The good idea of writing this blog came in the early hours of this morning. 8 months ago a friend introduced me to macrobiotics. Though I look fairly well and have no specific health problems, I suffer from a general sense of 'malaise' which seems to be a frequent (but not 'normal') part of modern-day life for many people. Whilst I have dabbled in macrobiotics over the previous months, I have not really got stuck in. But the more I have read the more I would like to. The disclaimer bit is: I am not a macrobiotic practitioner and I'm not trained in it so what I put in these blogs is not dietary/medical/health advice - it is MY experience and my journey and maybe it will inspire you on yours.
My aim is to take my health back into my own hands and I want to see if I can do this by following the principles laid out in the many wonderful books available (more on those in future blogs). And I would love some company along the way. Your comments, advice, and fellow-journeys are all welcome. For the next 6 months I aim to follow a macrobiotic diet, explore its principles, learn lovely recipes, apply it in tricky situations (like eating out, holidays, etc) and monitor my health. And I will distill what I learn in these blogs. After the six months I want to see where I have got to.
The next bit gives my symptoms at this time. This is the slightly icky bit and you may not want to read this! No - it's not that bad and I need to record this so I have a bench mark with which to measure my process:
At present I experience bouts of profound tiredness at regular intervals, sometimes lasting a couple of weeks to a month (they used to last for much longer but homeopathy and flower essences have helped with that); during these bouts (and sometimes at other times as well) I feel as if my body is 'toxic', my legs in particular feel like lead; I often wake in the night feeling pain through my whole body. I nearly always have stomach ache, regardless of my energy levels and this has been the case for nearly 20 years - constant stomach ache! I cannot tolerate wheat, dairy or sugar and I get drunk on a sniff of wine! I like exercising but find I get tired easily and take a good few days to recover if I have been out mountain-biking or running. I'm at the right weight for my height and have a healthy appetite. I love sweet things! My nails are weak, my hair falls out easily and my eyes are bloodshot. I urinate frequently, day and night, and so don't often get a good night's sleep. Sometimes I feel short of breath and panicky.
Hey - but otherwise, life is good! Looks pretty scary when I put it down like that!
Reading a fantastic book these last few days called 'Healing Ourselves' by Naboru Muramoto, I was struck by the simplicity of this statement: Pain indicates toxins are still present in the system.
I currently eat a healthy diet of whole grains and veg anyway (more on that next time) yet I experience the pain I described above. So what causes this? The next few days will involve a search to find out. I'll report back soon, along with a basic look at the foods recommended as part of a macrobiotic diet.
In the meantime,
Wishing you good health!
Rachel.
