Weights and diet

[Gem]

Since I started weight lifting I have been learning how to grow muscle. Of course you have to lift weight, but it really comes down to diet. There is no point lifting unless you eat right. There's two basic goals: Muscle growth and fat loss, but basically, it has to be one or the other depending on how much body fat% one has.

If people want advice, read what is published by sports institutions, because 'research' on the internet is, like, any ninny putting their whack theory out there; or consult a properly qualified nutritionist. In this sense, getting a personal trainer to help with a health plan is a good idea for those who can afford it, and I say you should!!! Teehee. This thread is just for chit chat - perhaps good for motivation, inspiration, ideas and so on - but can't seriously be taken as health advice.

The way I look at it, healing isn't a psychological or spiritual thing. It's a complete, holistic approach to the body/mind/spirit dimensions of a person. The body is only a part, but it is an equal part, and exercise is bound to have immediate positive effects on one's psychological state. Spiritual, spiritual healing is basically psychological healing, but at a different scale, and people are multifaceted, even having social health or bad health, and in many respects, society is sick which doesn't exactly promote people's good health.

I think it starts out basic with diet and exercise. Watchoo think?

[LondonBound]

I think when it comes to health, there are three kinds of people.

1. People who don't care about it or don't want to change will just ignore the issue until it becomes a problem (chronic disease),
2. People who do care that are spiritually connected to their body enough to balance the good and the bad; or
3. People who care enough to research and learn about it.

I tend to think that spiritual healing far outweighs any medication out there.

[Baile]

Originally Posted by Gem

I think it starts out basic with diet and exercise. Watchoo think?

That was my approach and it worked for me. I changed my diet and started going for daily walks, and presto! My soul-spirit relationship with life improved dramatically. I used to hide in the house; now I love going out in public. (I lost close to 100 lbs in that process and look great now, and hey, I'm still an ego being, what can I say?) I don't lift weights so I know nothing about that.

[Baile]

Originally Posted by LondonBound

I tend to think that spiritual healing far outweighs any medication out there.

I took antidepressants for two months, after which I went the holistic, non-pharmaceutical route. So while I personally agree with you, my initial counseling sessions as well as going on medication for a time, were instrumental in getting me back on track enough to then be able to make other decisions for myself.

I'm answering you here more because I would say the issue isn't with medication and pharmaceuticals. The issue is we make a mistake I think when we adopt what I call a separation-consciousness approach to life: this is spiritual, that is physical, that is emotional, etc. Or in this case, the belief that holistic healing is spiritual, and that taking pharmaceuticals isn't spiritual. Whereas for me, my life is spiritual, all aspects of it. And for me, it was an important spiritual exercise to take antidepressants for a time. It woke me up to the equally spiritual path of holistic healing.

[Gem]

First of all, some people have health conditions that require medication, so I'm not here to play doctor (in either sense). I'm just saying health is a big picture with many dimensions, and being healthy is holistic, not spiritual or psychological or physical, but entails or includes all these dimensions of a human being. It links up, so doing some exercise with the right sort of diet will consequentially improve psychological well-being. Basically, makes you 'feel better'.

[Gem]

Originally Posted by Baile

That was my approach and it worked for me. I changed my diet and started going for daily walks, and presto! My soul-spirit relationship with life improved dramatically. I used to hide in the house; now I love going out in public. (I lost close to 100 lbs in that process and look great now, and hey, I'm still an ego being, what can I say?) I don't lift weights so I know nothing about that.

Liking your physique isn't ego or vanity, it's just appreciation of aesthetics. I lift so that I look good, among other reasons like general health strength and fitness, so I have to admire the growth of muscles because that's what I set out to do. Losing that much body fat is simply good, so you're bound to feel a sense of achievement and self admiration. Ego is a different animal altogether.

[Baile]

Originally Posted by Gem

being healthy is holistic, not spiritual or psychological or physical, but entails or includes all these dimensions of a human being... Liking your physique isn't ego or vanity, it's just appreciation of aesthetics... Ego is a different animal altogether.

The first spiritual book I read on the ego was in 1982. I'm pretty clear what the ego is all about, that's why I can joke about it. I'll add before I depart: I've never come across a book that breaks things down the way you do (speaking here of the dimensions of a human being, as you put it). Rather, the various bodies or aspects of the human being are described as physical, emotional, mental-intellectual, and perhaps psychic. And spiritual is the word used to encompass the whole. We are spiritual beings, having a physical/emotional/intellectual life experience.

Proper diet and exercise is taking conscious, spiritual responsibility for my physical self. Learning to control my emotions is taking conscious, spiritual responsibility for my emotional self. Learning to control my thoughts is taking conscious, spiritual responsibility for my intellectual self. And I personally would add, as has been my experience: removing myself from life situations involving needy, demanding people is taking conscious, spiritual responsibility for my psychic self.

[Gem]

Originally Posted by Baile

The first spiritual book I read on the ego was in 1982. I'm pretty clear what the ego is all about, that's why I can joke about it. I'll add before I depart: I've never come across a book that breaks things down the way you do (speaking here of the dimensions of a human being, as you put it). Rather, the various bodies or aspects of the human being are described as physical, emotional, mental-intellectual, and perhaps psychic. And spiritual is the word used to encompass the whole. We are spiritual beings, having a physical/emotional/intellectual life experience.

