Hello Friends, Back with more answers and questions! What draws me to macrobiotics? Well it is SO many things:
It is wholistic - literally! A fundamental principle of macrobiotics is to eat whole food: whole grains (these make up over half the amount of food eaten and include a variety of barley, quinoa, millet, brown rice, buckwheat,whole wheat, groats or whole oats, etc.) And brown rice (short grain for our temperate climate here in the uk) is the one I personally use as my 'bread and butter' - this is my real staple. I also eat a variety of the others ( a different one each day) so I receive the benefits of their different nutritional and energetic qualitites. It is also about eating any food in its whole form - veg especially and amazing superfoods like sea vegetables - rather than having supplements or foods which are made from parts of a food.
It is healthy. Whole grains, fresh veg cooked in a variety of ways, beans and pulses, miso, tamari, seeds, tofu, tempeh, seaweed, a little fruit - this is the basic diet and it is just simple, vital, tried and tested throughout human evolution and throughout probably every country at some time or other, and it has nothing whatsoever to do with the adulterated, chemical-ridden, genetically suspect stuff that sells as food these days. It is natural food in its natural form. Preferably organic. But hey - even none-organic it's going do good stuff. And people have this canny tendency to heal themselves from all sorts of very deep stuff when they go on a macrobiotic diet. The system gets rid of the sludge of previous food (from sugar, dairy, alcohol, meat products, chemicals, additives,etc) pretty quickly and starts to transform the body from the inside out, rebuilding cells and tissues, hair, nails and organs, vitality and peace of mind, in a very gentle and deep-rooted way. So you kind of glow! Apparently the longer you eat macrobiotically, the better it gets!
It is affordable. This is basic food stuff we are talking here - grains, lentils and veg - and it don't cost a lot (though, believe me, eating does not need to be bland and there are a wealth of books available giving wonderful recipes - search for macrobiotic on amazon). It is MUCH cheaper to be healthy!
It's green. Macrobiotics advocates eating locally grown produce as much as is possible because you are then eating in harmony with your surrounding landscape. For me this has involved getting veg through a local organic box scheme where most of the food produced comes from within the county, or at the very least within the country; avoiding food which is flown-in; learning about wild foods and herbs which can be found in the hedgerows and which I can encourage in my garden, etc. One of the principles of macrobiotic eating is that if you live in a temperate climate you eat food from and fit for a temperate climate. In this way you are eating food that naturally supports your vitality in accord with where you live. So eating tropical foods in the cold north of England doesn't really make sense (except perhaps on some balmy summer days - if we actually have any!)and it is felt that these can actually weaken and undermine your system. So, with macrobiotics you can cut down on air miles, support your local economy and farmers, and end up getting to know more about your county and community. And you don't eat additives and other such 'orrible stuff. How good is that?!
Ok - so that's a little intro to why I am so in to this. Now for a progress report:
This has been a good few days of following the macrobiotic principles (for more on these see Michio Kushi's books)- eating plenty of whole grains with a good variety of veg cooked in a variety of ways, with pulses and lentils, sea weed, watercress, miso,nuts and seeds, tamari, some tahini, a little tofu, and for today a little fish because I am going mountain-biking at the weekend and need my strength! I have had some fruit and dried fruit cooked, but it has been apples, etc - things which naturally grow in this country. And I have had some natural sweetness with barley malt and pear and apple concentrate. I have also used spirulina powder and herbs (both go well in a fresh veg juice drink) where I needed extra zingy green-ness!
So how do I feel? Mentally I feel clear and sharp and all sorts of new ideas have come to me during the course of these few days. However, my body is taking more time to catch up with this. I have felt more tired than usual and am experiencing signs of de-toxing (which is pretty normal on following a true macrobiotic eating plan). I have felt that my energy has been fairly constant but, without those dips and highs of sugar, it has felt unusually low to me and I have had to really stay with this process and not go seeking the sugar high. What strikes me though is the way I feel 'clean' in my body. And I have had considerably less stomach ache. Sniffles and snuffles and mild aches, pains and headaches have indicated the de-toxing process. I have only been one run this week and done nothing else other than walk my dog each day, simply because I have felt my body needs to rest a lot in these first few days.
But I feel good and positive. Knowing I am eating foods which can truly nourish, build and repair my body just feels so good anyway. There is a real inner satisfaction in that.
So - lean, green vitality - here I come!
Heal and be well!
Rachel.
