How to Deal with Mucus-free Vegan Social Situations

The following introduction is an excerpt from my book Spira Speaks: Essays and Dialogs on the Mucusless Diet Healing System:

Fending off the Naysayers and Haters

Sent by Samantha Claire on January 15, 2011

Sometimes, we must journey before we learn the truth. I am still on the journey but I am trying again. I can picture in my mind the garbage traveling through my body after I eat it. What foods seem like they should be travelling through my blood and through my body? Definitely not french fries.

I have heard too many times, “You can’t do that while you live in NYC, it’s not possible with all the food.” I have heard the same about college. What I am afraid of is the trip to Greece with my family this summer. I recommended to my family that we go to the local markets, buy food, and make our own meals instead of eating out at restaurants, but I was just given “the glare.”

I have found, however, that I experience headaches every time I make my salad with cabbage. I think because of the chewing which requires much more muscles and strength than with lettuce, but I don’t know how to lessen it. I know Ehret advices to put lemon juice on top of the cabbage for about an hour to soften it, which works, but I am also just not sure of an alternative to so much cabbage.

What do you think?
-Sam

Spira’s Response:
Sent by Prof. Spira on January 18, 2011

Greetings Sam!

Ah yes, the naysayers. There will be a lot of those—and many will believe that they are right without any further investigation. Others are terrified by the prospect of the diet and are really just saying, “I can’t do it,” or “I won’t do it in NYC or college.” But more frustrating is the “I will talk about something that I do not know anything about with authority” disease.

The fact is that most people have not heard anything like what we are talking about; yet instead of saying, “I don’t know,” they try to find the nearest thing they can relate to it: veganism, macrobiotic, or even fruitarianism, etc., but the Mucusless Diet is simply not those things. The implications of V = P – O are unprecedented.

As for “the glare,” I hate that. Over the years, I have lived my life in such a way where I rarely have to deal with it anymore. As I think I mentioned before, my approach to such issues has been a bit hardcore. But at the end of the day, I realize that I’m 100 percent responsible for everything that I put into, and eliminate from, my body.

Some people may feel offended, threatened, spiteful, or frustrated toward how I’ve decided to live, but such feelings are reactionary, irrational, and will pass with time. I would rather hurt a few feelings than suffer the consequences of eating materials that I do not need and know will ultimately harm me.

One thing that has been interesting to see over the years is how many of the people who gave me such a hard time in the past are now opting to buy fruits and eliminate meat themselves. Deep down, people know that our direction is sound, but to acknowledge it would be to simultaneously recognize that how they live is not righteous.

Thus, comments like, “Well if it works for you” sarcastically emerge. It is much harder to rationalize the senseless slaughter of innocent animals and fermentation of their excretions to support masochistic eating habits when we are hanging around talking about fruit diets and fasting.

Avoiding the Jerry Springer Effect

It is hard for me to give you specific suggestions for preparing for your trip, since I do not know much about the social dynamics of your family’s situation. However, I would probably try to avoid group conversations where it is possible for everyone to gang up on you. I call it the “Jerry Springer Effect.”

It is much easier for people to rationalize the normalcy of their addiction if they maintain solidarity. I’ve warned other friends not to enter “Mucusland” territory without backup. Most Crips [famous gang] wouldn’t confront a gang of Bloods [rival gang] without their boys having their back.

The US military doesn’t send one solder into war without their platoons and regiments. That being said, calm, rational discussions with individual family members away from food and drink may be the best way to let people know that you are serious about what you are trying to do. Although you refuse to compromise about what you put into your body, you may reassure them that your actions are in no way meant to be disrespectful.

Avoiding the Jerry Springer Effect Video

Thus, you mean not to impose on them with your dietary beliefs. An apt compromise would be that you ensure that you can get the fruits and vegetables that you need without forcing them to eat like you. It seems that you got the glare because your suggestion included that everyone go shopping with you and eat homemade meals.

Such a proposition could be perceived to be imposing. However, you are well within your right to assert that you will be buying your food from local markets and maintaining your own dietary regimen. Being steadfast, yet non-imposing, should eventually earn a newfound respect where people go out of their way to help you and give you what you need. For the longest time, people tried to offer me vegetarian foods or try to invite me to vegan restaurants as a thoughtful gesture, yet I still kindly declined.

After a while, people started asking me what I would accept, which sometimes resulted in people buying me boxes of lemons, apples, and oranges. Although this approach may initially create a certain kind of isolation, over time it becomes accepted and respected by those around you. My family knows that I’m not going to be hanging around on “Thankskilling” or Halloween, but I’m able celebrate life with them in other ways that are not predicated on eating.

(To strengthen the skills of dealing with people adversarial to my diet, I used to watch the famous Malcolm X interviews, for example: http://youtu.be/ENHP89mLWOY.)

The Number One Reason People Quit the Mucusless Diet

See Video of Mucusless Diet practitioners vegan play-acting to prepare and learn how to talk to naysayers: https://youtu.be/nxZH0V7k8MU?t=1h42m43s

Peace, Love, and Breath!

Prof. Spira

Check out Spira Speaks HERE.