With all of the science available today - the master, DaVinci, is a source of amazement. There were many things that he knew long before they were ever proven.
And, today, we'll focus on Leanardo's outlook toward health - but, first, let's look into the credibility of the subject. There is an old saying, "don't take advice from anyone more screwed up than yourself," and it is probably a good prescription.
Here is how Goethe described the master - "Handsome and with a splendid physique, he seemed a model of human perfection." Hmm.....considering the brilliance of the source, I think we should now listen to DaVinci.
Davinci on medicine - "shun physicians because their drugs are a kind of alchemy...he who takes medicines is ill-advised." OK....a bit extreme for those suffering today. I will give you that. Just keep in mind that many of today's drugs are administered to treat symptoms and not cure disease....the drugs are created to keep one on the drugs.
DaVinci on causes of death - "death in old men, when not from fever, is caused by the veins...which thicken so much in the wall that they become closed up and leave no passage for the blood." WOW!!! Remember when he lived. There were no ways to physically prove this and investigate our arterial walls as they are now.
One of the many beauties of DaVinci - was that he appreciated the science of art and the art of science. He was extremely aware of what was going on. He could see with an unbiased eye. This served him well as an artist and as a scientist.
"OK, Nutster, get to the point" - hey, DaVinci also had a quote about the virtue of patience that escapes me at the moment. He thought it to be necessary. But, because yours is running thin, let's get to the all important list and then we will break it down from there.
Learn to Preserve Your Health by DaVinci
Beware of anger and avoid grievous moods
Rest your head and keep your mind cheerful
Be covered well at night
Excercise moderately
Shun Wantonness, and pay attention to diet
Eat only when you want and sup light
Keep upright when you rise from the dining table
Don not be with the belly upwards or the head lowered
Let your wine be mixed with water, take a little at a time, not between meals and not on an empty stomach
Eat simple (i.e. vegetarian) food
Chew well
Go to the toilet regularly
Beware of anger and avoid grievous moods - why would the great one say this? Could it be because these states of being create stress. Today we say, it is not what happens to you, it is how you react to what happens to you. Every time you sink into one of these states, you take away life.
Rest your head and keep your mind cheerful - a continuation of the first rule...with the added possibility that sleep and meditation are important
Be covered well at night - remember, there was no environmental control back in Leo's day. I remember a time when I slept in a room that was not connected to the house. It had no heater. It was cold. Yet, I also remember never getting sick. I have often postulated that cold is an enemy of germs and bacteria. In those days, I had an electric blanket (until it caught on fire and gave me a real hot foot). I was covered well....even in an environment that was not optimal by our standards of today
Excercise moderately - I have been going to the gym for over a year on a regular basis. Perhaps the master knew that the key was to excercise frequently and, to do that, it had to be something that was taxing but not overtaxing. I know that when I over do it, I am doing myself little good. Sure, I feed my ego......but my ego is probably the thing that needs the least food. Also, strenuous excercise requires good mechanics. This is something that most of us don't have. DaVinci was huge on posture. Have you looked at yours lately? DaVinci's preferred forms of excercise? Walking, riding, swimming, and fencing. These are all very gentle on the anatomy. DaVinci was no wimp either. It is said that he could bend an iron horseshoe in his hands and that he could stop a horse at full gallop by grabbing it's reins. Even leaving room that those statements MAY have been embellished, the fact that they were attributed to DaVinci tell you that the guy had it going on in the physical department.
Shun Wantonness, and pay attention to diet - this is the biggest, "duh," on his list. Yet, how many of us eat because it is something we want....as opposed to what our bodies need. Do you ever ask, "have I had my roughage today." DaVinci described fiber as something that scrubs away the bad things in our interior linings. HOW THE HECK DID HE KNOW THIS???
Eat only when you want and sup light - the holidays are upon us. Lots of food laying around. Late night extravaganzas. Is it any wonder that, on average, most people add 5 lbs over the holidays? You know, just because the food is there does not require that YOU consume it. Every nutritionist will tell you how important breakfast is. Farmers would traditionally eat supper (not the same as dinner) during a break in the day. They would then go back to work....and be upright working.
