macrobiotic food. Nutritional treatment: Lebedev's macrobiotic system. Re-doing the macrobiotic diet

The Eastern macrobiotic nutrition system is based on the fact that the human diet consists of products growing in the territory of his residence. The basis of the diet is vegetables, fruits, herbs, cereals, legumes, rock or sea salt, natural unrefined vegetable oils. Feeling a powerful flow that harmonizes the energies of "yang" and "yin" is real, if you adhere to all the principles of macrobiotics in nutrition. This will require:

Refuse harmful products. These include all products containing chemical dyes, flavors, stabilizers, flavor enhancers, carcinogens and other toxic food additives. The list of prohibited foods, according to macrobiotics, includes most of the products from supermarkets. The junk food category (translated from English as “weed food”) includes:
- candies;
- sausages;
- semi-finished products;
- yogurts;
- canned food and other prepared goods.
Limiting fluid intake is another rule of macrobiotics. Drinking is allowed only in the morning and between meals. Excess fluid overloads the kidneys, so water is drunk in small sips. The total amount of liquid drunk per day should not exceed 1.5-2 liters, taking into account the liquid contained in vegetables, fruits, first courses, drinks. Tea, coffee is recommended to be replaced with a drink from roasted cereals, but without the addition of sugar.
Chew food thoroughly. The well-known postulate that food should be chewed for a long time is of paramount importance in macrobiotics. Scientists in the field of healthy nutrition have proven that food is better digested, crushed in the mouth to the consistency of gruel, having body temperature, carefully treated with saliva. One of the founders of macrobiotic principles in nutrition, Japanese nutritionist D. Osawa, insisted that pieces of food should be chewed at least 50 times.

Information and energy influence of food on the body is very high. Our ancestors did not calculate calories or the percentage of proteins, fats, carbohydrates. Wise ancestors used food as medicine for the body. Scientists have proven that the product has its own quantum field, like every internal human organ. It is believed that food containing certain energy flows affects the corresponding organs, healing them. To maintain the information and energy impact of products on the body, it is necessary:

Exclude from the diet monoenergetic food, charged with flows of only "yin" or "yang". All good food is saturated with currents of both energies, except for foods with a predominance of one of the directions. It is better to avoid them, because they will unbalance the energy flows of the body, which then need to be restored:
- Foods containing only yang energy include: rice, buckwheat, carrots, etc.
- Foods with a predominance of yin energy include: oats, barley, corn, tomatoes, etc.
Adhere to the locality of growth of products and seasonality. These aspects of the macrobiotic system in nutrition are very important. The ratio of energy flows "yang" and "yin" in products grown in different regions is significantly different. The fruits should be eaten during their ripening season. In winter, adherents of the macrobiotic diet eat cereals, and in the warm season they include vegetables, fruits, and berries in their diet. Thanks to this principle, food remains “alive”, saturates the body with pure vital energy.

The aesthetics of eating is a very important aspect for the proper assimilation of food by the body. The concept combines the observance of hygiene rules and the creation of a harmonious atmosphere. The ideal environment implies the presence of a suitable room, pleasant lighting, appropriate serving, beautiful furniture and dishes. What matters is the order of eating dishes, the appearance of products, behavior at the table, appetite, mood.

To fully comply with the aesthetic rules of nutrition, you need:

Eat only fresh food. It is better not to heat-treat them or cook them in small portions and eat them the same day. The energy potential of food has a limited duration. They cook food at home, store provisions from departments with culinary or semi-finished products are not suitable for adherents of the macrobiotic style in nutrition.
Choose visually appealing products. Everything that a person eats, after the breakdown of trace elements in the digestive tract, becomes his body. Therefore, it is better to use whole, not spoiled, selected, beautiful fruits. It is advisable to serve cooked food in attractive dishes, and beautifully set the table with cutlery, napkins, tablecloths, flowers.
Experience positive emotions while preparing and eating food. In order for every cell of the body to always remain healthy, you need to eat only in a positive frame of mind. If even a slight nervous shock occurs during the day, you first need to calm down, and only then start eating. A pleasant atmosphere, light music, good company helps to tune in to a positive mood.

Macrobiotics and weight loss

A healthy diet based on the use of "live" food with a balanced energy of "yin" and "yang" has a beneficial effect not only on well-being, psycho-emotional state, but also on reducing excess weight. Compliance with the principles of microbiotics in nutrition will help you lose weight. This is explained by the high content of healthy foods in the diet (vegetables, fruits, cereals) and the absence of harmful ones (sweets, flour and refined foods).

One of the principles of the macrobiotic direction in nutrition contributes to weight loss - thorough chewing of food. This favors better absorption of nutrients, and due to this, rapid saturation. Prolonged chewing promotes the consumption of fewer calories until the point of saturation, which occurs 20-30 minutes after the start of the meal.

Life energy comes from food, so in the East they pay special attention to the meal. Proper nutrition not only supplies the body with microelements necessary for life, it also contributes to spiritual development. Macrobiotic nutrition helps maintain acid-base balance:

"Yin" foods are rich in potassium, cool and oxidize the body.
"Yang" food retains sodium, warms and alkalizes the body.

Macrobiotic menu for the week

The basis of the diet should be cereals, fresh vegetables and fruits grown in the region of residence. Russians should give preference to grain crops growing on their land, avoid eating Chinese rice and Western genetically modified cereals. You can cook dishes from cereals and vegetables in any way. The main thing is that the grain is whole, not amenable to chemical processing. The amount of "live food" with a macrobiotic style of nutrition should be 60-70%. Macrobiotics allows the use of meat, fish, eggs, dairy products.

