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Raw Paleo Diet Forums => Welcoming Committee => Topic started by: Bronwen on January 22, 2011, 02:58:06 am
Title: Hello - newbie raw meat gal from South Africa
Post by: Bronwen on January 22, 2011, 02:58:06 am
Hi - I'm new to raw meat, been trying it now for 20 days. But i don't feel new to the forum, as I have been literally 'devouring' all the different forums here for as much info as I can get and feel I actually know some of you quite well already!! A great forum ,and I have learnt HUGE amounts the last few days - a bit of overwhelm I think.
Anyway, some history...started experimenting with vegetarianism 30 years ago - mostly because I believed it would lead to even better health than I already had. Had a few years in twenties when I reverted back to eating some cooked meat (living in non-veg residence halls at Uni), but then switched back to vegetarian, to macrobiotic vegan, to raw vegan, to the 811-almost-fruitarian diet about 5 years ago. But could never actually sustain the high fruit diet for any length of time without eventually succumbing to cravings for cooked carb. Partly becuase I couldn't cope with the huge volumes of food I was trying to eat to feel satiated, so probably wasn't eating enough. And I feel it made me mentally a bit hyper, ungrounded. No particular health issues from it, but convinced that it DIDN'T actually feel like a natural way of eating to me, stuffing myself so full all the time. So started doing some deeper research towards end of last year into Natural Hygiene, long-term non-benefits of veganism/fruitarianism, conflicting issues over health benefits or not of meat/cholesterol/saturated fats etc etc. I knew about Instincto eating and decided to learn a bit more about that...came across a pic of some kids eating raw beef bones and suddenly my body was telling me EXACTLY what it was I wanted. Amazing!! Also found Raw Paleo Forum in the process and started devouring info from here.....highly entertaining! Also entertaining switching between here and 30BAD!
Well, 20 days ago tried some raw egg yolk just to see how my system coped with raw animal - no probs, in fact just wanted more! So progressed onto raw beef (luckily I can get grassfed beef (and lamb) that's not fed routine antibiotics/hormones. Raw beef felt like heaven to my body. Only had 100g after a salad, but knew I definitely needed more than that. Have progressed from 200g every second day to now having it every day as that is what my body is telling me. ' Still have lots of 'issues' to deal with - spiritual-ethical-environmental side of it....I am a yoga teacher and have 'preached' ahimsa/non-violence for many years, so finding that a bit of a conflict. But the weird thing is that even tho it's only been a few weeks now, I actually feel more connected to nature, more grounded, having deeper meditations and sleeping better eating this way. And I suddenly am more aware of the whole mystery of life in which LIFE gives itself in order to sustain other LIFE on all levels. and I can give thanks for that every time I eat.
Still have to figure out a way of eating that works - right now, fruit and greens mid-morning after my own yoga practice or teaching still feels good, then salad and meat late afternoon. Seems to digest easily enough before teaching. But every day discovering new things and making new changes.
Thanks for all the help and info on this forum guys!
Bronwen
Title: Re: Hello - newbie raw meat gal from South Africa
Post by: TylerDurden on January 22, 2011, 03:14:50 am
Hi - I'm new to raw meat, been trying it now for 20 days. But i don't feel new to the forum, as I have been literally 'devouring' all the different forums here for as much info as I can get and feel I actually know some of you quite well already!! A great forum ,and I have learnt HUGE amounts the last few days - a bit of overwhelm I think.
Yes, that's what every newbie should do. I did that over 9 years ago as a newbie, just read every post on other RVAF diet forums , no matter how trivial or irrelevant they seemed, and I found all sorts of endless answers to questions I would never even have thought of asking, otherwise.
Anyway, welcome to the forum! And I'm glad that you don't seem to be encountering any real difficulties. Sometimes, others like me have to continue to experiment before we find what really works - I had to spend 6 extra months before I realised that I also had to cut out all raw dairy in order to be healthy, for example.
Title: Re: Hello - newbie raw meat gal from South Africa
Post by: turkish on January 22, 2011, 03:18:34 am
every time i eat meat, i actually thank the animal that died to provide food for me. I dont overeat - so as not to disrespect the animals spirit.
Never felt like this when ate cooked.
Title: Re: Hello - newbie raw meat gal from South Africa
Post by: riy freeman on January 22, 2011, 04:13:02 am
Welcome! You seem like a nice person.
