How to Eat Macrobiotic Food

The macrobiotic diet is a set of dietary laws created in Japan and brought to America. What it focuses on is getting the maximum nutritional value from all the foods you eat. It is believed that the macrobiotic diet rebuilds the immune system and balances the body, and can help people recover from illness.

Instructions

1. Enlist in a detailed guide to find out exactly what foods you need to eat, and what foods you must avoid while on the diet. The dietary laws for this diet are fairly strict and involve different phases of refraining from and then adding different foods back into your diet, so it's wise to take this guide with you to the grocery store and plan menus accordingly.

2. Get supplies. At your local grocery store or farmer's market, purchase whole grains breads and rice, beans and other lentils, vegetables, and sea vegetables. Purchase locally grown or seasonal fresh foods to ensure maximum nutritional value.

3. Remove all dairy, meat (excluding some approved types of fish), white flour, sugar and processed food from your diet.

4. Eliminate nightshades. Potatoes, tomatoes, eggplant and peppers are all examples of nightshade plants that are not part of the macrobiotic diet. This is due to their higher acidity, which is believed to leach calcium from the bones. Nightshade plants also include tobacco, so if you are a smoker, you should quit before you begin this diet.

5. Eat smaller portions of fish and some raw foods. Most of the macrobiotic diet is comprised of cooked food. However, raw vegetables offer nutrients that most cooked vegetables cannot offer. Cooked fish (halibut, sole, flounder, and cod) is also something that can be consumed in limited quantities on the macrobiotic diet. Keep Miso on hand. A staple of any macrobiotic diet is plenty of miso soup.

6. Use high quality sea salt and limited spices. Overly spicing food can lead to difficulty in digestion, so use moderation if using spices in your macrobiotic cooking and make sure that the spices are approved for the diet.

7. Prepare food properly in cast iron, stainless steel, glass, or enamel coated cookware. Teflon or nonstick pans and plastic utensils are believed to contain toxins, which transfer to the food. Never use the microwave. It is believed by macrobiotic practitioners that microwave cooking is a destructive form of cooking, reducing the nutritional value of foods.