The macrobiotic diet is an alternative medicine approach that emphasizes a lifestyle of balance and harmony. It focuses on avoiding refined foods and most animal products, highlighting locally grown whole grain cereals, pulses (legumes), vegetables, edible seaweed, fermented soy products, and fruit. These are combined into meals based on the ancient Chinese principle of yin and yang. Founded by George Ohsawa and popularized in the United States by his disciple Michio Kushi, macrobiotics has evolved over the years, adapting to modern nutritional understanding while retaining its core philosophy.
Historical Roots and Evolution
The Japanese macrobiotic diet has a history dating back several centuries. George Ohsawa, a Japanese philosopher, believed in the critical role of food in achieving physical and spiritual balance. Ohsawa drew inspiration from traditional Japanese dietary practices and Taoist principles to develop the framework for the macrobiotic diet. Michio Kushi popularized the diet in the 1960s, introducing macrobiotics as a holistic approach to health, emphasizing the consumption of whole, natural, and locally sourced foods. The diet has evolved and gained a considerable following worldwide, offering individuals a mindful way of eating that promotes overall well-being and harmony with nature.
In the 1960s, the earliest and most strict variant of the diet was termed the "Zen macrobiotic diet," which claimed to cure cancer, epilepsy, gonorrhea, leprosy, syphilis, and many other diseases. Ohsawa wrote about the diet in his 1965 book Zen Macrobiotics. The Zen macrobiotic diet involved ten restrictive stages, with the highest stage eliminating all foods in the diet apart from whole grains.
Key Principles of the Macrobiotic Diet
Macrobiotics emphasizes locally grown whole grain cereals, pulses (legumes), vegetables, edible seaweed, fermented soy products, and fruit combined into meals according to the ancient Chinese principle of balance known as yin and yang.
Some macrobiotic proponents stress that yin and yang are relative qualities that can only be determined in a comparison. All food is considered to have both properties, with one dominating. Brown rice and other whole grains such as barley, millet, oats, quinoa, spelt, rye, and teff are considered by macrobiotics to be the foods in which yin and yang are closest to being in balance.
Read also: Benefits of Macrobiotic Diet
The goals of Macrobiotic are the realization of planetary health and happiness, world peace, and human evolution. Macrobiotic, derived from the Greek word macrobios (large life), is associated worldwide with living and eating in harmony with nature. Macrobiotics embraces the 5,000-year-old philosophy of yin and yang, wherein yin represents expanding energy and yang contracting energy. Yin and yang are the building blocks found in all phenomena in varying proportion.
The Macrobiotic Diet embraces traditional foods that people ate before the dawn of our modern civilization. Thus, the macrobiotic diet emphasizes natural and whole foods such as whole grains, greens and root vegetables, sea vegetables, legumes, beans and bean products, seasonal fruits, seeds, nuts, vegetable oils, fermented food, and optional small amounts of wild animal foods. A variety of cooking techniques such as steaming, pressure cooking, sauteing, baking, juicing, sprouting, pickling, soaking, fermenting, or serving raw are used to enhance the nutritional value and seasonal energy of food.
The macrobiotic diet provides guidelines (proportional as well as food-wise) that can be modified depending on one's individual health, personal needs, climate, environment, and other considerations. Thus, it differs from a vegetarian/vegan/raw diet, which does not take such considerations.
Recommended Food Proportions
- 20% - 30% or 40-60% Whole Grains: Major portion of whole cooked grains like short- and medium-grain brown rice, sweet and wild rice, millet, spelt, barley, oats, kamut, quinoa, wheat or corn.
- 3% -5% Sea Vegetables: Nori, wakame, dulse and sweet water algae daily.
