[macrojack]

Is anyone here familiar with the guidelines and reasoning behind the macrobiotic diet. Just wondering.

[JohnR]

No, not really.... do tell - ?

[macrojack]

John - 25 years ago I closed my audio business in Denver and went to Boston to learn about Macrobiotics at the Kushi Institute. I hope I remember enough to provide a concise answer.

It's about clean, local healthy food taken in balance in respect to ph and food combining. It recommends beans, greens and grains with a mix of root vegetables, sea weed and fermented food products. It requires intense discipline initially (until you modify your habits) and it rewards generously. The practice emerged from Japanese culture and like all things Japanese, it is very sophisticated and refined.

I was just wondering if anyone else approaches culinary appreciation from any direction other than gourmet. There's much more to know about macrobiotics but I'll save that until someone asks for detail. Or you could just Google it. There are no doubt better sources for this info. I haven't thought much about these rules and guidelines for a long time.

[mjosef]

30-some odd years ago I had a "consultation" with a macrobiotic (?) expert. And if I remember correctly, they determine your body-type and then recommend specific foods that would boost your 'weaker' tendencies and caution against foods that would not "fit" your body type.

My weakness, as determined by the test, was my respiratory system and the sinuses. Hence to this day I still try to eat as much lotus root as I can, supposed to help in those areas. 

[macrojack]

Having a consultation with one of the "experts" is what got me  enamored of the macrobiotic practice. It certainly works to a point. The diet is very clean and it makes you feel great initially. The philosophy and logic are interesting and intellectually convincing but I came to have second thoughts about following it strictly when, about ten years in, I started learning of certain  enlightened practitioners succumbing to various cancers.

The experts were supposed to have been able to determine your needs via facial diagnosis. They said that lines and coloration, stresses and swellings, in your face, however slight, were indicators of your condition. It was all supported by oriental medical beliefs and acupuncture meridians. There were some high profile anecdotal testimonials and we all knew many people, ourselves included, who lost weight, gained flexibility and overcame health problems using this diet. It seemed quite miraculous and it spread like wildfire. And of course, the number of "experts" grew exponentially for a time.

Today I am guided by what I learned through that lifestyle pursuit but I don't  adhere to its strictures as I did early on.

One of the lessons I got from it, however, carries over into audio. It isn't necessarily what you eat that counts ........ what you don't eat can mean just as much or more. Success can come from subtraction or addition. More is not necessarily better and, while lotus root is said to strengthen the respiratory system, it may well be that the elimination of something else in your life or diet could help you more than adding lotus root has.

Long ago I was able to buy lotus root fresh in Boulder stores although I remember it did not keep at all well. It was quite expensive and really delicious. We would cut the root into slices and saute them lightly in toasted sesame oil and then sprinkle them with nama shoyu. My children called them wagon wheels and asked for them often.

Are you actually able to find lotus root where you live these days? I haven't thought about it in years and I imagine the best I could do in my locale would be dried slices via mail order.

[sts9fan]

Any Asian grocery will have lotus root.

[mjosef]

I live in NYC, so one can find just about anything here.
And yes I was then advised to curtail all dairy products from my diet...which I did for a while, but since I was already on a vegetarian diet, that would mean I would have to adopt a strict vegan diet.  I tried the macrobiotic diet for about 3 months, but it was somewhat expensive in the region where I lived.
After a few months I went back to using dairy products. I did experience a reduction in excess mucus generation while on the macrobiotic diet, so I knew it worked in that respect.

During the years (decades)since, I have a more holistic approach to life in general. not just food. I try to avoid highly processed foods. Eat whole grains. Drink a massive amount of water. 10-12 years ago I added sea food to my (until then) basic vegetarian diet. I try to fast about two days a month, or one day every two weeks, just to let my body cleanse itself of accumulated toxins. In my 20's and 30's I did it one day a week, but I sorta slipped off the wagon in my 40's and now in my 50's I have sort of gravitated back to a more moderate approach.
I think I have found a fair balance that works for me. I have never been sick* with any of the normal diseases that modern society is familiar with (knock on stone  aa ), and so have never been on any kind of medication, not even aspirin.
*One time I had some unexplained sudden rapid weight loss, a period of my life when I was totally stressed out and not eating properly, the doctor thought it was pneumonia, but the tests came back negative for that and more tests were recommended, I finally realized that they were just as in the dark as I was...so I  radically overhauled my diet, researched some homeopathic compounds, revisited some intense yogic practices...and couple months later, I felt my system was back on an even keel. I had numbness in my fingers and shoulder, that was gone. Now 13 years later, I feel great. Never had any return of those symptoms.

[TF1216]

I can not recommend this guy more.

www.thedietdoc.com

He might not be what you are looking for but he is a guru to so many.

I used him to compete in bodybuilding.

www.perfectpeaking.com

[macrojack]

Good health has more to do with your internal organs and unrestricted energy flow than muscular development. We westerners seem to have some weird ideas about health in general. Most of us consider ourselves healthy if we can get around without too much trouble and the pain is manageable.

I've always thought it strange that sports announcers will speak of a healthy athlete as one who has no injuries. Doesn't it seem to you that a guy could be in the absolute peak of health even though his arm is broken? There is a significant difference between illness and injury. Western medicine is absolutely miraculous for what it can do to repair damage due to injury but generally flummoxed when it comes to dealing with chronic conditions. This is caused, at least in part, by its tendency to focus on symptoms rather than causes.

Macrobiotics considers the complimentary forces of Yin and Yang and maintaining the optimum balance between the two through informed consumption. This is achieved by cooking techniques, food combining, seasonal considerations and your own personal requirements. We are not all the same so our needs will vary from one individual to the next. Blanket treatment of all individuals with the same medicine in the same way will produce mixed results.

