Citizendia

A macrobiotic diet (or macrobiotics), from the Greek "macro" (large, long) and "bios" (life), is a dietary regimen that involves eating grains as a staple food supplemented with other foodstuffs such as vegetables and beans, and avoiding the use of highly processed or refined foods. Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly This article is primarily about the human diet For a discussion of animal diets see List of feeding behaviours. A staple food is a Food that forms the basis of a Traditional diet. The term " vegetable " generally means the edible parts of Plants The definition of the word is traditional rather than Scientific, however Bean is a common name for large plant Seeds of several genera of the family Fabaceae (formerly Leguminosae used for human food or animal Macrobiotics also address the manner of eating, by recommending against overeating, and requiring that food be chewed thoroughly before swallowing.

Contents

History

The earliest recorded use of the term macrobiotics is found in the writing of Hippocrates, the father of Western Medicine. Hippocrates of Cos II or Hippokrates of Kos ( ca. 460 BC – ca In his essay 'Airs, Waters, and Places', Hippocrates introduced the word to describe people who were healthy and long-lived. Herodotus, Aristotle, Galen, and other classical writers used the term macrobiotics to describe a lifestyle, including a simple balanced diet, that promoted health and longevity. Aristotle (Greek Aristotélēs) (384 BC – 322 BC was a Greek philosopher a student of Plato and teacher of Alexander the Great. Galen ( Greek: Γαληνός Galēnos; Latin: Claudius Galenus, Aelius Galenus, Claudius Aelius Galenus, or [1]

Macrobiotic methodology was utilized by many of the long-lived traditional cultures, such as the Incas, the Chinese in the Han Dynasty, etc. The Han Dynasty ( 206 BC–220 AD followed the Qin Dynasty and preceded the Three Kingdoms in China. George Ohsawa drew from Oriental and Japanese folk medicine to create his version of this traditional philosophy of health. George Ohsawa, born, was the founder of the Macrobiotic diet and Philosophy.

George Ohsawa brought his teaching to Europe from Japan. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. Ohsawa was a Japanese philosopher, who was inspired to formalize macrobiotics by the teachings of Kaibara Ekiken, Andou Shōeki, Mizuno Namboku, and Sagen Ishizuka and his disciples Nishibata Manabu and Shojiro Goto. Philosophy is the study of general problems concerning matters such as existence knowledge truth beauty justice validity mind and language Kaibara Ekken or Ekiken (貝原 益軒 also known as Atsunobu (篤信 1630 - October 5, 1714) was a Japanese Neo-Confucianist was a Japanese philosopher of the eighteenth century He rejected much of the Buddhist and Confucian thinking prevailing in Edo period Japan

Ohsawa took his macrobiotic teachings to North America in the late 1950s. Macrobiotic education was spread in the United States by his students Herman Aihara, Cornelia Aihara, Michio Kushi and Aveline Kushi, and in turn by their students. Michio Kushi (久司 道夫 Kushi Michio) born 1926 in Japan, helped to introduce modern Macrobiotics to the United States in the early 1950’s Michio Kushi has been the most prominent of these teachers.

Ohsawa coined the term for a natural way of living, macrobiotics, in the late 1950s. Macrobiotics, from the ancient Greek language, means the way of longevity. This term has been used by many authors in describing longevity teachings from the Far East.

"Whole foods, such as brown rice, are central to a macrobiotic diet, and many of the first customers and owners of the alternative food stores were students of macrobiotics. In the 20th century, a few creative and brilliant teachers emerged, such as the Kushis (who immigrated to the United States from Japan after World War II), who distilled the wide-ranging ideas and interpreted them for modern, urban, and industrialized life. "[2]

Philosophy

Followers of the macrobiotic approach believe that food and food quality powerfully affect health, well-being, and happiness, and that a macrobiotic diet has more beneficial effects than others. The macrobiotic approach suggests choosing food that is less processed.

One goal of macrobiotics is to become sensitive to the actual effects of foods on health and well-being, rather than to follow dietary rules and regulations. Dietary guidelines, however, help in developing sensitivity and an intuitive sense for what sustains health and well-being.

