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Diets A-Z: Macrobiotic Diet
Celebrity followers
Madonna and Gwyneth Paltrow
The theory
Macrobiotics means 'long life' and is a diet that is part of a whole philosophical approach. By eating in tune with your body, the seasons and your locality you can enhance your health and that of the planet. Its aim is for you to become sensitive to the true effects of foods on your health. Meals are put together taking into account different factors which are brought into balance according to the principles of yin and yang (the Eastern philosophy of balance). A simple example would be during warm weather cool foods are eaten, and during cold weather warm foods are eaten.
The plan
Macrobiotics are mainly vegan, but with a little seafood. In essence it is a low-fat, high-fibre plan. The diet consists of approximately:
50-60% wholegrain cereals, in particular brown rice, but also buckwheat, wheat berries, rye and millet.
25-30% vegetables (but excluding some vegetables such as the deadly nightshade family: potatoes, tomatoes, aubergines and peppers).
5-10% beans
Miso soup
Small amounts of fish and other seafood
Small amounts of nuts and seeds
Local fruits (but avoiding tropical fruits)
Condiments such as ginger, pickles and brown rice vinegar
Dishes are composed according to a number of factors including the season, the climate, activity levels, gender, age, state of health, and the transition you stage you are at in the diet.
Some raw foods are eaten, but food is mostly cooked using steaming, blanching and sauteing.
Pros
- It is a system that makes you become very aware of the nature of foods and their effects on your body.
Cons
- It can get fairly intensive and panders to those who can become compulsive about food issues.
- If it becomes too restrictive there are concerns that some nutrients could be deficient including protein, vitamin B12, iron and calcium.
Duration
Indefinite
Checklist
Restaurants: Very few, but vegetarian or vegan restaurants will be fine.
Alcohol: No
Caffeine: No
Need to buy special foods: Lots and lots of grains
Ok for vegetarians: Definitely, but no (or little) dairy
The pros say
Quite a difficult regime to follow and only the most committed become adherents. It is often used as a therapeutic diet for those diagnosed with degenerative illnesses such as cancer, however diets such as these should only be followed in those circumstances with your doctor's approval. It should theoretically be healthy as long as care is taken to not restict eating too much.
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