Macrobiotic nutrition: a tribute to the fashion of the past, a theory without evidence or a panacea with the roots of Taoism?

Diets

• Macrobiotic diet: what is it?
• Pros and cons of the macrobiotic diet
• Example of a macrobiotic diet: menu for 7 days of the week
• Day 1
• Day 2
• Day 3
• Day 4
• Day 5
• Day 6
• Day 7

The first book about the benefits of a macrobiotic diet was published in the 19th century, the author Sagen Ichizuki proposed a certain diet that gives longevity. The concept is based on the balance of yin and yang energies . The theory of the Japanese doctor aroused interest; in the 60s of the last century it had followers in all countries of the world. Madonna became an adherent and active popularizer of the principles of Taoism; it is the macrobiotic diet that helps her maintain a stable weight. The singer is over 60, and her weight, with a height of 162 cm, does not fall outside the range of 48-54 kg.

General rules

With the advancement of Eastern teachings, particularly Zen Buddhism, into the West, the way of life practiced in the East began to gain popularity among Westerners and eventually gained many followers. On their basis, a nutritional method emerged, called macrobiotics (long life), aimed at ensuring longevity, health, and increasing mental/physical activity of a person.
The fundamental principle is the philosophy of balance between Yin and Yang in the body, with the correct ratio of which you can achieve harmony between the external and internal world, become healthy and filled with energy. The greatest credit for popularizing this food system in the West belongs to George Osawa. Namely, Osawa’s nutritional system is the basis for the principles of macrobiotic nutrition. According to them, all food products belong to yin (contractive, have an acidic reaction) or yang (expanding with an alkaline reaction). Yin foods are sweet, cold, passive, Yang foods are salty, hot and aggressive. According to Osawa, the “carriers” of pure (concentrated) Yang energy are eggs, meat, pumpkin, carrots, fish roe, horseradish, sage, chicory, parsley, ginseng and a number of others.

And carriers of pure Yin energy are sugar, beans, potatoes, lemon, mushrooms, cucumbers, curdled milk, margarine, eggplant, sour cream, mustard, vinegar. The main goal when compiling a macrobiotic diet is to maintain a balance of Yin and Yang energy with the exclusion from the diet of exclusively “male”/“female” foods (sugar, cheeses, dairy products, meat, berries), since it is very difficult to balance the two with each other and they can introduce an imbalance into the body. There are special tables of foods with strong, medium and weak Yin and Yang energy, which can be found on the Internet.

To the basic principles of macrobiotic nutrition:

• The diet is an integral part of an ongoing macrobiotic lifestyle, and not a temporary diet used for the purpose of weight loss/treatment.
• The diet includes only organic products without GMOs, dyes, preservatives, grown in your region of residence and in accordance with the seasons of the year.
• Food should be chewed thoroughly (at least 60 times).
• Cook/eat food only in a good mood.
• Eat food only when you feel hungry.
• Maintaining a balance in the daily menu (avoid strong yin/yang foods), the share of grains should be 50% of the daily diet, fresh and cooked vegetables - 25%, protein products (soybeans, fish, seafood) - 10% and 15% is allocated for the share of soups.
• Limiting fluid intake (no juices, tea, coffee, sugary drinks).
• When preparing dishes, only sea salt is allowed.
• Meals are served only in the “cook and eat” mode; reheating of dishes is excluded.

The main part of the diet should consist of:

