Diet

Someone kindly left a comment on the Fear & Diet post below. It is an argument I've come across before and needs attention so I'll answer it here. The comment:

I'd go with the meat comment. It definitely has a negative effect on my emotions, usually the following day. However, a few years back when I was extremely run down meat was the only food that enabled me to rebuild my strength. Some people thrive on a vegetarian diet, some people seem to need some meat. Evolution. We have been eating meat for millenia and can't be expected (as a species) to change overnight.

My reply:

I'm not sure I buy these arguments. I'm sure if you'd spent more time & intelligence rebuilding your strength on a vegan diet your energy would have benefitted. I have a lot of experience of students going vegetarian or vegan and then complaining to me that they feel weak or rundown. I'm usually standing in front of them listening to this and marvelling at the same time how much freer and stronger and more refined and lighter their energy feels. My teacher always says that the way you feel is only an opinion of the way you are. The image he used to use was that of ships bobbing up and down on the ocean. The movements of the boats are your feelings. The ocean however is your energy. One is not necessarily an accurate image of the other. If you were a habitual smoker and gave up overnight you'd feel bad for weeks. Maybe it's the same when giving up unhealthy anything, including food or bad company. No one needs meat. Some people may need more protein than others. This can always come from a vegan source. It just takes time for the body to adjust. A vegan or vegetarian diet also needs more care and attention that a meat diet. The food resides within you for a much shorter time (reducing chances of cancers and other ailments of the alimentary canal) but also making you feel hungry more regularly. A good diet must be planned and balanced carefully. Like I said before, it depends how far you're prepared to go.