Macrobiotic Diet

Learn if you can use the macrobiotic diet for weight loss.

The macrobiotic diet is a predominantly vegetarian diet consisting of whole grains and cereals, vegetables and fruits, nuts and seeds. You can supplement the diet with small amounts of fish but not meat or dairy products. All foods should be grown locally.

Originated in Japan, the macrobiotic diet is not only an eating plan but a philosophy. The whole idea behind the macrobiotic diet is that, to achieve health and spiritual well-being, the principles of balance—yin and yang—should be used to combine foods into meals.

All foods have yin and yang properties. Yin foods are sweet and cold, while yang foods are salty and hot. For example, brown rice and other whole grains are the foods where yin and yang are closest to being in balance. Tomatoes and peppers are extremely yin and, hence, difficult to balance in a meal, which is why the dieter should eat them in limited quantities or avoid them altogether.

Early version of the macrobiotic diet included ten stages: each stage was more restrictive than the previous one, leading to the last stage—a diet of brown rice and water. Being too restrictive, this version of the diet can lead to malnutrition.

Today a more flexible version of the macrobiotic diet is getting popularity as a way to lose weight as well as prevent and cure serious diseases including cancer (though currently there is no scientific evidence that the macrobiotic diet may be used as a cancer treatment). Brown rice, barley, rye, corn, buckwheat, and other whole grains—these are the foods that make up 50–60 percent of each meal. Vegetables—raw, steamed, boiled, baked, or sauteed—make up 25–30 percent. Beans account for 5–10 percent. Fruit, nuts, and seeds can be consumed several times a week. Fish or seafood is consumed in small quantities and on occasion. Unrefined vegetable oil is used for cooking.

The macrobiotic diet focuses on healthy, natural foods. Being low in fat and high in dietary fiber and discouraging highly processed and refined foods such as sugar, the macrobiotic diet can help you lose weight.

You should always ensure that you get enough essential nutrients with your food. As the macrobiotic diet eliminates meat and dairy products, it can be low in vitamins B12 and D, calcium, iron and protein. If you decide to try the macrobiotic diet, make sure you give yourself time to get used to the new eating regimen and take care to get enough essential nutrients from the foods allowed by the diet.

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