• Grains of unrefined varieties (wild brown rice instead of white steamed) and local varieties (barley, buckwheat, pearl barley, millet). Grains are seen as a source of balanced yin and yang energy. It is allowed to eat them either cooked until al dente or sprouted; pasta can only be consumed from unbleached flour. Legumes (peas, beans, lentils and other macrobiota are not classified as grains, but as protein products), the share of which in the diet should be about 10%.
• Vegetables. Preference is given to round vegetables, such as root vegetables. However, potatoes (too starchy) and fresh tomatoes (too sour) are excluded from their list as “unbalanced”. It is especially recommended to include all varieties of cabbage, zucchini, radishes, carrots, turnips, pumpkin, and salad green vegetables in your diet. Their share can reach 25% of the daily diet.
• Soy products (tofu cheese, soy sprouts, soy sauce, miso soup paste) are fermented foods and have a beneficial effect on the gastrointestinal tract. It is important not to consume genetically modified soybeans.
• Fish and seafood are the main source of animal proteins. However, their consumption is limited to 2-3 times/week (mainly baked dishes from fresh white fish with a minimum of spices). Consumption of semi-finished fish products such as crab sticks is not allowed.
• Mushrooms. Refers to the protein quota. Their environmental safety is extremely important, since mushrooms can adsorb harmful emissions, pesticides, and heavy metal salts.
• Nuts/seeds. The volume of their consumption is no more than two handfuls per week. Pine nuts, hazelnuts, walnuts, almonds, peanuts, sunflower and pumpkin seeds are especially useful.
• Fruits/dried fruits. Used as dessert, 2-3 times a week. In summer and autumn, preference is given to apples, apricots, pears, plums, watermelons, peaches and melons. In winter and spring, it is preferable to consume citrus fruits and dried fruits.
• Seaweed. Recommended for daily consumption - as an additive to salad, porridge and miso soup, as a side dish for protein products.
• Salt. It alkalizes the body, but the salt should be coarsely ground sea salt or rock salt. Refined and iodized salt is excluded. It is allowed to consume salted vegetables (sauerkraut, homemade pickled cucumbers) in moderation within the food system.

The macrobiotic diet involves excluding from the diet such foods as:

• Various semi-finished and fast food products.
• Red meat and poultry, chicken eggs. They are considered from a macrobiotic position as animal corpses and carry the energy of fear and panic generated during their slaughter. In addition, animal protein from meat acidifies the blood, promotes the formation of toxins and slagging in the body, and antibiotics in feeding livestock and poultry weaken the immune system and disrupt hormonal levels.
• Milk/fermented milk products (hard cheeses inclusive) are considered in the macrobiotic nutrition system as products that are absolutely unsuitable for the body of an adult. Arguments put forward are lactose intolerance , which is inherent in almost 75% of the world's population. As for calcium, the required amount can be obtained from dark green salads, cabbage, and tofu.
• Sugar, pastries, honey, fruit jam, marshmallows, halva and other sweets with a strongly pronounced “yin”. Carbohydrates enter the body mainly in the form of complex carbohydrates found in cereals, vegetables and fruits.
• Caffeine (coffee, cocoa, tea, sweet drinks such as Pepsi, Cola) and alcohol-containing drinks, which lead the body into a state of imbalance and wash away calcium from the bones, of which the body already has little within the framework of this nutritional system.
• Alcohol is allowed to be consumed extremely rarely, exclusively in the form of a glass of dry wine.

There are 10 steps in the macrobiotic nutrition system (from -3 to +7). Level -3 corresponds to modern nutrition, and levels 5, 6 and 7 relate to therapeutic nutrition. Great importance is also attached to cooking methods, which influence the ratio of Yin and Yang in food. Thus, it is generally accepted that the “janization” of food is promoted by boiling, drying, pressing, long-term storage, salting, and its “inization” by fermentation, moistening, cooling, softening, boiling and baking until tender.

Cooking must take place over fire; microwave and electric ovens are not permitted. Plastic packaging for food storage is not permitted. Utensils made of cast iron, glass and wood are allowed. Steaming is considered the best way to prepare dishes. From an energy point of view, protein-rich foods are best baked. It is strictly not recommended to consume fried foods. Diet: 4 times a day.

Macrobiotics - the Zen diet for longevity

The founder of the modern doctrine of macrobiotic nutrition was George Ozawa. This is not a nutritionist at all, but a Japanese philosopher who studied macrobiotics for almost half a century before creating his own nutritional system to achieve harmony with the world and himself. His scientific work entitled “Zen Macrobiotics” became a real bible for those who decided, through the correction of eating habits, to achieve complete healing of the body, aimed at curing all diseases and longevity.

