Essense of Macrobiotic Diet for bigger Health

Before starting my article I will like to say a few words about health.
"Every human being is the author of his own health or disease."
"He, who has health, has hope. And he, who has hope, has everything."
"It is health that is real wealth and not pieces of gold and silver."

Macrobiotic Diet - How Does it Work?

The macrobiotic diet finds itself in the spotlight every now and then, as one celebrity or another announces that they are eating the "macrobiotic" way and that they feel great.

But what's it all about, really? Let's take a look at this diet that followers say is more of a lifestyle than a true diet.

First, let's get some terms out of the way. It's believed that the famous Hippocrates coined the term "macrobiotics" to describe people who were very healthy and lived long lives. The term is also found in the writings of Aristotle and Herodotus, who use the term to also describe people who had great longevity.

It's believed that many of the longer-lived cultures in the world throughout history subscribed to this way of eating - the Incas, and the people of the Chinese Han Dynasty, for example. Over time, the lifestyle and way of eating made its way to the West and although it's hardly the most popular eating plan people follow these days, it certainly has its followers.

In short, the macrobiotic diet involves eating very natural foods, not raw foods, but foods that are as near their whole state as possible. Followers eat rice, for example, but only brown rice and not white rice, which is highly processed.

In particular, those who eat a macrobiotic diet emphasize the following in their diets:

Whole grain cereals
Legumes
Fermented soy products
Fruit
Vegetables
Seaweed
Brown rice
Soba noodles
Beans
Tofu and tempeh

One of the particular important aspects of this way of eating is that foods should be eaten in the right combinations, in order to maintain the proper "yin and yang" of digestion.

In that regard, then, the following foods are not eaten, as it's believed they are considered "too yin":

Peppers
Potatoes
Tomatoes
Spinach
Beets
Avocadoes
Eggplant

This largely vegetarian way of eating also emphasizes beverages that are not stimulating, so certain decaffeinated teas are recommended along with proper quantities of water.

There's also an emphasis on how food is eaten, with followers encouraged to avoid overeating and to chew food thoroughly to aid digestion.

In particular, the following breakdowns of meals should be adhered to:

Whole grains, including brown rice, should constitute about 50-60% of the meal;
Vegetables should be about 25-30% of the meal;
Beans and legumes should comprise another 5-10% of the meal, and
Miso soup should comprise about 5%.

Other foods like nuts and seeds, fish and seafood, fruit juices and seasonings and sweeteners can be added as necessary. If meat must be consumed, it should be naturally raised or organic. The majority of food should also be produced locally when possible.

Followers of a macrobiotic way of eating believe that it can help to prevent cancer, and result in overall better health. In addition, those who eat a macrobiotic diet say they feel more energetic, happier and find it easier to manage their weight.

The ins and outs of the macrobiotic diet might seem complicated, but after reading more about it, you might find that it is really about returning to a more natural way of eating.

Recipes for a Macrobiotic Diet : Serving & Presentation Tips for a Macrobiotic Meal

Lean presentation tips on how to serve a macrobiotic meal in this free online video on how to prepare healthy macrobiotic food recipes. Expert: Gayle Stolove Contact: www.whollymacrobiotics.com Bio: Gayle Stolove has been professionally involved in both health care, and the natural foods industry, since approximately 1975. Filmmaker: Paul Muller



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uFxXptzFhCM&hl=en

Typical Breakdown of Macrobiotic Diet - What You Can Eat

There are many varied diets and trends that you will find in your search for losing weight. One of these is the macrobiotic diet, a nutritional regimen that has been in existence for a very long period of time. The diet includes stiff restrictions and regulations. It has been improved by having been infused with the know-how of body health and nutritional needs, the product of which is a thrilling program that really works. It guarantees that your body will get a full range of healthy essential foods and nutrients.

Initially, the macrobiotic diet is considered as a specific variety of a vegetarian diet. It is going to center on only some specific food groups. You will not be allowed to eat meat or dairy products. There is success in the program because your meal will consist of healthy and nutritious whole grains. You will need to cut down your intake of junk food in your meals including white breads, processed foods because they will only be giving you little to no nutritional value. Whole grains are responsible for 50-60 percent of your total calorie intake.

