WHAT MAKES MACROBIOTICS SPECIAL

Macrobiotics has developed over the period of nearly a century. There has been plenty of time to test the foods and develop its full potential. It has evolved from a healthy rural Japanese diet into a set of principles that can be applied to any diet anywhere in the world. During its growth it has been examined by each new theory on healthy eating, by all the new nutritional discoveries and by the hundreds of thousands of people who have tried it. Macrobiotics has been around long enough to demonstrate its longevity as a tried and tested way of eating - this is no fad. It is a safe, common sense approach to healthy eating and healing.

Macrobiotics has always had a strong link to traditional oriental medicine. In particular Michio Kushi developed the link between the ideologies used in healing and macrobiotics. Both traditional oriental medicine and macrobiotics are based on the idea that everything has a living energy. This is similar to the principles used in practices including acupuncture, tai chi and yoga. This living energy, known as chi in China and ki in Japan and prana in India flows through our bodies carrying our emotions, beliefs and spirit.

This energy or life-force influences the way we feel, our moods and ultimately our health. Rather than using needles or herbs you can do something similar using food. Food is a very powerful healing medium as the food is carried into your blood and on to every cell in your body. We have to eat anyway so why not make each meal a healing experience for the body.

There are many influences on your energy; the weather, other people, your home, exercise, however one of the most powerful is food. Food has its own living energy and when you eat it you take this energy deep into your body, directly changing your own life-force from the inside. The food you eat not only changes your body on a biological level but also on an energetic one. Each meal has the potential to change the way you feel, your emotional state and even your long-term attitude to life.

You can estimate the kind of life-force a dish has by looking at the way it grows, its growing season, where it grows, how it is processed and the cooking method. This means you can choose a meal to change your own energy in a way you think will be most helpful to you.

For example if you wanted to be more relaxed you might choose something that grows in the autumn when the environmental energy is more settled, a food that has a round shape and that grows steadily. A sweet taste would be more relaxing. For example a pumpkin or swede. If one of these were to be cooked slowly into a vegetable stew or soup you would have a dish that contains energy that spreads out evenly and slowly helping your own energy flow in a relaxed manner.

To feel more settled you might add vegetables that grow down into the ground like carrots or parsnips. This body of knowledge is unique to macrobiotics and is an important part of being able to create a diet that uniquely helps you feel the way you need to, do the most with your life.

Macrobiotics is a unique and different approach to healthy eating as it recognises that every food has its own living energy and that this energy influences the life-force within us.

1 It is a broad varied diet primarily consisting of grains, vegetables, fish, beans, seeds, fruit and nuts.

2 Many people have claimed eating a macrobiotic diet has helped them recover from illness.

3 It is a flexible approach to eating that can be used from a few days to a lifetime.

4 Macrobiotic principles show you how to choose and prepare foods to feel the way you want.

5 You can eat anything as long as you know what the likely influence of that food is and are sure it will lead to good health.

6 The high fibre component of macrobiotics keeps your digestive system healthy.

7 Being low in saturated fats a macrobiotic diet enhances your blood quality improving your circulation and heart.

8 Having a low glycemic index and load macrobiotic foods encourage even blood sugar levels making it easier to loose weight and enjoy emotional stability.

9 The foods are well balanced in terms of acid and alkaline as well as sodium and potassium.

10 The predominance of complex carbohydrates mean that the meals provide plenty of sustainable energy leading to greater stamina.

11 The general macrobiotic diet is high in proteins, iron, calcium and other minerals and vitamins.

12 Macrobiotic is a complete approach to healthy eating that encompasses selecting ingredients, preparation, cooking and eating.

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