George Ozawa's original method for achieving maximum health involves going through seven stages, at the last of which a person switches to eating exclusively grains. According to the philosopher, cereal products are the most useful and easily digestible food for the human body.

. The author strongly recommends considering macrobiotics not only as an effective way to correct the figure, but also as a way of life that promotes complete physical and mental recovery.

In his teachings, Ozawa does not determine the duration of each stage; it is individual for each person and will depend on his willpower, state of health and emotional state. The main thing when following the system is not to skip any of the stages, to smoothly move from one step to another. A brief description of each stage of Ozawa’s Zen diet can be found in the table:

Rules and principles of diet

The macrobiotic nutrition system according to George Ozawa has its own rules that must be followed if you decide to switch to such a diet in order to lose weight or improve the overall health of the body:

• You can eat only natural products, ideally grown in environmentally friendly conditions near your place of residence.
• The basis of the diet should be grain products (brown rice, buckwheat, barley, oats, rye, corn, millet).
• In addition to cereals, there will be fish, lean meat, vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts and, of course, algae, because they are rich in various vitamins and microelements, so they are very beneficial for the body.
• While following a macrobiotic diet, you can drink unsweetened drinks (still mineral water, green and herbal tea, compotes). You will have to give up alcohol, coffee and cocoa completely.
• Fruits should be included in the diet to a minimum, as they contain a lot of sugar. It is better if it is fresh seasonal fruits or dried fruits. Fruit juices and tropical fruits (including bananas, kiwi, citrus fruits) are prohibited for consumption according to macrobiotic rules.
• You should also completely exclude sugar in all its forms from the menu - artificial sweets, baked goods, soda, white bread, pasta, etc.
• To improve the taste of diet dishes, you can flavor them with sea salt and natural spices, but it is better to keep their quantity to a minimum. It is allowed to season food with unrefined sesame oil.
• It is allowed to eat greens in unlimited quantities (dill, parsley, lettuce, celery stalks, green onions).
• When following a macrobiotic diet, the method of preparing food is of great importance: food can be boiled, stewed, baked, or steamed. Frying is strictly prohibited.
• You cannot eat fatty, spicy, or smoked foods on such a diet. The taboo also applies to dairy products with a high percentage of fat, semi-finished products, canned food, food containing artificial flavors, dyes, flavors, and preservatives.
• Some vegetables are also prohibited under macrobiotics: potatoes, tomatoes, zucchini.

List of foods with yin energy

According to Eastern macrobiotic philosophy, all products are divided into two conditional groups. Yin foods include:

• lemon;
• sugar;
• vinegar;
• mustard;
• sour cream;
• margarine;
• curdled milk;
• cucumbers;
• beans;
• potato;
• eggplant;
• mushrooms.

Authorized Products

The macrobiotic diet includes:

• Unrefined grains (wild brown rice, pearl barley, barley, buckwheat, millet) and pasta made from unrefined flour, rye/whole grain bread, crispbread.
• Protein products (low-fat types of fresh white fish - pike perch, carp, hake, pike, cod, mainly baked with a minimum of spices), seafood - shrimp, mussels, squid, seaweed, soy products - tofu soy cheese, milk, mushrooms , nuts/seeds (pine nuts, hazelnuts, walnuts, almonds, peanuts, sunflower and pumpkin seeds).
• Various types of vegetables (cucumber, asparagus, cabbage, bell pepper, celery, garlic, carrots, garden greens, beets, onions, spinach, lettuce) from which vegetable stews, cream soups, casseroles, stewed, boiled or baked vegetables, seasoned with olive oil are prepared or lemon juice.
• First (cold) pressed vegetable oils - olive, flaxseed, sunflower in small quantities.
• Fruits are not sweet (green apples, plums, apricots, cherries, melons, peaches, citrus fruits).
• Rosehip decoction, still mineral water, herbal/green teas, smoothies.

