MP - ON “Peating”
"Peating" is about SO much more than food!
I so appreciate the work of Ray Peat, and his continual research and dedication over many years to offering people the science and viewpoints that without which many of us would never have heard of.
However, it seems that many of us get caught in a reductionist trap where this is concerned, forgetting that Ray Peat, in his essence, is not a nutritionist.
Of course, he knows more about nutrition, biology, and environment than most people could ever aspire to.
However, I do not believe that that is what he "is".
Ray Peat is a philosopher, an artist, a thinker, and a seer.
What he offers us is the possibility of true "freedom", and is as likely to be quoting Nietzsche, Plato, Wittgenstein, Pavlov, or Aristotle as he is to be remembering obscure scientific papers from the 20's.
Ray offers us breadth and space, encouraging connection, capacity, free thinking, and self-empowerment.
He encourages us to search and to explore for ourselves, creating our own reality and capacity as we go forward, and not taking the word of anyone, be they politician, nutritionist, or doctor, but to be rather always questioning and asking.
This, for me, is Ray's true gift to the world, and those that "fail" at the "Ray Peat diet", are for me missing something beautiful.
There is no "Ray Peat diet", only beautifully explained possibilities that grant us the opportunity to think in ways that we were thus far unable to do.
If you tried low fat, low carb, high SAT, high sugar, or whatever other definition of the "Peat diet" you chose to attempt, and it gave you something, but not yet "perfection", you have already succeeded at "Peating", because you have already made the step towards opening your mind and claiming your health and life as your own.
You are practice "Peating" when you respond to other's in need without requiring recompense.
You practice "Peating" when you paint, draw, play music, spend time in community, and in nature.
You practice "Peating" when something doesn't work for you and you try something else.
There is a wonderful article by Karen Conley that I recently reconnected with called "Stop RePeating", in which she masterfully speaks to these themes - I highly recommend it.
https://www.visionandacceptance.com/stop-repeating/
Think. Perceive. Act.
Thank you Ray