If our bodies are temples as many wise men have said, we should treat them with respect. This implies that we should be aware of everything we put into our bodies, and not disrespect or abuse them by ingesting unhealthy foods.

Eastern philosophy and medicine teaches us how our bodies seek balance and how various food items can upset that balance or restore it. Our health depends upon the quality, quantity and nature of what we eat.

Modern society treats all food items as commodities, and as people lose touch with their agrarian roots, their awareness and concern about what they eat fades. Complicated lists of ingredients in industrially processed foods are meaningless to most people. Likewise, the impact of such foods upon their bodies, much less upon society as a whole is ignored.

To live a healthy, balanced life, requires an awareness of what constitutes a healthy diet and the knowledge of various alternatives to the commercially processed products being mass-marketed.

This class will explain these alternative diets, why they are healthier than eating processed foods, how to heal and regenerate your body through conscious dieting and fasting.

By understanding your own body and its response to various food items, you can consciously improve your health. And by consuming healthy foods you help restore the balance to the greater society which has become overly dependent upon processed, unnatural, and unhealthy foods.

Syllabus

I will introduce various holistic diets, one at a time, explaining how they work to keep you healthy. Students will be expected to select one diet to try themselves for a period of time (at least a month). After that period, students will report back about the experience and any observable changes to their physical and mental health.


For each diet, there will be at least one book reference for students to research.

If students need to purchase these books, please use our links below so the Free School gets a small percentage of each sale. Thanks!

Tentatively here are the books:
http://www.hipmarket.com/bookstore/kulvinskas.gif
Survival in the 21st Century (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0933278047/hippylandhippiem) by Victoras Kulvinskas (Raw Foods)


Mucusless Diet Healing System (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0879040041/hippylandhippiem) by Arnold Ehret (Mucus-Free diet & Fasting)

To Buy or Not to Buy Organic: What You Need to Know to Choose the Healthiest, Safest, Most Earth-Friendly Food (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1569242682/hippylandhippiem) by Cindy Burke (Organic Foods)

World Peace Diet: Eating for Spiritual Health and Social Harmony (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1590560833/hippylandhippiem) by Will Tuttle


The Raw Food Detox Diet: The Five-Step Plan for Vibrant Health and Maximum Weight Loss (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0060834374/hippylandhippiem) by Natalia Rose


The New Becoming Vegetarian: The Essential Guide To A Healthy Vegetarian Diet (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1570671443/hippylandhippiem)
by Vesanto Melina


Hope's Edge: The Next Diet for a Small Planet (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1585422371/hippylandhippiem) by Frances Moore Lappe

Disclaimers: I have practiced some of the diets I will be teaching. I was a vegetarian for 11 years, and a vegan for most of that time. I have many friends who've benefited from the various diets we will be discussing, so I know their value to our health.

However, I am not currently following any of these diets specifically, although I incorporate their wisdom into everything I eat!


If you are under a doctor's care, or are taking medications, you should discuss your diet plan with your doctor to find out about any side effects such a diet might have upon your medications. This is especially true for anyone considering fasting for more than a day. Some meds must be taken with solid food, so beware of what you do! :)

This course is for educational purposes. None of what is discussed is to be considered advice for your personal situation. Whether you follow any of the outlined diets or fasts is completely your responsibility, as is the outcome of such a change in your usual diet. The instructor bears no responsibility whatsoever.

I'll give the raw food detox diet a try. I have alot of 'stuff' to get rid of. Just ordered the book, we'll see how it goes.

I'll give the raw food detox diet a try. I have alot of 'stuff' to get rid of. Just ordered the book, we'll see how it goes.I haven't read that one yet, but it's got great reviews, and apparently it's very popular, and probably part of the recent raw foods fad.

The last raw food fad was 35 years ago! Now they have restaurants (esp. in my region) that specialize in just raw foods. :) What a change of consciousness (for some anyways - for others it's just another weird diet fad!)

But a Raw foods diet is worth trying.

I haven't started a thread on that, but I will soon.

I will mention here that students needn't dive right into a new diet 100% in the beginning. It's usually better to ease your way into a new diet gradually, perhaps just one meal a day, to learn what things you like to eat and to let your body adapt to the changes.

You also don't want to go too far too soon because you might have a more difficult time adapting and get discouraged.

Fasting in particular needs to be approached gradually. Some people have great difficulty attempting say a week long fast right away.

I'll discuss this more in the fasting thread. :)

I already have the Raw Food Detox Diet book....it's a great book even though I am not a raw foodist

I currently own "The New Becoming A Vegetarian", which I found quite helpful in crafting my current diet, although the first "Diet for a Small Planet" was the reason that I became a vegetarian. The mucusless diet seemed quite interesting to me, although I do not eat to lose weight. I feel that the word "diet" has a very negative connotation in our society, as if it is something we have to do unwillingly, a sacrifice. For this reason, I don't consider what I eat to be a "diet", but rather a lifestyle choice.

