Macrobiotics is not only a way of eating, it's a way of life. The diet advocates eating certain foods and also using specific cooking methods such as pressure cooking, steaming, quick water sautéing or pickling. Broiling and pan-frying are less desirable. Diet followers assert that food is our most powerful medicine. Thus, eating whole and unprocessed foods leads to better health and longer life.
Whole Grains Make Up Half the Diet
A central concept of the macrobiotic diet is its reliance on grains. At least half of a person's daily intake must consist of whole grains. These include oats, whole wheat, brown rice, buckwheat, millet, barley, kamut, rye, corn and amaranth. Grains can be cooked. Processed grains like pasta or non-yeasted bread are not allowed, according to according to Linda G. Rector-Page, author of "Linda Page's Healthy Healing: A Guide to Self Healing for Everyone."
Vegetables Are a Third of the Diet
The second-most important foods in the macrobiotic diet are vegetables. These can be raw or cooked, and should make up 30 to 40 percent of the diet, depending on which macrobiotic plan you are following. Certain vegetables are recommended, including dark leafy greens, green cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, squash, parsley and scallions. Some vegetables are believed to aggravate the body and thus are not recommended; these include eggplant, peppers, spinach, zucchini, beets, tomatoes and potatoes, advises Rector-Page.
Some Other Foods Are Allowed
The diet also allows, in order of importance, vegetable oil, nuts, fruit, fish and sometimes eggs, according to Rector-Page. The macrobiotic diet advises against consuming animal flesh because it is considered unhealthy, according to dietspotlight.com.
Follow "Seasonal" Rules
The macrobiotic diet has seasonal rules. In a nutshell, lighter foods that grow above the soil get cooked in the spring and summer, and more fresh and raw foods are eaten. Cooking time and use of salt are minimized as well. In the fall and winter, heavier foods that grow below the soil are eaten, more salt is used and foods are pressure-cooked and baked, advises macrobioticcooking.com.
Chew Food Well
People who follow the macrobiotic diet must chew food well. In fact, Rector-Page advises that people must chew each bite of food 50 times to gain the best nutrition absorption. This is important because grains are acidic, and saliva is alkaline so it counteracts the acid. The macrobiotic diet promotes having a proper acid-alkaline balance in the body, which is believed to lead to good healing ability and mood.
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