Post by CIVILISON on Jun 3, 2009 18:55:51 GMT -5
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Macrobiotics is a philosophy embracing the idea that living one's life within the natural order will ultimately lead to good health, happiness, and an enhanced appreciation for the constantly changing nature of all things. It is based on the ancient Chinese principles of yin and yang, which represent opposite yet complementary forces believed to exist in all aspects of life and the universe. Things that are yin are flexible, fluid, and cool; things that are yang are strong, dynamic, and hot. According to macrobiotic theory, illness is the result of an imbalance in these two forces. Therefore, macrobiotic practitioners attempt to treat ailments by bringing yin and yang back into balance through diet and lifestyle changes.
Although the origins of macrobiotics stem from the ancient principles of Eastern medicine, the contemporary basis for it was developed in the late 19th century by a Western-trained Japanese Army doctor named Sagen Ishizuka (1850-1910). Dr. Ishizuka had become frustrated with allopathic (or Western) medicine's ineffectiveness in treating his own cancer, and he decided to try to cure himself by adopting a diet of brown rice, soybeans, fish, miso soup (made with soybean paste), sea vegetables, and other Oriental foods. He called this therapy shoku-yo, or food cure.
Ishizuka's findings were published and later used for reference by Yukikazu Sakurazawa (1893-1966), a Japanese philosophy student who adopted the pen name George Ohsawa in the 1920s. Ohsawa sought to integrate traditional Asian medicine with Christian teachings and some aspects of Western medicine. He believed that by returning to a basic diet of whole, natural foods, humanity could regain its physical and mental balance and the world become more peaceful. It was Ohsawa who popularized the term macrobiotics (from the Greek words makros, meaning "large" or "long" and bios, meaning "life").
Today those who follow a macrobiotic regimen are urged to avoid foods that are processed or refined, or that are too yin (sugar, pungent spices, alcohol, and caffeinated tea and coffee, for example) or too yang (meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products). Recommended instead is a balance of good yin foods (such as seasonal fruits and leafy green vegetables, seaweed, and tofu) and good yang foods, such as brown rice and other whole grains, legumes, soups made with miso (soybean paste), and fish and shellfish.
There are also specific guidelines regarding the preparation of foods according to yin/yang principles. For example, gas stoves are recommended over electric ones, because foods cooked on an electric stove are believed to have less-harmonious energy. And utensils should ideally be constructed of wood, ceramic , or stainless steel rather than aluminum or copper.
In addition to the proscribed diet, macrobiotics is also a spiritual and social philosophy of living. Five specific daily practices are encouraged: Greet everyone with a sense of appreciation and joy; maintain regular and positive communication with your family; enlarge your circle of friends; share your food by including more people in your life; and make time for introspection and reflection.
How Does It Work?
Macrobiotic practitioners believe that the macrobiotic diet improves the condition of the blood plasma which in turn improves the condition of the body in general. When you undertake a macrobiotic diet, you will notice a number of basic changes primarily during the first 10 days. These changes, practitioners say, will mainly be reactions to the "discharge process," or cleansing of the plasma and the body. Fatigue, irritability, sweating, insomnia, and cravings are all common symptoms of this cleansing. After the first 10 days, the reactions tend to vary, but most people report feeling calmer, more alert, and more focused.
According to practitioners, after six to eight months on a macrobiotic program, your blood will become perfectly balanced and your body will show even more changes for the better. You will also start to experience noticeable improvements if you have a chronic condition.
Today macrobiotics offers many options, and nutritional deficiencies should not occur. Even so, it is still important to eat a wide variety of foods to ensure that you're getting key vitamins and minerals--particularly vitamins B12 and D, calcium, and iron. If you don't eat any meat or poultry, it is also important to take a separate Vitamin B12 supplement. And because the fluid restrictions on some macrobiotic diets can create serious health problems over time, drinking plenty of water is key.
Macrobiotics is a philosophy embracing the idea that living one's life within the natural order will ultimately lead to good health, happiness, and an enhanced appreciation for the constantly changing nature of all things. It is based on the ancient Chinese principles of yin and yang, which represent opposite yet complementary forces believed to exist in all aspects of life and the universe. Things that are yin are flexible, fluid, and cool; things that are yang are strong, dynamic, and hot. According to macrobiotic theory, illness is the result of an imbalance in these two forces. Therefore, macrobiotic practitioners attempt to treat ailments by bringing yin and yang back into balance through diet and lifestyle changes.
