tooth soap and my teeth were back to normal and the dentists were amazed! >>Veganism will ruin your health, long-term, unless you include some dairy, insects, eggs, or something. I have seen more than one vegan slowly deteriorate over time. Protect yourself with good-quality fat.<< *Another misconception. Dairy is the biggest poison on the face of the planet. A very high allergen and the worst thing you can do for your intestines, it weakens the lower dantian too. Protein myths are a huge lie. Read Frederic Patenaude's, "Raw Secrets" and you'll know, this is a very broad subject and I won't explain here. To conclude, you just need to be simple and don't let food be a huge obstacle. Don't waste your time cooking and thinking about what to cook, just eat what's natural. Practice qigong and inner alchemy and don't place such a huge emphasis on food as I have done before, but thanks to my search, I found that being simple is the best thing to do. A simple thing to do is to have something like a papaya for breakfast, a smoothie with a load of greens and something like berries and bananas with water for lunch. And top the day off with some more fruit, like some high biophoton ones. Practice more, and you'll get more qi from nature and less needed from food. Eg. I practice so much rooting a day that I could live with calcium because my bones are literally almost as hard as steel.
March 26, 2006 at 9:40 pm #11815FajinParticipantMarch 26, 2006 at 10:29 pm #11817matblackParticipantHi Faj’
I think that any discussion on nutririon and food, more than anything else, should consider the individuals’ current health state and consitution as paramount.
Generalisations are not applicable imho.
I tried raw food for almost a year, inspired by the hope of greater nutients and enzymes to make me grow stronger and younger.
I was being guided by a former olympic athlete who was very much in favour of raw food.
It did not work for me. I became weaker, thinner (I was already under weight) and colder.
Since adopting an eating plan loosley based on TCM principles, I am much stronger and healthier.
Sure, raw food works for some, easpecially those with a high powered spleen, and in THEORY, it is perfect. But from my experience, a majority raw food diet did not work.
I still eat some foods ONLY if they are raw, others ONLY if they are cooked.
I agree with what Johnson said more or less, in that one should find out what works for them, experiment, but by no means be dogmatic about any approach to eating.BTW : FRESH flax oil is very high in electrons………….
I was gonna write more, but this topic is potentially endless.Basically, I want to conclude by saying: with an understanding of the potential benefits of raw foods, experiment and find out what works for you, listen to your body, it is unique, consult your shen, they know. If you can get away with eating exclusivelly/majority raw great, if not, don’t force it respect your spleens’ prefernce for dryness. Qigong will help supplement the cooked food.
Respect to you all. – mat
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