Keep upright when you rise from the dining table - studies today are showing that excercise, like walking, after a heavy meal will aid in the digestion of the foods just consumed. The Thanksgiving ritual of stuffing ourselves, unbuttoning the pants to let out some waist, and laying down for a nap would be the antithesis of the DaVinci prescription
Do not be with the belly upwards or the head lowered - POSTURE. I believe DaVinci is talking about curving the back toward our front which causes the belly out/up. Lower your head right now...make your chin touch your chest....feel the strain this puts on your neck. This can't be a good thing. Check you neck position right now at the computer....your head is angled downward, isn't it? Shouldn't that computer screen be at eye level? Are you going to fix that? When? I know.....you are on a laptop....FIX IT! Especially if you are spending considerable time here.
Let your wine be mixed with water, take a little at a time, not between meals and not on an empty stomach - need I say anything about this. DaVinci would not have been a fan of drinking as entertainment. Hey, I am not saying not to do it. It's your health. You are the one that will then violate the rule...end up with health problems....go to the doctor.....I think we already covered DaVinci's take on doctors.
Eat simple (i.e. vegetarian) food - DaVinci was a vegetarian. Yes, we can make fun of them all that we want. We all have examples of ones that got sick or died young. As a whole, however, don't you think that real, devout vegetarians may be a little healthier than those of us consuming vast quantities of meat and processed foods. There really weren't many processed foods back then......I think we can surmise to say that Leo would not have been eating many bags of chips.
Chew well - and what does every weight loss program suggest? That's right...eat slowly. There is a delay between when you are full and when your mind gets the message that it is full. DaVinci was in touch with this long before his time.
Go to the toilet regularly - how many prunes have you had today? Is pear juice a part of your diet? How you doing in that department? I know....no one wants to talk about it. We should! Elimination is one of the most important aspects of the functions that your body performs. Look at the byproduct.....it ain't pretty is it? Doesn't it just make sense that the less of it you have hanging around inside you, the better off you will be. Have you thought about going on a cleanse for 30 days? Visit your local health food store. Better yet, introduce some cleansing foods into your diet.
Much has been written about the great man - yet, to many, they are more attracted to the fictional DaVinci Code than they are to looking into his genius and saying, "how could I apply this to my life?"
I hope you found the posting helpful - and inspirational as we head into the new year. Remember, Jan 1 is not set in stone to make resolutions. You can make one right now. It is possible to lose weight during the holidays. ...
....As a matter of fact, I make the attempt every year - I figure if I can take 5 off when everyone else is putting 5 on, I really lost 10. I did it last year. It was those pesky fall months that added a few back this time. Yet, I am inching it down again since the week before Thanksgiving.
Imagine where I - and, more importantly you, could go by following the great one's advice immediately.
(Information for this post came from the book, How to Think like Leonardo DaVinci, by Michael Gelb.....buy this book!)
Beware of anger and avoid grievous moods
Rest your head and keep your mind cheerful
Be covered well at night
Excercise moderately
Shun Wantonness, and pay attention to diet
Eat only when you want and sup light
Keep upright when you rise from the dining table
Don not be with the belly upwards or the head lowered
Let your wine be mixed with water, take a little at a time, not between meals and not on an empty stomach
Eat simple (i.e. vegetarian) food
Chew well
Go to the toilet regularly
Beware of anger and avoid grievous moods - why would the great one say this? Could it be because these states of being create stress. Today we say, it is not what happens to you, it is how you react to what happens to you. Every time you sink into one of these states, you take away life.
Rest your head and keep your mind cheerful - a continuation of the first rule...with the added possibility that sleep and meditation are important
Be covered well at night - remember, there was no environmental control back in Leo's day. I remember a time when I slept in a room that was not connected to the house. It had no heater. It was cold. Yet, I also remember never getting sick. I have often postulated that cold is an enemy of germs and bacteria. In those days, I had an electric blanket (until it caught on fire and gave me a real hot foot). I was covered well....even in an environment that was not optimal by our standards of today
Excercise moderately - I have been going to the gym for over a year on a regular basis. Perhaps the master knew that the key was to excercise frequently and, to do that, it had to be something that was taxing but not overtaxing. I know that when I over do it, I am doing myself little good. Sure, I feed my ego......but my ego is probably the thing that needs the least food. Also, strenuous excercise requires good mechanics. This is something that most of us don't have. DaVinci was huge on posture. Have you looked at yours lately? DaVinci's preferred forms of excercise? Walking, riding, swimming, and fencing. These are all very gentle on the anatomy. DaVinci was no wimp either. It is said that he could bend an iron horseshoe in his hands and that he could stop a horse at full gallop by grabbing it's reins. Even leaving room that those statements MAY have been embellished, the fact that they were attributed to DaVinci tell you that the guy had it going on in the physical department.
