Re: was digest, but technological goof - so, babies, intuition

July 17, 2006

Hi Klara,

I certainly agree we need help at the beginning and we need to be able to clearly define macrobiotics – it can’t all be just left to intuition. For me I would prefer guidelines rather than rules. One thing to consider is whether those rules have in some way made it harder to trust your intuition. Sometimes when day dreaming I like to reflect on my involvement in mb over the last twenty six years and think if I was starting mb with a fresh sheet of clean paper how I would do it. Here are some of my thoughts.

Make it more educational, more advising and less prescriptive. I think we can be more helpful imparting our knowledge and experience helping people make more considered, thoughtful, informed choices rather try to prescribe a way of eating. If we do need to prescribe a diet because someone needs immediate help, make it clear this is for a limited period and provide the resources to broaden out later. I do not see why it has to be an all or nothing approach. Personally I might eat nothing but whole unprocessed ingredients with an emphasis on alkaline forming foods for a while but at other times I feel fine eating a more Mediterranean style of macrobiotics. We also have the knowledge on how to balance many of the foods that are considered off the mb lists and this can allow us to be more playful at times.

Be honest. During my time running various mb centres I noticed that many of the teachers, counsellors and authors did not practice what they taught. When anyone had problems with mb it was always his or her fault for not practicing properly. At times I wondered if anyone actually ate according to the teachings. If we make the mb rules and food lists too strict along with an all or nothing approach we risk ending up with a diet that very few people can follow making the whole movement seem to be on a guilt trip and to outsiders fanatical. Personally I do not see the point. If we are going to eat more flexibly anyway why not simply change the guidelines so everyone feels good about the way they eat? In the process the whole movement takes on a more honest persona.

We are all involved in an amazing movement and as a way of eating macrobiotics can not only exceed every known theory on healthy eating but brings it all together – acid and alkaline, sodium and potassium, glycaemic index, living foods, live fermentation, the healing energy of foods, replacing saturated fats with mono-unsaturated fats.................. However we put off as many people as we attract (probably more) because we are perceived as being too strict, inaccessible and severe. I think we could still enjoy the health we have now but be more flexible, open, intuitive if we had less rules and concepts.

This certainly becomes more relevant when you have children as I think too rigid approach will put them off. I have brought up four boys macrobiotically and although they like the foods none of them find the rules/principles/concepts appealing. Perhaps that is just my presentation of it all! Maybe they will take it all further than I have later in life.

My sister as brought up seven children macrobiotically and will be selling her new children’s recipe book, written with another mb mother, at the summer conference. Here is a link to her site http://www.celebrate4health.com/BeBabyWiseHome.html

I would love to hear the rest of your thoughts when you have your notes.

All the best,

Simon

Simon G. Brown

22 Belsize Square

London NW3 4HT

+44 (0) 20 7431 9897

simon@...

http://www.chienergy.co.uk/

Hi all,

As you can see from the title, I've been getting the emails on digest of late, I thought it would make reading them easier. I have a teeny request of everyone, to make it even easier (ok, read lazy if you want), please can you delete old posts if not applicable when replying, or at least if they include lots of old posts. Not a biggy, just kind of a pain scrolling and scrolling and scrolling..

It's a pleasure to see more and more mothers of young children becoming mb. Holly, it's great that you are learning. With whom? and where? People are always looking for good teachers. Are you taking cooking classes? If I had to start all over, I would cook everything over and over again what I learned in my classes. Unfortunately, what I did was only cook what I liked when we ate what she cooked and now my repertoire suffers from not cooking more widely. In the May/June issue of Macrobiotics Today, there was a good line, approx what was written: we learned by doing it (whatever it was at the time) over and over and over again, even with plenty of mistakes. That's the only way to really learn.

And as far as kids, a few principles. Kids are more yang (small, very active) so they can eat more wide and yin (seems ok to me that Rice Dream for Marlie - and she seemed to also be enjoying it!!!). Also they need much less salt than we do.

As for one year old, I would introduce food slowly, one at a time, and make it simple (kiss principle keep it simple, sweetie). I think kids do have amazing intuition, and left on their own will pick and eat what is good for them - but having said that, unfortunately there is too much false food around that can play havoc with our system and fool us - but I'm guessing Holly you know which are the big culprits and you probably stay clear of those. Also for a one year old, make the food softer (more yin) at the beginnning - is your " baby " still nursing? If yes, you can add some mother's milk in with the new food to make it more familiar and easier to digest. I would guess very soft brown rice is a nice start, also sweet (yin again) vegetables, well cooked, each one separately til your baby shows liking it and accepting it. I know there are books out there for raising children, didn't we discuss it once???

I wasn't mb when I had my babies, but I loved mashing up what I was eating and sharing with my babies, and it was so cute when they shared with me. ah. those days are much missed. And I did nurse what seemed forever - I think I've already posted on that - if you are nursing and feel isolated, find a La Leche chapter near you, they are a wonderful support group.

