[EcoDharma] Healthy diet, climate sustainability, and Zen

[filippo.dibari]

Dear Zen practitioner,

I am a Zen practitioner, a foodie, a nutritionist, and i work in the area of linkages between food systems and climate change.

If you are interested in sharing anything related to healthy diets, climate change and Zen precepts, please, write here: am looking for people with similar interests in the Sangha.

Gassho

Shogyo

[Kokuu]

Hi Shogyo

I think your knowledge will be very helpful, especially when it comes to our precept thread on refraining from taking life.

There are threads here about the natural world and our impact on them.

I previously worked in research looking at the effects of climate change on plant ecology and genetics.

Gassho
Kokuu
-sattoday-

[filippo.dibari]

Thanks Kokuu for the encouragement.

This Lancet report is revolutionizing the current Policies. But a lot to do to make it talk to our hearts too.

https://eatforum.org/learn-and-discover/can-healthy-food-save-the-planet-animation/

https://youtu.be/PIc42oIU0Ik

[Risho]

Unfortunately "healthful diet" is laden with a ton of political ideology and usually doesn't really discuss what a truly "healthful diet" is. For example, the science does point to the fact that there is probably nothing as nutritious for human beings as a meat-based diet. I understand ethical concerns, but facts are facts and, act the Twitter account reminds us: "Nature is Metal"

Seriously- I am open to discussion on healthful diets, but let's keep it civil and fact based; let's not let emotion cause us to get angry etc. Also if we are going to talk science, let's make sure it's not the lancet nonsense - https://www.nutritioncoalition.us/ne...port-one-sided

The theories that eating meat is destroying the environment aren't all that well founded as well. Again a lot of the material/propaganda out there will point to the opposite and a lot of studies being propagated about eating meat being unhealthy are based epidemiological studies that lack any fundamental causation at the core.

So I would just ask that when we discuss this or if we do - that we don't get beat over the head with any bull

I have to admit I do get a little passionate about this topic because turning to a primary meat-only diet completely turned my health around. The ideas that are still circulating around the cultural zeitgeist about saturated fats and cholesterol are also founded in nonsense. Both are essential components of a well-balanced diet and increased consumption is associated with a decrease in all-cause mortality.

That being said- and for my sanity - I'd rather not get into this type of debate here, especially if it's going to turn into vegetarian vs. carnivore battle royale per the norm. hahahaah

Thanks

Risho
-stlah

Apologies for exceeding 3 sentences

[Seikan]

I agree that we shouldn't let this thread devolve into another battle over diets like we've already had recently. I recognize that the dietary needs of each of us can vary widely due to any number of issues, so no one's particular diet should be called out in a negative way. There never will be a "one size fits all" diet.

That said, I would love to partake in further discussion about how our food choices as a society (not necessarily as individuals—I do believe there can be a difference) may affect our ability to better feed the citizens of Earth.

What may have been the most effective and efficient way of feeding/nurturing the global population just a few centuries ago may simply be outdated today due to population growth and other environmental concerns.

All dietary options should remain on the table as everyone's health needs/dietary preferences will naturally differ, but I do believe that we can make larger, societal shifts in food production/consumption that will benefit the planet and all of us that are lucky enough to call Earth "home".

Gassho,
Rob

-stlah-

(Apologies for the added length of my post.) [emoji120]


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[Cooperix]

Hello,
I've been interested in 'food as medicine' for many, many years. A fascinating topic but the emotional weight of such a discussion might outweigh its usefulness. I learned long ago folks are extremely attached to their diets. And in my lifetime the new discoveries about what a 'healthy' diet consists of has changed over and over, and as science evolves and digs deeper this too will continue to evolve and change. Lessons here for sure. However, a discussion about growing our food and its impact on the planet might be a good and interesting direction.

Gassho

Anne

~lahst~

[Risho]

Yeah and to correct what I said above - Rich Roll would disagree with me wholeheartedly - he is a vegan, ultra distance marathon runner, so that is significant because he views food like I do from a performance and nutrition perspective - so I'm open to this. So if he's able to handle a vegan diet, then I'm sure I could but I'm still skeptical. lol

Just bear with me; I can get angry, so that was a pointer to myself with this. hahahah

[Meitou]

I think it's best to put the diet discussion aside, something similar always comes up during the Precepts and it's always contentious and divisive, so maybe let it arise there and not have further fuel being thrown on the fire here. Instead perhaps we should take a moment to reflect on our resistance to the beliefs of others and attachment to our own conviction that we are right - that seems to be more in line with our practice than a deluge of vegan versus meat eater posts.

