The Study of Macrobiotics And Me

Here is just one thought or example of the philosophy of Macrobiotics.  I do not practice this diet but I am currently studying aspects of the diet and I am really intrigued by the concept of the universe and eating locally and seasonally in order to stay in line with your environment and the universe.


Now, the more I think about this I began to realize that our parents and grandparents lived by this all their lives.  They knew what you needed to eat when you were sick and they prepared foods based on what was locally grown and available. 


It really wasn't until international trade and intercontinental shipping became prominent that this began to change and most of us starting to eat completely out of season, even out of our country foods that where not native to our environment.  We put ourselves out of sync with the universe and nature.  No wonder illnesses started to increase.  We also lost the instinctive ability to choose foods to heal ourselves.  We are no longer tapping into our instincts on what to eat and when.

Through my studies at The Institute For Integrative Nutrition I listened to Andrea Beaman's lecture, "Learn about Macrobiotics" and I quote "George Oshawa believed that Nature is God and God is truth.  To know God is to recall nature and to acknowledge the greater order of things." If you are living somewhere and eating foods from somewhere else not local, like another country or climate your body will become confused. You will be lost to your environment and this goes against nature and the entire universe."


This supports the movement to eat seasonally and locally.  This actually is ancient practice in macrobiotics. Now this doesn't mean you can never eat a banana or coconut.  It's not what we eat occasionally it's what we eat daily that confuses our bodies.  So enjoy the occasional banana or salad in the winter but don't make a daily habit out of it.

Great example given by Andrea is when she lived in New York and in the winter she was always freezing, she could never get warm no matter what.  What she discovered is that she was eating based on the low fat diet she was on consisting of salads and berries during the winter.  These foods are cooling foods and are grown in the summer months.  What her body needed was stews, (organic) lean meats and root vegetables which are warming foods.  Once she changed her diet to be in line with her environment the issue was resolved.

Isn't that amazing?  What are you eating that could be out of line with your environment?  What changes can you make today that would put you back in alignment with the order of the universe?  Make a list of current ailments or conditions then after implementing a diet of preferably organic locally grown, seasonal whole foods, revisit that list after a couple of weeks and see where you are with those ailments or conditions.  There's no denying those results, tried, tested and true on you.

Jackie Bennett
Health Coach