Re: Newbie - Macrobiotics

[Guest guest]

Could someone tell me exactly what a macrobiotic diet means exactly? I have

heard several stars on TV say from time to time they eat only that sort of

diet and have always wonderend what it meant.

You said it required a lot of prep work. Can you tell me more about the

diet work involved to be on it/ Thanks so much.

Donna

I was macro when I had the accident that was to be the onset of my

fibromyalgia. I had just moved and lost my macro contacts for support. My back

spasms

were so bad that I couldn't stand. So all the chopping and cooking required

became too much for me. I'm glad to hear it has been helping you. I should get

back to it. I still use some of the principles. I really believe it makes sense.

Good luck with it.

Kate

[Guest guest]

Thank you for you reply. That does sound very intense and hard to do.

For me, I would love to be able to follow such a diet but just the expense

alone of having to have nothing but absolute fresh foods all the time would not

be

possible at this time.

I will have it be one of my goals though. As soon as I publish a book

that I am illustrating, I will be able to afford healthier foods. I will look

into a specialist and since I live in the San Francisco Bay Area, I'm sure

there are many.

Thanks again for the info.

Donna

Macrobiotics, which I have been living religiously for 6-weeks now with some

striking positive results, is a way of living that includes early bedtimes,

gentle exercise, conscious eating, and features a diet devoid of white flour,

sugar, meat, dairy, eggs, alcohol, and caffeine. The diet features whole grains

(principally brown rice but can also include spelt, barley, wheat, millet,

buckwheat, etc.), legumes (all sorts of beans, lentils), lots of fresh

(preferably organic) vegetables, and some soups, sea vegetables ( " seaweed " ) and

a small

amount of fruit. ALL food is bought UNprocessed, i.e. not canned, frozen

boxed, or in any way prepared, but fresh, and needs to be soaked, sliced,

chopped

and cooked at home. A lot of work, but the food is wonderful and natural and

healthy. Breakfast is miso soup, rice porridge, a vegetable, and some

delicious boiled tea made from the twigs rather than leaves of the tree plant.

Dinner is a grain, a legume, a vegetable or two. Occasional desserts are

usually

fruit.

One needs to meet with a trained counselor for a customized diet, because it

is not based on calories, grams of fat, or any of that stuff, but on the

ancient Oriental concepts of Yin and Yang. I was told I'm way too Yin and I

need

to eat foods that are more Yang. Don't laugh........ since I started this, I

feel better, can walk farther and faster, and am sleeping better. I am

continuing with my prescription medications, but am not taking vitamin

supplements,

because the menu is so varied. For more information look up Macrobiotics on

the web; the world headquarters these days is the Kushi Institute in Becket,

Massachusetts, where I went for my consultation, but there are trained

counselors

all over the world who are qualified to provide a personal assessment (it

must be face-to-face, like a medical exam) and prescribe an individualized

healing diet. The consult cost me $285 and lasted about 2 hours, I left with

enough

printed information to keep me reading and learning for months. It requires

a lot of time in the kitchen, but as I go I'm learning how to plan ahead, make

good use of leftovers, find simpler recipes, etc.

Does that answer the question about what macrobiotics is?

[Guest guest]

Donna,

You are so lucky to be in SF! You have great resources. I have a son there and

love it. When we went to visit it was so easy to find places to eat and sources

for the foods. I'm jealous! Do look into it. Macrobiotics makes a lot of sense.

I really need to get back to it. My resources where I am now are not so good.

When I was doing it I actually found it to be the same or less expensive. Good

luck. My DH wants his meats and I just don't have it in me to cook both ways.

Kate

Re: Newbie - Macrobiotics

Thank you for you reply. That does sound very intense and hard to do.

For me, I would love to be able to follow such a diet but just the expense

alone of having to have nothing but absolute fresh foods all the time would

not be

possible at this time.

I will have it be one of my goals though. As soon as I publish a book

that I am illustrating, I will be able to afford healthier foods. I will

look

into a specialist and since I live in the San Francisco Bay Area, I'm sure

there are many.

Thanks again for the info.

Donna