Monday

Breakfast: oatmeal porridge with dried fruits and whole grain bread topped with a slice of cheese.
Lunch: vegetable soup of cabbage, green peas, carrots, beans with a salad of cucumbers, zucchini, herbs.
Dinner: steamed fish with seaweed salad dressed with sesame oil.

Tuesday

Breakfast: buckwheat porridge with boiled chicken breast and cabbage-carrot salad seasoned with sunflower oil.
Lunch: vegetable broth of cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, onions with millet and a slice of whole grain bread.
Dinner: boiled fish with a salad of zucchini and herbs.

Wednesday

Breakfast: a portion of low-fat cottage cheese with a bar of cereals, dried fruits, nuts.
Lunch: green borscht with spinach, boiled egg and rye bread.
Dinner: buckwheat porridge with boiled chicken fillet, cucumber and tomato salad.

Thursday

Breakfast: wheat porridge with unsalted cheese and herbs, bran bread.
Lunch: seasonal vegetable soup, two chicken eggs, a slice of wholemeal bread.
Dinner: baked potatoes with cheese, tomato, basil salad.

Friday

Breakfast: millet porridge with dried apricots, raisins, nuts.
Lunch: soup of asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, green peas, onions, carrots with buckwheat and a slice of wholemeal bread.
Dinner: seafood salad with cherry tomatoes, herbs, grated Parmesan cheese, bran bread.

Saturday

Breakfast: corn porridge with browned zucchini, carrots, onions.
Lunch: red borscht with potatoes, cabbage, beets, onions, carrots with a slice of whole wheat bread.
Dinner: baked fish, cabbage salad, radish, cucumbers, greens.

Sunday

Breakfast: cabbage rolls with buckwheat, browned vegetables and a slice of whole grain bread.
Lunch: fish broth with vegetables and a slice of bread with cheese.
Dinner: vegetable stew with chicken, beans, carrots, onions, zucchini.

Recipes for macrobiotic nutrition

Oatmeal with dried fruits and nuts

Cooking time: 20 minutes.
Servings: 1 person.
Calorie content of the dish: 404 kcal.
Purpose: breakfast.
Cuisine: Russian.

Oat dishes contain a maximum of valuable components for the human body. You can enhance the beneficial properties of porridge from whole grains of oats with additional ingredients: dried fruits, berries, honey, nuts, vegetable oils. This assortment of highly nutritious substances will provide the body with the most vitamins and minerals, energizing for the whole day.

Ingredients:

whole oat grains - 150 grams;
a mixture of dried fruits and nuts - 70 g;
honey - 17 g;
sunflower oil - 1 tablespoon.

Cooking method:

Rinse the oats, pour water in the evening, leave in this form until the morning.
Drain the water, pour fresh, put the grains to simmer for 15 minutes, stirring all the time.
Add a cocktail of dried fruits and nuts to the porridge, simmer over low heat for another 5 minutes.
Let it brew, season with vegetable oil.
Eat the cooked porridge slowly, chewing all the ingredients thoroughly.

Cooking method:

Wash and cut vegetables.
Add chopped ingredients to boiling water.
Cook over low heat for 15 minutes.
Fry onion with carrots in vegetable oil.
Stir in soup.
Pour into bowls, sprinkle with herbs, serve.

Steamed buckwheat with sautéed vegetables

Cooking time: 30 minutes.
Servings: 2 persons.
Calorie content of the dish: 136 kcal.
Purpose: breakfast, lunch, dinner.
Cuisine: Russian.
Difficulty of preparation: easy.

Buckwheat is one of the most valuable cereals, rich in many important nutrients. This cereal is different in that it does not require cooking - you just need to pour hot water over the cereal, it will stand, steam out and you can eat it. Thanks to this method of preparation, buckwheat porridge retains all the useful trace elements that the “queen of cereals” contains in abundance.

Ingredients:

buckwheat - 300 grams;
onion - 50 g;
carrots - 50 g;
zucchini - 100 g;
sunflower oil - 3 tablespoons.

Cooking method:

Wash the buckwheat.
Pour in boiled water.
Cover the container with a lid, let it brew.
Roast the zucchini.
Add onions and carrots to the fry.
Mix roast with porridge.
Sprinkle with herbs, the dish is ready.

Video

Macrobiotics is a system of rules in the way of life and nutrition, with the help of which our lives are regulated. Doctors and philosophers from different parts of the world have used this term to define life in complete harmony with the natural environment. In this article, we will find out what macrobiotic nutrition is, what it is, the history of its origin, and also give a list of dishes that correspond to this system.

Story

This food system has been used since ancient times in Japan in monasteries. They call it shojin reri - "judgment-enhancing cuisine". The concept of "macrobiotic" is even in the writings of Hippocrates. Although officially this term appeared in the book of Christoph Hufeland (a German doctor) in 1796, the modern concept of the system was developed by Sagen Ichizuka (Japanese military doctor). In 1897 he published his enormous work "The Chemical Theory of Longevity and Nutrition".

A year later, he published his own nutrition textbook, which went through 23 editions. Ichizuka used macrobiotic and other diseases, prescribing seaweed and vegetables to patients. A group of his followers in 1908 created the Society for the Treatment of Food.

