As practitioners of life cultivation, we observe strict rules in eating and resting so that we will live healthier and happier lives.
As we have mentioned before, our body constitution is partly determined by hereditary factors. There is not much we can do about it. On the other hand, our body constitution is also determined by what and how we eat and rest at the later stages of our life. This we can control.
In our life, we need nutrients and our digestive system to provide what we need to maintain our life. If we do not follow good eating habits, we will end up with a body constitution that will deviate from a balanced one.
Moreover, resting, especially sleep, is critical in the maintenance and repair of our body. Our body, if after a day of hard work, does not get properly maintained and repaired, we will go into fatigued driving the next day. After a while, every organ will develop various problems, and become pathological. Therefore, it is critical for us to maintain strict rules on eating and resting so as to protect our health.
Eating and Food
We should eat foods that are locally and naturally grown and in seasons. Our main staples should be rice, wheat, or corn. Our supplemental grains should be millet, beans, sorghum, or corn. As far as vegetables and fruits are concerned, only those in seasons will provide us with sufficient nutrients, and they should be locally grown.
What food to eat
As far as animal meat is concerned, we should prefer animals that are naturally raised (for a longer period of time) such as beef and mutton, and eat less from animals that are raised quickly such as pork and chicken.
As far as processed food is concerned, especially those with a long expiration date, at least three food additives are added to prolong their shelf life. We should eat them as supplements. We should not eat them everyday.
As practitioners of life cultivation, we usually prepare our own processed food at home without food additives. We will feel at ease doing it that way. However, we still should not eat too much pre-processed foods.
If we think about money spent, having enough food should be our priority, not the quality of the food. We may eat instant noodles occasionally. It will not harm our bodily health.
We may eat natural fruit and vegetables instead of organic food. However, we will try to avoid eating food that is grown using antibiotics or genetically-modified.
As practitioners of life cultivation, we will stick to a balanced diet. In our daily meals, grain will be seventy percent. In a mix of meat and vegetables, meat will be thirty percent and vegetables seventy percent, not the other way round. We try to eat both refined and whole grain food.
As practitioners of life cultivation, we do not overeat any food in any meal on any day. This is a strict rule that we follow. There is no excuse. We do not indulge in one day because it is Thanksgiving Day and then compensating by fasting the next day.
We will stop eating when we are seventy percent full. It is good for our health to feel hungry. It will keep our stomach fit so that it will outlast our life. Some of us control the amount of food we eat by portioning, instead of feeling hungry or not.
Think about money. The less food you buy, the less money you spend on food. Now you can use the money you save by doing something else such as buying a gift for your grandchild.
As practitioners of life cultivation, we follow a strict time table when eating. This will require the least energy when we eat and digest on schedule.
We always eat breakfast and a very nutritious meal for that matter. Every night our body shuts down and every organ goes into repair and maintenance, and energy is replenished. Every morning from seven to nine our stomach is working in the most efficient way. Therefore, we eat a nutritious breakfast at seven.
We are very cautious when we eat in the evening. We should always complete our eating before eight in the evening. Some of us will stop eating after five in the evening. Some will even venture to stop eating after one in the afternoon. If your circumstances do not permit it, then you should skip dinner or have a very light supper.
When we sleep, our stomach stops working. If food is not completely digested before we sleep, the remaining food will be fermenting in our stomach for the whole night. It will continue to be digested the next morning. How do you like that? Just imagine how the food looks and smells during that time.
What food not to eat
When we sleep, our stomach stops working. If food is not completely digested before we sleep, the remaining food will be fermenting in our stomach for the whole night. It will continue to be digested the next morning. How do you like that? Just imagine how the food looks and smells during that time.
Then we must stop eating other Western medicine, herbal medicine, or health supplements to avoid conflicting reactions of various medicines. Also, we will not eat calcium or food supplements fortified with calcium. Eating milk is not recommended. In case of doubt, we will consult our herbal practitioner.
Intermittent Fasting
If a person decided to do this intermittent fasting, how many days at a time is safe, and how regularly?
On a daily basis, if a person uses more energy than he takes in, his body will convert his muscles and fat into energy to be used. On the other hand, if he takes in more energy than he uses, the excess energy will be stored as muscles and fat.
The recommended intake of energy for an adult person is 2000 KCal per day in the USA, and 1500 KCal per day in China. However, the body of each person is unique and his activity varies, so each person has to find out the amount of energy he should take in to have a constant weight by varying the amount of energy intake.
The easiest way to do it is to have a big breakfast and lunch, and skip dinner. If a person keeps a constant weight by doing this, then he knows for sure how he can achieve the balance.
For more information on the practice of body maintenance, explore Resources from the navigation menu.
Activities after a Meal
As senior life cultivation practitioners, what do we usually do after eating a satisfying meal?
We will usually take at least one of the following actions. It will raise our energy level, get rid of toxic substances from our body, and improve our general health.
Gargle our mouth after taking our meal
As senior practitioners of life cultivate, we always rinse our mouth with mouthwash after we have taken our meal. It will clean the leftovers inside our mouth. The action will keep our teeth in good shape. It will not form bad odours. It will keep the mouth moist and clean. It will sensitize our taste bud. It will keep away diseases related to our mouth. It will aid in our digestion.
We tap our upper and lower rows of teeth gently together. Tap them for thirty six times. It will help to strengthen our teeth together.
Massage our belly
We will massage our belly after we have finished our meal. We do it an hour after the meal, not immediately. It will aid in our digestion.