Eat your broccoli.

Here's an interesting question -- what do you think are the most universally used vegetables world wide? I would guess onion might be in first place, followed by carrot.

[MaxCast]

Here's an interesting question -- what do you think are the most universally used vegetables world wide? I would guess onion might be in first place, followed by carrot.

Corn and it's revisions?

[macrojack]

Max, I don't know what you mean by revisions. Grits, polenta, etc?
I suppose corn is used a lot in Africa though I'm not sure. I think millet is their big number. Asia, however, where a hell of a lot of people eat seems to be mostly rice. I can't think of corn appearing in Asian cuisine aside from those miniature ears that turn up in our Chinese dishes. Does anyone know if corn is popularly consumed in the Far East?

[turkey]

At one point I was a member of a local health food co-op, and knew some people who were really into macrobiotics. (It almost seemed like a cult or something.)

They wound up losing a lot of weight, in some cases probably more than was good for them, and they all finally gave it up and went back to a more normal diet. (Some vegetarian and some not.)

Westerners tend to eat too much meat, fat, sugar, and highly processed foods. We don't eat enough fresh vegetables and fruits. We're at one extreme of diet, but that doesn't mean we need to move to the other extreme. We just need to eat a more moderate, healthy diet.

[turkey]

Here's an interesting question -- what do you think are the most universally used vegetables world wide? I would guess onion might be in first place, followed by carrot.

How about cassava? It's a root vegetable. It's also called manioc or yuca, and a flour made from it is called tapioca.

Potatoes are also pretty widely used. Or how about cabbage?

Or one of the many types of beans? Soybeans?

[turkey]

Drink a massive amount of water.

You should only drink enough water to quench your thirst. Your body knows when it needs more water and will tell you.

Too much water can actually flush out important nutrients. Most people also get a fair bit of water from their diet, so they don't need to drink that much extra.

[srb]

You should only drink enough water to quench your thirst. Your body knows when it needs more water and will tell you.

Interesting concept, this "thirst".  It has always baffled me that when I'm thirsty, if I drink cool or cold water, I drink a reasonable amount and feel satisified.
 
But when the water temperature is somewhat warm, I end up drinking way more than I need, often resulting in a bloated belly.
 
And I still feel "thirsty".
 
Steve

[Big Red Machine]

Good exchange fellas.  Not sure I agree with the water intake statement.  I'll check with my resident nutritional consultant.  Just because I sleep with her doesn't make me smart as much as I wish it did.

Her response:  If a decent diet of fruits and vegetables, then okay, but if eating lots of processed foods including lots of coffee and soda, then dehydration can be the norm as these foods tend to cause dehydration.

[macrojack]

Turkey - Your name hints that you are not a vegetarian. I was for twenty odd years but no more.

Re: vegetables - I don't know the answer and was just musing. Your suggestions strike me as very valid. Mine were based on which ones show up in foreign cuisine most often according to my best assumptions. Your idea of listing foods that are widely used in Asia and Africa makes sense given their population numbers and the fact that the vast numbers probably have few options concerning what they eat.

Today I weigh 148. Normal weight after macrobiotic immersion was about 128 before I got married 20 years ago. Macrobiotic weight was 118 when I was in my mid 30s. So what you say about macro diet affecting weight certainly was true of me and others I knew well.

When I was involved in the Macro thing, they advised us to chew or food very well and to drink very little water. Supposedly, the chewing released ample water from your food so that supplemental water was only minimally needed.

Big Red Machine - I agree with your bunky. Coffee and other diuretic influences induce dehydration for which we must compensate.

[ctviggen]

At one point I was a member of a local health food co-op, and knew some people who were really into macrobiotics. (It almost seemed like a cult or something.)

They wound up losing a lot of weight, in some cases probably more than was good for them, and they all finally gave it up and went back to a more normal diet. (Some vegetarian and some not.)

Westerners tend to eat too much meat, fat, sugar, and highly processed foods. We don't eat enough fresh vegetables and fruits. We're at one extreme of diet, but that doesn't mean we need to move to the other extreme. We just need to eat a more moderate, healthy diet.

Do you have any studies to support your conclusions? 

For instance, see the following:

http://www.thincs.org/discuss.lowfatdiet.htm
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/nutrition-news/low-fat/
http://junkfoodscience.blogspot.com/2007/10/jfs-exclusive-part-two-of-countrys.html
http://junkfoodscience.blogspot.com/2007/10/junkfood-science-exclusive-big-one.html

http://junkfoodscience.blogspot.com/2008/09/surviving-epidemiological-whiplash.html

http://junkfoodscience.blogspot.com/2006/11/special-science-exclusive-have-your.html

The topmost four links are about a study that followed two groups of women for 8 years and cost almost a half a BILLION dollars.  One group of women (relative to the control group) ate fewer calories, increased their fruit and vegetable intake, and decreased both overall fat intake and saturated fat intake.  At the end of 8 years, there was no statistically significant relationship between fat intake (or fruit and vegetable intake) and anything...not cancer, not breast cancer, not heart attacks, nothing. 

I see these types of broad statements (Western people eat too much "whatever") made all the time, with absolutely no scientific evidence to back this up.

[turkey]

Do you have any studies to support your conclusions? 

I see these types of broad statements (Western people eat too much "whatever") made all the time, with absolutely no scientific evidence to back this up.

You could start with this:

http://www.news.cornell.edu/Chronicle/01/6.28.01/China_Study_II.html

[turkey]

http://www.whi.org/findings/dm/cancer.php

It appears there was a positive result.