Foods to Eat
The macrobiotic diet incorporates a wide variety of whole, natural foods, with an emphasis on plant-based ingredients. Whole grains, such as brown rice, quinoa, and barley, are staples of the macrobiotic diet, providing sustainable energy and essential nutrients. Fresh vegetables and fruits are also key components, offering a rainbow of vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Legumes, such as beans and lentils, are important sources of protein in this diet. Additionally, seaweed and sea vegetables supply essential minerals like iodine and calcium. Fermented foods like miso soup, sauerkraut, and pickled vegetables are also included, as they promote gut health and provide probiotics. While fish and seafood are occasionally consumed, animal products and processed foods are generally discouraged in this diet. In saying this, the diet can be flexible to the individual, as long as it follows the philosophy of "balance and simplicity".
Macrobiotic Diet vs. Paleo Diet
The macrobiotic diet is rooted in traditional Japanese principles, emphasizing the balance between yin and yang energies. On the other hand, the paleo diet is inspired by the dietary habits of our ancestors from the Paleolithic era. The paleo diet primarily consists of lean meats, fish, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds, while excluding grains, dairy, and processed foods. While both diets prioritize whole foods, the macrobiotic diet leans towards plant-based eating and the paleo diet prioritizes animal protein. Additionally, the macrobiotic diet encompasses a broader range of cultural foods, while the paleo diet focuses on foods that were available during prehistoric times.
Read also: Macrobiotic Meal Planning
Patients with diagnosed conditions such as autoimmune disease may find slight variations in both diets might match their optimal diet plan. Eggs, for example, are not recommended with the autoimmune diet. Furthermore, grains which are consumed in the macrobiotic diet are also not recommended in the autoimmune diet. A patient could therefore modify the macrobiotic diet to exclude these grains and instead incorporate bone broth or more seeds such as quinoa.
Potential Benefits of the Macrobiotic Diet
Millions of people on this planet are actively practicing macrobiotic principles, and its dietary benefits have been published in numerous scientific and medical journals. Because the macrobiotic diet may prevent and protect against degenerative disease, it may be the best diet to follow in this time of high cancer rates, heart disease, obesity, allergies, and the hazards of environmental pollution.
The macrobiotic diet promotes the consumption of whole grains, fresh vegetables, legumes, fermented food, and locally grown, seasonal foods. These nutrient-dense foods provide a wide array of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants crucial for optimal health. Foods which are seasonal and locally sourced also contain more vitality and "chi" energy which is considered to be rejuvenating for the body according to eastern philosophy.
Moreover, the diet encourages mindful eating, avoiding processed foods, and chewing food thoroughly, which aids in digestion and nutrient absorption. By promoting a well-balanced intake of whole foods, the macrobiotic diet helps maintain stable energy levels, supports weight management, and may reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease and certain cancers. Additionally, this diet advocates for a connection between food and nature, encouraging individuals to eat in harmony with their surroundings, which promotes a sense of overall well-being. Overall, the macrobiotic diet's focus on balance, natural foods, and mindful eating makes it a popular choice for those seeking a healthy lifestyle.
Macrobiotics supports organic, natural agriculture and natural food processing and production. It raises environmental awareness, while preserving a clean, natural environment and respecting natural and animal life.
Read also: The Hoxsey Diet
Macrobiotic Diet and Cancer
Some people think living a macrobiotic lifestyle may help them to fight their cancer and lead to a cure. The American Cancer Society recommends "low-fat, high-fiber diets that consist mainly of plant products"; however, they urge people with cancer not to rely on a dietary program as an exclusive or primary means of treatment. Cancer Research UK states, "one of the earlier versions of the macrobiotic diet that involved eating only brown rice and water has been linked to severe nutritional deficiencies and even death." Strict macrobiotic diets that include no animal products may result in nutritional deficiencies unless they are carefully planned. The danger may be worse for people with cancer, who may have to contend with unwanted weight loss and often have increased nutritional and caloric requirements.
In addition to the dietary provisions of macrobiotics, however, other applications of macrobiotic principlesâeg, increased emphasis on physical activity; minimized exposure to pesticides, other chemicals, and electromagnetic radiation; and stress reductionâ may also be beneficial for cancer prevention. Because the philosophy of macrobiotics promotes the concept that phenomena are universal and interrelated, the practice of macrobiotics engenders respect for the spiritual nature of lifeâa view that bolsters the morale of cancer patients. Patients adhering to this lifestyle necessarily take an active role in their own treatment, ie, by making necessary lifestyle modifications. Actively participating in their own treatment restores a sense of power that is sometimes squelched by conventional treatment, much of which is inherently disempowering because it can cause overwhelming pain and debilitation.
