The Macrobiotic Diet, a smart choice

The macrobiotic meaning “the great life, great life.” It is an energy framework for the appropriate choice of power: it is derived from the Chinese diet and focuses on the balance between yin and yang, the two generating forces of the universe. Since energy precedes matter and creates, the food can be categorized according to the different forms of energy that distinguish them.

The macrobiotic studies the foods and beverages based on their energy matrix and constantly search the balance between yin and yang, so that every meal is as balanced as possible and the body not being forced to take food too polarized, that is unbalanced by the excessive preponderance of masculine strength yang or yin of female strength.

All the phenomena of the universe they tend the balance of yin and yang, and the disease is simply the result of the breakdown of this balance. The disease is an excess or a deficiency of yin yang, or an overabundance of yin and yang deficiency so. The ability to understand which foods are best suited to the characteristics of the person in question calls macrobiotics a therapeutic discipline, through which it is possible to act imbalances of various kinds, both physical and emotional.

As the founder of macrobiotics is recognized Japanese Kurasawa, who adopted the pseudonym George Ohsawa (1893-1967) and which, emigrated to France, around 1960 outlined the principles of this refined food philosophy in the work “The Zen Macrobiotic”(trans. trans .: the macrobiotic diet, see bibliography).

Careful study of disorders of a person under the parameters of the Traditional Chinese Medicine and Oriental diagnosis leads the macrobiotic expert to formulate the correct diet for that person, as appears for example from the book by Kushi entitled “Medicine macrobiotic” however, even without having a thorough understanding of this discipline, we can stick to the standard macrobiotic diet, which will not fail to produce, after a while its beneficial effects both on the physical plane is on the mental-emotional level.

Second diet macrobiotic standard, the daily power must be set up above

1. Cereals whole beans (50% of the meal): Round-grain rice (more suitable in winter), long-grain rice (most suitable in summer ), sweet rice, Indian basmati rice, pearl barley and hulled barley, millet, spelled, wheat (unless you do not have gluten intolerance), oats, buckwheat, corn, rye. The cereal flakes can be eaten as breakfast in the morning (made in bancha hot tea), or added in soups, but in moderation. The cereal flakes must be integral, no sugar, no preservatives, as natural as possible. Muesli instead is not recommended.
2. Vegetables season of raw and cooked (30% of the meal). Among the vegetables we recommended: carrot, onion, leek, green leaves, broccoli, salads, cabbage of all kinds, Brussels sprouts, kohlrabi, radishes various, turnip greens, fennel, celery, celeriac, agretti, turnips, radishes, squash, parsley (in small amounts), shallot, salsify, bearded monk, green beans, wild vegetables and roots. Vary the type of cooking vegetables: Sauted with a little oil, steamed, boiled, blanched for 2-3 minutes in boiling water, cooked in soup with a cereal. Strictly avoid any type of mushrooms and vegetables of the family Solanaceae, namely potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant. Mushrooms are an energy-unbalanced food for excess yin, while potatoes, tomatoes, peppers and eggplants are parts of plants in their toxic complex for the presence of alkaloids.
3. Legumes (10% of the meal, instead of meat or fish): Peeled lentils, green lentils, chickpeas, yellow soybeans, green soybeans, black soybeans, beans of all kinds, peas, Japanese red beans azuki. To make it more digestible legumes and avoid intestinal gas, especially in those suffering from irritable bowel syndrome, pass them to the mill after being boiled, or add to the pot at the beginning of cooking, a piece of kombu (seaweed, cooked completed, can be eaten or thrown away).
4. Seasonal fruits (10% of the meal): Avoid tropical and exotic fruits in general. The raw fruit after a meal tends to acidify the blood, so it is best to consume between meals, or eat it cooked. The more balanced fruit is the apple; follow cherries, peaches, apricots, white grapes, plums, prunes, pears, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, watermelon, and cantaloupe.
5. White meat and white meat fish (in moderation: maximum 3-4 times a week): Among the white meat to prefer the less fat; among the fish avoid shellfish, prefer small fish or medium sized, both river and sea. If you eat meat or fish, to avoid the same meal legumes, because the protein is already given by the animal food. The meat you can replace the seitan, derivative of wheat gluten (unless you have a gluten intolerance), and various croquettes made from soy and vegetables ready in stores.
6. Whole wheat pasta (occasionally): Every so often, to replace the cereal in grains, you can consume whole wheat pasta or couscous (wheat flour processed with water and flour) and burgul (cooked grain and milled steam).
7. Marine algae (2% of the meal): The algae, added to the kettle, are used for cooking legumes and cereals; in soups, cut into strips along with the vegetables can be eaten cooked. Among the algae, the most commonly used are the kombu, the wakame, dulse to the arame, nori. The arame and nori, more light taste, once kept a bit ‘in the water and made discover, are attractive even eaten raw in salads with other vegetables.
8. Dried fruits: Such as chestnuts, hazelnuts, peanuts, almonds (in moderation, occasionally, make sure hazelnuts, peanuts and almonds are roasted and salted). The nuts are best avoided.