At some point, Ichizuki's book ended up in the hands of Yukikaza Sakurazawa, a young student who later became known in the West as George Osawa, a Japanese physician and philosopher. Having recovered from tuberculosis with the help of macrobiotics, he began to spread this teaching himself. Wrote about 100 books on this system, oriental medicine and philosophy; visited different countries with seminars and lectures; opened the "School for the Ignorant", in which he taught Eastern philosophy and a single order.

In the West, macrobiotic nutrition (what it is, we will learn in the article below) began to spread in the sixties of the last century, after it was adapted to the European way of thinking. About 1000 macrobiotic centers currently operate in Canada, USA, Italy, Holland, Germany, Great Britain, Spain, France, Australia, South America, Switzerland, Japan, Slovakia, Poland, Denmark, Austria, Belgium, Africa and Alaska.

The essence of the doctrine

It should be noted that modern macrobiotics is based on the philosophy of the East, based on the basic principles of the balance of Yang and Yin (famous for about 5000 years), as well as some aspects of Western medicine. Health is the harmony of "yin" and "yang", as well as the balance between our external and internal environment, physical and mental activity, animal and vegetable food, raw and thermally processed food.

According to the doctrine of Yin-Yang balance, many diseases arise from the predominance of Yin or Yang energy in the human body. It depends on the climate, place of residence, physiology and intensity of activity of a particular person.

According to macrobiotics, this imbalance can be corrected with the help of:

selection of necessary food products;
the method of their preparation;
compliance with the rules of eating.

Choice of food

Macrobiotics conditionally divides all diseases into "Yin" and "Yang". Yang diseases should be treated with Yin food, and vice versa. In such a diet, all foods:

Yang products - alkaline reaction;
Yin foods are acidic.

By eating Yang or Yin foods, it is possible to maintain a dynamic balance of these energies in the body, which is what macrobiotic nutrition is all about.

The menu includes only healthy products. It is recommended to avoid:

genetically, hormonally and chemically modified products (all canned food, any drinks and food with chemical dyes;
strong Yin and Yang foods (fruits, sugar, fish, berries, cheeses, meat). The imbalance introduced by them into the human body can cause a feeling of hunger.

An excess of unnatural foods and sugar creates a lack of energy, therefore, the body needs a lot of Yang energy, a craving for red meat, a need for proteins.

With a lack of protein, the body "eats" its own tissues, and this leads to weight loss over time. Too thin are prone to tuberculosis, infections, pneumonia, and other diseases. Which is followed by various types of atrophy:

sclerosis;
muscle atrophy;
arthritis etc.

Excess sugar, as well as a large amount of proteins, make the body too full, and this entails a “bouquet” of other diseases, which is what macrobiotic nutrition says.

The menu for the week suggests the presence of dishes from vegetables and not processed. In addition, sea plants, fish, various vegetable seasonings, seeds and nuts, legumes, and fruits are used.

Osawa developed ten therapeutic diets. So, the diet for seriously ill patients consists only of cereals that need to be consumed within 10 days (7 diet - medical or monastic). The diet changes as you recover, the percentage of cereals decreases, giving way to fruits, vegetables, soups, etc.

In macrobiotics, depending on the availability of the above foods, 10 modes are distinguished. Of these, you can choose for the "average", ordinary life, and for vegetarianism.

Cooking food

Macrobiotic nutrition according to Lebedev involves the proper preparation of food. This includes how to dry, store, replace sweet or sour foods, and add various seasonings.

The main rule in this case is to cook food for one meal, at most for a day.

Cereals (whole unrefined grains) are used raw, infused, boiled, baked and pounded.

Rules for eating

Macrobiotic nutrition according to Lebedev involves chewing food thoroughly, at least 60 times. What will it give:

necessary for the body and good food will give pleasure, while harmful can only cause disgust;
the amount of food absorbed will decrease, and its subsequent assimilation will also improve;
chewing will become meditation, and you will be able to quickly learn oriental philosophy.

Use as little pure water as possible. It should be noted that macrobiotic food contains a lot of liquid. A large amount of water only overloads the kidneys, therefore, in macrobiotics, various cereals should be preferred instead of soups beloved by many.

Do not forget about the systematic and prudence. Fluid restriction applies to people for whom macrobiotic nutrition has become the norm. At the same time, at the transitional stage, while the restructuring of our body is underway, you do not need to drastically limit yourself in drinking.

Initially, limit the consumption of sweets and meat products. It is better to replace meat products with legumes and fish. Replace sweets with dried and fresh sweet fruits (apricots, prunes, dates).

Then replace side dishes with boiled vegetables and cereals. But do this gradually, otherwise the balance of both minerals and vitamins will be disturbed in the body.

Impact of macrobiotic nutrition

Macrobiotic nutrition is the embodiment of the Law of Nature in human drinking and nutrition. If a person is in agreement with this Law, he is able to achieve mental, moral and physical health, which means:

excellent appetite;
lack of fatigue;
good and deep sleep;
good mood;
good memory;
life in accordance with the order of Nature;
clarity of deeds and thoughts.

The principles of macrobiotics, which follow from the laws of nature, make it possible to choose, eat and prepare exactly the food that suits a particular person. As a result, it makes it possible to achieve high energy potential and good health at low time and financial costs.

Macrobiotic nutrition: Zdorovyak porridge

The basis of such nutrition is grains of cereals and cereals, which, before being eaten:

washed;
dried (fried) without oil in a pan;
push in a mortar;
a medicinal herb in the form of a powder is added to the treated remedy;
diluted with water to the state of sour cream, after which they are already eaten.

