The macrobiotic diet is the macrobiotic lifestyle. Many people tend to think of diets as temporary weight loss regimens, but nothing is further from the truth. Adopting a healthy way of life that includes healthy eating is the idea behind the macrobiotic diet. The program seeks to find balance between the body and nature.
The onset of the macrobiotic eating plan in the United States was during the 1960s. The Japanese program was introduced by George Ohsawa and later advanced by Michio Kushi, who perfected the system. The dietary program looks at lifestyle and its impact on a person’s overall health and well being.
Nutrition and Health
Nutrition and health go hand in hand and the macrobiotic diet focuses on the natural elements found in the environment that are designed specifically for the support of a healthy body. Natural healing begins with eating properly, allowing the nutrients to promote better health and healing. The program is different from others in that it seeks to create balance with your environment.
The process of creating balance with your environment involves eating foods that naturally occur in your surroundings. Those who live in tropical environments would benefit most from eating limited amounts of pineapples, mango and other tropical fruits, for example. This unusual approach involves the following principals:
• About half of the diet should consist of whole grains
o Breads contain no yeast
o Oats
o Brown rice
o Millet
o Barley
o Rye
o Wheat
o Buckwheat
o Corn
o Very small amounts of pasta
• Twenty to thirty percent of the diet should consist of vegetables
o Kale
o Broccoli
o Green cabbage
o Cauliflower
o Pumpkin
o Watercress
o Dandelion
o Winter squash
o Carrots
o Onions
o Collard greens
o Turnips
• Five to ten percent of the diet consists of:
o Soups containing any allowed foods
• Final five to ten percent of the diet consists of:
o Sea vegetables
o Cooked beans
Limited foods include:
• Cucumbers
• Celery
• Lettuce
• Dill
• Chives
• Fish
• Fruit
• Nuts
• Seeds
The plan does not allow potatoes, eggplants and tomatoes. No processed foods are allowed in this lifestyle program, either. Other foods that are off limit include:
• Poultry
• Dairy
• Red meat
• Honey
• Molasses
• Chocolate
• Vanilla
• Simple and refined sugars
Beverages
Beverages include unsweetend, uncaffenated teas, spring water and well water. No sodas, aromatic tea, strong alcoholic beverages, coffee or artificial beverages are allowed.
Food preparation is an important aspect as well. Microwaving food is not advisable and electrical heat is an unnatural form of cooking as well. Natural gas and wood are ideal for heating the foods.
Is the Lifestyle Right for You?
There are other components to the macrobiotic lifestyle to consider as well. These involve changes in patterns of habit in order to achieve balance with nature. The entire program, not just the eating program, needs to be assessed in order to determine if you could life with the lifestyle or not.
It is important to note that the American Cancer Society does not endorse the macrobiotic diet, and it is important to discuss this program with your physician if you have any cancerous conditions. Your physician is a critical element in your decision in adopting this plan, whether you have underlying medical conditions or not.
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