The standard macrobiotic diet avoids foods that include meat and poultry, animal fats (eg, lard and butter), eggs, dairy products, refined sugar, and foods containing artificial sweeteners or other chemical additives. All recommended foods are preferably organically grown and minimally processed. Consumption of genetically modified foods is also discouraged. For people with cancer, these restrictions may be absolute for a period of time until some recovery has occurred.
According to the 1997 report produced by the American Institute for Cancer Research and the World Cancer Research Fund, increasing daily consumption of vegetables and fruit from 250g to 400g may lead to 20% fewer cases of cancer worldwide. An increasing collection of evidence suggests that consumption of whole grains can reduce the risk of cancer at various anatomic sites. Studies of rats have suggested that consumption of sea vegetables (dietary seaweed) may decrease the risk of breast cancer. Given that macrobiotics endorses a diet high in consumption of vegetables and whole grains, a logical assumption is that the practice of macrobiotics should also reduce the risk for cancer. However, few studies specifically suggest macrobiotics as an effective cancer prevention method. The data are even more limited regarding macrobiotics as effective treatment for patients who already have cancer. Much of the evidence is purely anecdotal, consisting of individual cases reported by those affected.
Criticisms and Safety Concerns
In 1965, a young follower of the macrobiotic diet died from malnutrition. George Ohsawa was sued for malpractice, and the Ohsawa Foundation in New York was closed after a raid by the Food and Drug Administration. After the Ohsawa Foundation in New York was closed, Michio Kushi shifted operations to Boston, where he opened two macrobiotic restaurants.
Cases of infants with symptoms of malnutrition (including deficiency of vitamins B12 and D) have been reported in the medical literature. The possibility of such types of nutritional deficiency has been documented in systematic surveys of groups of infants and families who followed a macrobiotic lifestyle. These studies of nutritional statusâprimarily in infants or in growing childrenâhave formed the basis for most warnings against use of macrobiotic diets to treat cancer. Assuming that any appropriate treatment minimizes nutritional deficiency, many physicians believe that imposition of the dietary restrictions is potentially dangerous for patients who are already losing alarming amounts of weight.
The macrobiotic dieter may become deficient in vitamins B12 or D, fluid, calcium, iron, and riboflavin. Experts recommend that pregnant or nursing women and children on the macrobiotic diet may need to consume eggs, dairy products, or other forms of supplementation to prevent nutritional deficiencies that can lead to rickets, retarded growth, or slow motor or mental development in the fetus. Excessive weight loss can occur on the macrobiotic diet.
Michio Kushi's Legacy
Michio Kushi (ä¹ å¸ é夫 Kushi Michio; born 1926 in Japan) helped to introduce modern macrobiotics to the United States in the early 1950s. He has lectured about philosophy, spiritual development, health, food and diseases at conferences and seminars all over the world.
In the 1970s, Kushi established the East West Journal, the East West Foundation, and the Kushi Institute. In 1981, the Kushi Foundation was formed as a parent organization for the institute and magazine. The Kushi Institute was located on a large site in Becket, Massachusetts, where it hosted macrobiotic conferences, lectures, and seminars.
Kushi received the Award of Excellence from the United Nations Society of Writers. In 1999, the Smithsonian Institutionâs National Museum of American History opened a permanent collection on macrobiotics and alternative health care in his name. The title of the collection is the "Michio and Aveline Kushi Macrobiotics Collection." It is located in the Archives Center.
For their "extraordinary contribution to diet, health and world peace, and for serving as powerful examples of conscious living", Michio and his wife Aveline were awarded the Peace Abbey Courage of Conscience Award in Sherborn, Massachusetts, on October 14, 2000.
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