In summary, each meal should be made up as follows:

• 50% whole cereal grains (occasional whole grain pasta, couscous or bulgur);
• 20-30% of cooked and raw seasonal vegetables (except mushrooms, potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant);
• 10-20% of white meat or fish (not every day), or legumes, or seitan, soy nuggets and the like;
• 10% to be divided between: fresh seasonal fruit; dried fruit; seaweed; various desserts without sugar or milk.

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Other Tips:

In general, reducing the consumption of animal products and refined foods, flour, sauces, gravies, and various sauces. Avoid cold cuts, sausages, red meats, game. As for the eggs, if you avoid it is better; the same goes for the omelets and to the use of eggs in preparation of various dishes. If necessary, do not eat more than 2 eggs per month. As a binder for meatballs and the like, in place of eggs can be used wet crumb of bread. Try to consume whole grain products, less refined as possible, and always from organic farming.

Eliminating all white sugar and sweets traditional containing white sugar. Refined sugar produces mental weakness, nervous disorders and anxiety: the first phase of euphoria given by sugar follows the second phase of hypoglycemia that gives weakness. As sweeteners, preferred: first malts cereal (rice malt, barley, corn, millet); secondly syrup wheat and rice syrup; thirdly (but it would be better to avoid), the whole unrefined cane sugar.

Honey is not recommended, as too sugary and as animal products. Maple syrup is too sweet and too refined, so it must be avoided.

How sweet to be deleted is also meant those baked goods (croissants, biscuits, pastries, cakes and pies) sweetened with white sugar and containing milk or milk derivatives, while you can eat in moderation the baked goods that contain milk and which they have been sweetened with the malts of cereals or with apple juice. Also avoid sweets and chocolate.

Completely eliminate milk and all dairy products: butter, cheese (of all types, even those meager), mozzarella, soft cheese, cottage cheese, yogurt, sauce, ice cream of any kind.

The use of milk and dairy products of animal origin for human consumption is attributable to the madness of modern Western society consumerism, since milk and dairy foods are not suitable for adults: the animals feed their young with milk only up to the time of weaning, do not also continue into adulthood as do men.

If a man would assume milk, possibly it would be preferable to resort to human milk, rather than to the mixture energetically imbalanced that is offered on the market: it is in fact a set of different types of milk, as products from hundreds of different cows, mixed in huge metal containers. In addition to this, it is considered that the cows are often bred in barbarians ways, forcing the laws of nature, in order to make them produce more (the case of mad cow is not that one of the most striking examples).

As in the milk and cheese calcium content of speech, no scientific study has ever shown that the more you drink milk and assumes football: so that the human body takes the calcium in milk is necessary that it be present in a relationship with the phosphorus of 2 to 1 or higher, as in human milk, whereas in cow’s milk the ratio of calcium and phosphorus is 1 to 1. Since dairy products and cheeses acidify the blood, they contribute to affect the mineral reserves contained in the organism (in the bones and teeth).

By combining dairy and simple (white sugar sugar), originate disorders such as osteoporosis and tooth decay.

Instead of cheese, pick the tofu (“soy cheese”); instead of animal milk, it can be assumed, in moderation, rice milk. Avoid soymilk that is indigestible, too cooling and represents a gap of soybean processing.

For the first morning breakfast: cream of rice (rice flour ready in stores, by diluting in water and heat), various creams cereals (oats, barley and so on); rice milk (not continuously);biscuits without sugar; coffee cereal; Bancha tea; cereal cakes, biscuits and jam without sugar; occasionally, cakes or other baked products without sugar and milk, butter or other dairy products; mini pies or cakes without lard, little greasy; fruit juices (not continuously);salt soup of cereals and vegetables, or vegetables sun.

