What IS a Macrobiotic Diet?

"Macrobiotics", translated from Greek, means great life and dates back to Hippocrates. Macrobiotics as we know it today was started by a George Ohsawa, a Japanese educator, who was battling a serious illness. This simple diet cured him.

The macrobiotic diet is a holistic approach to a lifestyle. It utilizes the idea of food containing yin and yang properties which help balance out the body, spirit, and energy.  Yin foods are cold and sweet while yang foods are hot, salty and bold. It can be a "flexitarian plan" in which occasional fish is okay, however most are vegetarian. It does require a fair bit of planning to be on the macrobiotic diet.

Some foods will over stimulate the body. The diet discourages processed foods, coffee, alcohol, high fat foods, extremely cold foods, dairy, eggs, and animal products. In limited quantities, it is okay to have seafood, tomatoes, eggplant, peppers and nuts.

Food should be consumed in the most natural state or by preparing with baking, boiling, pressure cooking or steaming. Eating slowly and chewing your food thoroughly is an essential part of the program. The macrobiotic approach also means eating locally, what's in season, organically, and focus on whole grains. (Click on term to read previous blogs relating to these topics.)

The breakdown of a typical macrobiotic diet will vary from source to source. Here is an approximation based on various resources:

• Whole grains, especially brown rice: 50%-60%
• Vegetables: 25%-30%
• Beans and legumes: 5%-10%
• Sea vegetables: 5%
• Fish, nuts, seeds, fruits, miso soup: 5%-20%
• Soup (using ingredients above): 1-2 cups/day

Best bets: Brown rice, barley, whole wheat, fresh broccoli, cauliflower, butternut squash, chickpeas, tofu, sea vegetables like kombu and nori, and vegetable soups. A few servings of nuts and seafood per week are allowed. 1

That's Vegetarian has provided you with many recipes that are in accordance with a Macrobiotic Diet.  Here are a few.  Go back and check these out:

• Pear Crisp
• Spicy Hummus  
• Baked Falafel
• Pumpkin Flax Bread
• Mango Peach Stuffed Peppers
• Baked Stuffed Zucchini (omit cheese)

The macrobiotic approach has been shown to help in healing in prevention and cure in cancer, although it has not been scientifically proven.  The American Dietetic Association also approves the macrobiotic diet as a well balance approach to a vegan diet, if done correctly.

There is so much more information on the macrobiotic diet. Books upon books and websites upon websites. I have included links to some websites for more information on the basics of the diet, food lists, the lifestyle, and the history.

Visit That's Vegetarian's website, blog , and YouTube channel for more information, videos, and recipes!!  You'll find yourself saying "That's Vegetarian?!"

To Be or Not to Be Organic. That is the Question.

There are so many articles out there that say "Buy this organic..." then another one says "No, buy this organic. Arrrggghhhh which is it? Then the environmental impact of pesticides.  What to do?

First and foremost, eating your fruits and veggies is most important. If you cannot afford organic, it's okay.  Clean your fruits and veggies with an appropriate scrub/rinse. You can buy the veggie wash from the store or you can make your own with common household items. Do you know which household ingredients go a long way in reducing the pesticide residue on your foods?  Click here for more.

Here is what you can do to get rid of the pesticides in a friendly way:

• Baking soda ~ Using, a clean sponge or cloth, sprinkle, scrub, and rinse!
• Make a spray bottle with 1t vinegar (white or cider) and fill the rest with water. Make a separate spray bottle with 1/2t hydrogen peroxide and water. DO NOT MIX TOGETHER IN ONE SPRAY BOTTLE TO SAVE A STEP!!! Creates a Peracetic acid which in no bueno to consume. Then rinse.
• Add 1/4-cup vinegar and 2 Tablespoons salt into a sink full of water and let sit for 15 minutes then rinse.
• Combine 2T vinegar, 1T lemon juice, and 1c cold tap water in a spray bottle, shake well, and apply to your produce. Rinse
• 4T salt and juice of half a lemon in a sink full of water, soak for 5-10 minutes, less for leafy greens and berries. Rinse. 

Why buy organic? Many people buy organic because of the amount of pesticides that are usually used on that particular crop that will absorb into the food and/or stick as a residue which will be passed onto the consumer, aka your body. I'm not going to get into the politics or more specifics, check out the links below for additional reading.

Here is a quick list that I gathered from multiple resources¹ that agreed on what to get organic:

1. Apples
2. Celery
3. Strawberries
4. Stone fruits - peaches, apricots, cherries, nectarines
5. Leafy vegetables - spinach, kale, collard greens, lettuce
6. Grapes
7. Sweet bell peppers
8. Potatoes
9. Blueberries

What other foods are recommended organic and why?  

It is also suggested to find organic meats and dairy products because of the hormones that are used. Coffee because of the countries it comes from. Raisins and wine because they are made from grapes. There are also the ideas of eating foods in season so it doesn't have to be imported and travel long distances to get to you. Imported foods have different standards on pesticides used vs. domestic. Cantaloupe is one of the foods that is okay domestic but organic imported. The fruits and veggies with peels have less concern because the pesticides don't penetrate as much and they are peeled off. But with bananas there is a concern on proper harvesting and sustainable farming. Those are the issues that I will leave for you to decide.

Here is a list of what doesn't need to be organic because minimal pesticides are used for this particular crop and/or they don't absorb as much of the pesticides.

1. Onions                                                                                                                                           

EWG's Dirty Dozen Cheat Sheet              2

2. Corn

3. Pineapples

4. Avocado

5. Asparagus

6. Sweet peas

7. Mangoes

8. Eggplant

9. Kiwi

10. Mushrooms

11. Cabbage

12. Watermelon

13. Sweet potatoes

14. Grapefruit

Organic is great if you can fit it in time wise and financially. If not, use one of the helpful tips to eliminate the majority of the pesticides. BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, organic or not, EAT YOUR FRUITS AND VEGGIES!!!!! Your body really does need the nutrients they provide that you can't get in such glorious form anywhere else.

Check out the other blogs for links to watch the video, print the recipe, prepare any one of the dishes and you'll find yourself saying "That's Vegetarian?!"

1

TheDailyGreen.com 

Wikihow.com 

PlanetGreen.discovery.com 

Real Simple 

Environmental Working Group (EWG) 

Why Eat Organic 

Care2.com 

2  

http://www.ewg.org/foodnews/