• Macrobiotic Diet - Beginnings
• Assumptions of the macrobiotic diet
• What do you eat on a macrobiotic diet?
• More macrobiotic diet recommendations

The macrobiotic diet is not so much a "diet" in the popular sense of the word, but a set of advice and guidelines on what and how to eat: not for a specific, usually not very long time, but for a lifetime.

The origins of the macrobiotic diet are linked to the shoku-yo movement, or 'healing through food', founded by Japanese physician Sagen Ishizuka in the early 20th century. The term "macrobiotic" itself was coined by one of Ishizuka's students, George Ohsawa, from a combination of the Greek words macros (big and Bios (Life) shaped.

Macrobiotic Diet - Beginnings

In the 1960s, when the macrobiotic diet was gaining publicity, it was much more radical than the version we know today. It consisted in the gradual elimination of various product groups up to the point where only brown rice and pure water are consumed. Current assumptions about macrobiotics are much safer for health and more realistic.

Assumptions of the macrobiotic diet

Today, the macrobiotic diet is a set of guidelines that dynamically change with the season and day, geographical location, and even regional availability of individual products. The main premise of the diet is the idea, derived from Chinese philosophy, that everything contains energy: dark, cool, feminine, and inner yin, or light, warm, masculine, and outer yang.

In order to achieve harmony on various levels, including health and nutrition, yin and yang must be balanced: however, since the levels of these energies change with climate, time of day, location, etc., the balance is not static but dynamic. For example, summer calls for meals that are lighter, cooler, and take less time to cook than those we should be eating in winter.

What do you eat on a macrobiotic diet?

As with most diets, some foods are recommended and others are strongly discouraged. All whole grain products and groats are recommended brown rice, millet and buckwheat as oatmeal . It is recommended to eat lots of green leafy vegetables, cruciferous vegetables and root vegetables and to avoid some other vegetables - including potatoes, eggplant, peppers and tomatoes.

Fruit selection should be limited to those that are grown in the climate zone you live in: in Poland, for example, you should avoid eating bananas, tangerines, and mangoes. Small amounts of white fish and legumes are allowed. Foods and drinks that should be avoided are red and white meat, dairy products, eggs, alcohol and coffee, chocolate, popcorn and white rice. As you can see, the macrobiotic diet is high in carbohydrates and fiber and relatively low in protein and fat.

More macrobiotic diet recommendations

Those who want to strictly adhere to the rules of macrobiotics should only prepare meals (2-3 a day) from locally produced, organic products. Dishes should be prepared over an open fire, not on an induction hob or in a microwave, and with iron, stainless steel or ceramic utensils. Also, avoid "dry" cooking methods like baking or grilling, and instead use "wet" methods like steaming.