While there have been no definitive studies showing that a macrobiotic diet prevents cancer, it is a healthy diet if not taken to an extreme, according to the American Cancer Society. George Ohsawa developed the macrobiotic diet, a series of increasingly more restricted foods, in Japan in the 1930s, bringing it to America in the 1960s. Ohsawa's ultimate diet of brown rice and water has since been repudiated by other macrobiotic practitioners as unhealthy and dangerous. Current advocates rely on earlier stages of Ohsawa's diet and eat mostly vegetarian foods with an emphasis on whole grains and vegetables.
Step 1
Eat organically grown whole grains for approximately 50 to 60 percent of your diet, according to the American Cancer Society. These could include the grains themselves, such as brown rice, oats, faro, millet, lentils, cornmeal or spelt, or products made from whole grains, such as whole-grain breads and pasta.
Step 2
Eat 20 to 30 percent of your diet from organic, cooked vegetables, according to doctors Joellyn Horowitz and Mitsuo Tomita, authors of "The Macrobiotic Diet as Treatment for Cancer: Review of the Evidence," a research paper published in the Fall 2002 issue of "The Permanente Journal." Horowitz and Tomita also say that a small amount of raw and pickled vegetables are acceptable.
Step 3
Eat beans for 5 to 10 percent of your diet. According to Horowitz and Tomita, bean products such as tofu and tempeh are also permitted. Add beans to salads, soups and stews or use beans to make breakfast burrito wraps or bean spread appetizers.
Step 4
Add sea vegetables to soups, stews and rice dishes. Horowitz and Tomita recommend "nori, wakame, kombu, and hiziki," which you can find in the health-food or Asian section of some grocery stores.
Step 5
Eat organic, locally-grown fruit, fish, seeds and nuts on an occasional basis. Horowitz and Tomita recommend a few servings each week.
Step 6
Use non-toxic cookware and utensils in cooking and serving foods. According to Breastcancer.org, macrobiotic cooking requires pans made from "wood, glass, steel, or enamel."
Tips and Warnings
- Because the macrobiotic diet includes philosophical elements as well as dietary elements, practitioners avoid processed food, prepare food in mindful, peaceful settings and chew food until it is fluid, according to the American Cancer Society. The macrobiotic philosophy includes limiting chemicals in foods and electromagnetic cooking, such as is used in microwaves, according to Breastcancer.org.
- To follow macrobiaotic guidelines, do not eat dairy products, meats or eggs, and do not drink coffee or soda. Horowitz and Tomita say that macrobiotic diets also preclude refined sugar as well as beverages with artificial sweeteners. The American Cancer Society says that some macrobiotic advocates shun certain vegetables such as "potatoes, tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, asparagus, spinach, beets, zucchini, and avocados." The American Cancer Society advises against a macrobiotic diet for people with cancer, women who are pregnant and children.
Things You'll Need
- Pans and utensils made from non-toxic materials
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