A macrobiotic diet is based on the Chinese cosmological principles of yin and yang. The macrobiotic diet emphasizes the use of a whole foods based diet that includes unprocessed and fresh foods. It was designed to promote health and well being by enhancing the energy flow in the body.
History
The macrobiotic diet started after Dr. Ishizuka, a military doctor in Japan, began prescribing a whole foods based diet to his patients. One of Dr. Ishizuka's patients was was George Ohsawa, who after personally benefiting from the diet in 1911, decided to spend the rest of his life advocating it. George Ohsawa spread the word about the macrobiotic diet and taught students; the popularity of the diet has continued to grow to this day.
Function
The function of the macrobiotic diet is to improve a person's physical and psychological health, thereby improving society as a whole, proponents believe. In his book "Modern-day Macrobiotics: Transform Your Diet and Feed your Mind, Body and Spirit," Simon Brown, who is also a macrobiotic consultant, states that "you can use it to feed yourself more energy; to build a more healthy body; to improve your mind; or to experience greate emotional stability." Brown also recommends a macrobiotic diet for a short term, such as one day a week, or for a longer term, like three months, to see if you feel better.
Macrobiotic Food Categories
The macrobiotic diet includes categories of foods. The whole grains include whole oats, brown rice, wheat berries, millet, barley, corn-on-the-cob and whole rye. The dried bean category includes all types of dried beans and lentils. The vegetable category emphasizes dark leafy greens, root vegetables and seaweed. The fermented foods category includes miso, shoyu, vinegars, yogurt, soft cheeses, tempeh, natto and pickles. Other categories of macrobiotic foods are fresh fruits, seeds and nuts.
Effects
Proponents of the macrobiotic diet believe that food has its own energy and when we ingest it our own energy can be altered. According to Brown, by choosing to eat certain macrobiotic foods we can improve our current physical and mental state. Other things that can influence the effects of macrobiotic food on the body include cooking technique and how the food was grown.
Warning
More scientific research is needed on the benefits and effects of the macrobiotic diet. Always talk with your health care provider before making any major changes in your diet.
References
- Definition of macrobiotic
- Modern-day Macrobiotics: Transform Your Diet and Feed your Mind, Body and Spirit; Simon Brown; 2007
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