Title: Re: Hello - newbie raw meat gal from South Africa
Post by: Bronwen on January 23, 2011, 02:00:48 am
every time i eat meat, i actually thank the animal that died to provide food for me. I dont overeat - so as not to disrespect the animals spirit.
Never felt like this when ate cooked.
This is what I did the first time I ate raw beef and I suddenly felt a real 'connection' to life, that I had never felt before when giving thanks for my fruit/veg!! Not that I didn't feel grateful for the F&V, I think I was just being far more present when eating the meat, as it was such a new experience for me.
I feel this change in diet is taking me on a massive learning/growth curve in all aspects physical, mental, emotional, spiritual (hopefully not too much growth physically!!) - very exciting.
Thanks for your welcomes and support guys.
Title: Re: Hello - newbie raw meat gal from South Africa
Post by: goodsamaritan on January 23, 2011, 04:52:27 am
Sounds like the fictional Navi of the movie Avatar.
But yes, I am thankful too to those animals who sustains my family.
Title: Re: Hello - newbie raw meat gal from South Africa
Post by: Bronwen on January 23, 2011, 07:50:34 pm
Sounds like the fictional Navi of the movie Avatar.
But yes, I am thankful too to those animals who sustains my family.
I loved the movie Avatar.....but saw it in 3D and got the most terrible motion sickness, whopping headache when I left the cinema and by the time I got home was vomiting and doing diarrhea. Spent the whole night crawling back and forth to the loo as I was too weak to walk!! Hey, NOT a good experience. Luckily I sleep on the floor anyway, so I didn't have to climb on and off a bed! Still get queasy when someone mentions the name Avatar.
But yes, I would like to be like one of the Navi - we could learn a lot from them.
Title: Re: Hello - newbie raw meat gal from South Africa
Post by: CitrusHigh on January 24, 2011, 11:06:51 pm
Aww neat, you registered just to respond to bronwen, dincha brah?
I'd say welcome to you bronwen, but I'm just about as new here as you are so I'll just say hello. Why do you sleep on the floor? I sleep all over the place on all different kinds of surfaces for different reasons, including awareness, health, acclimation to uncomfortable surfaces and cold.
Yeah, I agree, as long as the animal has been treated well, and it's speciesness has been honoured, ie: grazers are eating fresh grass when possible, pigs and chickens are getting a variety of foods including some sort of meat, then there is no shame in taking life, it's the only way life can be sustained on the earth. Wolves don't kill deer because they're bloodthirsty evil brutes, they do it because the web of life demands it. It's no different for us.
The spritual side of eating raw has been fascinating me for a while now. I would agree with you that I feel an increased connection to the world and much closer to omnipresent supergalactic oneness, you know, like Ace Ventura.
Title: Re: Hello - newbie raw meat gal from South Africa
Post by: Bronwen on January 25, 2011, 07:30:41 pm
Why do you sleep on the floor? I sleep all over the place on all different kinds of surfaces for different reasons, including awareness, health, acclimation to uncomfortable surfaces and cold.
Body feels much better sleeping on the floor - used to get a lot of tension headaches from stiffness in neck and shoulders from incorrect side-sleeping on mattress and pillow. Tried various combos of different mattresses (liked really firm ones anyway) and pillows. Eventually read about folk sleeping on floor and improvements to sleep-related aches and pains, and tried it, and it works a treat. Just a doubled-up blanket under me and sleep in a sleeping bag so breezes don't sneak in. On my back mostly, and no pillow. Get a fab nights sleep and bounce up in the morning. Also feel more connected to earth that way. And a certain sense of freedom, not having to rely on 'furniture'!
While we're on the topic, an Indian yoga teacher at a yoga teachers' workshop I attended said that furniture and toilets were the worst invention as far as man's posture and digestive health went and if we wanted to improve both we should throw away our chairs, and squat to go to the loo. So I sit on the floor, usually outside, to eat, and yes, I squat! Perched on the toilet seat if you want details!!
I reckon these are paleo practices anyway....maybe I should start a thread!
I agree with your comment about feeling better about eating animals that have lived a good life - one of the 'rationalisations' I used to help me along.
What are you eating at the moment...or 'how' are you eating at tyhe moment?
