What Is The Macrobiotic Diet?
Macrobiotics is viewed as a way of life, not simply a diet. The word “macrobiotic” is an amalgam of the Greek words “macro,” meaning “great” or “large,” and “bios,” meaning “life.” George Ohsawa, a Japanese writer and philosopher, who at age 19 shunned western medical treatment for tuberculosis, created an eating plan to improve his health that focused on brown rice and other whole grains, vegetables, beans, seeds, nuts and miso soup. It shunned refined and processed foods, sugar, and most animal foods. He derived his information from an 1897 book: A Method for Nourishing Life through Food: A Unique Chemical Food-Nourishment Theory of Body and Mind, which had been written by a Western-trained Japanese physician, Sagen Ishizuka. Ohsawa recovered and spent the rest of his life writing about and teaching what he called macrobiotic philosophy.
How Healthy Is The Macrobiotic Diet?
The macrobiotic diet hasn’t been widely endorsed by the medical community, but because it is based on plant foods and is low in fat and high in fiber, it should lower the risk of heart disease and some types of cancer. Elimination of refined and processed foods and greatly restricting intake of sugar are good ideas but claims that the diet can cure cancer or strengthen the immune system are unproved. On the downside, strictly eating the macrobiotic way can lead to deficiencies of a number of nutrients, including vitamins B12 and D.
How Popular Is The Macrobiotic Diet?
The diet became popular in the U.S. in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Reportedly, its popularity is now on the upswing due to increasing interest in plant-based diets. The Macrobiotic diet is one of several popular diets reviewed on DrWeil.com.
General Principles Of The Macrobiotic Diet
Macrobiotic philosophy teaches that good health and long life depend on proper choices of food. The underlying principle is that whole “living” foods possess “abundant energy” and are required to balance the body and ward off disease. The diet emphasizes choosing natural, organically and locally grown whole foods, principally grains. Depending on the version of the diet you choose, cooking must be done in earthenware, cast iron or stainless-steel pots and pans, and pressure cookers and not on electric cooktops. Chewing each mouthful of food at least 50 times may be suggested as a means of aiding digestion.