Macrobiotic nutrition is based on these principles of eating food. "Samara Healthy Man" is a cereal that can be safely eaten. When preparing them, whole grains of rice, wheat, millet, rye, corn, buckwheat are used as the main raw materials, processed in this way:

grain is deeply cleaned with further washing;
then it is subjected to thermal short-term treatment;
further crushed;
after that, kelp, spirulina, flax, Jerusalem artichoke, rosehip, etc. are added to the grain in the form of powder (meal).

It should be noted that the Samara Healthy macrobiotic nutrition in Voronezh and many other Russian cities can be easily purchased at a pharmacy. The product prepared in this way is diluted with a liquid, the temperature of which is not more than 60 ˚C, before use. It can be broth, water, vegetable or fruit juices, fermented milk or dairy products. The grains should not be boiled, as the heat will destroy all the beneficial properties of the additives that this macrobiotic food contains. Porridge "Zdorovyak" in Almaty is also sold in many pharmacies and phytopharmacies.

The method of using such food for treatment is extremely simple: in order to get a healing effect, you need to use only it for 10 days or more.

Below we consider the most affordable recipes for such food.

Salad with gooseberries from rutabagas or carrots

On a coarse grater, grate 400 g of rutabaga or carrots; mix with one glass of rhubarb or gooseberry compote, season. You can also add greens.

Rhubarb and beetroot salad

Cut 2 stalks of rhubarb crosswise, mix it with a couple of tablespoons of honey and put it in the cold for half an hour. Grate 2 raw beets, finely chop the parsley and dill, and toss everything together with the rhubarb.

turnip salad

Take 2-3 peeled turnips, cut into strips or grate. Mash half a glass of cranberries or currants. Fill the mixture with honey. You can also sprinkle with chopped cumin or dill.

Cabbage with apples

Half a kilogram of red cabbage should be chopped, put into a saucepan, add a couple of chopped onions, a little water and stew a little. Next, on top of the cabbage, you need to put 4 apples cut into slices. Bring the saucepan to a boil with a lid on.

Radish with raisins

Grate the peeled and washed radish, add the chopped onion, scalded and washed raisins, then season with honey or vegetable oil. Garnish the salad with carrot slices or green sprigs.

soaked grain

We continue to learn about the benefits of macrobiotic nutrition. His recipes are very interesting, including this one. Three tablespoons of oats (you can take grains of wheat or rye instead of oats) soak in the evening and put away at night. Drain the water in the morning and add dried apricots, peeled nuts and raisins or prunes to it.

Buckwheat with mushrooms

Boil broth with spices from 50 g of mushrooms. Strain it, and chop the mushrooms very finely. Pour two glasses of unground kernels with three glasses of this broth, add mushrooms, chopped small onion, mix everything and send to the fire. After the porridge boils, remove it from the heat and put it in the oven for an hour and a half.

Millet with pumpkin

Finely chop pumpkin pulp (200 g), put in boiling water and boil. Then add 1.5 cups of millet (you must first soak it for several hours) and cook. 5 minutes before cooking, you can add washed dried apricots or raisins to the porridge.

Millet with cumin and onion

Studying further macrobiotic nutrition, the recipes of which are given in this article, one cannot but say about this interesting dish. One and a half cups of millet must be washed and soaked for 6 hours in cold water, then boiled. Add finely chopped greens, crushed garlic, chopped onion (green or onion), caraway seeds to the porridge. After that, place the pan in heat.

Homemade muesli

A tablespoon of hercules should be soaked for several hours in three tablespoons of water (preferably overnight). After the hercules swells, you need to grate 150 g of apples into it, stirring the mass all the time, and add 1 tablespoon of honey and grated nuts. You can use any dried fruits and berries.

Rice pilaf with dried fruits and vegetables

It is necessary to wash 1.5 rice, cut a few apples and 0.5 kg of pumpkin into small pieces, rinse some dried apricots and raisins. Pour 2 tablespoons of olive oil into the pan, then put the pumpkin so that its pieces cover the bottom. Pour a layer of rice on top, then put a layer of apples, then rice again, a layer of dried fruits, rice again. Pour all this with a little salted water so that it completely covers the last layer of rice. Put the prepared dish on the fire.

with cheese

Pour a glass of millet into hot water and simmer for an hour, then add the chopped feta cheese and stir until a homogeneous mass is obtained. Sprinkle with dill and parsley.

Cucumber Soup

Chop the cucumbers, onion and parsley root, chop the lettuce and simmer it all with water until cooked. Then pour boiling water, add some crushed crackers and cook until boiling. You can add parsley and lemon juice.

Soup with pumpkin

Finely chop the onion and fry it. Then put the chopped pumpkin (0.5 kg), add a little water to it, salt to taste and simmer. Season with flour fried in butter (4 tablespoons), dilute with water and cook until thickened. You can also cook soup with carrots, cauliflower, burdock root.

Chapati

Macrobiotic nutrition is very popular in the East. An indispensable food in this case is chapati, which can be made from buckwheat or wheat flour or millet, a mixture of various crushed grains.

So, we need:

150 ml of water;
250 g flour;
3 art. l. oils;
1/2 tsp salt.

Mix salt and flour in a large bowl. Add water and knead to a soft dough. Spray it with water. Then cover and set aside for an hour. Heat up a cast iron skillet. Divide the dough into fifteen parts, make balls out of them, kneading them all the time. Roll out fifteen balls. Then place them one by one in the pan. After small white bubbles appear on the surface of the donuts, and the edges begin to bend up, the cakes need to be turned over to the reverse side. Now carefully take the chapati with tongs by the edges so that the resulting cake does not tear. Bring it to the fire, where you hold it until brown spots appear. Grease one side with oil.

