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Macrobiotic Diet

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Advantages and Disadvantages

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Advantages

The main advantage of the Macrobiotic diet is the cleansing that happens to the body of all stored up toxins, excess fat and even stored up dark/sad emotions. It is a very sattvic diet that helps you keep a calm mind and soul. It heals illnesses without medicines or needing very little medication. Macrobiotic diet is very popular with cancer patients as they are usually recommended high fiber and low fat foods.

Vegetables, beans and whole grains in the macrobiotic diet guarantee high fiber and low fat content, thus avoiding high fat and saturated fat. There is also the presence of phytoestrogens in this diet with soyfood and this is known to mitigate the menstrual problems that bother women most often.

Disadvantages

Many nutritionists believe the macrobiotic diet—especially the one propagated by George Ohsawa is a very restrictive diet. The diet is stepped up in different stages and at once stage the practitioner is allowed only brown rice and water. Avoidance of dairy food in the diet leads to a severe calcium deficiency that is compensated through nuts and green leafy vegetables, only to a certain extent. The Kushi diet popularized in North America by Michio Kushi in 1978 is seen as a popular alternative to Ohsawa’s macrobiotic diet.

Word of caution-

Like any other diet, we must be careful not to go to extreme like having only brown rice for months. That will only cause nutritional deficiencies and cause diseases. Read extensively about the macrobiotic diet and consult a doctor or a dietician before trying out this diet.
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If you have a question about health related issues, you can now post it in our Ask An Expert section on our community website Medwonders.com and get answers from our panel of experts.
Posted by:  dr.rana  Posted on: 01/15/2012
HI I AM DR.OF ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE.MACROBIOTIC IS BALANCING YIN ANG YANG .HONY MANGOES AND SPICY NUTS SEEDS ARE YANG BUT IN THE ABOVE LIST ITS WRITTEN IN YIN WHICH NOT CORRECT.PLEASE THESE ALL THING I MENTIONED FULLY USED IN OUR REGION THAT I ASK MY PATIANTS TO USE FOR YANG .



Posted by:  ennairam_23  Posted on: 05/02/2011
A macrobiotic diet seems good.



Posted by:  ramanan50  Posted on: 07/09/2010
Very true.Note that non vegetarian food is excluded.
Indian Philosophical treatises stress the fact that natural food is to be consumed.
Human Nature is broadly divided into three categories.
Contented,self reliant and calm
Highly energetic,active and passionate .
Inactive,dull and depressed.
These three characteristics are present in every human being and the combination of these factors vary depending on predisposition, and habit.Also these characteristics vary from one moment to another.
The first mentioned is ideal when you become healthy, strong both physically and mentally.You shall be in control of your mind and emotions and you shall be self reliant and self contented.
This can be achieved by diet;for your thinking is determined by what you eat and you become what you think.
For instance if you take pungent, spicy food you become hyperactive , easily swayed by emotions.On the other hand if you take mainly dairy food and vegetables you not only become healthy but you can manage your emotions.
Therefore Diet is given pride of place in Indian Philosophy.
There are foods to avoid.
-Spicy,pungent,stale,food that is too hot or that is too cold;
that is not cleaned,that is not over cooked;non vegetarian food including egg.
Suggested food.
Grains, Vegetables,roots,Milk products
Also it is necessary that the food be prepared by people who love you.In fact Sanskrit texts say 'That food is best that is prepared by self; next that is prepared by one's Mother,Sister,Daughter and Wife in that order.Any thing other than this is equivalent to poison'
mental vibrations do play an important part in preparing the food.




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