Some of these may seem excessive, but it was macrobiotics that introduced us to the 'brown rice and lentilsӠof the alternative lifestyle. A diet high in wholegrains, pulses and vegetables was certainly cheaper than a diet based on processed foods, animal products and imported luxuries, but it was its health benefits that spurred devotees on.
The Taoist principle of complementary opposites, Yin and Yang, underpins macrobiotic theory. Some foods are more yang, others more yin. A foodԳ characteristics, when consumed, translates into a similar yin-yang balance in the consumer. In this way, if one is overexcited and energetic (excess yang) one can eat more bland yin foods to reach a less stressed state - cabbage, carrots, milk, pears and potatoes. If one is tired and dreamy (excess yin) one can energise and focus by choosing more rich and hot yang foods - beef, chicken, eggs, peanuts, peppers and onions. Success in macrobiotics comes when you find a healthy equilibrium and then instinctively choose the foods that maintain it.
The concept of 'biological transmutationӠinfuses macrobiotics, the idea that the digestive system can create nutrients that are not already in the food you eat. It argues that if you eat the right foods, a healthy body will extract the balance of nutrients that it needs, manufacturing them if necessary in the gut flora or by other processes.
Many macrobiotic-dieters, however, stuck too rigidly to the rules, with poor results. Ohsawa advised against such rigidity, arguing that the healthy constitution achieved through macrobiotics confers the ability to relax sometimes the rules with no ill effect.
