Plant diets

We will introduce you to the concept of a plant diet (La planta dieta – in Spanish), as it is known from the still living tradition of Vegetalismo (healing or plant knowledge) from South America. This tradition of Vegetalismo has been well researched in terms of anthropological and ethnobotanical research over the last 40 years, which is why we present it here. This tradition is still alive, so it is possible to draw directly from the experience of healers who have nothing but the forest, medicinal plants and themselves, their experience and knowledge.

Traditional vegetalismo

The Vegetalismo tradition evolved from the original tribal shamanism and healing traditions in South America, especially in the Amazon rainforest. About two hundred years ago, rubber mining and processing began to interfere with the Indian tribal areas of the rainforest, bringing the original indigenous tribes into contact with civilization and the common majority population of mestizos (descendants of white conquistadors and Indians). The urban population thus became acquainted with the procedures of healing and learning with the help of medicinal plants. However, there were important differences. While tribal shamanism was based on symbiosis with the forest and was more focused on protecting the tribe from danger, maintaining social harmony and healing diseases – mestizo Vegetalismo focuses on individual cure because the mestizo population already lived mainly in cities, urban way of life. Both the tribal healing system and the Vegetalismo system use the basic technique of plant diet in order to learn to work with medicinal plants and absorb their healing power and wisdom. This technique is called the Plant Diet (La planta dieta).

According to vegetalistas in order to learn how to heal with the help of plants and use their medicine, they must first show to plants that they deserve their trust. They must prove to the plants that they are strong and faithful, they must generally spend at least six months in isolation during the initiation, live deep in the rainforest and follow a strict diet with the teacher’s plants. Diet is the key to building a relationship with plants, because plants do not easily discover their medicine. In total, the process of diet and learning takes at least five to ten years before the healer absorbs enough plant medicine and knowledge. If the healer successfully goes through a strict diet, he will receive additional gifts, protection and healing abilities from the mothers of the plants. If he or she is successful, the plants pass on to him the so-called icaros (sacred healing songs), by which they can then cure various diseases with the help of medicinal plants and plants of strength. However, the healer must learn more than just going through the diet properly, he must remain faithful to the plants and the world of nature, and he must also follow in his life what he has learned from the plants.

Plant diet concept

An herbal diet is the process of using plant extracts and a diet (without salt, sugar, spices, oil, fat, pork and red meat, predatory fish, alcohol, drugs and sex) for a set period of time for the purpose of healing or learning. During the diet, the body is cleansed and the body’s endocrine system is better able to receive information and active substances from medicinal plants, and in addition, the energy barrier between the human body and its surroundings, i.e. the natural world, is weakened during the diet. During the diet, the world of people and the world of plants are connected and knowledge, learning and healing energy are transferred from plants to humans. South American native tribes believe that every plant has a mother (madre), who is the soul of the whole plant species and resides in the spiritual world. Unlike common medicinal plants (plantas medicinales), there are also teacher plants (plantas maestras) and also plants of strength and wisdom (plantas de poder y sabiduria). Teacher plants can not only heal but also teach. During the process of diet, the soul of the plant acts on the body and soul of man and performs healing and learning there. A person who diet (so-called dietero) can then heal and slowly learn what he needs or wishes to know. In this way, the causes of various psychosomatic and civilizational diseases, which are rooted in fear, rejection, pain, sadness, unmet needs, family burdens, etc., can be accessed and experienced. Another possibility is to use a plant diet for personal and spiritual development. Herbs give everyone what they need.

Practical information on the plant diet

The recommended diet is seven days in one month. If you are overweight, it is possible to follow a diet for longer after consulting a doctor. There are two types of diet, depending on how strict it is to be, the stricter it is, the deeper the effect.

