Posts Tagged ‘vegetable’

The Macrobiotic path to total health

Wednesday, April 15th, 2009

The Macrobiotic Way of Eating
The Macrobiotic Path to Total Health: A Complete Guide to Naturally Preventing and Relieving More Than 200 Chronic Conditions and Disorders
by Michio Kushi, Alex Jack

Even in medical schools, alternative medicine is blossoming. Two thirds of them now offer courses in complementary healing practices, including nutrition. At the heart of this revolution is macrobiotics, a simple, elegant, and delicious way of eating whose health benefits are being confirmed at an impressive rate by researchers around the world.

Macrobiotics is based on the laws of yin and yang-the complementary energies that flow throughout the universe and quicken every cell of our bodies and every morsel of the food we eat. Michio Kushi and Alex Jack, distinguished educators of the macrobiotic way, believe that almost every human ailment from the common cold to cancer can be helped, and often cured, by balancing the flow of energy (the ki) inside us. The most effective way to do this is to eat the right foods, according to our individual day-to-day needs. Now in this marvelous guide, they give us the basics of macrobiotic eating and living, and explain how to use this powerful source of healing to become healthier and happier, to prevent or relieve more than two hundred ailments, conditions, or disorders-both physical and psychological.

This encyclopedic compendium of macrobiotic fundamentals, remedies, menus, and recipes takes into account the newest thinking and evolving practices within the macrobiotic community. The authors integrate all the information into a remarkable A to Z guide to macrobiotic healing-from AIDS, allergies, and arthritis, to cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. They also clearly explain what we need to know to start eating a true macrobiotic diet that will provide us with a complete balance of energy and nutrients.

Living as we all do in environmental and climactic circumstances that are largely outside our personal control, it is vital that we follow a healthy lifestyle, including a flexible diet that we can adjust to meet our own individual needs. The Macrobiotic Path to Total Health gives us precisely the tools and the understanding we need to achieve this goal. Use it to build a strong, active body and a cheerful, resourceful mind.

As the 21st century begins, the world faces an unprecedented health and environmental crisis. New diseases and epidemics have emerged, family and social conflicts have increased, and ecological threats have multiplied and spread, imperiling humanity’s biological and spiritual evolution, as well as the future of other life on this planet. At the heart of this escalating crisis is the integrity of the world’s food supply. Genetic engineering, cloning, food irradiation, microwave cooking, and other new technologies are radically changing the way humans have eaten, fed their families, and managed their health for thousands of years, violating millions of years of natural order.

Personal and planetary health are inseparable. World hunger and poverty cannot be divorced from eating beef, chicken, and other animal foods that require up to ten times more grain to produce than growing grain directly for human consumption. SARS, AIDS, mad cow disease, and other new epidemics are connected with a widespread decline in natural immune function as a result of the modern way of eating and overmedicalization. Violence and war are intimately related to liver, kidney, and pancreatic imbalances that give rise to anger, fear, and greed on a personal, family, or societal level.

The macrobiotic way of eating is very broad and comprehensive. It has been observed by millions of human beings for thousands of years, contributing to health, happiness, and peace for endless generations and our species overall biological and spiritual evolution. For the most part, it is based on whole cereal grains (the traditional staff of life), vegetables from land and sea, beans, and other fresh foods, with a minimum of animal products. With the advent of the modern era about 400 years ago, this way of eating steadily declined around the world, as meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy became the center of the diet; white flour and white rice displaced whole-wheat flour and brown rice; and canned and frozen foods, highly processed foods, and foods grown with or containing chemicals largely replaced fresh, local produce grown organically and consumed in season.