Title: Re: Hello - newbie raw meat gal from South Africa
Post by: CitrusHigh on January 28, 2011, 03:06:56 am
I agree with you totally, there is something liberating about sleeping wherever you want. Sometimes I take my sleeping bag out to the patio and fall asleep to the chriping of the crickets and the stars shining down, then wake in the morning to the birds happily singing their dawn chorus...there's really nothing like that and if one has never experienced it, they don't know what they're missing. I feel the same way about the porcelain throne, there's something constricting about using it. I live on a farm and you can pretty much drop trow where ever you are outside just when you feel like it....haha now that is freedom! Of course tact is appreciated too, nobody wants to step in your business! Also my mom grew up in south america at her parent's camp for kids and they had just hole in the tiled floor for a potty, I don't know if it had plumbing or just a crude hole, but it is something I always remember seeing (and using) as a child when down there.
Yeah, no joke, that could be an interesting topic, especially with a group of people like this, i'd read it.
I never had to rationalize it away because I grew up a meat eater, but I don't think it counts as rationalization anyway because even if you were someone who preferred veggies over meat naturally, you still have to eat meat (or animal products) for total health in spite of your inclinations, because it's just the way things are, your body requires it. Some of our most crucial vitamins are only abundant in animals foods, like vitamin K, a very difficult vitamin to get (and soooooo critical for tooth and bone health along with A and D) from your food in present day civilization and nearly impossible to get adequate amounts of in a vegetable diet...unless you want to eat about a pound of natto everyday (which would have other health consequences). Usually when I think of a rationalization, I think of almost a fib to allay our conscience so we can act in a certain way. I don't consider vitamin supplements an acceptable source of nutrients unless you have no access to the proper foods.
I eat lax RVAF, weston priceish. Meaning i go pretty heavy on animal products and attempt to keep them as raw as possible. usually the most I'll do is seared meat, except in social situations where quality raw meat isn't available. I also am big in to raw veggies because my body demands it, but the main thrust of my eating philosophy is If you can't eat it raw, it's not food for you, and listen to your body and eat what it tells you to and avoid foods it doesn't like.
I think it varies pretty widely for people just what exact foods they can eat, but that everyone needs pastured animal fats like meat, eggs, and if you can handle dairy or are unwilling to live without it, then that's fine too. I love dairy, and I think my body tolerates it pretty well. Last spring we got our 3 cows which are high butter fat breeds, guernsey and brown swiss and I lived on cream this summer. Drinking between a pint and a quart or more each day. I couldn't afford that financially but since we own the cows it was easy, they give so much milk. I also think due to that, I healed a lot this summer, I can now tolerate a lot more sugar than i could before. Not that I recommend much sugar consumption, but sugar has always been problematic for me and my tolerance thereof is a guage of my health status.
What part of SA are you in? I can't wait to visit africa some day, I haven't spent much time in the eastern hemisphere but I plan to as soon as I can!
Title: Re: Hello - newbie raw meat gal from South Africa
Post by: van on January 28, 2011, 11:44:22 am
Bronwen, hi. You might try the pages of beyondveg.com. They have or had an 'enlightening' article describing just how many animals are killed when tractors farm with discs, or with orchards and the killing of ground animals that would otherwise descimate the fruit tree's roots. The examples are many. Bottom line is that when you eat beef, you may eat one cow a year. When you eat carrots and beans, and fruits, you actually are killing hundreds of animals (albeit, small ones) each year. We tend to value a larger animal more than say a rabbit or snake or ground squirrel. The other point is, all well cared for and humanely killed large animals live a glorious life that they never would have had the chance to live if not for you. And they aren't left in the wake of a tractors harrow or discs bleeding to death from being cut in half or dismembered. Maybe this might help. Oh, and you might try eating your beef separate from your salads. Salads tend to diminish the acid level needed to handle meat, especially if coming from a veg. orientated diet. All the best, Van
Title: Re: Hello - newbie raw meat gal from South Africa
Post by: Bronwen on January 29, 2011, 01:26:55 am
Bronwen, hi. You might try the pages of beyondveg.com.
Thanks Van, I will. Sounds like an interesting article, from what you said. And it just opened up a viewpoint that I had never really considered that much. In fact, that is what I like about this forum, is that most of the folk on here seem to have really 'been around' in terms of exploring different diets and viewpoints, which makes them a pretty broad-minded bunch, with opinions based on having considered most angles of a situation!
Oh, and you might try eating your beef separate from your salads. Salads tend to diminish the acid level needed to handle meat, especially if coming from a veg. orientated diet. All the best, Van
Thanks for the tip......actually this last week I've felt more and more that they interfere, reduced salads down to a small handful of plain raw greens, but reckon I will just leave them altogether and eat them some other time.
