Macrobiotic Diet

The word "macrobiotic" comes from Greek roots and means "long life". The macrobiotic diet and philosophy were developed by a Japanese educator named George Ohsawa, who believed that simplicity was the key to optimal health.

The diet Ohsawa recommended included ten progressively restrictive stages. The last stage of Ohsawa's macrobiotic diet consisted only of brown rice and water. Due to its extreme restriction, Ohsawa's version of the macrobiotic diet is no longer recommended by macrobiotic diet practitioners.

Special Precautions of Macrobiotic Diet

• The macrobiotic diet is considered by some nutritionists to be too restrictive and lacking in many nutrients, such as protein, vitamin B12, iron, magnesium, and calcium.
• Complications : One of the earlier versions of the macrobiotic diet that involved eating only brown rice and water has been linked to severe nutritional deficiencies and even death. Strict macrobiotic diets that include no animal products may result in nutritional deficiencies unless they are carefully planned. The danger may be worse for people with cancer, who may have to contend with unwanted weight loss and often have increased nutritional and caloric requirements. Relying on this type of treatment alone and avoiding or delaying conventional medical care for cancer may have serious health consequences.
• Children : Children may also be particularly prone to nutritional deficiencies resulting from a macrobiotic diet.
• Pregnancy : Macrobiotic diets have not been tested in women who are pregnant or breast-feeding, and the most extreme versions may not include enough of certain nutrients for normal fetal growth.
• Malnutrition : In 1971, the AMA Council on Foods and Nutrition said that followers of the macrobiotic diet, particularly the strictest, stood in "great danger" of malnutrition. On the other hand, in 1987, the AMA stated in their Family Medical Guide: "In general, the macrobiotic diet is a healthful way of eating."
• Tobacco : Michio Kushi and George Ohsawa smoked cigarettes. Kushi states that lung cancer can arise from dairy food in the diet: "In combination with tobacco, dairy food can trap tars and other ingredients of tobacco smoke in the lungs, leading often to lung cancer."[26] This is contrary to medical and scientific understanding of the connection between lung cancer and smoking. Not in citation.

Health Benefits and uses of Macrobiotic Diet are

A macrobiotic diet isn't just about your weight -- it's about achieving balance in your life. It promises a healthier, more holistic long-term lifestyle for men, women, and children that encompasses mental outlook as well as food choices. Macrobiotic dieters are encouraged to eat regularly, chew their food extremely well, listen to their bodies, stay active, and maintain a perky, positive mental outlook.

Whole grains, vegetables, and beans are the mainstays of the diet, which some people believe can prevent or treat cancer. While the American Cancer Society stops short of recommending macrobiotic diets to prevent cancer because there's no scientific evidence, it does say that researchers believe eating a plant-based, low-fat, high-fiber diet lowers the risk of heart disease and some kinds of cancer

In alternative medicine, the diet is sometimes recommended for people with chronic conditions, however, scientific support for the potential benefits is lacking.

Guidelines

The macrobiotic diet is a low-fat, high fiber diet that is a predominantly vegetarian diet, emphasizing whole grains, beans and legumes, and vegetables. It is low in saturated animal fat, dairy products and sugar. In addition, the macrobiotic diet is rich in phytoestrogens from soy products.

• Whole grains typically comprise 50 to 60% of each meal. They may include brown rice, whole wheat berries, barley, millet, rye, corn, buckwheat, and other whole grains. Rolled oats, noodles, pasta, bread, baked goods, and other flour products can be eaten occasionally.
• Soup. One to two cups or bowls of soup per day. Miso and shoyu (made from fermented soybeans) are commonly used.
• Vegetables typically comprise 25 to 30% of the daily food intake. Up to one-third of the total vegetable intake can be raw. Otherwise, vegetables should be steamed, boiled, baked, and sauteed.
• Beans make up 10% of the daily food intake. This includes cooked beans or bean products such as tofu, tempeh, and natto.
• Animal products. A small amount of fish or seafood is typically consumed several times per week. Meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy are usually avoided. Fish or seafood are eaten with horseradish, wasabi, ginger, mustard, or grated daikon to help the body detoxify from the effects of fish and seafood.
• Seeds and nuts in moderation. Seeds and nuts can be lightly roasted and salted with sea salt or shoyu.
• Local fruit can be consumed several times a week. This may include apples, pears, peaches, apricots, grapes, berries, melons, and other fruit. Tropical fruit such as mango, pineapple, and papaya is usually avoided.
• Desserts are permitted in moderation, approximately two to three times per week. Desserts can be enjoyed by people who are in good health. Emphasize naturally sweet foods such as apples, squash, adzuki beans, and dried fruit. Natural sweeteners such as rice syrup, barley malt, and amazake can be used. Sugar, honey, molasses, chocolate, carob, and other sweeteners are avoided.
• Cooking oil is typically unrefined vegetable oil. One of the most common oils used for flavoring is dark sesame oil. Other oils that are recommended are light sesame oil, corn oil, and mustard seed oil.
• Condiments and seasonings include natural sea salt, shoyu, brown rice vinegar, umeboshi vinegar, umeboshi plums, grated ginger root, fermented pickles, gomasio (roasted sesame seeds), roasted seaweed, and sliced scallions.

Diet guidelines are individualized based on factors such as climate, season, age, gender, activity, and health needs.

references

Michio Kushi expanded on Ohsawa's macrobiotic theory and opened the Kushi Institute in Boston in 1978. Together with his wife Aveline, Kushi published many books on macrobiotics and was responsible for popularizing the diet in North America.