Restoring energy balance

We figured out what macrobiotic nutrition is and its main products. None of the edible constituents of the grain are discarded. Everything should go into action - embryos, bran, endosperm (this is the tissue of plant seeds, where the nutrients that are needed for the development of each embryo are deposited). Such a complex is able to meet the needs of the human body, in addition, helps to restore balance.

It should be noted that whole grains contain a set of substances that are very necessary for a person: proteins, complex carbohydrates, minerals and vitamins, fats, while in proportions that help us get the amount of energy we need.

In general, dishes from rice (brown), buckwheat, millet, oats, corn, wheat, etc. should be welcome on your table. Eat them daily. You can eat porridge throughout the day. There is no specific set of dishes in this case. You can alternate them at will, only based on the above balance.

Criticism

It should be noted that all the needs of the body, especially in children, people with a number of chronic diseases or intense physical activity, cannot be covered by macrobiotic nutrition. The recipes, reviews of which are listed in the article below, of course, can be used, but there are opponents of such a regular diet.

Studies have shown that the followers of this doctrine have cases of rickets, scurvy, and iron deficiency anemia. Such a diet in children can lead to a lack of vitamins D and B12, proteins, riboflavin and calcium, and this leads to low content of muscle and fat tissue, stunting, as well as slow psychomotor development.

And the Cancer Society of the United States has found no evidence that such a diet can be a quality treatment for cancer, as previously stated.

At the same time, the treatment of diseases of the digestive and cardiovascular systems can be effective if medications and macrobiotic nutrition are combined. Porridge "Zdorovyak", reviews of which attract the attention of a huge number of people to the product, in this case will significantly save your time by improving the condition of the body.

Such a cuisine differs from the usual way of eating with a high content of fiber, and this can cause an imbalance of minerals in the body. But a gradual transition to such a diet will help to avoid the bulk of these problems.

Macrobiotic nutrition: reviews

As more and more people today think about the need for a healthy lifestyle, you can find a huge amount of feedback on macrobiotic nutrition. Many talk about improving their well-being, rejoicing at how many dishes are offered in this cuisine. Others note, on the contrary, a deterioration in well-being, although for the most part this is due to a sharp transition to such a diet.

It is impossible to say unequivocally who was the first to practice the macrobiotic diet. It is only known that its roots are deepened in ancient Japan, and the main principles are built on the main ideas of such philosophical movements as Zen Buddhism, the works of Hippocrates and the Western European culture of vegetarian nutrition. The spread of this technique in the West was the Japanese American John Ozawa, who studied macrobiotics for 48 years before proposing his own theory of its use in nutrition.

The word "macrobiotics" in translation from ancient Greek means "long life" or "amazing life". Only from the name itself it immediately becomes clear that the nutrition system was developed not so much for weight loss, but to achieve complete harmony with oneself and the world around. This is not just another weight loss method, but a whole philosophy that hides more than a banal healthy meal.

For those who have decided to achieve final enlightenment, we must say right away that this diet is not a one-time diet. You can’t “jump” from it, because it is designed for a lifetime. Here is such a twist, but how did you want? Enlightenment doesn't come easy. After Ozawa published his Zen Macrobiotics, thousands of people began to follow specific dietary principles.

The essence of this system is to balance your diet. You don’t have to count calories and measure portions, but you just need to eat the same amount of foods that have Yin and Yang energy. In the modern interpretation, it will be two groups of products, one of them forms an acidic environment (contains potassium and phosphorus), and the second - alkaline (contains calcium and sodium). Yin energy, or the feminine principle, is an acidic environment, and Yang energy, or the masculine principle, is an alkaline environment.

Your task in the first stages will be to eat an equal amount of food with Yang energy and Yin energy. This will help to achieve the balance, both physical and spiritual, that will be needed to move to the higher levels of the macrobiotic diet.

ginseng;
chicory;
sage;
parsley;
horseradish;
carrot;
pumpkin;
eggs;
meat;
fish caviar.

Ozawa recommends that all of these foods be consumed in their natural form whenever possible, but if processing is still required, then you can boil, bake or stew food. The drinking regimen is also not quite usual in this system, you need to drink clean water without gas in small sips and only if you are thirsty.

Stages of the path to recovery and longevity

Ozawa argues that the main goal of the macrobiotic diet is a smooth and gradual transition to a diet that consists entirely of grains and water. According to the author, this food contains extremely useful components that are absorbed by the body in an environmentally friendly way. But due to the processing of proteins and fats, slags, toxins and other harmful substances accumulate in our body, which lead to the appearance of various diseases.

1st stage

At this time, you will need to follow a certain proportion in taking different products. Exclude from the menu at this time will need:

alcohol;
sugar;
sweets;
fruit;
fat meat;
all products that contain chemicals.

The ratio of food will be as follows: cereals and cereals - 40%, fresh or minimally processed vegetables - 30%, lean meat (except chicken) or fish - 20%, any soups, except those that contain mushrooms - 10%. A person determines the duration of each stage for himself individually, based on his well-being, sensations and readiness to move on to the next changes in the diet.

2nd stage

At this time, you will draw up a weekly menu based on the following proportion of allowed products: cereals - 50%, vegetables - 30%, fish and meat dishes - 10%, soups, also without mushrooms - 10%.

3rd stage

At this stage, to achieve your highest goal, you will have to completely abandon animal products, fish and seafood, they are completely excluded from the diet. At the same time, the amount of cereals is increasing, they should be 60%, vegetables invariably make up 30% of the total menu, and soups - 10%.

