Many of you probably already know about macrobiotic eating, so kudos to you ...skip this post. But for the rest of you out there who thought like me that maybe it was a form or raw eating or involved some sort of weird cookery...I decided it was time to find out the skinny, as in will it make me skinny? I mean Gwyneth Paltro and Madonna follow it, right..so what's the deal?
I'm no expert, but I have now read The Hip Chicks Guide to Macrobiotics and dug up research on a few other oh so credible websites, so I'm pretty sure I know everything there is... in bullet point fashion:
Eating whole grains produces a more holistic way of beingNo dairyNo processed or chemical foodsYin/Yang is very important here...but very confusingNo caffeineNo meat (some fish)No nightshade vegetables or very limited (sorry sweet potatoes, peppers, eggplants)No tropical fruit or very limitedNo sweeteners (agave, honey)Seeds and nuts only in moderation (WHAT?!!! no Nut Butters?!)Chew your food 50-100 times
GRAINS
Eating whole grains (i.e. rice, barely, buckwheat, millet) in their whole form helps to calm your nervous system, clear your mind and balance your blood sugar. This diet encourages the eating of grains...done I'm sold. Ok not really sold, but I love my grains and the fact that they make up at least 50% of each meal sounds great.
DAIRY
Milk is meat for feeding babies...you are not a baby.
HEAT/COLD
Cold food makes you cold inside. Sorry no ice cream on this diet.
Meals should be warm, not hot...this is the yin/yang balance... all meals should ideally be a balance of the two. How you determine the yin or yang of your food is rather complex, but it involves the direction of food growth, the potassium content, location of growth (north/south climate) and whether the food has a hot or cold effect on the body.
WHY?
People believe it is slimming, prevents cancer, promotes good kidneys, promotes good skin, balances blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
ME?
Initially I thought hey, Macrobiotics provides a lot of the benefits of raw eating but I can cook and eat my grains!! However the more I looked at, I am just not sold on any way of eating that limits particular fruits or vegetables...and if I have to think to hard about what to eat, it just won't happen for me. Honestly, food combining in the raw world was the major thing that kept me from pursuing that path. That being said I am still leaning in to raw eating because I do enjoy the flavors and fresh feeling of those meals.
The major things I will take away from this...chew your food it helps your body more easily/quickly digest your food and absorb nutrients (same concept as juicing) and that grains are good for me!
Any macrobiotic eaters out there? Anyone else tested out this diet? Any thoughts from the raw food crowd?
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Thursday, July 09, 2009
Macrobiotics..Is what?
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RunToTheFinish
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14 Bloggie Friend Thoughts:
The idea of chewing anything 50 to 100 times grosses me out! I want it out of my mouth by like "chew 20" ;P
hmm! it sounds like a lot of rules... i suppose if you got used to the lifestyle it would become easy.
Hi, my name is Cindy and I just found your blog a little while ago and love it!
I hear a lot about Macrobiotic diets too and was confused... Thanks for the recap!
I eat a lot of RAW (high raw) and love it... my evening meals are warm... i sort of get the whole cold/warm thing..I eat sometimes for that reason... i also have been experimenting with better food combining to see what works for me and what doesn't
It's such a fun and crazy journey...
anyway...mostly I just wanted to say HI and I really enjoyed today's post. (I am new to running "jogging" also so i have a lot to learn there!)
:)
I'm good with the following:
1. Eating whole grains produces a more holistic way of being
2. No processed or chemical foods
3. Yin/Yang is very important here...but very confusing
I don't eat much dairy, don't consume much caffeine, or eat much meat, so I feel okay about my diet there, but when you got to no nightshade relatives, I decided that's where I have to draw the line. I cannot live without tomatoes. Or potatoes. Or eggplants. Also, since about 1/3 of my garden is currently nightshadey, that would totally suck!
I am more of a moderation diet person...stuff with such strict rules never works for me!
Well, I never really had a clear picture of the Macrobiotics lifestyle, thanks for filling in the gaps.
I will say though, as with any diet, ones with too many restrictions tend not to stick arund for too long. Or, if you become to concerned with the restrictions, it may be more difficult to adjust to situations when eating that way just doesn't allow it.
I am sure that the diet probably helps one who is severly obese or is trying to calm some sort of illness, but I can't imagine living a lifestyle like that with food. I have never been good at restrictions, I think it is a bit of my rebelion side. :) Thanks for the post!
Thanks for sharing the low-down on macrobiotics. Parts of it sound good, but then there is real life, you know?
I think a balance of things and eating food as fresh and natural as God intended is a good plan--I'm trying to take baby steps toward that, less precessed/altered. It takes time to figure all this out--and it can get pricey--but it's worth it.
I recently switched to Agave and half & half for my coffee instead of Coffeemate--so there's a step. :)
thanks for the info, this is helpful!
thanks for summing this up, I really didn't know what the whole macrobiotic diet was all about. It sounds a bit restrictive for me, but more power to anyone that likes it!
I'm with you...there's not much to take away from that in my opinion except what you pointed out. But it was an interesting post!
I don't really dig all the rules, quite honestly. I'm an ecologist and I know that some of that stuff is bunk. :(
I am part of the way there, no dairy, whole grains, limited nuts and beans and nothing processed. I couldn't do any more, I struggle with my plan daily. Overall sticking to it makes me feel so much better, healthier with more energy. I think if I added more restrictions and rules I would eating Big Macs in no time!
It's been around forever. I tried it a lifetime ago, out of high school. I was really into the Rice Diet way of life. It's good if you can stick to it. It's all about balance and connections to your body.
Some people find a connection with this type of diet after a devastating illness. A form of purification.
I've been interested in macrobiotics as well...I need to do some more research on it, thanks for the post!
Sounds too complicated for me - I'd have a hard time keeping track of everything I'm NOT supposed to eat!
Plus, no caffeine and no ice cream would totally slay me.
Thanks for the 411 :)
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