As for the discussion on food balancing and everything else, it's been wonderful reading it. Simon, you've added alot to our discussions and I am so grateful you are with us. I had a lot of responses in my head at the time but I need to have the post in front of me to remind me :>) what I wanted to say. One thing however, intuition doesn't just happen - I wish it would. One of my teachers say that a lot of people learning mb first need to have alot of rules to follow - that might be because that's how we learn, first follow, then figure things out ourselves, or it might be because after following more strictly we are in a cleaner place and then can have a better ability to find our own paths - or we can have more knowledge of what paths to follow. I don't know.

For myself, although my first mb class was 11 years ago, I cannot honestly say I am ready to follow my own intuitions. I am a slow learner and still am working on eating and cooking what I know I need to be - to still let go of eating whatever comes in front of me. But I also have learned that the body does need to change slowly (unless of course you are dealing with imminent death situation, G-d forbid) so at least I am not dealing with as much guilt as I used to, and am progressing in the right direction

July 17, 2006

Hi Simon,

We woke up today and my daughter had a headache and fever. She

never gets sick, she's 4 and only had fever twice. I didn't know

what to do and called . He told me to call blah blah

and then said she was your sister. I'm oblivious what can I say.

Anyway, she was very very pleasant and gave me some wonderful

advice. I really appreciated it. I'm planning on getting Marlie to

have a consult with her one of these days when I get get the cash

together. I didn't want to call her again and thank her b/c well

just sure she's busy. I mentioned the group to her but didn't know

you were her brother so I didn't even mention you were here.

Marlie's napping now and her fever is down but she still has a

headache. I was doing palm stuff and imagery with her. Sweet

little thing.

I am glad to have your input!

Peace,

Reggie

>

> >

> > Hi Klara,

> >

> > I certainly agree we need help at the beginning and we need to

be able to

> > clearly define macrobiotics it can¹t all be just left to

intuition. For me I

> > would prefer guidelines rather than rules. One thing to consider

is whether

> > those rules have in some way made it harder to trust your

intuition. Sometimes

> > when day dreaming I like to reflect on my involvement in mb over

the last

> > twenty six years and think if I was starting mb with a fresh

sheet of clean

> > paper how I would do it. Here are some of my thoughts.

> >

> > Make it more educational, more advising and less prescriptive. I

think we can

> > be more helpful imparting our knowledge and experience helping

people make

> > more considered, thoughtful, informed choices rather try to

prescribe a way of

> > eating. If we do need to prescribe a diet because someone needs

immediate

> > help, make it clear this is for a limited period and provide the

resources to

> > broaden out later. I do not see why it has to be an all or

nothing approach.

> > Personally I might eat nothing but whole unprocessed ingredients

with an

> > emphasis on alkaline forming foods for a while but at other

times I feel fine

> > eating a more Mediterranean style of macrobiotics. We also have

the knowledge

> > on how to balance many of the foods that are considered off the

mb lists and

> > this can allow us to be more playful at times.

> >

> > Be honest. During my time running various mb centres I noticed

that many of

> > the teachers, counsellors and authors did not practice what they

taught. When

> > anyone had problems with mb it was always his or her fault for

not practicing

> > properly. At times I wondered if anyone actually ate according

to the

> > teachings. If we make the mb rules and food lists too strict

along with an all

> > or nothing approach we risk ending up with a diet that very few

people can

> > follow making the whole movement seem to be on a guilt trip and

to outsiders

> > fanatical. Personally I do not see the point. If we are going to

eat more

> > flexibly anyway why not simply change the guidelines so everyone

feels good

> > about the way they eat? In the process the whole movement takes

on a more

> > honest persona.

> >

> > We are all involved in an amazing movement and as a way of

eating macrobiotics

> > can not only exceed every known theory on healthy eating but

brings it all

> > together acid and alkaline, sodium and potassium, glycaemic

index, living

> > foods, live fermentation, the healing energy of foods, replacing

saturated

> > fats with mono-unsaturated fats.................. However we put

off as many

> > people as we attract (probably more) because we are perceived as

being too

> > strict, inaccessible and severe. I think we could still enjoy

the health we

> > have now but be more flexible, open, intuitive if we had less

rules and

> > concepts.

> >

> > This certainly becomes more relevant when you have children as I

think too

> > rigid approach will put them off. I have brought up four boys

macrobiotically

> > and although they like the foods none of them find the

> > rules/principles/concepts appealing. Perhaps that is just my

presentation of

> > it all! Maybe they will take it all further than I have later in

life.

> >

> > My sister as brought up seven children macrobiotically and will

be selling her

> > new children¹s recipe book, written with another mb mother, at

the summer

> > conference. Here is a link to her site

> > http://www.celebrate4health.com/BeBabyWiseHome.html

> >

> > I would love to hear the rest of your thoughts when you have

your notes.

> >

> > All the best,

> >

> > Simon

> >

> Simon G. Brown

> 22 Belsize Square

> London NW3 4HT

>

> +44 (0) 20 7431 9897

> simon@...

> http://www.chienergy.co.uk/

July 17, 2006