Macrobiotics: a philosophy of food
Posted on May 19th, 2008
by 
wanderer7
wanderer7
I just learnt about Macrobiotics today.
I thought it was something akin to "whole foods" or "raw foods", but someone corrected me, and filled me in.
Macrobiotics, at heart, is a philosophy of food, of living, even the universe! it is based on the yin-yang principles; on opposites, and balancing forces.
so how does it work?
well, according to these guys (and it IS an Ancient Practice, some trace it to the Greeks, others the Chinese ...) all food can be classed into 2 categories, either yin or yang.
YIN FOODS are stimulating, but take power out of the body
YANG FOODS are strengthening, but can cause the body to stagnate.
It's all about finding balance, in the mix. Your body type, your gender, the climate, the season, and health condition all come into play.
It's an individual approach to diet.
Whole Grains are heavily stressed, because they are (supposedly) inherently balanced. Things like brown rice.
Fascinating!
wanderer7
Access: Public
balance
July 2008 
cool! thank you i learned a lot too
The different parts of a whole grain work in synergy in digestion. It's very interesting indeed. For example, if you consume just the flour (as in white bread), your blood sugar takes a roller coaster ride.
I can't believe you wrote a blog about macrobiotics! I am in shock. Just looked at your picture (again) and thought “this guy the Wanderer with the beard looks so cool”. So stopped by to visit your site….and here are your thoughts about macrobiotics. My husband and I have been on a mostly macrobiotic diet for two years now and I am planning to write a blog about it sometime soon. It's been almost exactly two years. The surgeon wanted to take out my gall bladder…I had heard about the healing benefits of this way of eating (it's actually a way of life as your yin/yang discussion alludes) so we tried it. And I still have my gall bladder two years later. It's an incredible way of eating and has taught us so much. Plus my husband lost 40 pounds and I lost maybe 15. Thanks for giving me some more inspiration to write that blog.
Hi Centria! thoughts come into alighnment in many different ways :-) we must be on the same wavelength today.
yes, food and sleep are the two most important inputs into our consciousness … and one could make an argument that the food that you eat greatly determines the quality of sleep you get (or don't get).
food is more than mere nourishment; it is life itself.
Glad to hear you didn't have surgery; we have our internal organs for a reason; and it's not for us to chop them out!
pills and the knife … the modern approach to healthcare. We have not come a long way from 'draining blood' to make people feel better.
the ancient ancients knew better.
blessings.
Wow thanks for this, w7 and others. Centria, you're my new teacher and youll hve to teach me abt this. W7, I wonder if this is the same as what we call in India hot/cold or heating/cooling foods….
Hi Meenakshi … yes, I think this is ancient wisdom that is known in many different cultures … and from what I've read today, the notion of 'heating' and 'cooling' foods is very much a part of Macrobiotics.
I think just one or two generations ago, they understood intuitively the principles of good eating. Fast food and Supermarket Food is causing more damage to our health than we can possibly imagine.
not all that is old is outdated.
blessings
hey, everyone ~ thanks, Centria for sharing your success story. I had heard that the macrobiotic nutritional style could be healing.
~ the scribe
that's interesting. i'm now inclined to read more about it! i'm currently a vegan (and planning to stay one)… do you happen to know if that fits within the macrobiotic lifestyle?
hi scofe. how are things?
the message I liked best about my brief encounter with Macrobiotics was that each individual had a diet or regime that suited them best. And this might change over the year (according to weather) and over the years (depending on health conditions and age).
This 'individual' approach sort of confirms a suspicion I've had for a long time now … that 'fad diets' and 'Atkins diets' don't work because everyone is different. There may be some success stories with these programs, but there will be an equal number of heartbreak stories.
many people feel uncomfortable with the notion of eating meat, or eggs, or dairy … and they intuitively make that adjustment to their food intake.
we just have to listen to our bodies a bit more!
and congrats on being a vegan! a noble path.
blessings
it's beautiful This is first i am in talks with you…..after watching you wandering a lot..:-)
Hi Wanderer….thanks to your blog here I just wrote the first installment about my experience with macrobiotics http://eternalquestion.gaia.com/blog/2008/5/an_introduction_to_macrobiotics on my blog, if anyone wants to learn a little more. I also linked back to your blog here, too, hope that was OK.
yep, definitely check out Centria's blog series for more info on Macrobiotics. There's nothing like personal experience as a teacher.
this is also a nice resource -
http://www.scribd.com/doc/2973531/Kushi-Macrobiotic-Dietary-recommendations
it provides a nice overview of the fundamental tenets, and also offers practical solutions.
thanks everyone; and I'm definitely going on the ride with Centria; she has quite a story in the making.
blessings
w7
hmm…. so the philosophy alot like the love hate continueum
My Grandmother was always into natural health and positive thinking. When she got cancer, she went on a macrobiotic diet. I don't know if it helped the quality of her life or not, but it didn't stop the cancer. She refused mainstream medical treatment, and my dad said she was heartbroken that she wasn't able to cure herself. She really believed in the power of the mind(was a science of mind practitioner and a Unity minister) and in living in balance, but there is no stopping death when its your time.
I have heard stories of people who were miraculously healed of cancer and other diseases while on macrobiotics, and other people who died while on the diet. Marmalade, that's the truest line: there is no stopping death when its your time. I also don't believe that diet is the only factor affecting health. There's many, many other factors that contribute to wellness, health, long life, death. Those factors may include spiritual, emotional, thinking and physical angles. It's one angle, and it may be worth trying….but it may not be any final definitive “answer.”
Thanks for this, very much…I am sure I will learn much.
Peace, Love, and good music :)
Janie