Gassho
Meitou
sattoday lah

[Kokuu]

I have to admit I do get a little passionate about this topic because turning to a primary meat-only diet completely turned my health around. The ideas that are still circulating around the cultural zeitgeist about saturated fats and cholesterol are also founded in nonsense.

I think that is very true as regards a personal diet but there is not a definitive correlation between the "healthiness" of a food, or whether it is plant or animal-sourced, and it's impact on the environment so we are talking about two different things.

Personal diet and health seems quite individual. The impact of certain foodtypes as regards carbon generation is less so (although eating locally produced food does some difference) and plant-sourced chocolate and coffee have nearly as great an impact as raising livestock for food: https://www.visualcapitalist.com/vis...-of-each-food/

Gassho
Kokuu
-sattoday-

[Jundo]

Hi Filippo (who, for folks who don't know him, is a new member who is an aid worker dealing with hunger currently working in Ethiopia, previously in Mozambique).

I hope it is okay, but I moved this thread to our "Engaged Projects" section so that we can keep it around longer.

The topic is actually rather different from the discussion of the ethics of vegetarianism we recently had, and which comes up as a topic from time to time. This is more about environmental impact and effects on health, and is not actually advocating a totally vegetarian lifestyle but one of moderation and balance. It is an important topic.

https://www.treeleaf.org/forums/showthread.php?18054-Zen-Bodhisattva-vow-and-veganism-vegetarianism

Here is, I believe, the original "eatLancet" report itself:

https://www.thelancet.com/commissions/EAT

I know that our Kyonin is also very interested in this topic.

Thank you for raising it, Filippo.

Gassho, Jundo

SaTTodayLah

[Bion]

Dear Zen practitioner,

I am a Zen practitioner, a foodie, a nutritionist, and i work in the area of linkages between food systems and climate change.

If you are interested in sharing anything related to healthy diets, climate change and Zen precepts, please, write here: am looking for people with similar interests in the Sangha.

Gassho

Shogyo

Hi fellow foodie and nice to meet you. I think your line of work is extremely valuable and necessary and I am sure you have a great deal to teach me - I look forward to it! I am pretty interested in the topic of world hunger, diets centered around vegetables more than mean and sustainable food consumption.

[emoji1374] SatToday lah

[Tairin]

Thank you Fillipo. I am quite interested in this topic. My family and I started making changes to our diet over ten years ago largely driven by our decision to try to limit our bio-footprint when it came to consumption of food. Over the years we have increased our number of meatless meals and tried to eat more locally produced goods.

I look forward to the discussion here.


Tairin
Sat today and lah

[filippo.dibari]

Thanks for this high level of interest on the topic. Apologies to the ones who felt threatened in the dietary convictions. As a matter of fact there is consensus that one third of gas emission is due to inadequate food systems. Action is needed immediately.

I learnt recently that there is a growing interest on linkages between Buddhism and Sustainable Systems. I will be digging more into it and revert back. In the meantime time this book is a start: https://books.google.com.et/books/ab...on&redir_esc=y

The key question is what a Buddhist can do to reduce suffering in view of climate change? And also what is the most effective choice to make? Since we are not all politicians, in our individual life we can have a major Positive impact on the climate promoting and practicing As much as possible a plant based diet.

More to share

Shogyo

[Ryumon]

Without wanting to get into a partisan discussion of food, let me highlight this podcast that I discovered the other day. It's about wheat and bread; about how wheat and bread today are industrialized; about how small farmers, millers, and bakers in the UK and in other countries are trying to change this.

https://farmerama.co/episode/cereal-1-flour-water-salt/

There are six episodes, and they can be seen as a microcosm of the questions of sustainability.

I was particularly interested, because I make bread, and I live next to a farm, where my landlord grows vegetables and grain. He grows wheat, and all summer, there was wheat in the field across from my home, but it's feed wheat, not wheat for bread.

Sorry for going over; I actually have to go work the dough that has just about finished rising to try to have fresh bread for lunch today...

Gassho,

Kirk

sat

[filippo.dibari]

Without wanting to get into a partisan discussion of food, let me highlight this podcast that I discovered the other day. It's about wheat and bread; about how wheat and bread today are industrialized; about how small farmers, millers, and bakers in the UK and in other countries are trying to change this.

https://farmerama.co/episode/cereal-1-flour-water-salt/

There are six episodes, and they can be seen as a microcosm of the questions of sustainability.

I was particularly interested, because I make bread, and I live next to a farm, where my landlord grows vegetables and grain. He grows wheat, and all summer, there was wheat in the field across from my home, but it's feed wheat, not wheat for bread.

Sorry for going over; I actually have to go work the dough that has just about finished rising to try to have fresh bread for lunch today...

Gassho,

Kirk

sat

I am also baking bread (sourdough) regularly. Such a gift. Thanks for sharing.