Fresh vegetables should also be a part of your program. Vegetables should always be included in any health program. Cook the vegetables in such a way that they will not lose the nutrients. Boiling, steaming, or sauté with a small amount of oil are the best ways to cook vegetables. The vegetable you may eat includes beans and soy products. Include fish in your meal, as this is a good source of omega 3 fatty acids.

A typical macrobiotic diet will consist of the following:

o Soup - 1-2 cups/day
o Beans - 5-10%
o Vegetables - 25-30%
o Whole grains - 50-60%
o Nuts, fish, fruits, miso soup - 5-20%

The Macrobiotic Approach To Health And Wellness

It may be an ordinary dance studio during the week, but on Sunday mornings this little room in Toronto's west end is transformed by the smells of steamed vegetables, seaweed and miso into Anna Rosenberg's Macro Mornings cooking class. Here Rosenberg provides her students with a basic introduction to macrobiotic cooking.

Many of Rosenberg's students come to her cooking classes to learn how to prepare a wide variety of meals that will help them start the healing process and recover from such diseases as cancer.

"The first factor of health is what you eat. It determines how you react, how you think," says Rosenberg, a macrobiotic chef, teacher, councillor and founder of the Macrobiotic Living Whole Foods Cooking School.

Macrobiotics Defined

In macrobiotics health and longevity is believed to be achieved through theunderstanding of the relationships between ourselves, the food we eat and the lifestyles we choose to live. Sickness is viewed as the body's natural attempt to harmonize itself with its environment.

All foods consumed in macrobiotics help the body achieve this harmony by aiding in the digestion and absorption of nutrients.

"Macrobiotics is basically a whole grain and vegetable diet, it's really simple," Rosenberg says. "It's about looking at an individual and seeing what they need."

In macrobiotics food preparation is just as important to human health as are proper food choices.

"I'm trying to teach day to day cooking," Rosenberg says. "Most people think it (cooking)is just a matter of ingredients but it's also the energy of the food, the pots the food is prepared in and the type of dish. Is it a fast or slow dish?"

By going to fast food restaurants she says we give up our control over what we eat to others who might not be concerned with whether the food they are preparing is healthy.

"By putting order into cooking, you put order into your life," Rosenberg says.

Good Health

Rosenberg first learned about macrobiotics from her ex-husband who told her that when they got married they were going to eat macrobiotic. After seeing her health improve from this diet,
she knew she couldn't go back.

"I though I was in good health but I discovered a whole new sense of health," Rosenberg says.

Little things that she though were just part of life like, menstrual cramps and athlete's foot, completely disappeared.

She says she is amazed when people tell her they are healthy and then tell her they have a health condition like diabetes. She says many people don't truly understand what health is.

Making The Transition

One of the most common mistakes beginners make when starting a macrobiotic diet Rosenberg says, is not eating enough of a variety of foods.

"In a day you should have about 10 different vegetables. Cooked in different ways," she says.

Lidia Kuleshnyk, a licensed holistic practitioner, macrobiotic cook, health consultant and founder of Macrobiotics Plus, recommends beginners start by adding healthy foods to their diets instead of taking away bad ones. This will help stop food cravings and make the transition physiological and biologically easier.

Kuleshnyk says miso soup is a great addition to any diet.

"One bowl of high quality miso soup will cleanse 50 cigarettes from your body," she says.

Miso, a fermented soybean paste, has been a staple of the Japanese diet for centuries

Macrobiotics In Demand

One day Kuleshnyk would love to see rice balls offered along side Tim Horton's donuts and amaske as an alternative to ice cream at Baskin Robbins.

Amaske, a whole-grain sweet brown rice beverage, is just one of the hard-to-find foods that Kuleshnyk's macrobiotic food service currently sells.

"There's never a shortage of demand. There is just a problem with the logistics of meeting it," she says. " I'm busier beyond my capacity."

Six or seven years ago, Kuleshnyk believes society shifted toward a more spiritual and environmental form of thinking.

"Today there is a health food store practically on every corner. It wasn't' like that 10 or 15 years ago," she says.

Recipes for a Macrobiotic Diet : How to Serve Miso Soup as a Macrobiotic Meal

Lean how to serve miso soup for a macrobiotic meal in this free online video on how to prepare healthy macrobiotic food recipes. Expert: Gayle Stolove Contact: www.whollymacrobiotics.com Bio: Gayle Stolove has been professionally involved in both health care, and the natural foods industry, since approximately 1975. Filmmaker: Paul Muller



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hs5z6of7GEw&hl=en