by Courtney Chapman, Contributor
As I continue along my path of becoming a health coach and a holistic health practitioner, I recently came across a diet that resonated with me. The macrobiotic diet is so much more than a diet; it’s a way of life. It teaches us to live harmoniously with nature, the universe, and our environment. It also teachers us the art of self-healing through food and intuition and to live a more balanced way of life. If you’re looking for a more holistic approach toward leading a healthier lifestyle, I definitely recommend checking out the macrobiotic diet!
The Core Principles
Ok, so the macrobiotic diet is primarily based on Traditional Chinese Medicine and the Yin/Yang principles. Founded by the Japanese philosopher, George Oshawa and implemented by Michio and Aveline Kushi, it’s most basic principle is the idea that we should strive for a balance in everything that we do. It also teaches to respect the natural physical, biological, emotional, mental, spiritual, and ecological order of our daily lives. But this is something that cannot be taught from a teacher, it’s a personal journey of self.
The Yin/Yang principle comes from the Chinese philosophy that describes the order of phenomena as complementary opposites. Yin is more feminine based with core qualities like cool, intuition, emotion, expansive, sensitivity, dark, moon/night, etc. Yang is more masculine based with core qualities like hot, light, logic, strong, contractive, sun/day, etc. Each individual has both Yin and Yang qualities but one is usually more pronounced than the other. Disease and sickness arise when we are out of balance with our environment and our Yin/Yang constitution. The macrobiotic diet is about discovering foods that help you achieve balance within yourself and your environment and to practice the art of self-healing.
Here are some other core principles of a Macrobiotic diet:
1. Eat only when you’re hungry
2. Majority of diet consists of eating whole grains and sea vegetables
3. Yin/Yang Concept of Food. Yin/Cooling Foods like raw fruits and vegetables. Yang/Heating Foods like cooked animal products, eggs, etc.
4. Eat food for fuel, not as entertainment
5. Avoid nightshade vegetables (veggies that grow during the night like tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant, etc.)
6. Eat organic and local foods. Foods should be consumed in the most natural state possible. Avoid processed foods.
7. Focuses on chewing food to aid in digestion and nutritional value
8. The foods that you eat become your blood, cells, organs, etc.
Healing with a Macrobiotic Diet
Part of the process of self-healing with foods in the macrobiotic diet, is examining your body’s imbalances. For example, anemia is considered a yang deficient ailment and uses yang foods as part of treatment. I guess that makes sense considering that anemic people are usually cold, less energetic, and are usually told to eat more heartier foods like animal products for the iron and blood-thickening qualities.
A macrobiotic diet also focuses on eating foods from your environment and that complement the seasons. For example, eating cooling fruits and vegetables during the summertime helps you to cool your body and become more balanced. Vice versa, eating more heating and heartier vegetables and animal products during the wintertime helps to heat your body.
These simple principles are a small portion of what the macrobiotic diet encompasses. Again, this is a lifestyle, not just a diet. I would definitely recommend spending some times doing your own independent research or speaking to a qualified physician about it. A good resource for you to begin your studies is the Kushi Institute website. They have all kinds of articles and resources concerning the macrobiotic diet.
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Courtney Chapman is the founder and contributor of Holistic Ebony. Holistic Ebony is a website dedicated toward spreading awareness about holistic health, meditation, cultural issues, and more.
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