Ray Peat is Not About Diet but Rather a Way of Living Life?

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Nov 17, 2017
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187
Hello friends,

It seems to me that Ray Peat himself is not about diet per se, but rather is mainly concerned with a certain sense of life. He has mentioned that he chose to go into nutrition because it is the way that most people interact with the world in an empirical, non-ideological way, and so is the best means of awakening people to the true nature of reality.

So perhaps it is more important for us, his "followers" or influenced audience, to live in a Peatist manner than to be overly obsessive about diet? He has recently emphasized the need to be brave and fight back against the evil in the world rather than retreating into positive thinking and political quietism.

So should we be living in a radically empirical, open-minded, romantically anti-authoritarian, creative state of permanent revolution, prepared to die for the right to remain human, and focus less on longevity and reducing gray hairs?

I'd love to hear people's thoughts on this.
 
Joined
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21,494
Hello friends,

It seems to me that Ray Peat himself is not about diet per se, but rather is mainly concerned with a certain sense of life. He has mentioned that he chose to go into nutrition because it is the way that most people interact with the world in an empirical, non-ideological way, and so is the best means of awakening people to the true nature of reality.

So perhaps it is more important for us, his "followers" or influenced audience, to live in a Peatist manner than to be overly obsessive about diet? He has recently emphasized the need to be brave and fight back against the evil in the world rather than retreating into positive thinking and political quietism.

So should we be living in a radically empirical, open-minded, romantically anti-authoritarian, creative state of permanent revolution, prepared to die for the right to remain human, and focus less on longevity and reducing gray hairs?

I'd love to hear people's thoughts on this.
Why does it have to be one or the other?
 

OccamzRazer

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Hello friends,

It seems to me that Ray Peat himself is not about diet per se, but rather is mainly concerned with a certain sense of life. He has mentioned that he chose to go into nutrition because it is the way that most people interact with the world in an empirical, non-ideological way, and so is the best means of awakening people to the true nature of reality.

So perhaps it is more important for us, his "followers" or influenced audience, to live in a Peatist manner than to be overly obsessive about diet? He has recently emphasized the need to be brave and fight back against the evil in the world rather than retreating into positive thinking and political quietism.

So should we be living in a radically empirical, open-minded, romantically anti-authoritarian, creative state of permanent revolution, prepared to die for the right to remain human, and focus less on longevity and reducing gray hairs?

I'd love to hear people's thoughts on this.
I think you're onto something :):

But I also think diet is a critical first step. A person who's not eating properly probably won't have the energy to live in such ways!
 
OP
Christopher R.
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Nov 17, 2017
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It doesn't, and the nutritional advice is really like a godsend.

But I think that Ray is more concerned with how a person lives and interacts with the world than about the more trivial things. If people really think about what he says, it's almost as revolutionary as Christ, almost frightening in how countercultural it is. Look at his William Blake essay, for example. Diet is important, but way less important than living in a manner that becomes life.
 
OP
Christopher R.
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Nov 17, 2017
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I think you're onto something :):

But I also think diet is a critical first step. A person who's not eating properly probably won't have the energy to live in such ways!
Yes, I agree with that. If a person has no true energy, except serotonergic stress energy, they will not be as effective in their pursuit of life and experience and happiness. But the central idea is that we should be vital beings. Ideally perhaps (though I am far from this) always on the edge between fully living and risking death.
 

ReSTART

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Diet is a bit easier to change than your entire lifestyle, that's why most focus on diet.
 
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Diet is a bit easier to change than your entire lifestyle, that's why most focus on diet.
Bingo!! Who is happy lugging around a bunch of fat, popping pills and having constant pain? Not to mention all the negative attention those poor unhealthy people get. I think when you come from the deepest lows just getting to a level playing ground feels like the highest highs. I don't they contemplate the meaning of life and how much potassium is in an orange, they are just trying to live. Let's not go any further and talk about people starving in Africa! So I am with ReSTART diet first, hands down!
 

retroactive

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Yes. Think Perceive Act. Its about constantly adapting and learning how to best function in your current environment.
 

tanya48

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I totally agree with you, Christopher. I think it's a fine balance for each individual. It's "intention" that matters. Is one's intent and attention solely on insuring an optimally functioning physical vehicle? To what end? Are we here on this planet primarily to suck oxygen and consume other life-forms? I think not. And yes, it's difficult to think of anything else if one's health is compromised. I know I'm that way, but I also know that I can get overly obsessed with diet and nutrition. Perhaps because I feel the clock ticking louder these days, I often wonder if I'm squandering precious years left to me by worrying about soy, or if I'm taking too much iodine, or should I quit this or that, etc... In the meantime life is passing me by.

It's different if one truly has serious challenging health issues. Then all of one's focus and attention is on survival, understandably so. But that's not what Christopher is talking about. In the end, it will be up to each individual to find the right balance for themselves.

For me, it is totally about why we are here, in this dimension and on this planet, in the first place. Are we taking care of our soul as much as we're taking care of our body? After all, the physical body is nothing but a vehicle to house the soul. Important, yes, for it's a sacred temple. To me, there is absolutely nothing more important that to awaken to the true nature of reality.
 

Jessie

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I think this is why it's called bioenergetics and not some trendy diet. It's a theory of life itself, all the way down to the living cell, largerly based on Ling's ideas. Diet and nutrition is just a very small slice of this pie. People who only care about diets are the ones that are always on the road to recovery, without ever actually reaching it.
 

equipoise

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Big things in life are new discoveries, art, applying art and skills to said life...Happiness.
Playing music is very therapeutic, concerts make me feel better than any drug. Long walks with kindred soul is amazing aswell. Busy, active life filled with excitement makes you feel alive. And it's very protective. Too much emphasis on diet was never Ray's idea. Just the stepping stones...
 

Nebula

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May 30, 2018
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Hello friends,

It seems to me that Ray Peat himself is not about diet per se, but rather is mainly concerned with a certain sense of life. He has mentioned that he chose to go into nutrition because it is the way that most people interact with the world in an empirical, non-ideological way, and so is the best means of awakening people to the true nature of reality.

So perhaps it is more important for us, his "followers" or influenced audience, to live in a Peatist manner than to be overly obsessive about diet? He has recently emphasized the need to be brave and fight back against the evil in the world rather than retreating into positive thinking and political quietism.

So should we be living in a radically empirical, open-minded, romantically anti-authoritarian, creative state of permanent revolution, prepared to die for the right to remain human, and focus less on longevity and reducing gray hairs?

I'd love to hear people's thoughts on this.
Somewhat agree. I think the most pro metabolic lifestyle is meeting new people weekly and accomplishing positive interesting things together. The brain seems to recognize this as a reason to increase metabolism and lower stress. Overall I think this has a bigger impact than most diets and supplements beyond the basics.
 

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