Macrobiotics is a philosophy embracing the idea that living one's life within the natural order will ultimately lead to good health, happiness, and an enhanced appreciation for the constantly changing nature of all things. It is based on the ancient Chinese principles of yin and yang, which represent opposite yet complementary forces believed to exist in all aspects of life and the universe. Things that are yin are flexible, fluid, and cool; things that are yang are strong, dynamic, and hot. According to macrobiotic theory, illness is the result of an imbalance in these two forces. Therefore, macrobiotic practitioners attempt to treat ailments by bringing yin and yang back into balance through diet and lifestyle changes.
Although the origins of macrobiotics stem from the ancient principles of Eastern medicine, the contemporary basis for it was developed in the late 19th century by a Western-trained Japanese Army doctor named Sagen Ishizuka (1850-1910). Dr. Ishizuka had become frustrated with allopathic (or Western) medicine's ineffectiveness in treating his own cancer, and he decided to try to cure himself by adopting a diet of brown rice, soybeans, fish, miso soup (made with soybean paste), sea vegetables, and other Oriental foods. He called this therapy shoku-yo, or food cure.
Ishizuka's findings were published and later used for reference by Yukikazu Sakurazawa (1893-1966), a Japanese philosophy student who adopted the pen name George Ohsawa in the 1920s. Ohsawa sought to integrate traditional Asian medicine with Christian teachings and some aspects of Western medicine. He believed that by returning to a basic diet of whole, natural foods, humanity could regain its physical and mental balance and the world become more peaceful. It was Ohsawa who popularized the term macrobiotics (from the Greek words makros, meaning "large" or "long" and bios, meaning "life").
Today those who follow a macrobiotic regimen are urged to avoid foods that are processed or refined, or that are too yin (sugar, pungent spices, alcohol, and caffeinated tea and coffee, for example) or too yang (meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products). Recommended instead is a balance of good yin foods (such as seasonal fruits and leafy green vegetables, seaweed, and tofu) and good yang foods, such as brown rice and other whole grains, legumes, soups made with miso (soybean paste), and fish and shellfish.
There are also specific guidelines regarding the preparation of foods according to yin/yang principles. For example, gas stoves are recommended over electric ones, because foods cooked on an electric stove are believed to have less-harmonious energy. And utensils should ideally be constructed of wood, ceramic , or stainless steel rather than aluminum or copper.
In addition to the proscribed diet, macrobiotics is also a spiritual and social philosophy of living. Five specific daily practices are encouraged: Greet everyone with a sense of appreciation and joy; maintain regular and positive communication with your family; enlarge your circle of friends; share your food by including more people in your life; and make time for introspection and reflection.
How Does It Work?
Macrobiotic practitioners believe that the macrobiotic diet improves the condition of the blood plasma which in turn improves the condition of the body in general. When you undertake a macrobiotic diet, you will notice a number of basic changes primarily during the first 10 days. These changes, practitioners say, will mainly be reactions to the "discharge process," or cleansing of the plasma and the body. Fatigue, irritability, sweating, insomnia, and cravings are all common symptoms of this cleansing. After the first 10 days, the reactions tend to vary, but most people report feeling calmer, more alert, and more focused.
According to practitioners, after six to eight months on a macrobiotic program, your blood will become perfectly balanced and your body will show even more changes for the better. You will also start to experience noticeable improvements if you have a chronic condition.
Today macrobiotics offers many options, and nutritional deficiencies should not occur. Even so, it is still important to eat a wide variety of foods to ensure that you're getting key vitamins and minerals--particularly vitamins B12 and D, calcium, and iron. If you don't eat any meat or poultry, it is also important to take a separate Vitamin B12 supplement. And because the fluid restrictions on some macrobiotic diets can create serious health problems over time, drinking plenty of water is key.
Macrobiotics is a philosophy embracing the idea that living one's life within the natural order will ultimately lead to good health, happiness, and an enhanced appreciation for the constantly changing nature of all things. It is based on the ancient Chinese principles of yin and yang, which represent opposite yet complementary forces believed to exist in all aspects of life and the universe. Things that are yin are flexible, fluid, and cool; things that are yang are strong, dynamic, and hot. According to macrobiotic theory, illness is the result of an imbalance in these two forces. Therefore, macrobiotic practitioners attempt to treat ailments by bringing yin and yang back into balance through diet and lifestyle changes.
