Macrobiotics is a means to live comfortably in harmony with nature. Essentially, macrobiotics is one particular lifestyle.
In Japan, Yoshikazu Sakurazawa, known as George Ohsawa in the west, read a book about healing with natural Japanese foods by Sagen Isizaka from the Meiji era. Using this information he healed himself of tuberculosis. Ohsawa then started using the term macrobiotics (large/long life) which was first coined in Greece by Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine.
Ohsawa interpreted this universal term, which is applicable to balanced natural foods eating in all cultures, to describe a path to health and healing with traditional Japanese natural foods. Michio and Aveline Kushi were students of George Ohsawa. They popularized the macrobiotic approach to health further with footholds in America, South America, Europe and worldwide.
The basic idea of Macrobiotics is very simple.
It is thought that by eating balanced foods such as grains and vegetables that are more local and in season, we can maintain good physical and spiritual health and live in harmony with nature. A typical Macrobiotic plate for our area will consist of a large portion of grains, beans, seaweed, vegetables and vegetable protein, such as tofu, seitan, beans and tempeh. Following the traditional Japanese food model of a simple and natural diet, macrobiotics dictates eating food in a natural way – unrefined and unprocessed. But what does unrefined and unprocessed mean? It means for example, eating whole foods such as vegetables together with their skins and stems. It means not eating husked, processed rice but whole grain brown rice. It means, we living people should eat from a living land – taking food in season, in its entirety.
However, no matter how whole and in season our food is, it is meaningless if the food isn't delicious. The macrobiotic plate is best served with great tasting foods that don't have the stigma of "diet food." The macrobiotic plate doesn't work if we are constantly thinking "I can't have this, I can't have that" – that is too stressful. The macrobiotic plate is a happy plate, stress-free, and naturally delicious. Thinking of macrobiotics as a lifestyle we enjoy, instead of as a temporary "diet" that we must endure will ensure a successful and healthy life.
And finally, the most important macrobiotic lifestyle Tip: chewing! Let's chew our food at least 30 times so we may truly take the time to taste and savor the delicious food nature has provided us.