a pack of cigarettes ?

Not really, I think tobacco, curbs your appetite.
William

So the food industry is responsible for an overweight populace? Perhaps we need more government regulation.



Well, first we need to establish an elite group of individuals who are aware that their senses, thoughts, ideas, and way of life are superior to those of everyone else around them. Then, these people need to establish strict guidelines and regulations determining what is "just right" and enforce those guidelines and regulations on the populace at large.

Now, obviously, some of the population will take issue with these enforced guidelines and regulations and attempt to create an underground supply of highly seasoned and delicious food. These people will need to be dealt with swiftly and harshly so that their gastronomical malfeasance not spread. Maybe the new "Government of Taste" could develop a pill or a shot or something that would dull everyone's tastebuds. Perhaps mandatory "Tastebud Sterilization Centers" could be established to deal with offenders? I think it's worth a shot, because, Good Lord, we can't have people walking around all tantalized and perhaps savoring to the fullest the brief amount of time alloted to them on this insignificant little planet.

Maybe the new "Taste Police" could have special uniforms, because nothing makes people like this happier than having a special uniform to wear . . . something with a brown shirt comes to mind.

I think it is when the soul seems something totally new and wants to try it out in order to figure out what it is. An experiment of sorts. Lots of times I've seen tantalizing women. But I have to watch myself ... if my girlfriend catches me looking, the experiment would end very badly. :surrender:

Rich

TTM and Rich, good points. How well you both express them. And I agree with both of you. Considering my gravity impared torso and my heart condition, I have a very restrictive food regimen. I have to watch carbohydrates and sodium very, very closely. And it is working. I have a very, very, very limited income and that forbids me going into "health food" establishments. I know, been there and done that. My achilles heel is bread. I love bread. And I am addicted to peanut butter, Ha. Now I know that is beside the point. But when you are on a very restricted program like mine, once you take sodium and carbs out of the picture or have to really watch it, all that is left is cardboard, ha, so to speak. The number one problem is "processed foods" and what is required to extend shelf life and repeat customers. The majority of the foods out there are saturated with carbs and sodium.

Now to my point. Now you have to understand exercise is very limited for me, though I am able to increase it little by little because gravity and me don't get along. But I am getting there. What so amazing when carbs are restricted the taste buds calm down and the body reaches an equillibrium in which I can only describe it as "calm". Hunger wanes tremendously or the desire to eat subsides tremendously. Now those who are small and have little body fat, and have metabolisms that can pulverize steel, need carbs or they will literally pass out. I've seen it happen.

Now we have a very overweight population and most of those folks fall into low income groups. Done my homework on this one. Nutritious healthy food should be made available to every one. The idea of food being a commodity "for sale" blows me away philosophically. Most of you know about my philolophy as it relates to all the "cost related" problems we have in this world; food is no exception.

The container that food comes in cost more than the food itself, in many cases. Of course "truffles" might be an exception along with caviar and Chateau Lafitte Rothchild and that coffee bean that is harvested digging through the stools of a monkey. Another Ha! You get my point, I hope.
Yes, I do believe when the metabolism and the immunes system is hitting on all eight cylinders the body can deal with just about anything it imbibes.

What is "just right" is food we eat to live, not live to eat". That's what just right is. How you can measure how good your diet is by the odor of your stool. Have you ever wondered where that ever popular phrase comes from, "...he acts as thought his $%^ don't stink". Look at "cow pattie" no odor what so ever. The odor is cause by bacteria that is created by the processing of our food, by and large; and we stink. Ha.
Rich, I will turn the floor over to you because you know a lot more about nutrition than I and I am open to your critique. I fully realize how so very important exercise is, but that, too can be carried to extreme.

William

Hi William,

For me, I can look at it like this.

The body is like an auto. It needs:

1) energy (the Chinese call this Qi), to move the blood and fluids. This is like the energy provided by the generator.
2) blood and fluids to nourish the body and remove toxins. This is similar to the function of oil in a car.

So to create these two necessary functions, it would be best to:

1) Clean water.
2) Clean air and good breathing.
3) Lots of nice clean vegetables.
4) A reasonable amount of clean fruits (not juices - too concentrated).
5) A good amount of whole grains.
6) Some small amounts of fish and poultry to taste.
7) Occasional meats if you like.
8) Nothing cold and very little raw (obstructs digestive process)
9) Very small amounts of non-water liquids.
10) Avoid processed foods especially sugars and dairy.

All this provides the raw material for creating healthy energy in the body. However, the body has to be well oiled so that it can digest and assimilate. That means getting plenty of movement in life (including sunlight) and avoid obstructions in the body, e.g. fat, stagnation caused by sitting around, stress related stagnation (clench your fist to understand what I mean), constrictions within the body caused by muscle building exercises, such as weight lifting.

A well functioning body can live quite a long time without any outside assistance. I do yoga, Tai Chi, Qigong daily as well as eat well, self-massage by body, and get plenty of sun and energy from walking around.