4th stage

At this time, you will need to "give" 10% of vegetables to the share of cereals. It turns out that cereals will take up 70% of the diet, fresh vegetables - 20%, and soups will remain in the same amount as they were - 10%.

5th stage

At this time, you will have to further reduce the variety of the menu, excluding soups from it. All 10% that fell on these dishes go to cereals, now they will be 80% in the diet, the remaining 20% are vegetables.

6th stage

We reduce the amount of vegetables consumed to 10%, we try to eat them raw, cereals make up 90% of the diet, they can be prepared in any way that is acceptable to you.

7th stage

This period is final, we have reached full enlightenment and can freely eat only rice or buckwheat porridges and manage with a minimum amount of water, but at the same time feel cheerful and full of energy.

The macrobiotic diet is used to treat many diseases, including cancer. Ozawa himself promises that after switching to the “right” food, we will completely stop getting sick and will feel a special lightness in the body, there will be no desire and need to take any medications and even vitamin supplements.

Adapted Diet 7 to cleanse the body

Oriental teachings for a European person may seem rather complicated, it will not be very convenient to perceive them also for the reason that in our country there are practically no products that will be included in the diet at first, for example, fresh fish, algae. Especially for those who want to improve their health, a diet 7 was developed, which involves eating exclusively cereals from cereals, medicinal plants and grains for 10 days.

In addition, whole grains help normalize the intestinal microflora, since they contain a large amount of fiber. Coarse fibers cause a long-term feeling of fullness, they also act on the body, like a natural “brush”, as they absorb toxins and toxins, and then remove them naturally. The experience of losing weight using this method gives excellent results - you can lose from 5 to 14 kg of excess weight!

Despite the fact that excellent results and longevity await followers of macrobiotics, this diet must be taken very seriously. Compliance with the diet should be supported not only by the desire to lose weight, but also to completely change your lifestyle and outlook. You can try an experimental 10-day cereal diet to see if you can be comfortable with such severe deprivation.

The macrobiotic type of food is vegetarian, since it allows the use of only whole grains and products from it, cereals and vegetables. The extreme version of the macrobiotic diet, where you can eat only cooked whole grains, is no longer common.

Today, there is no conclusive evidence that a macrobiotic diet helps cancer patients overcome the disease, although proponents of this type of nutrition claim the opposite. It is believed that regular consumption of vegetables, fruits and whole grain products heals the body as a whole, helps to lose weight, lower cholesterol, sugar, blood urea, and blood pressure. But at the same time, a macrobiotic diet, with improper planning (lack of protein in food), can provoke deficient conditions in the body, for example, beriberi or diseases.

What is special about this type of food?

Adherents of the macrobiotic diet claim that it helps to fight and defeat many diseases, including cancer, improves the spiritual and physical condition of a person. An important goal of macrobiotic nutrition is to find a balance of yin and yang, which are the main forms of energy according to ancient Eastern traditions and are present everywhere: in people, in products, in every object and object. It is believed that when yin and yang are balanced, a person is healthy and happy. Thus, it becomes clear that the macrobiotic diet is not just certain dietary restrictions, but a special lifestyle.

A bit of history

The word "macrobiotic" has Greek roots and means "long life", reflecting the philosophy of health, longevity and spiritual balance. The macrobiotic philosophy was developed by George Osawa, a Japanese philosopher who combined Zen Buddhism, Eastern medicine, Christian teachings, and some aspects of Western medicine. Osawa believed that a simple diet was the key to good health, and limiting a number of foods that polluted the body would help cure many ailments, including cancer. Beginning in 1930, George Osawa began to promote his philosophy and treat people with a macrobiotic diet and traditional medicine. In the 60s of the twentieth century, he brought his ideas to the United States. The macrobiotic diet consists of ten stages, each of which is heavier than the previous one. So, for example, the 10th stage involves the use of only brown rice and water. Today, such strict restrictions are considered hazardous to health and are not recommended.

Michio Kushi succeeded George Osawa and led the macrobiotic movement. Michio opened the Kushi Institute in Boston in 1978, where he studied philosophy and its practices. According to Kushi, the macrobiotic diet is a lifestyle, not a specific therapy. Although this style of eating was not designed specifically to fight cancer, it has become widely known for its theoretical ability to cure cancer. In the 1980s, interest in the macrobiotic diet grew even more after Anthony Satillaro, chief physician of the Philadelphia Hospital, wrote a book in which he revealed that his cancer went into remission after he began to follow the macrobiotic diet.

Is there evidence of effectiveness?

No randomized clinical trials have yet been conducted to determine the effectiveness of the macrobiotic diet, especially in relation to cancer.

It is believed that a diet low in fat and high in fiber by itself reduces the risk of developing cardiovascular pathologies and cancer. Therefore, all modern nutrition guides recommend eating a daily large number of vegetables and fruits, whole grains, nuts, seeds and beans.

Possible complications and side effects

A strict version of the macrobiotic diet, which allows only whole grains, such as brown rice, is considered extremely dangerous, as it can quickly lead to deficiency states and even death.

Diet options that restrict animal products are also considered risky, as they can significantly worsen the condition, especially in cancer patients, malnourished people, children and adolescents.

It is believed that during pregnancy and lactation a macrobiotic diet with strict restrictions should not be followed, since a deficiency of certain nutrients can lead to deviations in the physical and / or mental development of the child.

