The Lilac Naturopathic Clinic

« Return to Articles

Standard Macrobiotic Diet

Guidelines:

• The Standard Macrobiotic Diet is used to improve health as food is traditionally the best medicine, along with hard work, self-reflection, exercise and a more natural lifestyle.

• The principal food is whole cereal grain (50-60%). This includes brown rice, millet, barley, oats, whole wheat berries, rye, buckwheat, and corn. Grain and flour products (buckwheat noodles, pasta, bread, bulghur, coucous and rolled oats) should be served only occasionally. Soups (5-10%) should be consumed daily. A soup broth of miso or tamari soy sauce can be made from fermented soybeans, sea salt and grains, to which several vegetables can be added during cooking. The taste of the soup should be mild, not too salty or bland. A little fish or seafood can be added from time to time.

Vegetables (25-30%) should be included in each meal. Every day you need to balance root, round and leafy green vegetables. Up to 1/3 of vegetables can be raw (fresh salad). Wild vegetables should be served occasionally, and persons in temperate climates should avoid tropical vegetables.

Beans (10%) should comprise a small portion of your daily food intake. This includes cooked beans or bean products, such as tofu, tempeh and natto. These may be served individually or with grains, vegetables, or sea vegetables as well as in soup.

Sea vegetables (5%) are rich in minerals and vitamins. They may be included in soups, cooked vegetables or beans, or prepared as a side dish.

Salt, oil, seasonings may be used in cooking to give a salty taste. Forms include unrefined sea salt, miso, tamari soy sauce, umeboshi plums. Unrefined dark sesame oil is suitable for daily cooking while light sesame oil, a high quality olive oil (cold compressed) may also be used. Brown rice vinegar, sweet rice vinegar and umeboshi vinegar may be used for a sour taste. Food should not have an overly salty taste to it. Add seasonings to cooking instead of at the table. Spices, herbs and other aromatic substances should be avoided. Use Kuzu root powder and arrowroot flour in gravies and sauces.

Condiments should be used in small amounts on grains, vegetables, and beans at the table. These include gomashio (roasted sesame salt), roasted sea vegetable powders and tekka root vegetable mixture.

Pickles (traditional, homemade) may be served to aid in digestion. Spices, sugar and vinegary pickles should be avoided.

Beverages of spring or well water that is clear and pure should be used for drinking, cooking, teas, and other beverages. Bancha twig tea is commonly used, although other traditional teas that are not aromatic, stimulating, or artificially pressed, may also be served. Roasted grain teas and grain coffees are enjoyable.

Animal products can be consumed a few times a week if desired. This includes fish, seafood, white-meat fish (versus red-meat or blue-skinned varieties), and deep ocean fish (less contaminants). Other animal products (meat, eggs, poultry, and dairy) should be avoided.

Seeds and nuts that are roasted, lightly seasoned with sea salt or tamari soy sauce can be served occasionally as snacks. Use nut butters sparingly.

Fruit may be served a few times a week. It is preferred that it is cooked or naturally dried. Fruit may be served in moderate quantities during its growing season. Fruit juice is too concentrated for regular use, although occasional consumption in hot weather is allowed. Tropical fruits should be avoided unless you live where they grow.

Desserts may be served several times a week. These include cookies, puddings, pies, and other dishes with naturally sweet ingredients/sweeteners. Rice syrup, barley malt, amasake, and apple juice are the best. Honey, molasses, corn syrup, carob, fructose and refined sugars should be avoided. Maple syrup may be used sparingly in recipes.

• Remember to chew thoroughly and eat 2-3 meals per day. Eat only when hungry and leave the table when satisfied but not full. Drink only when thirsty and do not consume unnecessary refills. To aid digestion, to not serve snacks or food within 3 hours of bedtime as it puts extra strain on the intestines and kidneys. During each meal take a moment to express gratitude, in whatever form that makes you feel most comfortable.

• Cook with the seasons

Spring :

• use spring foods to increase our energy after a dormant winter
• lightly fermented foods are helpful in releasing stagnated winter energy
• wheat and barley have a lighter energy and can be used often
• condiments that are made with oil, miso, scallions or chives are enjoyable this time of year
• as weather turns warm, balance meals with lightly boiled vegetables and pressed or boiled salads instead of eating lots of fruit

Summer :

• plants ripen and reach their peak growth during this season
• use foods that have more energy, e.g., leafy vegetables, summer squashes, sweet corn, locally grown fruits
• fresh salads can be served frequently in the form of marinades, pressed or lightly boiled vegetables
• use simple cooking methods in the summer: boiling, steaming, quick sautéing
• use grains, noodles, beans, vegetable, and see vegetable salads more often in the summer
• Sushi is a good choice
• in the humid weather we lose minerals through our sweat, so replenish minerals through strong condiments
• do not prepare icy cold foods or drinks, instead lightly boil and use less salt or seasonings
• cool tofu, scallions, tamari soy sauce and ginger can be served often
• fruit salads, fresh melons, fresh cucumbers are refreshing in moderate amounts

Autumn :

• during the autumn months the energy begins to flow downward until it becomes condensed by late autumn
• the change from hot to cool is often sudden so to mitigate this change we adjust our diet
• eat a varied diet of colourful foods: grains, beans, squashes, root vegetables, autumn greens (kale, turnip greens, cabbages)
• many of the autumn vegetables can be stored for many months and used throughout the cold winter
• millet, round vegetables (onions, turnips, cabbages, squashes) may be used frequently in late autumn
• during the summer the kidneys and bladder are often over worked because of excessive intake of liquids, fruits, raw foods, and salty snacks, and this results in colds, coughs, and other sicknesses
• stronger cooking in autumn helps to discharge this excess
• try bean stews, creamy grain stews, sweet rice dishes (mochi), pureed squash soup, squash pies
• cook foods longer, i.e., boil and sauté longer
• include tempeh, dried tofu, soybeans
• season with sea salt and oil
• reduce raw foods, and use more dried and cooked fruits in desserts

Winter :

• winter is a mixture of overcast, snowy, drizzly days and clear, bright, sunshiny days
• it is important to serve warm, strong foods
• consume primarily root and ground vegetables
• prepare foods with a little more salt, miso, tamari soy sauce
• long-sauté foods, and eat tempura
• strong miso and a variety of grain, bean, and vegetable stews can be eaten
• ginger can be used more frequently with stews and vegetable dishes in the winter months
• sweet rice is warming and sticky and can be used often as well

Copyright © 2006 The Lilac Naturopathic Clinic | Dr. Ivan Harris-Janz, N.D..