Shun Wantonness, and pay attention to diet - this is the biggest, "duh," on his list. Yet, how many of us eat because it is something we want....as opposed to what our bodies need. Do you ever ask, "have I had my roughage today." DaVinci described fiber as something that scrubs away the bad things in our interior linings. HOW THE HECK DID HE KNOW THIS???
Eat only when you want and sup light - the holidays are upon us. Lots of food laying around. Late night extravaganzas. Is it any wonder that, on average, most people add 5 lbs over the holidays? You know, just because the food is there does not require that YOU consume it. Every nutritionist will tell you how important breakfast is. Farmers would traditionally eat supper (not the same as dinner) during a break in the day. They would then go back to work....and be upright working.
Keep upright when you rise from the dining table - studies today are showing that excercise, like walking, after a heavy meal will aid in the digestion of the foods just consumed. The Thanksgiving ritual of stuffing ourselves, unbuttoning the pants to let out some waist, and laying down for a nap would be the antithesis of the DaVinci prescription
Do not be with the belly upwards or the head lowered - POSTURE. I believe DaVinci is talking about curving the back toward our front which causes the belly out/up. Lower your head right now...make your chin touch your chest....feel the strain this puts on your neck. This can't be a good thing. Check you neck position right now at the computer....your head is angled downward, isn't it? Shouldn't that computer screen be at eye level? Are you going to fix that? When? I know.....you are on a laptop....FIX IT! Especially if you are spending considerable time here.
Let your wine be mixed with water, take a little at a time, not between meals and not on an empty stomach - need I say anything about this. DaVinci would not have been a fan of drinking as entertainment. Hey, I am not saying not to do it. It's your health. You are the one that will then violate the rule...end up with health problems....go to the doctor.....I think we already covered DaVinci's take on doctors.
Eat simple (i.e. vegetarian) food - DaVinci was a vegetarian. Yes, we can make fun of them all that we want. We all have examples of ones that got sick or died young. As a whole, however, don't you think that real, devout vegetarians may be a little healthier than those of us consuming vast quantities of meat and processed foods. There really weren't many processed foods back then......I think we can surmise to say that Leo would not have been eating many bags of chips.
Chew well - and what does every weight loss program suggest? That's right...eat slowly. There is a delay between when you are full and when your mind gets the message that it is full. DaVinci was in touch with this long before his time.
Go to the toilet regularly - how many prunes have you had today? Is pear juice a part of your diet? How you doing in that department? I know....no one wants to talk about it. We should! Elimination is one of the most important aspects of the functions that your body performs. Look at the byproduct.....it ain't pretty is it? Doesn't it just make sense that the less of it you have hanging around inside you, the better off you will be. Have you thought about going on a cleanse for 30 days? Visit your local health food store. Better yet, introduce some cleansing foods into your diet.
Much has been written about the great man - yet, to many, they are more attracted to the fictional DaVinci Code than they are to looking into his genius and saying, "how could I apply this to my life?"
I hope you found the posting helpful - and inspirational as we head into the new year. Remember, Jan 1 is not set in stone to make resolutions. You can make one right now. It is possible to lose weight during the holidays. ...
....As a matter of fact, I make the attempt every year - I figure if I can take 5 off when everyone else is putting 5 on, I really lost 10. I did it last year. It was those pesky fall months that added a few back this time. Yet, I am inching it down again since the week before Thanksgiving.
Imagine where I - and, more importantly you, could go by following the great one's advice immediately.
(Information for this post came from the book, How to Think like Leonardo DaVinci, by Michael Gelb.....buy this book!)
2 comments:
Yes, da Vinci was a genius, no doubt about it. Your post is clever - I especially like your comment about the ego. :)
This is great. Thanks for sharing :)
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