What is Macrobiotic?

Macrobiotic, is from the Greek "Macro" (Large, Long), "Bio" (Life), and "Tic" (Way, Method), this is the path to longevity.

A macrobiotic diet is considered an approach to life rather than a diet. An important thing about this dietary regimen is that we eat food depending on season , geography, life circumstances and condition. Also understanding the power of food and influence from food. And it is really important that we keep a natural balance which humans originally have. Once we retain natural balance we can improve from bad physical condition and come to life.

Some general guideline for the diet are the following.

• Eat brown rice (Not refined grain) as a staple food supplement with other foodstuffs such as vegetable and beans

• Chew thoroughly before swallowing (Avoiding to eat too much and well digestion)

• Eat seasonal, regional food

Composition

• Well chewed whole cereal grains , especially brown rice : 50-60%

• Vegetables: 20-30%

• Beans and legumes: 5-10%

• Traditionally or naturally processed foods: 5-10%

• Soup (Miso) : 5%

Other food:
Fruit, Nuts, Fish and Sweets (no use of refined white sugar) - a few times a week.
Poultry, Meat, Eggs - eaten daily to few times a month ( If needed during dietary transition or according to individual needs).

The composition of dishes and the choices of food is adjusted according to:

• the season

• the climate

• activity

• gender

• age

• health condition

• transition in one's diet

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

We use more TOFU to make our original macrobiotic menu.
Because:

TOFU conducts you to real Healthy Life!!

• Don't you think TOFU is flat in taste and a not enjoyable food?

• TOFU is changing with the art of cooking

• TOFU becomes tasty with chef's magic

• TOFU can taste like meat, fish, or be deliciously sweet!

• TOFU has great nutritional value

• TOFU can help sustain our healthy life

NUTRITION OF TOFU

The wonderful nutrition of soybean is recognised all over the world. But the weak point is it is hard to digest and absorb into the body as it is. TOFU is the only food that has almost 100% of the nutrition of soybean can be digested and absorbed. TOFU has an abundant quality protein, lecithin which lowers cholesterol, soybean saponin which is effective to the prevention of aging, and isoprene which works similar as a female hormone.

+ Protein +
Soybean which is called 'Meat from field' contains 30% protein. (Beef has 20% protein). Moreover, protein which is contained in Soybean will not increase cholesterol (Animal protein makes our 'bad' cholesterol increase).
On the contrary, soybean makes our blood cholesterol lower and suppresses high blood pressure.

+ Fat +
Animal fat contains much saturated fatty acid which increases cholesterol.
But vegetable fat contains lots of unsaturated fatty acid which decreases the cholesterol.
Soybean fat contains more linoleic acid and lilein acid which is representation of unsaturated fat.
It effects prevention of hardening of the arteries and high blood pressure.

+ Calcium +
TOFU contains lots of Calcium. We can intake the necessary amount of Calcium per day just by having 1 & a half pieces of TOFU.
It effects osteoporosis and a nerve disease.

+ Isopren +
Nowadays isoprene is in the limelight because it works similar as female hormone.
Isoprene prevents calcium deficiency in bones and helps menopausal disorders. Also it helps various other women's diseases.

+ Lecithin & Choline +
As I mentioned before, Lecithin helps to lower cholesterol.
Food which contains lots of Lecithin and Choline effects brain activation which helps memory and concentration.
Also it helpss prevention of brain aging and dementia.

+ Oligosaccharid +
Oligosaccharide, which is contained in TOFU, works with colon bacillus and a bifidobacterium multiplies with this oligosaccharide.
It activates inside the colon and increases the immune system and suppresses the increase of dangerous bacteria.

+ Saponin +
Saponin suppresses active oxygen which speeds up aging of cells. It also lowers blood cholesterol.
It effects prevention of aging and many adult diseases. Also it is said that it helps prevent cancer.

Learn more about the Macrobiotic Diet

Food and food quality strongly affects health, well-being and happiness. 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 (know as yin and yang). Whole grains and whole grain products such as brown rice and buckwheat pasta (soba), a variety of cooked and raw vegetables, beans and bean product (such as tofu), mild natural seasoning, fish, nuts and seeds, mild (no-stimulating) beverages such as bancha twig tea and fruit are recommended.