First, we relax our belly muscles. Rub our palms together until they are warm. Place the palms on the belly and then massage. Force should be evenly distributed on our palms. Do it with our mind on the action. Do not think about anything else. Massage around our naval gradually and evenly.
If we suffer from indigestion, we will massage our upper belly. If we suffer from diarrhea, we will massage around the navel. If we suffer from constipation, we will massage our lower belly.
A word of caution. If you are pregnant, do not massage your belly. If you eat too much or too hungry, do not massage your belly. If you have a lump in your belly, do not massage your belly. If you have acute pain in your belly, do not massage your belly.
Take a Walk
We will take a leisure walk. It will aid in our digestion and absorption. We do not walk fast. We do not do vigorous exercise. We do it twenty minutes after our meal, not immediately. We walk leisurely and slowly.
A word of caution. If you suffer from stomach drooping or if you are weak, do not walk after a meal. You should lie down flat for ten minutes after a meal. If you have a blood circulation problem, do not walk after a meal.
Listen to music
As senior practitioners of life cultivation, we listen to soft music after a meal. We may also listen to music while we are eating. Music is a form of art. It is also a Way to cultivate our mind. It helps to build a healthy body.
When we listen to music while having our meal, it will increase our appetite and aid in our digestion. When we listen to music after a meal, it will put us in a good mood. Our energy system will quickly return to normal. We will be happy.
You should listen to music naturally. Listen to music that will make you feel peaceful and happy.
Sleeping and Insomnia
As practitioners of life cultivation, we always sleep between eleven in the evening and five the next morning. During this time period, our liver, bile, and lung are scheduled for maintenance and repair and maintenance is best done when we are in deep sleep.
The amount of sleep varies from person to person, and from season to season. A six hours of sleep should be enough for most old-aged people. If you need more, add it before eleven in the evening. If you need eight hours of sleep, go to bed at nine.
If possible, we take a fifteen to thirty minutes nap in the afternoon.
If your sleeping hours and working time are in conflict, try to sleep as close to the scheduled time as possible. If you cannot finish your work in the evening before eleven, leave it till next morning. The best thing to do is to prepare for bed at ten in the evening.
When we sleep at regular and scheduled hours, our body saves most energy, and is the secret for longevity.
If you cannot sleep at night because of work schedule, then you must try to sleep for no less than six hours in the daytime. Eventually your body will adapt to the new schedule for sleep.
If you do not rest or sleep at regular hours as scheduled, your body and health will suffer in the long run.
Balancing Activities
Activity includes both overwork and underwork.
When we engage in normal labor or physical exercise, they help the circulation of blood and vital energy which strengthens our physical fitness. Necessary rest will eliminate fatigue and restore physical strength and brain power. We will then be in good health.
When we engage in a relatively long period of overwork, including physical labor, mental labor and sexual labor, it is likely to lead to illness.
Also, when we engage in excessive comfort with no physical labor and no exercise, we may eventually suffer from illness as a result.
Thus, as practitioners of life cultivation, we keep a balance between activity and inactivity.
We would participate in physical exercise to relieve the damage caused by excessive comfort. We do not have to engage in vigorous physical exercise in a gym to achieve the result. We usually choose to do stretching exercises in the comfort of our home by practicing Mustang Shenzhan Technique.
Overwork
Overwork refers to excessive work, including physical labor, mental labor, and sexual labor.
Excessive physical labor refers to excessive physical exertion over a long period of time leading to illness.
With excessive physical labor, the energy flow of a person will suffer. After a period of time, his energy will diminish and his strength withers. The person will feel tired and lose weight.
Thus, excessive physical labor will cause the energy of a person to diminish. Also, prolonged standing will lead to bone injury. Prolonged walking will lead to ligament injury.
When a person is involved in excessive thinking, he may suffer from excessive mental labor. When that happens, he may hurt his heart and spleen. When a person suffers from excessive thinking, he may show signs of bad temper, heart palpitations, forgetfulness, insomnia, frequent dreams, etc.
He may also suffer from other spleen-related symptoms such as poor appetite, abdominal distension, loose stools and so on.
Excessive sex labor refers to a high frequency of sexual activities, including sexual intercourse and masturbation.
When a person engages in excessive sex labor, he will suffer from an excessive depletion of kidney essence or sperm.
The person may then show signs of waist weakness, knee weakness, dizziness, tinnitus, and a feeling of tiredness.
Men may suffer from nocturnal emission, premature ejaculation or impotence.
Women may suffer from irregular menstruation, dysmenorrhea or amenorrhea.
Underwork
On the other hand, when a person engages in excessive comfort with no physical labor and no exercise, he may also suffer from illness as a result.
The human body needs adequate activities every day to stay healthy. The blood and energy circulation systems will then run smoothly. If a person does no physical work and he does not do any physical exercise, his blood circulation system and energy circulation system will perform under par. It will further weaken the functions of the spleen and stomach, hurting the digestive system in the process.
The person may then show signs of loss of appetite. He will feel tired easily. His body will be weak. He may become fat and bloated. He may show signs of heart palpitations, asthma, sweating and other symptoms.
Prolonged lying in bed will lead to suffering in energy circulation.
Call for Action
Folks, that is all for now. If you think this article may be beneficial to your friends and loved-ones, feel free to forward this article to them. This is an extract of the full article published in Mustang BodyWorks Infoletter.
Future episodes: Build your own Morning Routine
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