A few weeks ago, I received a call asking me why some of the nursing teachers died of degenerative diseases. During the conversation, he said that he had statistics and found that the lifespan of the food was lower than the average life span of the country. I was happy to talk to him because I was writing about this topic. The number of people asking such questions has increased over the past few years and I have read some misconceptions and misinformation. Here are my views.
First of all, I must say that in my experience, I have never seen anyone gain any benefit from the practice of nourishment - even those who have gone after nourishment for a long time. . All have benefited, and over the years I have seen and heard many miracles.
Secondly, I know there are successful mentors, and even some say they never fail. However, I also met the real people do not succeed very well. Why is that? Maybe they do not research on nutrition, maybe they do not choose the right foods for their body, maybe they eat too much and forget that the amount of metabolism, maybe they are too passive, they forget that activity Exercise is equally important.
When the method of nourishment is not effective for some people, they are more likely to blame their practice and understanding than to understand what nourishment is. When the consultant actually takes care of due to degenerative diseases not because they are not practicing or lacking in knowledge. Sure, they know what's good and they do not want to be that way. People start asking questions about diet and some people feel it has dangerous mistakes.
I do not intend to analyze each specific case, the comments will be discussed later. In my opinion, these dangerous mistakes stem from a lack of thorough and accurate understanding of the method of nourishment. I have a series on "The Real Macrobiotic Diet" in Macrobiotics Today, which we will discuss more deeply about the misconceptions about the method of healing there.
How important is food?
Most people think that therapeutic treatment is meaningful, we can emphasize the following basic, eat good food in the amount appropriate to the physical condition, needs, purpose. From this point of view, health is 100% determined by food intake.
Years ago, I asked Herman Aihara what percentage of food constituted a person's health.
He said "5%".
"Great! That's exactly what I thought. "
He left for a while and suddenly turned around with a mischievous smile. "But that was the most important 5%."
Which right? In the broadest sense, food is "anything that nourishes or stimulates you." It includes all thoughts, emotions, senses ... as important as eating. Understanding this is not very common, so I'm referring to food as a 5% theory.
The dangers of nutrition are that food is all we need to stay healthy. This leads to being too strict and worried about food "I have eaten tomatoes! What will happen to me? "(In vegetarian, carrots, bamboo shoots, mushrooms, cucumbers, mushrooms, etc.) or" I only chewed 20 times instead of 50 times ". It will lead to failure to recognize the factors that affect health. You have to understand that nourishment consists of all the factors that affect your life, not your diet.
In my opinion, this fatal flaw is due to the fact that people do not know how to actually nourish. We should take a holistic view of the method of nourishment in the first place when they come to this method even if they apply only a small part. I find very few people writing that the method of nourishment is not just a diet. Change that and write about nourishment as a way of life that is happy, free, peaceful, united, omnipotent.
I can not exactly know what people eat the last time. To be sure, I have eaten with Herman Aihara, Michio Kushi and many other nutritionists over the years. If you are not with them, how do you know what they eat the last time? Imagine how surprised I was when Herman said that during his time at the French Meadows camp he ate donuts and coffee every day for four years.
Did not Herman know that it was harmful to health? Why did he do that? Has Herman practiced nourishment at this point or not, and if not, why not? Had to donuts and coffee the only reason why Herman had heart disease and died? Let's look at some of the health determinants, in which "food" is understood in a broad sense.
Spirituality
No question asked whether Herman knew that donuts and coffee were harmful to his health. These things have had a negative impact on Herman's health, which reminds us of the theory of nutrition. If you break the order of the universe, you will pay the price no matter who you are. Why did Herman do that? We probably can not know all the reasons. He said he did it to atone for not eating mochi with his mother's sugar when he left Japan for the United States.
Herman believes that there is spiritual attachment to his mother and his actions show her love. Herman often teaches to give up what he likes to develop spiritually. In this case, Herman gave up the most important thing - his physical. Ohsawa takes 30 to 50 years (10 to 20 years if very diligent) to achieve spiritual emancipation. If anyone I knew had reached such a release, it was Herman.
