How to Pick Seasonal Macrobiotic Diet Foods

At the heart of macrobiotic diets are the changing seasons. Whether in a year-round temperate climate or in a shifting seasonal region, it is possible to align with this central precept. Ancient principles of balance, yin and yang, guide food selection and preparation. In the current energy and environment landscape, it is more important than ever to try to purchase locally, organically grown foods. It also is increasingly difficult in the face of agri-farming.

Things You'll Need

• Locations of local growers
• Lists of foods grown in your regional climate changes
• Macrobiotic foods lists
• Macrobiotic recipes

Instructions

Macrobiotic Diets are Seasonal

1. 

   Learn the climate patterns of the region where you live. Research the foods indigenous to your region. Macrobiotic diets vary according to climate changes. Climate is a central principle in macrobiotic eating used to balance Ch'i, the energy of all life. Macrobiotic eating is sustained by the goal to achieve harmony within the human person and with nature. Food preparation is emphasized as well. Factors include longer cooking times in cold seasons. In warmer times of year, cooking is lighter and incorporates less sodium. Overall, macrobiotic dieters enter into the natural flow of seasons and the growth of foods that accompanies climate. The North and South poles and the Equator are extremes of Yin and Yang . Adjust accordingly or the various climates that approach various global regions.

2. 

   Climate Extremes: YangConsume watery local, organic fresh fruits and vegetables to balance the heat of tropical climates that are closer to the equator. (Yang/contractive) needs to be balanced by (Yin/expansive) foods such as watery fruits. Too much animal protein in such climates create an imbalance in the body and mind. Too much Yang causes feelings of stress and tension. Yang is hot or warming and needs Yin's cooling balance. Not by accident, watery fruits abound in Yang climates.

3. 

   Climate Extremes: YinIndulge in foods that are cooked longer, such as soups and stews to balance the bitter cold of polar regions. Yin/expansive climates need Yang's contracting, warming balance. Yin's climate can lead to feeling spaced-out or forgetful. Balance is in Yang/contractive, root vegetables and fish, which are easily obtained in colder climates.

4. 

   Four Seasons: Changing with Your EnvironmentGo with the seasonal flow. For those who live in climates with regular seasonal changes, macrobiotic eating means changing diet to meet the foods that are locally available as the seasons rotate. What the earth supplies naturally in a garden serves as guides to seasonal eating the macrobiotic way. Spring and Summer:Eat cooler foods. The weather is warm, so food does not need to be warm. Fresh fruits and cooling vegetables, such as cucumbers, lettuce, tomatoes are inherent to the warm seasons. As each seasons moves toward the next, begin to adjust toward the approaching climate. Toward the end of Summer, for example, begin to eat more warming food. Each season will guide you.Fall and Winter:Warm up from the inside out. With colder weather comes the need to balance with warming food. Soups and root vegetables, more salt in recipes balance Yin, warm the body and balance the mind for clear thinking and an overall sense of inner and outer harmony.

5. 

   Add a variety of staples to the fluctuating foods list. Because they decompose very slowly, grains, beans, sea salt and sea vegetables can be consumed in any season and can come from as far away as the same continent or hemisphere. These are staples for the changing fresh, locally grown fruits and vegetables. An important consideration for macrobiotic diets is that to eat in harmony with one's environment enables the body to adapt to naturally occurring environmental changes and better health.

Tips & Warnings

• It is helpful to attend macrobiotic cooking classes or to invest in books so that you are assured to intake the necessary vitamins and minerals. It is easy to ignore proteins in macrobiotic diets.

• Anyone who wants to embark on a radically different diet should meet with a health practitioner.

Resources

• Macrobiotic Guide
• Community Supported Agricultue (CSA) Information
• Macrobiotic Diet Guide to Seasons, Foods, Preparation
• Articles about Macrobiotic Diets