Table of permitted products

Seven levels of nutrition in macrobiotics

The seven levels of macrobiotic nutrition imply seven different types of diets:

First level

Every day the menu must strictly adhere to the following ratio: cereals - 40%, vegetables - 30%, meat products - 20%, soups (any except mushroom) - 10%.

Second level

Accordingly: cereals - 50%, vegetables - 30%, meat products - 10%, soups - 10%.

Third level

The daily diet should include: cereals - 60%, vegetables - 30% and soups - 10%. Meat products are already excluded completely.

Fourth level

Cereals - 70%, vegetables - 20%, soups - 10%.

Fifth level

Cereals - 80%, vegetables - 20%, now soups are forever “finished”.

Sixth level

Cereals - 90%, vegetables (preferably fresh) - 10%.

Seventh level

The diet consists of 100% cereals only.

Ozawa did not specify how long it is possible or necessary to “sit” at one level. Each person decides for himself how quickly to move from one type of diet to another.

Fully or partially limited products

The macrobiotic diet excludes from the diet:

• Bakery products and pasta made from refined flour, pastries, white rice.
• Semi-finished products, fast food products, animal fats, red meat, dairy/fermented milk products, poultry, rabbit, fatty fish, sausages, smoked meats, canned food, offal.
• Sugar, ice cream, jam, preserves, pastille, halva, honey, products containing cream, chocolate, sweets.
• Products containing caffeine (tea, coffee, cocoa, drinks such as Pepsi, Cola) and alcohol-containing drinks.

Table of prohibited products

The mechanism of action of slow and fast carbohydrates

What do “fast” and “slow” carbohydrates mean?

Brown rice releases about two calories per minute for us, burns slowly, which means that glucose is constantly entering the blood.

If our Lena eats “Mishka in the North”, then the “candy” carbohydrates will burn out very quickly, releasing 25-35 calories every minute.

Honey, refined white and fruit sugar are absorbed quickly (the pancreas does not work when breaking them down). They fly by without bringing us any benefit. As a result, our body does not receive energy nutrition. Hence the name “empty carbohydrates”.

A macrobiotic diet will give you a lot of energy. Whole grains, vegetables and beans, when digested, feed us for several hours, and we do not want to eat. The complex carbohydrates they contain are decomposed by the body into glucose (which is further processed into energy), carbon dioxide, which we exhale, and water, without leaving behind combustion products and toxins. Unlike, for example, fats, after processing of which waste remains, removed by the liver and kidneys.

Macrobiotic diet menu for a week (Diet)

The nutrition menu is compiled based on the principles of the macrobiotic diet and the list of foods allowed for consumption, taking into account recommended cooking methods. Below is a sample menu for several days:

1st day

2nd day

3rd day

Antioxidant Alkaline Diet

An antioxidant diet is based on eating foods rich in antioxidants.
These are active substances that protect body cells from the negative effects of free radicals, which provoke a number of dangerous diseases and cause premature aging. As a result of numerous studies, a scale of indicators of the antioxidant value of various products was developed, in which the number of ORAC points is directly proportional to the benefits of the product. Since the main sources of antioxidants are fruits and vegetables, such a diet will help not only lose weight, but also improve the health of the body. With its help you can improve your metabolism, improve the condition of your skin, hair, and nails.

The antioxidant-based alkaline diet consists of two stages.

Sample menu for the first stage.

The first stage is called “cleansing” and lasts 4 days. During this period, the body should receive 1200 kcal daily.

• scrambled eggs made from 1 whole egg and 3 egg whites - 100 g;
• basil greens - 30 g;
• water with lemon juice - 130/20 ml;
• green tea - 150 ml.

• red apple puree with cinnamon - 200 g;
• dried fruit compote - 100 ml.

Dinner:

• trout with spices, steamed - 150 g;
• spinach salad seasoned with apple cider vinegar - 150 g;
• mango - 1 pc.;
• water with lemon juice - 170/30 ml.

• broccoli, baked in the oven - 170 g;
• green tea - 200 ml.