One year before Herman's death, Herman had fallen into the Feather River while fishing and almost drowned. Cornellia believes that this is what makes Herman weak. I disagree. Recalling this, Herman has extensive experience in water and coping with drowning. Herman said that the more he struggled, the worse the situation. At that moment he suddenly saw Ohsawa's face and it was so beautiful. He stopped struggling and relaxed, accepting anything that happened to fate. At that time, Herman was rescued by someone. I found this experience profoundly affected him.
The role of the spirit needs to be explored more. In the case of Herman, he knew who he was, where he came from, and where he was going. In my opinion, I felt Herman ready to leave. I do not blame him. Herman donuts and coffee are a manifestation of freedom and nourishment. Is that his judgment or choice?
One reason that people in general and nourishment instructors in particular eat non-food is to integrate into the community. Maybe Herman went to the donuts shop to get along with everyone. There, he could talk to his friends about fishing. He does not need to explain yin and yang and not talk about nourishment. He's just Herman.
I was with Herman and Dr. Anthony Sattilaro shortly before Sattilaro died. Dr. Sattilaro explained that he chose not to practice yoga because whenever he talked about yoga he was ostracized by his colleagues. His social needs are more important than eating and nibbling to live longer. This is another example of the need for harmony with others and an expression of freedom.
Herman told me to keep a friend instead of keeping the diet. The best thing to do is to do both, but not always. Such situations will lead to stress and reduce your energy. Worries about eating certain foods are more detrimental than eating them.
Water
"Drink as little water as possible." Another dangerous mistake involves drinking water. I believe that Ohsawa wants to advise people to drink enough water. However, when he came to America, he saw many people drink too much water, leading to kidney failure. Of course, what they drink is mainly coffee, beer, wine, beverage. So he advises people to drink as little water as possible. He did not intend to advise people not to drink water.
In the early years of my life, I stopped drinking. Drinking too little water is as dangerous as drinking plenty of fluids. After a while without drinking water, my thirst mechanism did not work and I did not feel thirsty. A few years later, I drank at least 2 liters of water a day, then my thirst was self-adjusting, so I could drink water when I was thirsty.
Adaptability
If there is a word that defines health, then the word will be the flexibility - the ability to adapt or change. For me, including the novice practitioner who is sick, proves they need to change. Nourishment is a philosophy of change. If you think that you can not adapt or change, you are not a good practitioner. I find many other nurses quite conservative and lack the flexibility in thinking.
One of Herman's most important lessons was "Hold or Drop." Here is a quote from his book "Kaleidoscope".
"In fact, happiness comes when you start to give up and it does not come when you keep going.
For example, when you start practicing, you are happy that you have left the meat or cheese. Then, when you like brown rice and miso soup, you (also) need to give up. Many are unhappy because they are stuck in brown rice with miso. When you cure with brown rice, you are not only healed by brown rice but by what you have given up. So if you get sick next time [and are still stuck in brown rice, miso ...], it will be impossible to heal because you have only brown rice, miso and soy sauce to give up.
Therefore, be cautious about continually enlarging the I. The trend of nourishment is the opposite [ie the more practiced the more liberal, free]. Do not trade the rice for happiness. "
Cigarette
When I went to the Cornellia Aihara Academy, everyone smoked, only I was not smoking. At one time I drove Herman from Oroville to San Francisco, Herman took out a cigarette.
I blurted out "Herman, you should quit smoking"
"You are right". He dropped the cigarette in the packet and threw it out the window.
"Herman, you should not throw it away on the highway!" I shouted.
"We're fine ... Okay, turn around, maybe I need cigarettes," Herman said in a calm voice.
I considered and decided to continue driving. Later, I learned that he intended to quit smoking because he did not want to make a bad example for his daughter.
I am very happy to see Roy Collin's article on smoking in the March-April issue of Macrobiotics Today. There is no doubt that smoking and smoking are one of the factors affecting human health. On several occasions, Herman told me that if Ohsawa was alive he would change his view of smoking because he had much evidence that it caused Ohsawa's death in 1966. I believe Herman always Encourage everyone, including those who teach smoking cessation as soon as possible.
I was in Europe in 1991 when I heard that Aveline Kushi had cancer. In my conversation with everyone, I was surprised that no one considered smoking a factor. Again, cigarettes are one of many influences on human health. Another factor in Aveline's case is overwork for many years in helping others. Many real-life instructors spend more time helping others but forget about their health.
