Posts Tagged ‘fire’

Macrobiotic cooking basics

Wednesday, April 15th, 2009

Principles of macrobiotic cooking

For more than three milliard years, no other species developed the art of cooking. For millions of years have our ancestors eat wild cereal grains, thereby they contributed to the expansion of their intellect, erected posture and high level of consciousness. During the ice age, humanity began to use fire for adjusting to cold climate. Fire give energy, vitalize physical, mental and spiritual activity. Fire used for cooking had created human culture and civilization.

At the beginning fire was used just for cooking. Then was used for the manufacturing of wear, building of dwellings and creation of tools and equipments in the nature environment. Intellectual, emotional, social and ideological awareness of species homo sapiens was developed very rapidly thanks to fire in the outer settings (culture) and in the inner settings (food cooking). By the people uniquely used fire was object of many traditional myths and legends. For example narrative of Prometheus is response to the meaning of using fire at the destiny of mankind.

However, as the use of fire began widen to the next regions of life and arised new technologies, people began lose the ability to flexibly adapt and secure to maintain natural environment for cooking of food. In place of that, the human civilization still more succumb to artificial thermic environment, that is defy of their control.

Modern population suffer now from various physical and mental diseases, caused mainly by the long-term consumption of unnatural and artificial foods and drinks and also by breathing the polluted air and drinking contaminated water, that all is caused by unproper using of heat energy. Present world is afflicted by different social conflicts and fights, wars and battles, that are also consequencies of abusing of fire energy. Our race is now from this reason placed before the possibility of extinction. To reverse of this trend is needed, that everybody understand the basics of cooking and apply them daily. Proper cooking will not only protect the possibility of maintaining life on this planet. It will have also impact on the next evolution of human consciousness. Cooking is the highest art, that mankind have created. We have many masterly works from Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Mozart, Beethoven. But only cooking is able to create and change daily life of us all.

Purpose of cooking is to harmonize with surroundings – minerals, water, biological life, atmosphere, pressure and time.

Preparation of simple macrobiotic meals is the most practical and slightly densed method for smooth transformation of man to healthy, happy and freedom being.

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Macrobiotic cooking

Wednesday, April 15th, 2009

Macrobiotic cooking principles may be summarized like this:

1. All foods should be selected from natural or organic products growing in the same climatic zone and the same season of the year.
2. Our daily food should comprise all stages of biological evolution, especially plant life (excluding polar areas).
3. The food should be prepared fresh if possible (not damaged and alive until the beginning of cooking) and should be used as a whole (leafs and also roots in the case of vegetables and head and bones and also tail in the case of fishes).
4. The main part of food should be whole grains and cooked vegetable. Formerly ripen types should be boiled longer, later types could be boiled less.
5. Before using of fire and water should be individual foods stored separately - not mixed - to eliminated premature change of quality.
6. When we cut the foods, it’s important, that every piece presented both qualities yin and yang. (This art is teached in the macrobiotic courses of cooking).
7. During of cooking process, we should hold up from frequent stirring and moving and if it’s possible, easily allow to foods, that they mix themselfs alone by the normal cooking process.
8. There should be excluded excessive use of fire, water, pressure, time and also salt, oil and other spices.
9. Spices should be natural products, as sea non refined salt, non-refined vegetal oil. Natural malts from wheats should be used occasionally. The taste of spice shouldn‘t be savorous and should be used to underline natural dominant tastes of the food itself.
10. Types of cooking and types of meals shouldn’t be repeated frequently. It’s important to change styles of cooking, properly adapt to changes of environment and tend about variety and enjoyment of food.
11. As the most quality for cooking is recommended fire from the wood, then natural gas, wood coal and other natural fuels, that are more practical in the modern urbanized environment. Electric and microwave cooking changes the natural structure of foodsand this artificial way of rapid cooking should be excluded.
12. The most quality water is spring water, good water and mountain stream water. Chemically processed water, the same for destilled water, should be eliminated.
13. For adaptation to climate and heat is not suitable to use aromatic spices.
14. Meals should be arranged as beautiful food. Served dishes should contain natural forms of foodstuffs and should be placed on the plate in the order of meals. Food should be served gracefully and consumed with thankfulness.
15. The cooking environment and in the dining room should be kept clean and quiet. And these who cook, serve and eat, should be quiet and have peace in mind.

Even if we use the same foods, eat at the same places and use the same pots, the result is different macrobiotic meal in the end. It depends on the changes of condition, psychic and thinking. If our condition is clean and calm and devote to the preparation carefully, than the food brings health and awareness to all, that eat them. On the other side, if our condition stagnate, is broken and in disorder, our food will bring family deterioration. Consequently, these who cook need to have good health and deep understanding to the relations of yin and yang code of nature and universe and also practical knowledges of proper techniques of cooking. This kind of person is socially the most valuable asset, because she make family, community or nation more healthy and happier. Traditionally in the course of history both genders, but specially women, had deciding impact on the human evolution. If we want turn away the destructive process of modern civilization, it’s important, to preserve proper cooking if possible in every family, in every community and in all countries.

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The food selection logic of the macrobiotic diet

Wednesday, April 15th, 2009

The food selection logic of the macrobiotic diet

The view over our human bodies as the fire substance, fire elements of the Universe. How our ancestors saw human beings in the energetic view, the view of yin and yang, the view of 5 elements (fire, earth, metal, water, tree). The real logic behind macrobiotic type of foods. Why are some exact foods considered as good macrobiotic food sources? Search for simple logic in all oriental medicine. Search for the simple yin/yang principles in all you do. This article will show you the simple, but very truthful view over the food choices we make daily and food that we consider as our basic diet food.
The oriental view over the human body as the fire substance. And the relation of our daily diet from the historical/energetical point of view.

It’s very important and useful to realise from time to time, that we really are “fire substance”, because this substance can keep existing, if we add fuel regularly. This fuel we call food and drinks. Another precondition is the air intake, that is essential control factor for the fire burning. Find out, which fuel is ideal and when and how should be taken, was the primary goal of the macrobiotic studies. Actually this necessity - to determine proper fuel - was important as early as the man appeared on the Earth. Our ancestors had to decide, what fuel they’ll use for their survival. To make their choice, they had to consider following factors:

1. They could use fast, or slowly burning fuel material (for example disaccharides or in reverse polysaccharides). Fast burning fuel creates usually stronger heat for the shorter time. But for the many reasons is the slowly burning fuel more advantageous. Very important reason is that with consumption of slowly burning carriers of energy is not needed to eat so often.

2. The ancestors could choose the fuel, that for achieving of the desired temperature is added either in big or in small amounts. Because the foods were not grown in the sufficient amount then, they choos this, that was sufficient even in the small amounts. Even for this reason wasn’t the meat as the base of their diets.

3. Our grandparents could seek for a fuel, that is possible to store well, or that is being spoiled quickly. Because there were no fridges or any preservative chemicals, they choose as their main foodstuff these foods, that can be stored for a long time and are degrading slowly.

4. They could choose the fuel, that forms smoke while being burned, and then leave debris after burning. Or the one, that completely burns and is clear. With the burning of oil and fats is heavy smoke created. If we use as the main burning substance for the maintaining of life the oils, fats, we have thanks to this smoke polluted the perception, unclear mind, not happy emotions etc.

5. Our fire is created by the activity of seven chakras or central fireplaces. Every chakra creates another form of heat and needs also different type of fuel. To supply fuel to all seven chakras, we should choose the harmonic and complete (whole) type of foods. If we use only parts of the foods or refined products, we nourish only some of the chakras.

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