I agree with you totally, there is something liberating about sleeping wherever you want. Sometimes I take my sleeping bag out to the patio and fall asleep to the chriping of the crickets and the stars shining down, then wake in the morning to the birds happily singing their dawn chorus...
I feel the same way about the porcelain throne, there's something constricting about using it. I live on a farm and you can pretty much drop trow where ever you are outside just when you feel like it....haha now that is freedom! Of course tact is appreciated too, nobody wants to step in your business! Also my mom grew up in south america at her parent's camp for kids and they had just hole in the tiled floor for a potty, I don't know if it had plumbing or just a crude hole, but it is something I always remember seeing (and using) as a child when down there.
Yeah, no joke, that could be an interesting topic, especially with a group of people like this, i'd read it.
Well, watch the pages...it may just appear....unless you get there first with a list of 'other paleo practices'!
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What part of SA are you in? I can't wait to visit africa some day, I haven't spent much time in the eastern hemisphere but I plan to as soon as I can!
In a town called Benoni, near Johannesburg. You should definitely travel to Africa - there are parts that are still so beautiful and wild. And South Africa has multidues of beautiful and wild places to visit (I love being in nature!). Where do you live in the States?
Title: Re: Hello - newbie raw meat gal from South Africa
Post by: CitrusHigh on February 01, 2011, 03:53:09 am
Oh yeah, how could I forget the frogs... all the animals that make up the night song. The coyotes howling, the coons fighting and whining, owls hooting. I used to sleep in the woods next near the minnesota zoo some nights and it was the most haunting place. All night long you'd hear coyotes, and great horned owls and the special treat was the zoo's wolves howling.
I imagine you hear some pretty amazing things outside of the cities there in SA no?
haha well one of us should put it up there, I'm sure this group has some pretty interesting practices and habits that we could all benefit from.
The pic is a photo of me on the patio with my puppy Bella, who as you can see has me trained pretty well when she gets half the bottom sleeping bag to herself!
We live in stockholm, wi just a minute from the big muddy. It's a beautiful area with wolves, bears, coyotes and all kinds of other wildlife, I'm so lucky to live here after having grown up in the suburbs. If every kid could have wide open space like this I think people would automatically be a lot healthier mentally than they are when they grow in the city.
What's it like living in Benoni? Like what foods are typical of the region? What kind of meat do you have access to? I love Africa, especially the wildlife. I used to volunteer at a wildcat shelter in northern MN and I'd get to work near big cats all day long and I just can't imagine seeing them in the wild, how amazing. Have you ever read or listened to the book Ingwe by Ingwe? I believe he grew up in south Africa and was taught by his native friends as a boy about tracking a wilderness awareness, fascinating read. Also Jim Corbett, who grew up in india and then retired in africa, an amazing nature writer, and my favorite author.
Title: Re: Hello - newbie raw meat gal from South Africa
Post by: Bronwen on February 01, 2011, 09:26:34 pm
Awesome sounds when you're in any of the reserves here - hyenas and lions at night are the best, but the nights are a cacophony of other sounds. I love the nightjars as well. I've got a dog too -Tyla. Small scruffy terrier type, great at hunting lizards....maybe one day in desperation I might try one! LOL!! I feed him a BARF diet - mainly raw meat and bones, rest bland of plant foods - some fruit, veg, greens. Eggs. he thrives on it. Now I can share my lamb bones with him...
What's it like living in Benoni? Like what foods are typical of the region? What kind of meat do you have access to? I love Africa, especially the wildlife. I used to volunteer at a wildcat shelter in northern MN and I'd get to work near big cats all day long and I just can't imagine seeing them in the wild, how amazing. Have you ever read or listened to the book Ingwe by Ingwe? I believe he grew up in south Africa and was taught by his native friends as a boy about tracking a wilderness awareness, fascinating read. Also Jim Corbett, who grew up in india and then retired in africa, an amazing nature writer, and my favorite author.
Benoni is OK - suburbs, but quiet. Lots of trees, we live near a dam which is part of a long extended wetland area with connected walks the whole way along, so do long walks there. Great birdlife. Temperate area, so soft temperate fruits - peaches, plums, etc do well here; also farmlands - mainly smallholdings subsistence style or to sell at farmers markets; veg - pretty much anything, I grow all my own greens. About two hours out the general city areas start moving into areas where there are lots of private game farms. One of my yoga students owns one, and I will be getting venison from them soon....not sure what, but a share of what they shoot for the pot.