Prefer brown bread to white bread. Avoid crushed oil and other baked products too oily. Possibly a dunk oil should be slightly greased and especially not contain lard. Even the pizza should be eaten sparingly, just as “debauchery” once in a while; in any case, prefer the little work pizzas, with little tomatoes and little cheese.

Use salt sparingly, and only in cooking (then in a bit ‘of salt pan is necessary, while it is better to avoid it raw as a condiment). Preferred, even in cooking, the sea salt. Instead of salt, such as a dressing, use gomasio (mixture of toasted sesame seeds and sea salt; sometimes there are mixtures that include tiny pieces of algae).

Reduce the consumption of oil, even olive oil of good quality, since they are too fat. If you do not want to use the most light oils, such as sesame seeds or sunflower (good quality seeds, bought in herbal medicine), use olive oil in moderation, both raw and cooked. When cooking with oil, keep the flame low to avoid the oil to reach the smoke point and deteriorate.

As a condiment, both raw and cooked, you can use soy sauces like soya and tamari (the latter best if you have a gluten intolerance). Avoid wine vinegar: it can be replaced (sort of savory vinegar made by the fermentation of Japanese plums).

Advised the products are ready for broths, soups, especially the “nuts” bouillon and powders containing sodium glutamate. For the broth, use miso (fermented soybeans). Miso is a high-protein food, nutrient, which aids digestion and gives excellent broths for soups. Miso can be barley, rice, soy (the first from the milder flavor); furthermore, it is also found as hatcho Miso: the latter has a very strong flavor and therefore is not suitable for every palate.

The proper use of miso is as follows: When the soup is cooked, take 2-3 tablespoons of the same water in which they are made cook vegetables or grains, pour into a glass or cup and mix in that water 1-2 teaspoons miso; then turn off the heat and add the mixture to the pan, stir well again leaving simmer 1 minute, finally, remove the pot from the stove and serve. Miso should not boil, or risk losing its nutrients.

Eliminate, or at least greatly reduce, the classic espresso and also the traditional tea. Instead prefer barley and coffee substitutes derived from cereals and from chicory and, especially, also for dining, the Japanese Bancha tea and the tea kukicha (the latter derived from sprigs and also called three years tea). Both tea Bancha is the kukicha have a very low percentage of protein and caffeine. Avoid flavored teas (mint, jasmine, orange, and so on).

Reduce the consumption of wine. Eliminate liquor and aerated soft drinks and sugary. As for the juice, eat them in moderation.

Eliminate packaged savory snacks (potato chips, bocconcini cheese and the like). Prefer granola bars and nuts, making sure they contain no sugar, honey, but rather rice malt, barley, corn, millet, or wheat syrup, or even apple juice.

The vegetables can be eaten to satiety; I also whole grains, but if you suffer from obesity or have weight problems, it is best not to overdo it. The average recommended, as said above, is the 50% of the meal for whole grains and 20-30% for vegetables. The other foods will instead be consumed in smaller quantities.

Following a diet of this type, it is recommended not to overdo the drink, but also the water: the excess of water and liquids (even fruit juices and fruit itself, which contains a lot of water) comes at the expense of kidneys, then you drink only when you are really thirsty, not out of habit.

it is preferable to also take hot or warm drinks (tea bancha and kukicha tea are the best drinks, even during meals instead of water and wine). The cold water, and any other cold drink, damages the kidneys.

Increasing the consumption of cereals and vegetables, reducing flashing foods (red meat, dairy products and cheeses, eggs, animal foods in general) and the food too tasty, thirst will decrease by itself.

To store food, either in the refrigerator or elsewhere, prefer glass containers, pyrex and terracotta (all unleaded), rather than metal and plastic. For cooking, use preferably stainless steel, cast iron and enameled iron. Avoid aluminum and copper. Avoid non-stick pans (Teflon is toxic), and use cast iron pans, stainless steel or iron. Absolutely not recommended the use of the microwave oven.

Finally, care should be taken to dine in a quiet and in a relaxed environment, without hurry. At least 20 times: it is in fact characteristic of the animals less evolved swallow the food without chewing.