That's what I mean by 'dimensions'. I'd add 'social' to the list.

Proper diet and exercise is taking conscious, spiritual responsibility for my physical self. Learning to control my emotions is taking conscious, spiritual responsibility for my emotional self. Learning to control my thoughts is taking conscious, spiritual responsibility for my intellectual self. And I personally would add, as has been my experience: removing myself from life situations involving needy, demanding people is taking conscious, spiritual responsibility for my psychic self.

Ok, so that refers to the social aspect. It seems to me that you 'break things down' in precisely the same way I do. I use 'holistic' to refer to the whole just because that's what the word means.

[naturesflow]

Originally Posted by Gem

Since I started weight lifting I have been learning how to grow muscle. Of course you have to lift weight, but it really comes down to diet. There is no point lifting unless you eat right. There's two basic goals: Muscle growth and fat loss, but basically, it has to be one or the other depending on how much body fat% one has.

Yep I agree.

If people want advice, read what is published by sports institutions, because 'research' on the internet is, like, any ninny putting their whack theory out there; or consult a properly qualified nutritionist. In this sense, getting a personal trainer to help with a health plan is a good idea for those who can afford it, and I say you should!!! Teehee. This thread is just for chit chat - perhaps good for motivation, inspiration, ideas and so on - but can't seriously be taken as health advice.

I am lucky in that I use my intuition and my health people in my world to support me to know more readily how to build the picture of my over all health. Mind you I keep waking up each morning, with all these ideas on how to get this left hip and left leg stronger, but I tend to not do it. haha.
I need a personal trainer, I really do.

The way I look at it, healing isn't a psychological or spiritual thing. It's a complete, holistic approach to the body/mind/spirit dimensions of a person. The body is only a part, but it is an equal part, and exercise is bound to have immediate positive effects on one's psychological state. Spiritual, spiritual healing is basically psychological healing, but at a different scale, and people are multifaceted, even having social health or bad health, and in many respects, society is sick which doesn't exactly promote people's good health.

This is true.

I think it starts out basic with diet and exercise. Watchoo think?

Yes the basics support the whole. Just look at Massies hierarchy of needs pyramid. I like that as a guide post of totality/holistic wellbeing and health over all.

Doesn't matter which way you face yourself, it all catches up with you in any order we choose to look. So for me right now, conscious living means conscious awareness of my health.

(as a side note, I am observing how certain foods in my body, namely wheat and don't matter if it is organic or not, activate aches and pains in my joints. I am also observing how even as I eat well, certain minerals, vitamins etc are not present in my food sources so even healthy eating can be lacking in the necessary nutrients which ultimately serve us when all things are in good balance and working order. :)

I get my hair analysis done to actually pinpoint more directly lots of things in my body going on.
Tells you much more than blood tests. But both support the totality of reading the body which includes the subtle and the more obvious stuff.

[Gem]

Originally Posted by naturesflow

Yep I agree.



I am lucky in that I use my intuition and my health people in my world to support me to know more readily how to build the picture of my over all health. Mind you I keep waking up each morning, with all these ideas on how to get this left hip and left leg stronger, but I tend to not do it. haha.
I need a personal trainer, I really do.

In the gym I found out all the weak points in my body as well as imbalances between left and right side. It's surprising because I am right handed, but my right arm is not able to lift as heavy as my left and has slightly less mobility.

This is true.

Yes the basics support the whole. Just look at Massies hierarchy of needs pyramid. I like that as a guide post of totality/holistic wellbeing and health over all.

I agree. Maslow's hierarchy is a great guideline for human needs.

Doesn't matter which way you face yourself, it all catches up with you in any order we choose to look. So for me right now, conscious living means conscious awareness of my health.

I have been through different approaches like being into meditation is a big way, which suited me at the time, and I've been in intellectual learning at university, which is basically just depressing, but for may years neglected myself physically, which I'm most focused on now.

(as a side note, I am observing how certain foods in my body, namely wheat and don't matter if it is organic or not, activate aches and pains in my joints. I am also observing how even as I eat well, certain minerals, vitamins etc are not present in my food sources so even healthy eating can be lacking in the necessary nutrients which ultimately serve us when all things are in good balance and working order. :)

Nutrition is so complicated, but for me personally, the simpler I make the diet the better it works for me. I weigh all my portions so I get the right amount of the right stuff, and I don't eat junk food or anything processed. I only eat one slice of toast a day, so very little bread/flour, and stick to brown rice or sweet potato for carbs. I'm not using intuition at all. I use math to work out my calories and nutrinets and just stick to the program.

I get my hair analysis done to actually pinpoint more directly lots of things in my body going on.
Tells you much more than blood tests. But both support the totality of reading the body which includes the subtle and the more obvious stuff.

Sounds like a good idea. I'm probably short on minerals ans some other stuff, and I might ask doc about a nutrient test next time I'm in.