A less strict diet is the so-called outpatient diet (ambulatory diet) and is used for treatment. It is possible to go to work, to the city, but it is necessary to avoid physical contact with people and places where there is a high concentration of people, polluted areas, noise, etc. It is necessary to eat only diet (without salt, sugar, spices, oils , fat, pork and red meat, predatory fish, alcohol, drugs and sex). Sexual abstinence is observed in order to accumulate the life force that is very necessary during treatment. The diet should be neither hot nor cold, it should be lukewarm, because the body is sensitive to irritation during the diet. Every day of the diet, the prescribed plant extract is taken 1-3 times a day. It is also important to drink a lot during the day in order to flush out any unnecessary or toxic substances that are released during the healing process. It is also necessary that a person on a strict diet does not come into contact with fire (e.g. by a candle or fireplace) and does not get burned, and also that he is not exposed to strong sun, rain and cold. These forces of nature are too strong for humans during the diet and could cause complications. Food supplements, fragrances, perfumes, deodorants and no cosmetics are not used during the outpatient diet. However, it is possible to use, for example, natural toothpaste, natural soap or natural shampoo. Creams and skin serums are not used during the diet, because during the diet all layers of skin, pores and vascular supply are cleaned and also the function of sebum is restored. The diet ends on the eighth day in the morning, when after dawn, a solution of lemon juice, a teaspoon of sugar, salt and spices is drunk. Then it is good to lie down for 20 minutes so that the person absorbs the end of the process.

The second type of diet is more strict and is called a strict diet and is used for deep healing as well as learning. During this strict diet, it is necessary to stay in an isolated place (e.g. in your own room, apartment) where you are alone and you must not talk to or touch anyone during the whole diet. Due to the fact that a person stops receiving stimuli from the external environment (tastes, smells, communication), he can concentrate on internal processes and perceptions, which thus become more clear and perceptible. Teacher plants are able to control these processes correctly and to accompany man. You only need to eat a diet (without salt, sugar, spices, oil, fat, pork and red meat, predatory fish, alcohol, drugs and sex). Sexual abstinence is observed in order to accumulate the life force that is very necessary during treatment. The diet should be neither hot nor cold, it should be lukewarm, because the body is sensitive to irritation during the diet. No dietary supplements, fragrances, perfumes, deodorants or any cosmetics are used during a strict diet. No toothpaste, soap or shampoo is used. It is also necessary that a person on a strict diet does not come into contact with fire (e.g. by a candle or fireplace) and does not get burned, and that he is not exposed to strong sun, rain or cold. These forces of nature are too strong for humans during the diet and could cause complications. Every day of the diet, the prescribed plant extract is taken 1-3 times a day. It is also important to drink a lot during the day in order to flush out any unnecessary or toxic substances that are released during the healing process. The diet ends on the eighth day in the morning, when after dawn, a solution of lemon juice, a teaspoon of sugar, salt and spices is drunk. Then it is good to lie down for 20 minutes so that the person absorbs the end of the process.

What foods can be eaten: During the diet, it is advisable to eat, for example, boiled potatoes, carrots, corn, rice, oatmeal in a mushy form, so that the diet is well digested. It is also possible to eat fruits that are not too sweet and sour (apples, bananas), humus, chickpeas. Only water to drink.

The course of the diet: During the diet, there may be a decrease in energy, malaise, slowness, but also greater concentration, calming the body and mind, eliminating disturbing thoughts and relieving tension in the body. Long-established memories can also appear, and their revelation aids the healing process. During the diet, vivid dreams often appear, which can be important for a person, can experience what he needs or learn an important message. Perceptions such as flow or accumulation of energy in the body, a feeling of unblocking or highlighting body blocks or mental patterns of behavior may also occur during the diet.

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The intense results of the diet process show up another week after the end of the diet (i.e. as long as the diet process lasted) and show a feeling of lightness, sharpening of the mind, better mood, greater concentration, overall greater vitality. If the diet settles well in a person, it settles permanently and its effect lasts. One week after the end of the diet, it is advisable to partially maintain the diet, eat more light meals, fried meals, avoid, for example, sweets, pork and red meat. The effect of the diet is thus deepened and the treatment process has a chance to settle deeper.

Diet mistakes

Mistakes in the diet can cause complications called crossing of the diet (cruzado). This can happen when there is a violation of the prescribed diet, for example: contact with a person with inappropriate behavior or eating forbidden food. Crossing a diet can manifest itself in sudden nausea, headaches, and very unpleasant feelings. In traditional societies, the diet is led by the healer, who also possibly eliminates cross-dieting by blowing tobbaco smoke with icaros and takes a patient on the recovery diet, twice as long as original. When dieting alone, there is nothing left but to end the diet and then start the diet again the next day, but to keep it twice as long as the diet lasted until cross-breeding occurred.

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