Hi Archus,

No garlic, no onion is perfect for a meditative lifestyle; when I went on Vipassana retreat, this was the way of it. But I'm not sure I'd want to live that way all the time. Everything according to one's 'inner doctor'.

On the other hand, if a person can abstain, and feels good that way, garlic and onions can be reserved for medicine--as they are a powerful medicine; like in The Master Tonic; not to be confused with the Master Cleanse, that lemon-based drink. :-)

the master tonic (as you may know) is 1 part each hottest peppers, onions, garlic, ginger, and horseradish all blended or rough chopped to a slurry, and covered with apple cider vinegar. Steeped for 28 days to six weeks--or, as I have often done, just kept as is, as long as it lasts. It makes a great condiment, or strained, makes a POWERFUL medicine.

on my first water fast, the thing I craved the most - only two days or so, was one young spinach leaf.

All things can be medicine, in the right amount... just as they can be poison... so I'm for tuning into one's intuition; and progressively sharpening that, more and more, in order to be insightful; and so that insight can be balanced and in synergy with perception and feeling (meaning sensation, not emotion)--so none of those work against another.

The principles of Natural Hygiene are sound.
the fine points of no salt, or no garlic... I'd say, to each his/her own, depending . I love my Hlimalayan salt. Sometimes want some, sometimes not.

* I do think, the better quality our food is, not only "plant-based", but high mineral, and tree-ripened, the less we would need of literally anything. During the hottest times this summer, I was even thinking, just to eat flowers and small bits of herbs could be a feast, and ambrosia... Do you remember, as a child, ever sucking the nectar out of the tiny straws of a clover blossom? Heavenly. :-)

all the best, chiron

:-)