Yin and Yang content of foods

Macrobiotic eating follows the principle of balance (called balancing Yin and Yang from Chinese).
Yin and Yang foods together to create balanced dishes. This balance is reflected between Sodium and Potassium.
Sodium is the Yang and Potassium is the Yin.

• Yin foods:

• Centripetal force, Colour - yellow, orange, red, Temp - high and warm, heavy, Shape - short, thick

(Examples:)

• Yang foods:

• Centrifugal force, the power of diffusion, Colour - white, blue, indigo, purple, Temp - low and cold, dry, light, Shape - long, thin

(Examples:)

Macrobiotics shows that some foods are over stimulating and can exhaust the body and mind. These are classified as extreme Yin in their effect:
White sugar (refined) / Alcohol / Refined flour products / Chemicals and preservatives / Poor quality vegetable oils

Foods that can be considered to be heavy and dense create stagnation. These have Yang in their effect: (strengthening, but stagnating effects if over-consumed)
Poultry / Meat / Eggs / Refined salt

Treatment for disease

• Metabolic syndrome

Lifestyle-related illness (Fat / high blood pressure / high fat blood plasma / high blood sugar).
These days lifestyle related illnesses are increasing rapidly due to diet habit, lack of exercise, lack of sleep, stress, irregular life cycle. This causes serious disease and death. Of course smoking is also a bad habit for health. Firstly Japanese style diet (Brown Rice, tofu especially!) is recommended. Traditional Japanese food has little sugar, oil and fat. But has enough nutrition. Rice is filling so it is so effective not to eat too much.
Aki's hand arranges this traditional Japanese food and makes up western style so Australian people can enjoy it.

• Allergy

It is said that many kids have something allergy these days. It is said that these symptom is arise because people tend to intake too much food additives, agricultural chemicals, sugar, animal fat and daily. To improve these symptom we need to reduce to take these things and also need to improve self healing power and discharge toxin which is stored in body. That is why it is really important to fix our diet, improve bowel condition, improve poor circulation, get into the habit to sweat and improve discharge power to get rid of toxin from the body.

Our discharge is in 4 categories. First is discharge from the large intestine, second is discharge from kidney as urine, third is discharge from the lungs as exhalation, and the forth is discharge from the skin as sweat.

To improve large intestine's condition, we should not intake too many food additives. Also not to intake too much animal protein, because animal protein decays and ferments inside the bowel easily.
Also it is important to intake fibre and fermented food. In Eastern counties it is said that skin is the mirror to reflect the bowel.

To improve kidney conditions, we should not intake too much water because cold drink keeps our body cold. Also not to intake too much animal fat. However, it is important to intake seaweeds, black beans and red beans.

Correct breathing is very important to improve the lungs condition. Let's try to do deep breathing. Stress care is also important.

The last is skin. Skin is the biggest discharge organ and always breaths and undergoes metabolic changes.
To keep the skin in good condition, the important thing is to sweat and discharge toxin from our body.

It is very famous story that Madonna's son was suffering from a skin allergy for a long time, so she hired a Japanese Macrobiotic chef and her food cured his son just in 10 days.

• Disease

It is said that food lifestyle is the factor of all disease.
Biochemist, Rudolf Shehim has proven that half of existing molecules are replaced by new molecules intaken from food just in 3 days. We can tell from this research why food is so important for our healthy life.

Also food influences mental condition. Wrong diet becomes the cause of mental disease. Irritation, lack of will to do things, no emotion, collapse of communication ability and depression.
The big factor is too much consumption of white sugar, alcohol, food additives, animal foods and the lack of high quality grain & vegetables.

• Macrobiotics

Macrobiotics have long been advocated by some as a preventative and cure for cancer. 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. A study at the University of Tulane conducted by James P. Carter reported significant improvement in cancer patient longevity when patients practiced the macrobiotic diet.

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

The Macrobiotic diet meets the nutritional standard of USA Academy and also meets FAO and WHO of United Nations. To stay healthy and beautiful it is known that many Hollywood stars and presidents follow this macrobiotic diet.