Macrobiotics emphasizes locally grown whole grain cereals, pulses (legumes), vegetables, seaweed, fermented soy products and fruit, combined into meals according to the principle of balance (known as yin and yang). Whole grains are cereal grains that Bran and germ as well as the Endosperm, in contrast to Refined grains, which retain only Pulses are annual leguminous crops yielding from one to twelve Grains or Seeds of variable size shape and color within a Pod, according A legume is a Plant in the family Fabaceae (or Leguminosae or a Fruit of these specific plants The term " vegetable " generally means the edible parts of Plants The definition of the word is traditional rather than Scientific, however Seaweed is a loose colloquial term encompassing macroscopic Multicellular, benthic marine Algae. Well known food products made from fermented Soybeans include Cheonggukjang Chunjang Doenjang The term fruit has different meanings dependent on context and the term is not synonymous in Food preparation and Biology. In Chinese philosophy, the concept of yin and yang ( is used to describe how seemingly opposing forces are bound together intertwined and interdependent in the Whole grains and whole-grain products such as brown rice and buckwheat pasta (soba), a variety of cooked and raw vegetables, beans and bean products, mild natural seasonings, fish, nuts and seeds, mild (non-stimulating) beverages such as bancha twig tea and fruit are recommended. Brown rice (or "hulled rice" is unmilled or partly milled Rice, a kind of Whole grain. is a type of thin Japanese Noodle made from Buckwheat flour It is served either chilled with a dipping sauce or in hot broth as a Noodle soup. Alternate meanings Seasoning (cast iron; Seasoning (wood; Seasoning (slave Seasoning is the process of imparting or improving Nut is a general term for the large dry oily Seeds or Fruit of some Plants. A seed (in some plants referred to as a kernel) is a small embryonic Plant enclosed in a covering called the seed coat usually with some stored

Nightshade vegetables, including tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, eggplant; also spinach, beets and avocados are not recommended, or used sparingly at most, in macrobiotic cooking, as they are considered extremely yin. The Solanaceae is a family of Flowering plants that contains a number of important agricultural plants as well as many toxic plants The tomato ( Solanum lycopersicum, syn Lycopersicon lycopersicum) is a herbaceous usually sprawling plant in the Solanaceae or nightshade family Capsicum is a Genus of Plants from the nightshade family ( Solanaceae) native to the Americas, where it was cultivated for thousands The potato is a Starchy Tuberous crop Vegetable from the perennial Solanum tuberosum of the Solanaceae The eggplant, aubergine, or brinjal ( Solanum melongena) is a plant of the family Solanaceae (also known as the nightshades Spinach ( Spinacia oleracea) is a Flowering plant in the family of Amaranthaceae. The beet or beetroot is a Flowering plant species ( Beta vulgaris) in the family Chenopodiaceae. The avocado ( Persea americana) (from Nahuatl āhuacatl) also known as aguacate ( Spanish) butter pear or Some macrobiotic practitioners also discourage the use of nightshades due to the alkaloid solanine, thought to affect calcium balance. Solanine is a Glycoalkaloid Poison found in species of the Nightshade family, such as potatoes [3]

Composition

Some basic macrobiotic ingredients
Some basic macrobiotic ingredients

Macrobiotics is considered an approach to life rather than a diet. General guidelines for the diet are:

The remainder is composed of fish and seafood, seeds and nuts, seed and nut butters, seasonings, sweeteners, fruits, and beverages. Other naturally raised animal products may be included if needed during dietary transition or according to individual needs.

Other factors

The composition of dishes and the choices of foods is adjusted according to

and any other personal considerations.

Cooking according to the time of the year

In spring:

In summer:

In autumn:

In winter:

Amount of yin and yang in the products

Macrobiotic eating follows the principle of balance (called balancing yin and yang in China). In Chinese philosophy, the concept of yin and yang ( is used to describe how seemingly opposing forces are bound together intertwined and interdependent in the

Macrobiotics holds that some foods are overstimulating and can exhaust the body and mind. These are classified as extreme yin (stimulating) in their effects:

Foods that are considered to be concentrated, heavy and dense create stagnation. These have yang (strengthening, but stagnating effects if over-consumed).

Foods that create balance are whole grains, vegetables, beans, sea vegetables, fruit, nuts, and seeds. Foods such as these are used in a macrobiotic way of eating.

Macrobiotics vs. Japanese diet

The macrobiotic way of eating is erroneously thought to be Japanese. A majority of the world population in the past ate a diet based primarily on grains, vegetables, and other plants. Because many of the recently popular teachers came from Japan, foods from Japan that are beneficial for health are incorporated by most modern macrobiotic eaters. Some macrobiotic ingredients are also standard ingredients in Japanese cuisine.