To everyone's Good Health!

Rich

I think the two posts were definitely in sync. I feel now everyone knows what tantalizing food is all about.

It's $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ signs!

William

---------- Post added at 08:39 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:26 PM ----------

Rich, in my sales career, I called on everone from bank presidents to shade tree mechanics. Among those were those establishments that sold memberhips like World Gym an others who had spent an enormous amount of money on life cyles, bar bells and various exercise equipment so people could get their bodies in shape. I would call on the owner, who would more often that not be a "Arnold" type, ripped to high heaven. Every single one of them had one very offensive trait; BAD BREATH. Would you please address that.
Thanks,
William

Hi William,

Yep. Blood stagnation. Relaxed movements and stretching are best.

Rich

I have found that a certain type of meditation, where you consciously make each muscle area "let go", stating from the head and working down..eyes, jaw, hands, butt, knees, and back up, while controlling breathing, results in a very distinct feeling of "melting" of the tightened muscles. After all, we can't "let go" of the knee tension very easily when walking.
The absolute key, though, is to not move a muscle.

the funny part is how the mind fights your intention to control the mind's activity through gaining the bodily control.

If you try , you find that right away, you get messages telling you to scratch your nose, wiggle about a bit in order to be more comfortable. Meanwhile the only direction you are attempting is to NOT MOVE.


the thoughts start coming : "Just a little adjustment here and there".
"this is bullshit". and so on. five minutes of not moving is a difficult task, even if lying down.

For me, the first time I felt everything relax, took twenty minutes. I became aware that I could not feel the position of my limbs, could only feel internal movements. I could feel, bit by bit, as the muscle regions slumped

the tightened muscles cannot perform as well, they restrict the speed and flow of movements, and strength is decreased from chronic tension.

not moving is the element that brings the ability to feel the relaxation happen. then you can extend that to relaxed movement.

all the instructions for imaging chakras and so on are just benvolent ploys to get you to stop worrying about the rent.


so many disciplines teach that you must relax..but how to relax...certainly, for me, not as Eli Bay suggests..image your feet turning to blocks of stone...no thanks, Mr. B.S.
and no imaging of good armies fighting bad armies inside your body.



On tantalization; problem with it is the seeking of subsequent recreation of the event.

Hi there,



Yes, this is common in yoga practice. It is one way to let go stress and relax. But also, I have observed, that a person who doesn't move becomes rusty like an auto that sits in a garage. The body is designed for movement as much as it is designed for still. So movement, I believe, should also be incorporated in a lifestyle.



In Taijiquan movement, I gradually move into a state where my Will (Chinese Zhi) no longer moves me. Instead I rely on my Creative/Imaginative Mind (Yi) to do this. In everyday life we are constantly using the Zhi to control and survive. The Yi does not get much of a chance to do anything, and then we have too much stress. Slow, relaxed movements such as drawing, Taijiquan, Argentina Tango, sculpture, music playing, etc. provide an opportunity for the Yi to express itself.



Yes, it is similar to the first time my students experience doing Taijiquan without any forced, willful movements. Their arms just seem to rise on their own as if floating on water.



Yes, I agree. This is a major barrier to good health.



Yes, survival (Zhi) does tend to overwhelm everything else.


There are many different ways to achieve relaxation with movement. Taijiquan, Swing, Salsa, and Tango dancing, table tennis are some of my favorites.

Rich

Do you notice the hands get red with lighter coloured dotting when the shoulders relax ?
I've had very strange experiences ( attn mods: tantalizing..still on topic ! :shifty: ) with different states of conscousness after falling alseep while meditating. You ?

Hi,

I have seen many physical changes occur during various practices. In many cases, I attribute the red color to better blood circulation which is normal when someone relaxes. The dots can be many things, but it may be some areas of either denser circulation or less circulation depending upon the color. Each situation is different so I just observe and learn.

Rich

It's a cultural problem, I think. The food industry exacerbates it, but it's not their fault when they're catering to a taste.

Look, my baby doesn't know good food from bad food. We don't give him sugary stuff, but he'll put broccoli, collard greens, carrots, okra, and even avocado in his mouth as quickly as he will something sweet. In fact yesterday he had mac and cheese with some broccoli for dinner, and when he was done I gave him some blueberries and cut up cherries. He was putting them in his mouth and alternating between the berries and the remaining macaroni and broccoli. My point is that it's all good to him -- he doesn't have this aversion to good food and gravitation towards sweet, sugary food.

We not only have this concept of "desert" that our parents (and society) hold over our head as a reward when we're little, but our deserts are either incredibly sweet, incredibly fatty, or incredibly salty -- and these ALL are satiating sensations. So we are conditioned in a way by these treats, which as such are the most psychologically rewarding to acquire and physically satiating to ingest.

It takes a lot of self-discipline to train ourselves out of gravitating towards bad food. There is a lot stacked against us.

To offset this horrible problem I suggest a diet coke to go along with your double meat cheeseburger and fries.