Some Health Advice from Ouspensky: Too Much Meat
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For full citations of abbreviated references, please see:
In Beryl Pogson's biography of Maurice Nicoll1 she records some material from Nicoll's diaries about P.D. Ouspensky's ideas on aspects of health. These are interesting to consider in the context of what Gurdjieff taught.
On eating meat, Nicoll records:
In speaking of food and habits of eating, [Ouspensky] said that we certainly ate too much meat, and that in parts of Russia they only have meat twice a year, and are yet big and strong. He said in hot weather even a little meat makes you feel the heat at once, and also makes you thirsty.2
In contrast to Ouspensky talking of hot weather and strength in the light of mainly vegetarianism, Gurdjieff speaks of a cold climate and physical exertion in the light of eating meat. That is, although
. . . everything required for the physical and spiritual life of man can be found in the vegetable kingdom . . . Meat is necessary when there is hard physical work to be done, or in a very cold climate.3
However, apart from their approach here from different aspects, the two accounts seem very consistent. And Gurdjieff said that, "To be a vegetarian is an honourable thing."4
Further ideas of Ouspensky and Nicoll on health in:
