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We also need a diary on the progressive impoverishing of the vegetable side of our diets.

We basically have to relearn all that we've forgotten about tradiational diets, which were varied, and generally poor in animal protein. Around 1800 the "modern" versions of "traditional" dishes arose, which were highly enriched in their animal content. Where a stew would have had a little meat for flavour, it now consists mainly of meat and so on.

A society committed to the notion that government is always bad will have bad government. And it doesn't have to be that way. — Paul Krugman

by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Thu Jan 26th, 2006 at 09:28:42 AM EST
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A good point. A "pot au feu", for example, one of those traditional French dishes with meat and lots of veggies, used to be cooked on Sundays in the countryside. A temptative comment would be: "ah because it took a long time to cook?" (ps: takes over 3 hours), but the most probable answer is because meat was something you wouldn't eat very often, which you'd, for example, keep for church day.

Hey, maybe I'm on to something here. It would be interesting to note how religion and meat have been entangled in the past. And I'm not thinking about the Cathars, Buddhists, or even Japanese edo-era edicts banning meat, but about bans on meat in some parts of Europe during the Middle-Ages. I think there were some, who knows anything about this? Maybe some catholic ruler of France did this for some time, I have a faint recollection of something along those lines.

by Alex in Toulouse on Thu Jan 26th, 2006 at 09:39:17 AM EST
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And you'll note it's the sort of dish you can make with cheaper cuts of almost any meat.
by Colman (colman at eurotrib.com) on Thu Jan 26th, 2006 at 09:40:30 AM EST
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Good reminder.
by Alex in Toulouse on Thu Jan 26th, 2006 at 09:47:59 AM EST
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In Spain we eat a lot of fish because of Lent. Well, Lent was the motivation for a thriving fishing industry and a fish-eating culture even deep in the plateau. I have seen claims that Madrid's fish market is second only to Tokyo's.

A society committed to the notion that government is always bad will have bad government. And it doesn't have to be that way. — Paul Krugman
by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Thu Jan 26th, 2006 at 09:41:15 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Madrid and Barna fish markets together go over Tokyo. Or at least that's what I heard.

No proof

A pleasure

I therefore claim to show, not how men think in myths, but how myths operate in men's minds without their being aware of the fact. Levi-Strauss, Claude

by kcurie on Thu Jan 26th, 2006 at 10:23:21 AM EST
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But Madrid is 500 km inland!

A society committed to the notion that government is always bad will have bad government. And it doesn't have to be that way. — Paul Krugman
by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Thu Jan 26th, 2006 at 11:10:10 AM EST
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There was a fascinating article in Scientific American years ago about the evolution of European diets from the middle ages to the present and the influence that te discovery of distillation had, both technically and philosophically (for instance, it used ot be believed that digestion was fermentation, but then the belief changed to distillation - this also informed the choice of what constituted a healthy meal, and the order of courses). What we now call "french cuisine" originated from this transition.

A society committed to the notion that government is always bad will have bad government. And it doesn't have to be that way. — Paul Krugman
by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Thu Jan 26th, 2006 at 09:44:59 AM EST
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I read someplace, the more meat a society consumes, the more they are agressive to war. The US today has one of the highest meat consumptions. It would be interesting to compare other countries.

In Ayurveda meat is considered tamasic, that is dulling to the mind. One of the reasons more why spiritual groups or religions abstain from eating meat. It interferes with meditation.

by Fran on Thu Jan 26th, 2006 at 09:48:28 AM EST
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I read some place that the more yoga a country does the poorer it is. Look at India.
by Colman (colman at eurotrib.com) on Thu Jan 26th, 2006 at 09:49:56 AM EST
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What do you mean by yoga?
by Fran on Thu Jan 26th, 2006 at 09:52:30 AM EST
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I see a diary brewing...

A society committed to the notion that government is always bad will have bad government. And it doesn't have to be that way. — Paul Krugman
by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Thu Jan 26th, 2006 at 09:55:13 AM EST
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Good, when are you going to post it? :))
by Fran on Thu Jan 26th, 2006 at 10:16:31 AM EST
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No, no, it's you and my girlfriend that have the necessary knowledge.