Air pollution (photochemical smog)
This brings us to a related subject, the quality of air we breathe. I recently read an amazing confession from the National Park Service that, "On some days, the air quality of the Smoky Mountains National Park has dropped to a point where it is at risk. "Imagine the air quality in Los Angeles and other major cities. In California, eight (out of ten) cities have an atmosphere that is not good for human health
Ohsawa lived in a time of cleaner atmosphere than now. At present, air pollution is a major contributor to human health, especially in large cities, near industrial plants, and near agricultural areas where trees are sprayed. matter. You should replace them with organic foods, but when you are near the pollution you can not avoid the chemical completely. I live next to the air spray so I can not work outside. in the worst air time of the year.
If there is a strict practitioner, it is Cecile Levin. Her student confirmed to me that. Living in Los Angeles with a heavily polluted atmosphere is probably more harmful to her health, especially in the later years of her life. While fighting cancer and heart disease, clean air and pure mineral water are extremely important.
Danger from the environment
Macrobiotics Today (March / April and May / June 2002) featured Lynda Mathé's excellent writings on "Health and Earth Connections." In her first post, Lynda stated that Earth's energy Affecting us, the areas causing stress are closely related to the Earth's energy and those areas are related to cancer. How can we know that geriatric nursing teachers have suffered from geopathic stress unless we tested their home and workplace?
In the second article, Lynda "... explores the electromagnetic rays generated by technology, and how to deal with them. "She gave great ideas to deal with the effects of electromagnetic fields are increasing rapidly. One of the reasons we moved from Chico Oroville was because there was a building that would affect health.
Homes are now full of toxic products. How do we know if the people who teach nourishment replace them with natural products? In addition, clothing and cosmetics also need to consider.
Stress
Stress is one of the factors that affect our health. When we eat unsuitable foods that lead to systemic intoxication, it reduces the body's ability to heal. Pollution and stress levels are what we face, which leads to a decline in the immune system. However, love from family and friends helps us have a lot of energy to deal with stress.
A person can be stressed out when they do not feel the love. Stress for work, financial stress, stress for loss ... and during that time they become exhausted in energy. I wrote about this vicious circle in Pocket Guide to Macrobiotics (p. 106).
"Unusual fears cause T-cells to stagnate, which can weaken the immune system, leading to illness, and when we get sick, we have greater fears. Repeatedly so. "
If you are not with them 24/7, understand their thoughts and feelings, how do you know if stress is affecting them? We love Herman, but can he feel that love? Could it have been obscured by other concerns that drained his vital energy and judgment?
Other factors to consider are the amount of sun exposure, exercise, sleep quality, etc. According to Herman, Ohsawa only sleeps 2-3 hours per night. Sleeping too little is one of the factors leading to Ohsawa's early death.
It is all in the attitude
Having a woman to the center, she spent her whole life selling cosmetics. She had cancer and was determined to heal. She is very positive, always looking optimistic forward. While healing, she always helps others understand the dangers of the products she has sold for many years. She did a great "spiritual nourishment".
Another man came to the center with his daughter's introduction. He did not have any faith in the method of nourishment, he had negative thoughts about nourishment. During his time in the center, he was surprised to see his pain diminished but he did not believe the change in diet played a role.
In my opinion, if the food factor is 5% health then the attitude factor is 50% or more. A positive attitude, less negative thoughts are very important. I suspect that not all nursing instructors have a positive view of the nursing process. If one's belief is that eating food means never being sick and then being sick, thinking negatively or fearing that the body can not heal itself can be a factor in restriction of resilience.
A person's attitude is very important because it determines whether we are flexible or dare to try new things - in other words, how to change. This applies to newcomers to TD and those who have been vegetarian for the past several years, honestly considering their condition and needs.
One of the reasons for writing this article is because a lot of people ask questions about it. Basically, what they want to know is whether or not they are nursing. They are afraid that nutrition does not suit them. What you need to keep in mind is that each person is different, the food that fits the person, but not necessarily the other. Of course, we always want to learn from the mistakes of others, but we need to remember that in the end what really matters is our own experience!
Success or failure?
