Why one meal a day?

A place to discuss health and fitness, healthy diets. A fit body makes for a fit mind.
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Sprouticus
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Re: One meal a day advice request

Post by Sprouticus »

zan wrote:
Sprouticus wrote:As far as beds are concerned, a thick comforter on the floor or a platform can be quite serviceable. Rather like the Japanese shikibuton.
shikibuton-mattresses-on-tatami1.jpg
I've always wondered if those are comfortable.
The modified version I use, of folded cotton quilts, is lovely. My back does much better, too.
Namo buddhaya
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Bhikkhu Pesala
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Re: One meal a day advice request

Post by Bhikkhu Pesala »

Eat whole grains. They release sugars more slowly as they have a lower Glycemic Index

In NE Thailand the monks eat only one meal a day, but it is gluttonous rice, not polished white rice, and that digests more slowly.

In the West eat porridge oats or muesli, and wholemeal bread, rotis, or noodles made from wholemeal flour, not white bread.

To stave off hunger in the afternoons or in the early hours before dawn, use small quantities of honey (half a teaspoon at a time). I find that 340g of honey lasts for a week or longer.
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zan
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Re: One meal a day advice request

Post by zan »

Sprouticus wrote:
zan wrote:
Sprouticus wrote:As far as beds are concerned, a thick comforter on the floor or a platform can be quite serviceable. Rather like the Japanese shikibuton.
shikibuton-mattresses-on-tatami1.jpg
I've always wondered if those are comfortable.
The modified version I use, of folded cotton quilts, is lovely. My back does much better, too.
Interesting, I'll have to give it a go.
Assume all of my words on dhamma could be incorrect. Seek an arahant for truth.


"If we base ourselves on the Pali Nikayas, then we should be compelled to conclude that Buddhism is realistic. There is no explicit denial anywhere of the external world. Nor is there any positive evidence to show that the world is mind-made or simply a projection of subjective thoughts. That Buddhism recognizes the extra-mental existence of matter and the external world is clearly suggested by the texts. Throughout the discourses it is the language of realism that one encounters.
-Y. Karunadasa
zan
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Re: One meal a day advice request

Post by zan »

Bhikkhu Pesala wrote:Eat whole grains. They release sugars more slowly as they have a lower Glycemic Index

In NE Thailand the monks eat only one meal a day, but it is gluttonous rice, not polished white rice, and that digests more slowly.

In the West eat porridge oats or muesli, and wholemeal bread, rotis, or noodles made from wholemeal flour, not white bread.

To stave off hunger in the afternoons or in the early hours before dawn, use small quantities of honey (half a teaspoon at a time). I find that 340g of honey lasts for a week or longer.
Great suggestions. I wasn't aware honey was allowed after noon, that would make things a lot easier for me! Thank you.
Assume all of my words on dhamma could be incorrect. Seek an arahant for truth.


"If we base ourselves on the Pali Nikayas, then we should be compelled to conclude that Buddhism is realistic. There is no explicit denial anywhere of the external world. Nor is there any positive evidence to show that the world is mind-made or simply a projection of subjective thoughts. That Buddhism recognizes the extra-mental existence of matter and the external world is clearly suggested by the texts. Throughout the discourses it is the language of realism that one encounters.
-Y. Karunadasa
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Sprouticus
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Re: One meal a day advice request

Post by Sprouticus »

Do keep us updated, please?

:namaste:
Namo buddhaya
zan
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Re: One meal a day advice request

Post by zan »

Sprouticus wrote:Do keep us updated, please?

:namaste:
Sure :smile:
Assume all of my words on dhamma could be incorrect. Seek an arahant for truth.


"If we base ourselves on the Pali Nikayas, then we should be compelled to conclude that Buddhism is realistic. There is no explicit denial anywhere of the external world. Nor is there any positive evidence to show that the world is mind-made or simply a projection of subjective thoughts. That Buddhism recognizes the extra-mental existence of matter and the external world is clearly suggested by the texts. Throughout the discourses it is the language of realism that one encounters.
-Y. Karunadasa
spacenick
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Re: One meal a day advice request

Post by spacenick »

On One Meal a Day

This is a very difficult practice for the lay man, especially if your social context isn't a Buddhist one. I'm struggling with it (interestingly, for my conditioning, it is much more difficult than chastity).
obo wrote: this is a practice that was intended to provide adequate sustenance to a Beggar whose desire to bring Kamma to an end had already caused him to become a homeless wanderer, willing to die, if necessary, to achieve his goals. It was not designed for a modern family man working long hours or doing manual labor or who was under a great deal of stress
It might take a while for your body to adjust (according to the link I shared, the author being a long-term practitioner of the One Meal a Day practice, up to 6 months), after which you'll have tons of energy. It just takes strong determination to keep going through that difficult first phase (for me it manifests mainly under the form of depression; the feeling of hunger doesn't bother me in itself).