Macrobiotic Diet Guide

Approved Products

whole grain

Use short grain brown rice, medium grain brown rice, barley, millet, spelt, whole grain wheat, corn on the cob, whole oats, rye, buckwheat, long grain brown rice, sweet brown rice, barley often.

Use occasional mochi (pounded sweet rice), barley grits, bulgur (crushed wheat), couscous, rolled oats, corn grits, polenta, rye flakes, barley flakes, amaranth, quinoa.

flour products

Use occasional whole wheat noodles (udon), thin wheat noodles (somen), buckwheat noodles (soba), unleavened bread.

Eat them at every meal.

Use often:

leafy greens: bok choy, carrot tops, chinese cabbage, leafy greens, daikon, dandelion, leek, mustard greens, parsley, chives, turnip greens, watercress
round vegetables: acorn squash, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, zucchini, white cabbage, cauliflower, pumpkin, onions, red cabbage, turnips, mushrooms;
root crops: carrots, daikon, dandelion roots, lotus root, parsnips, radishes.

Use sometimes celery, onions, cucumbers, chicory, green beans, green peas, iceberg lettuce, Jerusalem artichoke, kohlrabi, mushrooms, lettuce.

Eat no more than once a day.

Use often black soybeans, chickpeas, green or brown lentils.
Use sometimes black-eyed beans, mung beans, peas, tofu.

Seasonings for cooking

Use often miso paste, unrefined white sea salt.
Use occasional rice vinegar, ginger, garlic, wasabi, horseradish.

sea vegetables

Nori sheets (dried pressed sea kale), wakame salad, agar-agar.

Water, green tea, natural coffee.

Other products slightly limited

Fish 2-3 times a week. Choose low-fat varieties: white carp, cod, flounder, haddock, halibut, trout, perch.

Seeds and nuts

1 to 2 cups per week of each type: pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, tahini (sesame oil), almonds, peanuts, walnuts, pecans, coconut, nut butter.

Sugar and sweeteners

Apple or grape juice, pure maple syrup (do not use often).

Thermally processed fruits

Boiled, dried, baked seasonal climatic fruits 2 to 3 times a week.

raw fruits

Blueberries, blackberries, melons, raspberries, strawberries, watermelons, apples, apricots, cherries, grapes, peaches, pears, plums, raisins, tangerines.

Other foods, oils, herbs and spices

Sauerkraut, pickles, horseradish, lemon, safflower,.

Grape juice, organic beer, wine and sake, soy milk, carrot or other herbal teas.

Use sparingly or avoid

Baked flour and refined grain products, muffins, cookies, industrial mix pancakes, rice cakes, chips, cakes, popcorn, white rice, prepared pasta and bread.

Artichokes, asparagus, avocados, beets, eggplant, fennel, ginseng, green or red peppers, spinach, okra, potatoes, rhubarb, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, yams, squash.

Tropical nuts, including Brazil nuts, cashews, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, pistachios.

Everything, including banana, coconut, dates, figs, mango, papaya, pineapple, citrus.

Try to avoid:

red meat: beef, lamb, pork;
birds: ducks, turkeys;
dairy products: milk, butter, cheese, yogurt, ice cream;
sweeteners, brown sugar, molasses, chocolate, fructose, honey, white sugar;
beverages: carbonated water, soft drinks, instant coffee, distilled water, spirits, regular tea, stimulant drinks, tap water.

Culinary processing

Use often pressure cooking, boiling, steam blanching, stewing.

Use occasional baking, frying, dry frying, deep frying, tempura. You can sometimes eat raw foods, juices.

Shopping list

Steamed fresh vegetables are good for health.

Use organic food whenever possible.

Whole grains instead of refined grains and brown rice instead of white rice. Before buying bread and pasta, make sure they are made with 100% whole wheat flour.
Fresh vegetables for every meal.
Unrefined white sea salt.
Unrefined oils such as sesame, olive, sunflower, safflower.
Jams without sugar.
Fruit juices without sugar.
Chicken, turkey, white fish, tofu.

Fundamental principles

Our diet should reflect local traditions

Until recently, it was whole grains and products from them that were the main food of people, and local vegetables and fruits took second place in the diet. In order to maintain health and restore balance, it is necessary to return to the roots and start eating the way our ancestors did for many centuries.

Our food must be sustainable

You need to try to use not just organic products, but those that are produced in your region. This is especially true when tropical or subtropical foods (including sugars, pineapples, citrus fruits, bananas, spices, coffee, and other yin foods) are consumed in temperate climates. In addition, excessive consumption of heavy animal foods in warmer or temperate climates can cause serious illness, while such foods are more suitable for cold regions.

However, if it is not possible to use products grown and produced in your area, you can use imported ones from those regions where the climate is similar to yours.

Our Diet Should Reflect Seasonal Changes

Our diet should change according to the seasons. So, in summer, food should be light, minimally processed, with a small amount of salt, and in winter you can eat more often, use more seasonings, etc.

As far as possible, we should always try to base our diet on foods such as cereals, beans, sea vegetables, etc., that are available and keep unrefrigerated throughout the year.

Our Diet Should Reflect Individual Differences

When choosing and preparing products, individual differences should also be taken into account in accordance with the social environment, age, gender, occupation, previous dietary patterns, personal desire.

TV program "Food without harm" on the topic "Macrobiotic diet":

The author of macrobiotic nutrition, George Osawa, believed that simplicity is the key to health, and this formed the basis of the Eastern weight loss system. In his opinion, a person should eat natural food. A macrobiotic diet will appeal to those women who are not averse to introducing cereals, vegetables and soy products into their diet for a long time. This nutrition system helps to improve health and reduce the risk of developing dangerous diseases.