Ohsawa does not use modern school từ since he was 18 years old. He lived to age 73. Is this a success or failure? Some see it as a failure because he died of heart disease at a relatively young age. However, five years later modern medicine said it was a success. With the achievements and influences of Ohsawa, I would say it was a resounding success.
In the case of Ohsawa, the life of a pre-nourishing person has a profound influence and must always be remembered that it is a factor that determines the overall health of a person. Jacques de Langre (1925-1993) had an innate heart problem, but he lived a happy and productive life due to the practice of healing. However, because he died at a younger age than the national average, some thought he had failed. (If Ohsawa and Jacques deLangre did not practice yoga, would they have died sooner?)
When I first entered the nursing home, I thought that only good practice, I would never get sick again, and all my dreams would come true, and that I would die a natural death at a time is announced. When I read and understand at that time, I think simply by practicing diligence and correctness, I will not get sick. Right now, I see my diet as a test to see if my goals are realistic.
In the case of Ohsawa, the life of a pre-nourishing person has a profound influence and must always be remembered that it is a factor that determines the overall health of a person. Jacques de Langre (1925-1993) had an innate heart problem, but he lived a happy and productive life due to the practice of healing. However, because he died at a younger age than the national average, some thought he had failed. (If Ohsawa and Jacques deLangre did not practice yoga, would they have died sooner?)
More than a quarter of a century later, I continued with the experiment, although my understanding has changed. Am I sick in the years of practice? Yes, I have been sick many times. All my dreams come true? No, because I want too much - health without disease, beautiful without wickedness, good without evil, peace without war, and so on. Do I still believe that I can die a natural death at a time I can choose? I doubt that because the world is becoming increasingly polluted. However, that really does not seem to matter to me anymore.
What I am changing is that I began to have a broader vision and awareness of my purpose of life. In my opinion, the ability to reach a clarity of life in general and a particular position in particular is one of the main benefits of the practice of nourishment. I believe that all the nursing instructors who have died have a lot of knowledge on this subject. Fortunately, we have our own writings, lectures and even their lives to contemplate, contemplate, evaluate.
There will always be people who accept the overly simple explanation for all the cancers and the early death of those who teach nursing. And there will always be people who apply the explanation (because they do not practice good yoga leads to illness) for their health. Their logic is this: Some nursing instructors suffer from cancer and then die, so nursing or meditation versions are not applicable. So you should try to apply my nourishment.
Many critics say that the deaths of those who teach nursing are not fully explained and therefore they are trying to hide something else - nurses can not apply. In this article, I have tried to point out many factors that need to be considered in order to answer the question of why someone develop cancer and then die.
There are many other factors not mentioned. such as family life, love, religion, all affect one's health. What happens behind and how one reacts is something we do not know. We should not be curious or judgmental on the privacy of others. We should know the health factors (mentioned above) and should have as much interest as possible about the food we eat (5% most important).A few years ago I asked Herman "What would we do if everyone practiced yoga"
"We'll do something else." Herman answered without hesitation.
"Do you mean that we are against the method of nourishment - what we are learning and teaching!" I blurted out.
"Yes, there is always the opposite. Our task is to point out that opposition "
I am very confused, I try to calm down and think what Herman told me. I used to think that nourishment is the goal - nourishment is also the answer to life. How could Herman say "we will do otherwise" if everyone accepts and practices nourishment.
To answer this question, we must understand more deeply the principle of nourishment, the subject of "The Real Macrobiotic Diet" will release in the future. Here are some "homework" questions. What would happen if everyone in the world practiced nourishment? Will all illnesses no longer exist? Everyone is happy and harmonious? Peace on earth dragged forever?
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I am reminded of the saying "do as I say, not as I do", lol.
I think the value that great teachers provide is a commitment and a passion for transmitting information. That is their purpose on this planet. They learn, sythesize, organize, teach, and grow their following. It is a wondrous thing!
At the same time, we need to be free of our attachment to the teacher. The teacher is a finger pointing the way to the moon... don't focus on the finger! We must learn, grow, expand, and eventually find our own Tao.
To answer the homework, though, I think if everyone practiced nourishment, then we would have 7 billion different "styles" of macrobiotics! We would have less illness, but it would still exist. We would have less war and violence, but it would still exist. We would have more peace, but work would exist.
Thank you for sharing. It is important to share knowledge, and it is important to question the teachers.