I currently own "The New Becoming A Vegetarian", which I found quite helpful in crafting my current diet, although the first "Diet for a Small Planet" was the reason that I became a vegetarian. The mucusless diet seemed quite interesting to me, although I do not eat to lose weight. I feel that the word "diet" has a very negative connotation in our society, as if it is something we have to do unwillingly, a sacrifice. For this reason, I don't consider what I eat to be a "diet", but rather a lifestyle choice.Welcome to the class! :)

I didn't feel good using the word diet either, but there aren't too many synonyms I could use...

The mucusless diet isn't a weight loss diet, but a permanent lifestyle diet for health, so that concurs with what you're seeking.

Other than fasting, none of the diets we will be discussing in this class have the sole goal of weight loss. In fact the fasts are more for cleansing than weight loss too.

I asked whether people considered themselves currently overweight to see if that is the reason they want to change their diet, as opposed to other reasons.

I can almost guarantee that any of the diets we discuss will result in weight loss if the student is currently on a typical American type diet with lots of processed foods full of fats.

But that shouldn't be the primary goal of adopting any of these diets. The goal should be better health overall, and a growing awareness of how food affects your health. If weight loss occurs, then that is a beneficial side effect, not the goal. OK?

Sounds good to me. I just wanted to eat healthier; don't want to have to buy all new tye-dyed shirts. Peace be with you!!!

"you are what you eat" was something I heard from my dad the whole time I was growing up. To bad after us kids grew up & left home he stopped taking his own advice.
Did you realize that there are cookbooks with the same title as this thread
http://www.youarewhatyoueat.tv/xtras/books.asp

Welcome to the class! :)

I didn't feel good using the word diet either, but there aren't too many synonyms I could use...

why not? what we eat, that's our diet. I think people are just used to giving it a different connotation, thinking of weight loss and such, but we are always on a diet, OUR diet :)

why not? what we eat, that's our diet. I think people are just used to giving it a different connotation, thinking of weight loss and such, but we are always on a diet, OUR diet :)Good point! :)

Did u ever notice that you have to spell D-I-E first before u finish the word diet?
I would like to lose weight but I don't want to die trying.

Did u ever notice that you have to spell D-I-E first before u finish the word diet?
I would like to lose weight but I don't want to die trying.LOL! I love pulling words apart like that to find their hidden meanings... ;)

Diet Definition: "regular food," c.1225, from O.Fr. diete, from M.L. dieta "parliamentary assembly," also "a day's work, diet, daily food allowance," from L. diaeta "prescribed way of life," from Gk. diaita, originally "way of life, regimen, dwelling," from diaitasthai "lead one's life," and from diaitan, originally "separate, select" (food and drink), often with a sense of restriction since 14c.; hence put (someone) on a diet (c.1440). The verb meaning "to regulate oneself as to food" (especially against fatness) is from 1660. An obsolete word for this is banting (q.v.). The adj. in this sense (Diet Coke, etc.) is from 1963, originally Amer.Eng.

Source: http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?l=d&p=9 (http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?l=d&p=9)

Interesting that it originally meant 'way of life' in the original Greek. That is much closer to the definition I have in mind when I use it.

Owsley firmly believes that the natural human diet is a totally carnivorous one, thus making it a zero-carb diet, and that all vegetables are toxic. He claims to have eaten almost nothing but meat, eggs, butter and cheese since 1959. He also claims that his body has not aged as much as the bodies of those who eat a more "normal" diet. He is convinced that insulin, released by the pancreas when carbohydrates are ingested, is the cause of much damage to human tissue and that both forms of diabetes mellitus are caused by the ingestion of carbohydrates.



--Skip, I know you have met Bear and read your comments on him before. I just wondered what you made of this or if you knew anything about his diet...

Yes, the Owsley Bullshit diet is well known by debunkers! ;)

Next time you talk to him, ask him about his health presently....

His arteries are probably ready to give out by now.

He does live in a very UNPOLLUTED area, so that would help.

But I really doubt that diet is real. He'd have to take dietary supplements for essential vitamins.

I've never met Bear, but I've communicated with him. I wasn't impressed with his current condition and attitude, but hey, he can do what he wants.

Hello, everybody. I am new to this class.
I've been a Vegetarian for a couple years now... but that doesn't mean I eat a very healthy diet. At first, I focused on eating healthy things... but lately, I haven't had a whole lot of money... so I've been eating whatever junk is in this house... pizza, french fries, cake, ice cream, etc...

The only good thing I've done for my body lately is ditch sodas and drink more water.

I am seriously overweight... and it seems like no matter what I do, my weight stays the same. My metabolism is shot from all the yo-yo dieting and lack of exercise. I'm trying to get into some sort of fitness program like Tai Chi or Yoga, that way I can benefit from it spiritually as well as physically.

I want to lose weight for my health, not my appearance. I already have an amazing boyfriend who I know loves me and finds me beautiful... and I guess I don't think I'm too bad-looking... but I've been having a lot of back problems and I think my weight might me the main contributor in that.