Wildcat experience sounds fantastic. Haven't read any of those authors, but recently read "The Elephant Whisperer" by Lawrence Anthony, quite amazing.
Not quite brave enough to put the squat thing on yet. Either you do and I'll reply, or I'll become more familiar with folk on the forum and then hit them with it!
Title: Re: Hello - newbie raw meat gal from South Africa
Post by: CitrusHigh on February 06, 2011, 01:05:30 pm
hey Bronwen, I posted our topic under the members only health section only to be told that one like that has already been created (ha I should have figured!) Anyway, KD beat us to it, turns out it is pretty interesting as expected...
Title: Re: Hello - newbie raw meat gal from South Africa
Post by: rawcarni on February 06, 2011, 04:44:03 pm
Hey Bronwen, One day I will go back to SA (I was working over there for almost a year) and then we will have to meet ;). I love, love, love your country! Nicole
Title: Re: Hello - newbie raw meat gal from South Africa
Post by: Bronwen on February 06, 2011, 08:04:40 pm
Hey Bronwen, One day I will go back to SA (I was working over there for almost a year) and then we will have to meet ;). I love, love, love your country! Nicole
Hi Nicole It would be great to have you to visit if you returned here! Where were you working and what were you doing? Bronwen
Title: Re: Hello - newbie raw meat gal from South Africa
Post by: Bronwen on February 06, 2011, 08:06:38 pm
hey Bronwen, I posted our topic under the members only health section only to be told that one like that has already been created (ha I should have figured!) Anyway, KD beat us to it, turns out it is pretty interesting as expected...
Ha! I wondered if there would be anything there already! I will check it out. KD and I had replied to another thread about 'bowel movements', and both of us mentioned squatting, so of all people I figured he would probably have posted something.
Title: Re: Hello - newbie raw meat gal from South Africa
Post by: rawcarni on February 06, 2011, 09:44:41 pm
Hi Nicole It would be great to have you to visit if you returned here! Where were you working and what were you doing? Bronwen
Hey Bronwen, I worked in Sabie (Mpumalanga) at York Timbers. It was during my forestry studies. Did lots of different things during my stay. cheers Nicole
Title: Re: Hello - newbie raw meat gal from South Africa
Post by: KD on February 07, 2011, 12:36:40 am
Yeah, him! I enjoy your posts you know, I think you are a bit like me - no half measures if you decide to go for something. Find out as much as you can and experiment. Keep what works, chuck what doesn't and let people know what you've discovered. It's up to them to decide what to do with the info!
Title: Re: Hello - newbie raw meat gal from South Africa
Post by: Bronwen on February 07, 2011, 01:16:57 am
Hey Bronwen, I worked in Sabie (Mpumalanga) at York Timbers. It was during my forestry studies. Did lots of different things during my stay. cheers Nicole
Sabie is where I spent half my childhood holidays! My dad grew up there - his step-father was accountant at one of the big timber companies there. So we spent many holidays visiting my grandparents. They then retired to an orange farm in the Hazyview area - fab holidays we had there. Unfortunately farm got sold when they passed on.
Title: Re: Hello - newbie raw meat gal from South Africa
Post by: KD on February 07, 2011, 01:53:21 am
Yeah, him! I enjoy your posts you know, I think you are a bit like me - no half measures if you decide to go for something. Find out as much as you can and experiment. Keep what works, chuck what doesn't and let people know what you've discovered. It's up to them to decide what to do with the info!
Sure. I can definitely say that based in my years of wasting time on such things that this forum has the highest percentage of really intelligent people..many people are possibly even healthy too..which is a big step up from other health forums.
Its one thing to become attached to one theory or another...particularly when it actually works to make us healthier in the real world, but like any health forum people seem to take things personally rather than try something out if something outside that zone appears to be beneficial. To find out someone like eats butter or something is to immediately have to find some kind of explanation as to why that won't be good or how something absolutely completely different is like 'better' or whatever. And i'm always like OK, so how can you compare 20 oranges, a piece of lettuce and a slice of sashimi to a keto diet that includes pastured meats and raw butter and limits carbs when these diets create totally different circumstances in the body?...and yet its always like" well no one eats 20 oranges a slice of sashimi and a piece of lettuce a day". Nevermind that the actual context is basically suggesting anything raw and paleo will lead to better health for like everyone. So to me 90% of the conflicts here I get into seem to amounts to:
"Momma's meatballs taste the best!"
with me saying like..umm OK
not from where I'm sitting. :)
Title: Re: Hello - newbie raw meat gal from South Africa
Post by: Bronwen on February 07, 2011, 03:15:53 am
Sure. I can definitely say that based in my years of wasting time on such things that this forum has the highest percentage of really intelligent people..many people are possibly even healthy too..which is a big step up from other health forums.
