16th March 2012
Contributing Writer for Wake Up World
Yoga is a physical, mental, and spiritual discipline, meaning to join or unite. Yoga, in every sense, revolves around how we choose to nourish ourselves in order to attain self-realization. Since enlightenment travels in a vertical line, most of us will start our process with the physical body, and work our way up to the spiritual body during this incarnation. As the mental/spiritual ‘body’ awakens, our thoughts eclipse the state of our physical being in favor of our state of mind, which explains why ‘peace of mind’ is the most widely sought after goal in the human experience.
While we seem to be having a human experience, replete with a physical body, we will devote a lot of time to nourishing this vehicle. The vehicle itself is simply a means for communication in this world. All real communication, however, will always take place in the invisible, intangible world of thought.
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Needless to say, eating is very attractive to the human race. All of us do it! At least if we have access to food on a daily basis. Unfortunately, about 30,000 children in underprivileged countries literally starve to death every single day. This sort of information is hardly mentioned on the evening news, but maybe it should be. What does this have to do with the price of tea in China? A lot of the consumable food that we raise is fed to animals instead of humans, so humans can eat the animals!
In a recent interview with best-selling author and spiritualist, Deepak Chopra, he claimed that in his native country of India, with all its advances and financial wealth, nearly 1/3 of the children are starving. Here in the United States, there are reports that 25% of our children are included in food stamp programs. Most of us are unaware that nearly 1 billion people in the world have not eaten today. Given the fact that there is really plenty for everyone, it seems inexcusable to have so many hungry and starving people on the planet.
John Robbins, natural heir to the Baskin Robbins Empire, has devoted his life to the study of dietary patterns around the world; how they affect our environment, and our physical and mental health. Robbins also exposes controversial behind-the-scenes secrets of an industry that is seriously detrimental to the planet. Robbins also has a new site, which features his blogs and radio podcasts. The hidden aspects of the meat and dairy industries, which claim to be offering up healthy food, are really pulling the wool over our eyes.
The cost in terms of animal suffering is nothing short of a nightmare.
In one of his first books, Diet For A New America, John Robbins covers years of documented research that underscores the fact that the human body has a very similar digestive system as some of the most powerful vegetarian animals on earth – elephants and horses. This means our intestinal tract is very long, and twists and turns like a braided rope. Natural carnivores have a relatively short and straight intestinal tract, which means that digested foods have a quick and easy point of departure. Another thing carnivores do is eat their meat raw and bloody! None of us are going to go there.
Without fail, every major medical organization in the world agrees that saturated fat is the primary culprit for heart disease, heart attacks, various cancers, diabetes, and strokes. These findings are based on decades of clinical research, where the evidence is completely clear.
Whether or not our original food pyramid was designed out of sheer ignorance is irrelevant at this point. Nearly everyone reading this article was raised to believe that massive consumption of protein is ultra important for our physical health, and that daily servings of meat and dairy is the way to stay strong and vibrant.
It’s hard to change public opinion, especially when so many of us were brought up believing that meat and dairy products are so essential to our diet. And how many of us picture the ‘Dairy Council’ as a group of grey-haired, caring, grandfatherly types looking out for our best interests? Old habits die hard, but this is where the bullet meets the bone.
In this day and age, the ‘mad scientists’ and key experts, who look at the real facts about diet and nutrition, are singing a completely different tune than the one we grew up with. These experts are not special interest groups. No one is paying them to say that saturated fat – which is primarily found in animal products – is bad for the human body. The saturated fat found in non-animal products, oddly enough, contains no cholesterol.
When we are young and vibrant, the human body is capable of coping with the assault of saturated fat. But as we age, the stress begins to take its toll. The aging process is hurried along because of this stress, which the body endures while trying to struggle with digesting foods it simply wasn’t designed to handle. This is why every major medical group is now touting the health factors inherent in eating lower on the food chain, also known as a vegetarian-based diet.
There are several types of vegetarians. Some eat dairy products and eggs, but really strict vegans won’t even use honey, because it is manufactured by bees. Here’s an interesting site that’s really fun, informative and all about famous vegetarians – The Happy Cow!
At a glance, here’s a few names to toss into the ring: Deepak Chopra, George Harrison, Chrissie Hynde, Buddha, Darwin, Einstein, Adam Ant, Alanis Morissette, Aristotle, Woody Harrelson, Whitley Smith, Carrie Underwood, Casey Kasem, Chelsea Clinton, Christie Brinkley, Doris Day, Dustin Hoffman, Ellen Degeneres, Jesus Christ, John Lennon, Yoko Ono, Paul McCartney, Bob Geldof, Paul Newman.
As an aside, there’s a page on my website called Recipes for Life, which has a lot of great, simple, vegan recipes.
Millet Tacos
1/2 cup uncooked millet
1.5 cups water
4 Tbs of your favorite taco seasoning
Taco Shells
1/4 cup diced zucchini – optional
1/4 cup peeled and diced carrots – optional
Toppings: Sprouts, lettuce, spinach, tomato, diced onion, avocado slices, soy cheese, peppers, black olives, salsa
These little tacos are always a big hit with everyone, and you won’t miss the burger at all. You can cook the millet with diced veggies or not. If you use zucchini and carrots, dice them into pieces about the size of a green pea, sauté in a little hot oil for a few minutes to soften, and use the same pan to add 1.5 cups water and add taco seasoning to taste – if you like it hot, add 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper or extra chili powder.
Bring water to a boil, add the millet and stir; reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for about 45 minutes. Do not stir while millet is cooking. Make sure all the water is absorbed, and turn off heat. Let sit for about 20-30 minutes, and voila. The taco shells will need to be heated in the oven at about 200 degrees for a couple of minutes. They scorch and burn easily so keep an eye on them.
Spoon millet into shells, about 1/3 full. Add the toppings of your choice, and have at it. Be prepared to have extras ready because they’ll be coming back for more. If you have extra millet leftover, sprinkle it on a salad, or add to soup or casserole. Yields about a dozen regular-sized tacos. Enjoy!
In the words of John Robbins: May all be fed. Love is the Answer.
Carmen Allgood © March 2012
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About the Author
Carmen Allgood is the author of: The beginner’s guide to inner peace – Beyond Diapers – How not to wallow in your own poop“. Carmen offers readers a modern day exploration of spiritual evolution, with a timely twist of pop-psychology for the masses who are starved for lasting peace of mind and true happiness. Carmen unveils the mysteries of love, reveals the means to heal the mind and thus the body, and the simple steps available to all of us to live in constant joy. She also produces syndicated independent music radio shows, which have featured 20,000 Independent Artists from around the world.
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