Dinner:

• steamed asparagus - 150 g;
• boiled chicken fillet - 150 g;
• salad of tomatoes, bell peppers and green lettuce leaves - 150 g;
• fresh blueberries or strawberries - 100 g;
• water with lemon juice - 170/30 ml.

Sample menu for the second stage.

The second stage of the diet lasts 2 weeks. During this time, the daily diet should not exceed 1500 kcal.

Dinner:

• salad of boiled veal, bell peppers, tomatoes and herbs, seasoned with lemon juice and vegetable oil - 200 g;
• freshly squeezed grapefruit juice - 200 ml.

Dinner:

• steamed salmon - 150 g;
• vegetable salad dressed with balsamic vinegar - 150 g;
• green tea - 200 ml.

After leaving the diet, you can gradually switch to your usual diet.

Macrobiotic Nutrition Recipes

Below are some nutritional recipes for the macrobiotic diet.

Bean soup with mushrooms

Pre-cook the beans for 10-12 hours and cook them in lightly salted water until tender. Rinse the porcini mushrooms thoroughly in warm water, soak in cold water for 2 hours and boil for 10 minutes, chop. Add the peeled onion to the broth and cook for 15 minutes. Strain the prepared broth, add carrots, diced onions, beans and mushrooms, cook until tender. Sprinkle with herbs before serving.

Fish baked in foil

Remove the entrails from any fish carcass, wash and dry with a towel. Heat the oven to 200° C. Grease the baking foil with sunflower oil and put a small onion cut into rings. Rub the fish with a spice mixture consisting of tarragon, basil, thyme and white pepper, half a lemon, a sprig of dill), and salt. Wrap the fish in foil and bake for about 30 minutes. This dish can be combined with any vegetable side dish.

Vegetable salad

3 cups chopped fresh lettuce, 1/2 red onion, one carrot, cucumber, celery. Slice all vegetables thinly and mix thoroughly. Lightly salt, season with vegetable oil/lemon juice, garnish with garden herbs.

Sample menu

Beginners who are just getting started with macrobiotic nutrition should seek help from experienced adherents of this system when creating a menu. First you need to determine what energy your body lacks (through testing) in order to select healthy foods.

This menu for 3 days is approximate and is recommended for the balance of yin and yang in the body.

Comments from nutritionists

Unfortunately, to date, there is no officially confirmed data on the effectiveness of the macrobiotic type of nutrition in the treatment of various diseases, just as there is no scientifically confirmed data on the effect of food energy (yang and ying) on ​​the human body. However, macrobiotic nutrition has a number of significant disadvantages:

• The macrobiotic diet does not provide the body with all the necessary nutritional nutrients and contains a high risk of developing protein deficiency and the formation of deficiency of iron, calcium, magnesium and a number of vitamins , which can lead to iron deficiency anemia and rickets .
• Contains a large amount of fiber, an excess of which can cause allergic reactions ( urticaria , eczema ) and contribute to imbalance of mineral substances. Cereal products can cause gastrointestinal disorders ( flatulence , diarrhea ).
• Recommended fluid restriction may adversely affect cardiovascular and renal function.
• The diet does not take into account the individual characteristics of each person’s body.
• A special risk group includes children and adolescents and the elderly, since a lack of proteins, calcium, riboflavin , vitamins B12 and D can lead to stunted growth and slower formation of the musculoskeletal skeleton in a growing body.
• In general, the diet can be used both for weight loss and for improving the health of the body, but sticking to a macrobiotic diet for a long time is still not recommended.

Advantages and disadvantages

The macrobiotic diet, in comparison with other weight loss methods, has a number of advantages. They mainly consist in the beneficial effects of the nutritional system on the body, because macrobiotic nutrition:

• normalizes the functioning of the digestive system due to the content of fiber in the main products in large quantities;
• due to the low fat content, it has a positive effect on the regulation of the level of female sex hormones and prevents cancer;
• helps reduce harmful cholesterol in the blood, strengthens the heart and blood vessels;
• helps get rid of allergies, effectively cleanses the liver;
• strengthens the immune system, heals the body.

