Macrobiotic Diet

The basic directive of the macrobiotic diet is to eat in harmony with the environment in which you live. By eating this way, you will be nourishing your body with pure, quality and indigenous foods that provide you with optimal health and longevity.

Principles

Although the principles of macrobiotics are extensive, the following is a simplified version to inform you of the general principles of the macrobiotic diet:

1. Balance: Selecting foods carefully in relation to our human physical needs is crucial to our good health.

2. Eating native foods: By eating foods grown in the region in which you live, you will be fulfilling your body’s energy needs at its optimal level.

3. Eating foods from the same climate in which you live: Choosing foods from the same climate allows for a balance with the environment.

4. Seasonal eating: As the seasons change, so does the amount of energy a food offers the human body.

5. Yin and Yang: Foods have expansive (yin) energy and contractive (yang) energy. It is important to eat the proper food to balance our internal energy requirements.

Benefits

The advantages to eating, cooking, and living the macrobiotic way are many. For most people, good health free of degenerative conditions is the main purpose. By following a pure, wholesome and nutrient-rich diet plan, physical, mental and emotional well-being has been proven to follow.

The restoration of health is another reason people adopt a this lifestyle. Cancer survivors are prime examples. Since chemotherapy and radiation kill human cells, this method of eating is a way to replenish cells. Study after study has shown positive results, especially when cancer of the colon, intestines, and other digestive organs are involved.

Macrobiotic Diet Foods

Specific foods are defined in the guidelines. The meals focus on complex carbohydrates, plant proteins, fats, minerals, vitamins, enzymes and water. Examples are as follows:

• Complex carbohydrates: whole grains, beans, vegetables, seeds and fruit

• Proteins: beans, legumes, fish, seeds, nuts, eggs, dairy

• Fats: oils, nuts, seeds

• Minerals: salts, sea vegetables

• Vitamins: vegetables, fruits, sea vegetables

• Enzymes: fermented foods, raw plant foods, whole grains

• Water: spring water, fruits and vegetables

Note: since sea vegetables, salts, grains and beans are viable longer than fresh vegetables, fruits and other proteins, they can come from farther distances than your local region.

Elements

Since the macrobiotic diet is centrally focused on eating in balance with nature, the five elements of nature is included in its description. Hence, fire is related to bitter foods, soil to sweet foods, metal to pungent foods, water to salty foods, and tree to sour foods. Since we have taste buds for each of these, a meal will be satisfying if they are all included. Also, systems of our bodies are influenced by these tastes and need to be eaten daily for complete nourishments.

There are specific cooking methods involved in food preparation. These include pressure-cooking, stir-frying, boiling pickling and steaming. Each of the five elements are directly effected by which cooking method is utilized.

Meal Planning

Since there are several components to consider when creating a macrobiotic diet meal, it can be time-consuming. Several foods are distinctively used in the meals, such as kombu. For this reason, choosing an appropriate cookbook to follow is helpful.

A complete macrobiotic diet meal will include:

• Grain

• Protein

• Sea Vegetable

• Vegetables

• Pickles

These are to be used according to the season, the energy forces, the five elements, and the acid and alkaline balance.