100% agreed....I only joined beginning of January and that has been the feeling I get - intelligent and pretty healthy people here. And most of them have 'been around' as far as exploring different diets, so a mass of info to be shared. Tho some of the debates seem to degenerate into taking things personally as you point out......but that's only 'cos people get attached to certain theories and then completely identify themselves with them. So any criticism of a certain WOE becomes a criticism of themselves. Whereas an open-minded approach may lead you to discover something you can add or drop to make "Momma's meatballs taste even better"....... But part of what I like about this forum is that the majority of folk on it have actually made more dramatic (and braver??!!) changes to previous WOE in order to change their health than on other forums....not too stuck in rigidity from that aspect.
Title: Re: Hello - newbie raw meat gal from South Africa
Post by: Louna on February 08, 2011, 06:31:34 pm
Hi Bronwen :)
I came from fruitarianism (and after a little time in 811) and now I enjoy a lot meat. I also do Yoga as a great passion and will start studies to become professor. I am interested to know about if you observe some changements in your practice since you eat some meat. At differents levels : Physical (flexibility, force...), psychological, spiritual...
My thoughts now about ehtic, is that it is not easy to be in peace with eating animals in this time of society but I'm not sure that the very ancients yogis were vegetarians. Also cereals destroy the planet (for vegetarians) more than eating animals does (grass fedded) and eating fruits destroy our self... We can just have the attitude of animals who eat because they need and we can added consciousness of respect and by the path of tantra take pleasure.
Title: Re: Hello - newbie raw meat gal from South Africa
Post by: Bronwen on February 09, 2011, 08:36:02 pm
I came from fruitarianism (and after a little time in 811) and now I enjoy a lot meat.
Hi Louna - good to hear from you. I have seen some of your posts since you started on the raw paleo diet, and seen your challenges to find a balance between fruitarianism and carnivorism!! Glad to see you posted yesterday that you are feeling good now on less fruit, more vegetables and lots of meat. I have also had a lot of confusion since I started. I know too much fruit makes me more anxious and tense and I don't sleep well (active mind), but didn't know where to find the balance between fruit, veg and meat. None of it gives me any particularly major health problems, tho raw veg other than greens give me bloating and often a sore stomach the next day. For now I have found the balance between fruit in the morning, and greens and meat in the afternoon. Will see how it goes.
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I also do Yoga as a great passion and will start studies to become professor. I am interested to know about if you observe some changements in your practice since you eat some meat. At differents levels : Physical (flexibility, force...), psychological, spiritual...
I have only been eating meat since the beginning of the year, and eating less fruit, and definitely I have noticed that: - I feel much stronger (a deep inner physical strength) in my yoga practice - I have more energy physically and have added an extra class to my teaching schedule, and haven't had the feeling I sometimes used to get of not having enough mental or physical energy to teach a class - I feel more flexible, but I suspect this is because muscle tension has lessened from eating less fruit and generally feeling less anxious - a definite lessening in habitual neck and shoulder tension - psychologically feel more confident and positive, and I seem to be attracting lots more students to my classes (don't know whether this coincidence or not, but I feel that it is related to a change in diet) - difficult to assess true psychological/spiritual effects at this stage, because I have been quite stressed at changing the diet and figuring out what will work for me, finding sources of meat etc. So my mind has been very busy with those worries, but my meditation and yoga practice has been stabilising in terms of helping me always to see the broader perspective and helping me access my own truth about what I should be doing (I have read SOOO much conflicting stuff out there, all very confusing
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My thoughts now about ehtic, is that it is not easy to be in peace with eating animals in this time of society but I'm not sure that the very ancients yogis were vegetarians. Also cereals destroy the planet (for vegetarians) more than eating animals does (grass fedded) and eating fruits destroy our self... We can just have the attitude of animals who eat because they need and we can added consciousness of respect and by the path of tantra take pleasure.