Macrobiotics vs. veganism

A macrobiotic diet includes many of the same foods as vegan diets, but in macrobiotics certain animal foods are suggested. The two dietary styles share enough similarities that a vegan version of macrobiotics is not uncommon. Macrobiotics is based on traditional ways of eating. While there are no completely vegan cultures that are long-lived, the longest-lived cultures around the world consume between 70% and 99% whole plant foods. John Robbins, a well-known vegan advocate, pointed this out in his recent book, Healthy at 100. The American Dietetic Association approves of carefully-planned vegan diets. In the words of the Association, Well-planned vegan and other types of vegetarian diets are appropriate for all stages of the life cycle, including during pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood, and adolescence. . . . It is the position of the American Dietetic Association and Dietitians of Canada that appropriately planned vegetarian diets are healthful, nutritionally adequate, and provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases. [4]

Macrobiotics and cancer

Macrobiotics has long been advocated by some as a preventative and cure for cancer. Cancer (medical term Malignant Neoplasm) is a class of Diseases in which a group of cells display uncontrolled Michio Kushi's book "The Cancer Prevention Diet" outlines the fundamental philosophy for the diet and cancer prevention. There is evidence that a diet high in whole grains and vegetables and possibly low in saturated fat, red meat, and preserved meat products can help to prevent many types of cancer[1]. A study at the University of Tulane conducted by James P. Carter and others[5] reported significant improvement in cancer patient longevity (177 months compared to 91 months) when patients practiced the macrobiotic diet, although an analysis of "Complementary and Alternative Medical Therapies for Cancer" stated about this paper "Scientific evidence on the potential benefits of macrobiotic diets for patients with cancer is limited to two retrospective studies with serious methodologic flaws"[2]. Despite anecdotal reports to the contrary reported in "Unconventional Cancer Treatments"[3] medical professionals do not consider that there is evidence that a macrobiotic diet is useful as a cure for cancer. The expression anecdotal evidence has two quite distinct meanings A health care provider or health professional is an organization or person who delivers proper Health care in a systematic way professionally to any individual in The American Cancer Society strongly urges people with cancer not to use a dietary program as an exclusive or primary means of treatment[4]; and many long-term practitioners of the diet, including Michio Kushi's wife Aveline and daughter Lilly, died of cancer. Michio Kushi himself developed cancer and had a tumour removed surgically from his intestines, although he now appears to be well. See also Cancer A tumor or tumour is the name for a swelling or lesion formed by an abnormal growth of cells (termed neoplastic Macrobiotic teacher Cecile Levin, and Anthony J. Sattilaro, author of Recalled by Life, also died of cancer.

Kushi's methods of diagnosis include pulse diagnosis, visual diagnosis, meridian diagnosis, voice diagnosis, astrological diagnosis, parental and ancestral diagnosis, aura and vibrational diagnosis, consciousness and thought diagnosis, and spiritual diagnosis[5]. Diagnosis is the identification by Process of elimination, of the nature of anything Astrology (from Greek grc ἄστρον astron, "constellation star" and grc -λογία -logia) is a group of Systems In Parapsychology and many forms of spiritual practice an aura is a field of subtle luminous radiation surrounding a person or object like the Halo or

Some cancer sufferers, especially in the United States, follow the macrobiotic diet, believing that it will cure or help their disease. Many others turn to macrobiotics in the belief that it will strengthen their physical and mental well-being and quality of life, combining macrobiotic practices with Western and Eastern medicine.

Criticisms

Nutrition

According to the Standard American Diet, those following an alternative diet regimen should consider the following information.

The following nutrients should be monitored especially in children, due to their importance in facilitating growth and function: calcium, protein, iron, zinc, vitamin D, vitamin B12, riboflavin, vitamin A, omega-3 fatty acids and energy. [6]All are available in properly planned macrobiotic diets.

