Nutrition in Practice
There are no blueprints for the exact programming of ones daily food intake. This rests within the freedom of the individual. What can be said, however, is that such an individualised approach presupposes that one occupies oneself to some extent with questions relating to nutrition, that one has a basis of knowledge and has made some experiences. Dietary recommendations are not prescriptions, but a help in choosing. They usually describe the effects of specific foods and provide a basis for making a decision.
Rudolf Steiner spoke of this in a lecture: “You see, people tend to ask: is it better to drink alcohol or not to drink alcohol! Is it better to be a vegetarian or to eat meat! I don’t ever tell anyone that he should enjoy alcohol or refrain from drinking it, or whether he should eat plants or meat. Instead, I tell them: alcohol works in such and such a way. I simply relate to him the effect that it has, and he can then decide if he wants to drink it or not. And I do the same in the case of eating vegetarian food or meat. I say: meat has such and such an effect and plants have this effect. And the result is that the person can then decide for himself. It is this that science must aim for above all else, namely respect for human freedom.” (R. Steiner: Nutrition and Consciousness.) (Ernährung und Bewußtsein. Themen aus dem Gesamtwerk Stuttgart 1994. S. 142f.)
As we can see, the main thing is to build up criteria for judgement that will help us find an appropriate diet. Certainly it is less comfortable than fixed rules, but is essential for our time.
Based on our judgement of individual foodstuffs, we can make specific recommendations. On the basis of these, whole-foods nutrition has been developed that uses grains as staple diet. The descriptions of Rudolf Steiner and the experiences of many different people have also led to the practice of eating fewer meat and fish products and favouring an ova-lacto vegetarian diet (with milk and eggs). This however, depends entirely on the choice of the individual and his or her needs.
(translated by Eric Hurner)