Although this system is considered very beneficial for health, it also has some disadvantages, because in certain cases it can harm the body:

• such a strong restriction of the diet for a long period leads to a deficiency of vital microelements and vitamins, which is why various diseases develop, and may even cause growth arrest or impaired psychomotor development;
• due to the consumption of large amounts of fiber in the diet, along with pathogenic microflora, beneficial microorganisms are also removed from the body;
• The macrobiotic nutrition system, due to its low calorie content and poor diet, is not suitable for people actively involved in sports.

Reviews and results

Reviews of the macrobiotic diet vary widely. It is obvious that for people of the eastern peoples, where it originated, the diet is more acceptable than for people of Western civilization.

• “... I am interested in eastern practices (yoga and martial arts). I believe that macrobiotics is a moderate diet with a sufficient content of micro-macroelements (proteins, vitamins, polyunsaturated fatty acids), which allows you to strengthen and harmonize the body and spirit. I have been practicing this diet for almost 3 years, although I have adjusted it for myself by adding more fish and seafood to my diet, as well as quail eggs. I feel great physically and emotionally.”
• “... Unfortunately, macrobiotics did not suit me. Maybe because I am far from all eastern teachings and yin/yang philosophy. After 2 weeks of being on it, I returned to my traditional diet. Too many grain products and not enough protein. My stomach constantly hurts, I’m bloated, and my health is far from ideal.”

What it is

The term does not have an exact definition, since this system is unconventional and is not recognized by official science. In a nutshell, macrobiotic nutrition is a diet that is balanced in terms of yin and yang foods, which ensures acid-base balance in the body. It improves health, prolongs life, increases mental and physical activity, and relieves chronic diseases.

There is a larger concept - macrobiotics. This is not just a nutrition system, but a whole philosophy, a way of life. Not only a diet based on the harmony of yin and yang, but also a feeling of inner freedom - from diseases and stereotypes imposed by society. People who have plunged headlong into this ideology are abandoning hospitals and supermarkets.

There is a smaller concept - the macrobiotic diet. It can be therapeutic when, by restoring the acid-base balance, diseases such as gout, arthritis, osteoporosis, kidney stones, migraines, depression and many others are eliminated. Can be used for weight loss.

Macrobiotics are believed to be the discovery of Japanese nutritionist George Osawa. However, the foundations of such nutrition were laid long before him:

• Zen (V-VI centuries) - one of the most important schools of East Asian Buddhism, practiced the division of foods into yin and yang;
• K.V. Gufeland (1762-1836) - physician of the Prussian King William III, author of the book “Macrobiotics, or the Art of Extending Human Life”;
• Sagen Ishizuka (1850-1909) - doctor of the Japanese Imperial Army, author of the books “The Chemical Theory of Longevity” and “Diet as a Path to Health,” which outlines a nutrition system close to macrobiotic.

So George Osawa is not the author of the macrobiotic nutrition system. He thoroughly studied the work of Hufeland, was a student of Ishizuka, studied the ideas of Taoism for a long time - summarized all the knowledge he had acquired and in 1961 published his sensational and world-famous book “Zen Macrobiotic”. After its release, he gained thousands of followers. During his life, he wrote another 300 books in Japanese and 20 in French.

Facts, facts. George Osawa is a very eccentric person. He often found himself at the center of various scandals and almost always openly opposed the ruling political power. There are also dark spots in his biography. Thus, various sources indicate that he is a nutritionist and a doctor, but there is absolutely no official confirmed data that he had a medical education.

Products with yin energy

• cereals and cereals: corn, rye, oats;
• vegetables: tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, potatoes, zucchini, cucumbers, asparagus, spinach, beets, celery, garlic, cabbage;
• legumes: beans and beans;
• meat: all meat;
• poultry: chicken;
• fish: carp, pike perch, pike, trout, tuna, crayfish;
• fruits and berries: almost everything (including melons);
• nuts, oils, drinks, sugar, dairy products (virtually everything);
• spices: vanilla, cloves, ginger, tarragon, mustard, vinegar, bay leaf, nutmeg.