The Macrobiotic Diet- Live Naturally with Macrobiotics

The macrobiotic diet was first pioneered by Hippocrates of Cos, "the father of medicine." The word "macrobiotics" translated from Greek literally means "great life." The macrobiotic diet is followed by people who wish to live naturally, free of the unnatural disease-causing foods found in the typical modern diet. Practitioners of macrobiotics see the macrobiotic diet as a lifestyle in unison with the natural order of things. Macrobiotics is meant to ensure a lengthy and vigorous life.

Macrobiotics in modern times is said to have begun in the 1920s with a Japanese man named George Ohsawa. Ohsawa purportedly had an illness which he cured by switching to a diet of brown rice, sea vegetables, and miso. Ohsawa wrote about macrobiotics and referred to it as a "yin and yang" philosophy of balance in all things.

Consequently, in the macrobiotic diet, foods are classified as "yin" or "yang" depending on their properties and effects on the human body.

The macrobiotics view holds that grains and vegetables will help a person to achieve balance with nature. Standard macrobiotic diet recommendations are as such:

Whole grains (such as brown rice, whole wheat, rye, and millet) are seen as balanced foods and should comprise about 50 percent of a person's diet.

Fresh vegetables like kale, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, and onions are also highly recommended. These vegetables should be eaten raw, or lightly steamed or sauteed.

Beans (chickpeas, lentils, tofu) and sea vegetables (wakami, kombu, nori) are also important foods according to the macrobiotic standard. These foods contain many beneficial vitamins and minerals.

Soups are generally acceptable for macrobiotic diets as well. According to macrobiotics, soups or broths should consist of mainly miso, vegetables, or beans.

Other beneficial foods to be eaten occasionally under the macrobiotic diet include nuts, seeds, and fresh seafood.

Since eggs and dairy are said to be extreme on the "yang scale," they should be avoided. Conversely, refined sugars, coffee, and fruit juices are high on the "yin scale," and should also be avoided. Acceptable sweeteners for macrobiotics include amasake, brown rice syrup, and barley malt.

Additionally, foods should be fresh and organically grown, since it is believed that pesticides cause harm to the body. As far as fluid intake on the macrobiotic diet, it is believed that one should drink fluids only when he or she is thirsty.

Finally, the preparation of food is an important aspect in macrobiotics. It is believed that microwaves should be avoided, and also that the area in which food is prepared should be in good order.

The macrobiotics lifestyle is appropriate for those people who wish to follow a more holistic lifestyle.

Also, some people with serious illnesses like cancer and AIDS undergo the change to a macrobiotic diet because they believe it will help heal them. In a 1993 study of people with pancreatic cancer, 52 percent of patients placed on a macrobiotic diet were alive 10 years later, as compared to only 10 percent of patients who made no dietary adjustments.

Whatever the reason for undertaking this lifestyle change, one should remember that the number one key to good health in life, according to macrobiotics, is balance and moderation.