Happy experimentation & stay strong!
LaoHumLay
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Re: Moderation in eating: Social eating

Post by LaoHumLay »

bodom wrote:Don't be so attached to a routine. When your able to keep to it fine. If not then that's just the way it is for the day. If your living the householder life this is the way it tends to be. I try to keep to a meditation schedule and routine but things come up and I'm not always able to keep to it. I have a job. Kids. A Gf. I have obligations and try to make time for all. Just do your best and don't beat yourself up if your not able to keep to your routine. Things happen beyond our control sometimes but its ok as long as we're aware of the limitations of lay life. Then there's no problems being made about it. It just is the way it is.

:namaste:
This helped tremendously. Thank you
LaoHumLay
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Re: Why one meal a day?

Post by LaoHumLay »

Paññāsikhara wrote:
alan wrote:Because it seems pointless and is certainly unhealthy, and I see no inherent virtue in it.
Then don't do it. It's that simple.

Have you ever lived a lifestyle of full time meditation practice, or full time Dhamma study?
If not, then it may be a bit early do declare outright that it is unhealthy and of no virtue.

Because an awful lot of Dhamma practitioners have certainly found both good health (physical and mental) in it, and also found that it is a support for a great range of virtues too (when used as a basis for proper Dhamma practice).

Great response.
lostitude
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Re: One meal a day advice request

Post by lostitude »

2000 calories in just one meal is huge, and if you keep losing weight it means you're still burning much more than that. Do you move a lot/play sports during the day?
Don't you think you might be (a lot?) more physically active than the average monk? Maybe that's the problem.

Also, keep in mind that a significant proportion of your water intake normally comes from solid food (almost half of it actually in average diets) so don't forget to drink more to make up for those water-containing calories you're not having anymore.

And you probably know this already, but giving priority to low-GI foods and complex carbs could be helpful to feel a more sustained flow of energy.

Dozing off might be the effect of prolonged digestion (I mean, digesting 2000 calories in one go certainly takes much more than the average 3 hours it takes for a 'normal', 700 calorie meal).
denise
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Re: One meal a day advice request

Post by denise »

hello all...regarding sleeping....many years ago a doctor prescribed sleeping on the floor for a month...for an aching back....first night and second ended up back in bed...after that was able to sleep one month on the floor and saw the beauty of it....should probably do it again.... :thinking:
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vidal.paulo
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Re: One meal a day advice request

Post by vidal.paulo »

I also took the 8 precepts some time ago. The monk who kindly help me with ideas and technicalities said I could drink protein shake during afternoon (which I already did sometimes) and he told me that even many monks do that.

I basically prepare my shake with isolated soy protein, cocoa powder and water. The high fiber content keeps the hunger away efficiently. At first I thought this would be cheating but the monk told me that it was ok and I would be still keeping the precept as: i) it would be drinking and not eating; ii) it has no milk; and iii) the important was not only to eat less but also no to crave flavors and indulge in them during what was supposed to be meditation time.
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ihrjordan
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Has anyone had trouble eating 1 meal a day in the winter?

Post by ihrjordan »

Our appetites are generally higher in winter than at other times, has anyone had trouble keeping up their strength in winter time due to perhaps not eating enough? How do monks handle winter time, especially if given merely rice for their alms meal?....
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DNS
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Re: Has anyone had trouble eating 1 meal a day in the winter?

Post by DNS »

If I'm not mistaken, I believe the body needs more calories in winter to stay warm; that cold weather burns more calories using the energy to keep the body warm. So you might just need to eat a little more during the winter months during the one meal. I mostly just eat one meal, but it doesn't get that cold where I live.
Digity
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Re: Has anyone had trouble eating 1 meal a day in the winter?

Post by Digity »

When I follow the 8 precepts once a week during the winter I do find that in the evening my body gets rather cold, since I'm not eating much. One things to do is just bundle up and wear thicker cloths. Another thing I do is run an electric heating fan to keep myself more warm. But yeah, I definitely notice a difference on those days vs others when I eat throughout the day.
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