Humans synthesise Vitamin D with adequate exposure to sunlight. Vitamin D is a group of fat-soluble Prohormones, the two major forms of which are vitamin D2 (or Ergocalciferol) and vitamin D3 (or Calcium is available from hard leafy greens, nuts and seeds. Calcium (ˈkælsiəm is the Chemical element with the symbol Ca and Atomic number 20 Zinc is available from nuts and seeds. Zinc (ˈzɪŋk from Zink is a Metallic Chemical element with the symbol Zn and Atomic number 30 Fish provides Vitamin B12 in a macrobiotic diet,[7] but bioavailable B12 analogues have not been established in any plant food, including sea vegetables, soya, fermented products, yeasts, and algae. Vitamin A, in the form of beta-carotene, is abundant in macrobiotic diets. Vitamin A refers to a family of similarly shaped molecules the Retinoids. [8] Adequate protein is available from grains, nuts, seeds, beans, and bean products. Proteins are large Organic compounds made of Amino acids arranged in a linear chain and joined together by Peptide bonds between the Carboxyl Sufficient amounts of Omega-3 fatty acids are in soy products, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, flax seeds and fatty fish. n −3 fatty acids (popularly referred to as ω−3 fatty acids or omega-3 fatty acids) are a family of unsaturated Fatty acids that Riboflavin along with most other B vitamins are abundant in whole grains. Riboflavin ( E101) also known as vitamin B2, is an easily absorbed Micronutrient with a key role in maintaining Health The B vitamins are eight water-soluble Vitamins that play important roles in cell Metabolism. Iron in the form of non-heme iron in beans, sea vegetables and leafy greens is sufficient for good health. Iron (ˈаɪɚn is a Chemical element with the symbol Fe (ferrum and Atomic number 26 Human iron metabolism is the set of chemical reactions maintaining Human homeostasis of Iron.

In 1967 the Journal of the American Medical Association published a detailed report of a case of scurvy and malnutrition induced by strict adherence to a restrictive macrobiotic regimen. In 1971 the AMA Council on Foods and Nutrition said that followers of the diet, particularly the strictest, stood in "great danger" of malnutrition [JAMA 218:397, 1971].

Cookbooks and resources

References

  1. ^ Stephen Blauer, in Michio Kushi (1993), The Macrobiotic Way, 2nd edition, AVERY, p. xi
  2. ^ Health Food: Macrobiotic Brown Rice National Museum of American History, Division Medicine and Science. Retrieved 2007 April 7. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 529 - First draft of Corpus Juris Civilis (a fundamental work in Jurisprudence) is issued by Eastern Roman Emperor
  3. ^ Stanchich, Lino. "All About Nightshades. " New Life Journal: Carolina Edition; Apr/May2003, Vol. 4 Issue 5, p17, 3p
  4. ^ American Dietic Association. Vegetarian Diets. June 2003 (Vol. 103, Issue 6, Pages 748-765).
  5. ^ Carter JP, Saxe GP, Newbold V, Peres CE, Campeau RJ, Bernal-Green L. Hypothesis: dietary management may improve survival from nutritionally linked cancers based on analysis of representative cases. J Am Coll Nutr. 1993;12:209- 26. [PMID: 8409076]
  6. ^ "Position of the American Dietetic Association and Dietitians of Canada: Vegetarian diets" (June 2003). Journal of the American Dietetic Association 103 (6): pp. 748–765. /dmirror/http/en. wikipedia. org/w/Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier. Elsevier, the world's largest Publisher of Medical and Scientific literature, forms part of the Reed Elsevier group doi:10.1053/jada.2003.50142. A digital object identifier ( DOI) is a permanent identifier given to an Electronic document. ISSN 0002-8223. An International Standard Serial Number ( ISSN) is a unique eight-digit number used to identify a print or electronic Periodical publication. PMID 12778049. OCLC 1083209. The OCLC Online Computer Library Center is according to its website a "nonprofit membership computer library service and research organization dedicated to the public purpose PII S0002-8223(03)00294-3. The Publisher Item Identifier (PII is a Unique identifier used by a number of Scientific journal publishers to identify documents “Vegetarian diets, like all diets, need to be planned appropriately to be nutritionally adequate. ” 
  7. ^ National Institutes of Health. Dietary Supplement Fact Sheet: Vitamin B12. Retrieved on 2008-05-27. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 927 - Simeon the Great, Tsar of Bulgaria, dies 1120 - Richard III of Capua is anointed
  8. ^ National Institutes of Health. Dietary Supplement Fact Sheet: Vitamin A and Carotenoids (Table 2: Selected plant sources of vitamin A from beta-carotene). Retrieved on 2008-05-28. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 585 BC - A Solar eclipse occurs as predicted by Greek philosopher and scientist Thales, while Alyattes is battling

          Macrobiotic Vegetarian Restaurant Guide in TOKYO

See also

Energy quality the contrast between different forms of energy, the different Trophic levels in ecological systems and the propensity of energy to convert
© 2009 citizendia.org; parts available under the terms of GNU Free Documentation License, from http://en.wikipedia.org