Yes, I battled with this initially. I'm not sure about the ancient yogis, but in Ayurveda animal foodstuffs are used if necessary for health. I think a lot of one's personal choice depends on the reasons for choosing a particular diet. It is said that to reach the highest levels of consciousness, one has to be vegan. But I think we have to consider our path in this life and whether that is what we are called to do or not. It may be that health should be first priority to enable one to fulfill one's chosen path, and fulfilling one's chosen path is a spiritual practice in itself anyway. I feel that I am called to teach and pass on the wisdom of yoga, and in order to do that I have to keep myself healthy physically as well as spiritually. So if eating meat helps me physically, then I need to find a way of seeing that as a spiritual practice as well. Nothing in this universe is separated from 'Source' or "truth' or 'God', whatever you choose to call it, so we need to find that essence in everything we do. As long as it is done with respect for all life, with honesty, moderation and non-greed. Part of the mystery of life is that death needs to happen in order for life to continue, on every level. Agriculture for grains and fruit destroys plenty of life in the process, so vegans are not exempt from killing (it is just done with no awareness). The same goes for factory farming of animals – mindless killing for greed, and mindlessness on the part of people who eat from such places. But I think if we can respect the sacredness of life, ensure that we only take sufficient for our needs and not for greed, and ensure the animals have lived a natural, happy and contented life, and express our gratitude for the life of that animal, then we are on our way to a more ethical approach.
I think it is a topic that has vast scope for discussion and debate. But I feel Ok about it now, and my Vipassana meditation helps a lot –helping me maintain eqanimity and a state of balance and seeing the whole perspective, the basic truth being that nothing is permanent (things are constantly rising up and falling away) and therefore it is pointless either become attached to or repelling anything. But within that state, always maintaining basic moral principles of respect for all life. Here is a post from earlier in this thread which was useful:
Bronwen, hi. You might try the pages of beyondveg.com. They have or had an 'enlightening' article describing just how many animals are killed when tractors farm with discs, or with orchards and the killing of ground animals that would otherwise descimate the fruit tree's roots. The examples are many. Bottom line is that when you eat beef, you may eat one cow a year. When you eat carrots and beans, and fruits, you actually are killing hundreds of animals (albeit, small ones) each year. We tend to value a larger animal more than say a rabbit or snake or ground squirrel. The other point is, all well cared for and humanely killed large animals live a glorious life that they never would have had the chance to live if not for you. And they aren't left in the wake of a tractors harrow or discs bleeding to death from being cut in half or dismembered. Maybe this might help. Oh, and you might try eating your beef separate from your salads. Salads tend to diminish the acid level needed to handle meat, especially if coming from a veg. orientated diet. All the best, Van
Bye for now, Bronwen
Title: Re: Hello - newbie raw meat gal from South Africa
Post by: Louna on February 12, 2011, 04:25:02 am
Thank you for your nice answer Bronwen.
I also feel more flexible, have more strengh in yoga posture, and my spirit is far more calm, less thaughts and more concentration when I eat not very much fruits. Like you I can do many more things with lit of pleasure and have greats feed-backs, connections with others. :)
Sometimes I fast and then I feel some extatics moments, every cells vibrate very intensively.
Title: Re: Hello - newbie raw meat gal from South Africa
Post by: Bronwen on February 13, 2011, 12:56:31 am
Sometimes I fast and then I feel some extatics moments, every cells vibrate very intensively.
Yes, I also get that if I fast - the feeling of cells vibrating very intensely!
Title: Re: Hello - newbie raw meat gal from South Africa
Post by: rawcarni on February 13, 2011, 05:47:21 pm
Hey Bronwen, what a funny coincidence with Sabie ;). I am still planning to go back to SA one day. I really did fell in love with it obviously :D. I also ate raw vegan for some time-now I have been eating ZC for some time and the difference with regards to how my brain functions is amazing! My mind is much calmer, my thoughts cearer. did give me also some physical benefits though.
Sorry if you answered already: How long have you been eating fruitarian? Nicole
Title: Re: Hello - newbie raw meat gal from South Africa
Post by: Bronwen on February 13, 2011, 07:39:59 pm
Sorry if you answered already: How long have you been eating fruitarian? Nicole
Hi Nicole
RAw vegan since about 2004, then discovered 811 end of 2006, and tried on and off with that ever since....every time I went to two meals of fruit a day I could never last longer than a month, and would revert back to one fruit meal, one salad meal (but had periods where that turned into mixed raw and cooked veg). Was never 100% fruitarian though, always eaten lots of greens.