The essence of the macrobiotic diet

A macrobiotic diet for weight loss is not a week of food restrictions or even a month. You need to adhere to it all your life, moreover, you will need to not only review your diet, but also understand Eastern philosophy. Having achieved harmony of soul and body and realizing that everything in the world is interconnected, you will be able to understand the concept of oriental methods. The philosophy of the East is based on the balance of the forces of Yin and Yang. If these energies are in harmony in a person, then he will be healthy both physically and psychologically. The Yin-Yang theory says that diseases appear because one of these energies becomes more. The essence of the diet is to achieve harmony between Yin and Yang. You can do this in the following ways:

You must follow strict rules for eating.
The products you use should be healthy and natural.
You need to prepare food properly.

Basic Principles of the Yin-Yang Diet

The macrobiotic diet for weight loss has the following principles:

The naturalness of the products is the basis of the method of losing weight. If you choose fish, then it should be fresh, ideally, it should have been swimming in the sea an hour ago. If you include greens in your diet, it would be nice if it grew on your garden bed or windowsill.
You must eat seasonal vegetables grown in the area where you live. According to Eastern theory, fruits and vegetables grown in "foreign" territory contain the wrong combination of "Yin" and "Yang". This can upset your inner balance.
If you eat the right foods, having drawn up the correct diet for yourself, then the need for eating unhealthy foods will disappear on your own, because that same Yin-Yang harmony will be achieved. This means you won't even crave cake or grilled steak.
Thorough chewing of food will ensure its better assimilation. You need to chew each piece at least 50 times.
You need to drink about 1 liter of plain water per day.

The Right Foods on the Macrobiotic Diet Menu

There is a special macrobiotic diet pyramid, which displays the products of your diet and their quantity:

Half of your diet should be cereals. The authors of the method recommended wild rice, millet, wheat, and oats.
About 20% of your menu should be devoted to vegetables. Eat raw or steamed vegetables and plenty of greens. Recommended local vegetables.
Legumes should make up about 10% of your diet. You can opt for beans, chickpeas, or lentils.
Fruit should not appear on your table often. It will be enough to introduce them into the diet in the amount of 5% every 2-3 days. Here, as with vegetables, the place of growth of the fruit that you will eat plays an important role. The ideal option is fruits from your garden. But you can just buy seasonal fruits, as long as they are local.
Seaweed is a rich source of iodine and should be on your menu (5%).
Soups should be present on your table every day, making up 5% of the diet. Choose soups made from vegetables, seaweed, or legumes. You can make miso soup or shoyu. These dishes are prepared on the basis of miso paste, a traditional product of Japanese cuisine.
Seasonings recommended by the authors of the diet are tamari, tahini, sea salt, brown rice vinegar.
Corn and sesame oil must be present in your diet.
At least once, and preferably up to 3 times a week, you should eat white fish (3%).
Red meat is at the very top of the macrobiotic pyramid, that is, its amount in the diet should be minimal, about 2%.

Prohibited products of the macrobiotic menu

If your choice is macrobiotic nutrition, the menu for the week should be compiled correctly. It is necessary to completely exclude prohibited products from it, namely:

any food containing sugar;
artificial sweeteners and any sweets;
fruit juice;
wheat flour and white rice;
products containing preservatives, stabilizers and flavor enhancers;
drinks containing caffeine;
refined oil.

The authors of the methodology believe that with excessive use of Yin products, a person has a lack of protein, and as a result, an acute need for Yang products is manifested. Foods such as cheese, meat, sugar and fruits cause hunger. And the use of foods with preservatives and flavorings leads to an imbalance of Yin-Yang.

Benefits of macrobiotic nutrition

The Yin Yang diet generally has a beneficial effect on the body. You will practically switch to vegetarianism, and, as you know, this way of life and nutrition brings great benefits to the body:

A large amount of fiber in the menu will have a beneficial effect on the gastrointestinal tract.
Phytoestrogens in soy products reduce the risk of developing breast cancer. But this does not mean that a macrobiotic diet for oncology can be considered a panacea, because such serious diseases require specific treatment.
The predominance of plant foods will allow you to maintain a slim figure without effort.
Plant-based protein in your diet will lower the amount of phosphorus in your body, which is good for your kidney health.

Disadvantages of the Yin Yang Diet

However, strict macrobiotic nutrition has its drawbacks, including:

The body can suffer from a lack of trace elements such as calcium, potassium and iron.
With an insufficient amount of protein food, you may feel weak, in a bad mood.
The diet is very complex and requires deep oriental asceticism.

Making a menu for the week

In the macrobiotic diet, the menu for 7 days can be compiled in stages by each woman, according to the instructions described above: include the right foods in your diet and do not exceed the allowable percentages. All products must be prepared by hand: it is allowed to cook on an open fire or on a gas stove at home. The microwave oven and the electric stove are contrary to the Eastern principle of the naturalness of food preparation. In the macrobiotic diet, the menu for seven days can be compiled step by step in accordance with your personal wishes, but you need to focus on the macrobiotic pyramid. The menu for the day may look like this:

Breakfast: oatmeal, bread, green tea.
Lunch: miso soup, fresh carrot salad.
Afternoon snack: dried apricots.
Dinner: steamed fish with lentils.

The Yin Yang diet is highly effective not only in the fight against extra centimeters in volume, but also in the improvement of the body as a whole. Having a slender figure, as a bonus, you will get a great mood and lightness of thought.