A society committed to the notion that government is always bad will have bad government. And it doesn't have to be that way. — Paul Krugman
by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Thu Jan 26th, 2006 at 10:17:30 AM EST
[ Parent ]
I've forgotten the necessary knowledge. Anyway, there's all sorts of religious/spritual beliefs tied up in it that I am not qualified to discuss on the basis that I don't believe a word of it.
by Colman (colman at eurotrib.com) on Thu Jan 26th, 2006 at 10:19:44 AM EST
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Chakrasespecially drive me up the wall. But even if you are not interested in following the yogi's path of spiritual enlightenment, it does seem that yoga helps a lot with centering, and that is useful.

A society committed to the notion that government is always bad will have bad government. And it doesn't have to be that way. — Paul Krugman
by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Thu Jan 26th, 2006 at 10:25:33 AM EST
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Absolutely. And it's not bad exercise either.
by Colman (colman at eurotrib.com) on Thu Jan 26th, 2006 at 10:27:55 AM EST
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I meant the assorted practices associated with the original forms that the modern western forms (DYNAMIC YOGA????) are derived from.
by Colman (colman at eurotrib.com) on Thu Jan 26th, 2006 at 09:57:29 AM EST
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Well, that is not what is yoga in India as I learned. The physical aspect of yoga is a rather small part. Most Indians are not doing that kind of yoga. That would be like expecting all Muslims to do the Derwish dance. The interesting thing is that yoga seems to be re-introduced to India through the Westerners traveling there. Originaly the physical or Hatha Yoga was a preparation for those seeking the spiritual path and enlightenment, preparing their body to be able to sit quietly for hours. Actually most people here in the West do Yoga for the side effects and not it's original purpose. At least at the beginning.
by Fran on Thu Jan 26th, 2006 at 10:07:03 AM EST
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Those would be the original practices western yoga is based on.
by Colman (colman at eurotrib.com) on Thu Jan 26th, 2006 at 10:15:28 AM EST
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Yes
by Fran on Thu Jan 26th, 2006 at 10:19:05 AM EST
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That would be Iyengar yoga.

A society committed to the notion that government is always bad will have bad government. And it doesn't have to be that way. — Paul Krugman
by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Thu Jan 26th, 2006 at 10:19:22 AM EST
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Charming.
by Colman (colman at eurotrib.com) on Thu Jan 26th, 2006 at 10:20:52 AM EST
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Iyengar yoga is one form of Hatha yoga named after its 'founder'B.K. There are different schools of Hatha Yoga, though Iyengar is one of the better know in the West.
by Fran on Thu Jan 26th, 2006 at 10:24:51 AM EST
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Really? With straps and props? One of the better known? Eeek.
by Colman (colman at eurotrib.com) on Thu Jan 26th, 2006 at 10:26:04 AM EST
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shoot!!! I should have checked your link first. What a silly picture. Thats the stuff that brings disregard to Yoga. Iyengar style uses lots of probs - most others do not.
by Fran on Thu Jan 26th, 2006 at 10:28:09 AM EST
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It's a wiki, you know? And you're an expert... And you have the copyright of any photographs you may have taken youself... You get my drift? By the way, I'd love to read a diary by you titled "What do you mean by Yoga?", really...

A society committed to the notion that government is always bad will have bad government. And it doesn't have to be that way. — Paul Krugman
by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Thu Jan 26th, 2006 at 10:30:14 AM EST
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Ok. I see what I can do, however, it will have to brew a little more.
by Fran on Thu Jan 26th, 2006 at 10:35:40 AM EST
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Please brew... I mean, please do.
by afew (afew(a in a circle)eurotrib_dot_com) on Thu Jan 26th, 2006 at 11:03:10 AM EST
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That's what I thought. Don't confuse me like that.
by Colman (colman at eurotrib.com) on Thu Jan 26th, 2006 at 10:32:45 AM EST
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I knew this restaurant owner in Toulouse who was once the manager of a small town football club. He explained to me that red meat was banned from the player's diets before matches, as eating any would increase the likelihood of cramps during the match.
by Alex in Toulouse on Thu Jan 26th, 2006 at 09:54:13 AM EST
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So red meat is like sex then?
by Colman (colman at eurotrib.com) on Thu Jan 26th, 2006 at 09:55:06 AM EST
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