Macrobiotics is not just a diet—it’s a lifestyle! And it’s possible to lose weight while following it, just as many movie stars do. Of course, the results aren’t instant, but they last a lifetime. That’s precisely why macrobiotics has become so popular among fans of a healthy lifestyle.
The essence of this approach lies in the philosophy of Yin and Yang, according to which everything—including every person—contains two principles: feminine and masculine. This division into masculine and feminine can also be applied to food. It turns out that by balancing Yin and Yang energies in your diet, you can easily lose weight and maintain your ideal weight long-term. The key is to maintain the correct balance of these two principles within the body.
Foods with Yin energy tend to make people gain weight horizontally. Foods with Yang energy keep the body toned, but in excess, they damage the skin, nails, and hair. It’s essential to combine foods correctly.
Macrobiotics allows the following foods:
1. Whole grain cereals such as rice, buckwheat, wheat, and barley. Cooked with milk and sugar, cereals nourish Yin energy; cooked in water with spices, they strengthen Yang energy.
2. Vegetables in any form. Most beneficial are vegetables historically typical for a person’s region of residence. Therefore, potatoes, tomatoes, and other plant species brought to Europe from the New World are not recommended.
3. Lean fish and seafood, rich in trace elements.
4. Legumes, millet, soybeans, and any dishes made from them.
5. Fruits, but without fanaticism. Bananas and mangoes, high in starch, are prohibited.
6. Seeds and nuts, no more than a couple of handfuls per week.
Foods with strongly pronounced Yin or Yang energy are completely forbidden. For example, strongly Yin foods include sweets and dairy desserts, flour products and baked goods, carbonated drinks, and starchy vegetables and fruits. Strongly Yang foods include meat, poultry, eggs, cheeses, fatty and spicy dishes, as well as various pickled foods. Consuming these foods may lead to aggression and overeating.
If Yin is deficient, a person is overly active, palms and soles are often hot, blood pressure is high, and speech is emotional. More Yin-energy foods should be consumed to balance excessive Yang energy. If Yang is deficient, a person is easily drawn to sweets, prefers passive rest, and often feels sleepy. Excess Yin energy is the main cause of laziness and fear of change.
But beware of overdoing it. Moderation is key in a healthy lifestyle, as in everything else. Remember that Guy Ritchie left Madonna precisely because of her fanatical obsession with healthy eating. Don’t repeat the mistakes of the stars.