Today the modern supermarket and natural foods store contain a cornucopia of foods from all over the world. Bananas, mangoes, and other tropical foods are eaten by people living in the Arctic, while dwellers in the rain forest have access to hamburgers, french fries, and soft drinks. Watermelon, strawberries, and other perishable fruits are consumed in winter, and steak, fried chicken, and other heavy animal foods are consumed in summer. The typical family today rarely eats home-cooked food together, and electric or microwave ovens are found in the vast majority of households. The end result has been a wave of epidemic and degenerative disease, including heart disease, cancer, AIDS, new multiple-drug-resistant strains of tuberculosis, and other afflictions. The advent of cloning and genetic modification of foods and medicines; the rise in organ transplants and implants, especially from animals to humans; the spread of artificial electromagnetic fields from computers, cell phones, and other technology; and the destruction of the environment, including desertification, the thinning of the ozone layer, and the onset of global warming, have contributed to a further decrease in natural immunity to disease. The biological degeneration of human beings, reflected in a sharp rise in infertility and the use of new artificial birth technologies, as well as the spread of infectious, degenerative, and immune-deficiency diseases, threatens the continued existence of our species. The modern evolutionary crisis encompasses all of the nearly 200 conditions and disorders dealt with in this book.

The world is now splitting into two directions. The first is respecting nature, traditional wisdom, and natural order. The second is oriented toward artificial intervention into natural processes. Our natural evolution on this planet will end if the second way prevails. The present situation is similar to that described in the story of Noah and the great flood. Unless we awaken to the spreading chaos around us, the earth will be engulfed by a biological catastrophe of its own making.

Our species and the planet as a whole are in urgent need of healing. For many years, the macrobiotic community has warned that the outer environment is a reflection of the inner environment and that the key to the health and environmental crisis is a return to a more natural way of life centered on a natural way of eating. Personal and planetary health are indivisible. When one person is nourished, the whole planet benefits. When the earth prospers, each person is energized and refreshed. Modern macrobiotics is devoted to creating a world of universal health, happiness, and peace in harmony with natural order for endless generations.

Despite the lack of a leading philosophy and its practical application to every dimension of the crisis, modern society is beginning to take positive steps to redress the balance. First, the health revolution, as noted in the introduction, is now spreading. This includes organic farming, the environmental movement, and the macrobiotic community. Modern science and medicine has rediscovered the central importance of whole grains, as reflected in the Food Guide Pyramid and other dietary and nutritional guidelines. Second, communications networks are elevating consciousness. Through the Internet, information on health and diet is easily exchanged, and there is the potential to reach every home or community directly through this new technology. Third, new alternative approaches to health and well-being have emerged that emphasize a balanced diet, healing with energy and vibration, and living a natural way of life.

The Macrobiotic Diet

The macrobiotic way of eating has been practiced widely throughout history. Each culture and civilization has applied principles of balance to the proper selection and preparation of food and developed a unique cuisine in harmony with its natural environment. The macrobiotic approach is based not only on meeting optimal nutritional needs but also on a deep understanding of the earth’s relation to the sun, moon, and other celestial bodies; the evolution of life on the planet; ancestral tradition and heritage; ever-changing environmental and climatic conditions; humidity, pressure, and other atmospheric influences; local availability, affordability, and other economic factors; natural storability and other practical considerations; and the effects of different foods and beverages on our mind, body, and spirit.

The macrobiotic way of eating is not a set diet that applies rigidly to everyone, but a flexible dietary approach that differs according to climate, environment, condition of health, sex, age, activity level, and personal need. Macrobiotics is the collective wisdom and universal heritage of humanity. It is not the manifestation, property, or exclusive possession of a single era, culture, society, nation, religion, school, family, or individual. The goal of macrobiotics is freedom-the ability to create and realize our dream in life as part of our endless spiritual journal in the infinite universe. Standard macrobiotic dietary practice provides almost limitless variety and choice to prepare healthful, delicious food suited to our unique requirements, needs, and goals. No food is prohibited in the macrobiotic way of eating, and no food will heal all diseases. The standard macrobiotic diet is based on a comprehensive approach that takes into account the overall balance of energy and nutrients of food and looks at multiple causes and effects. Table 1 summarizes the major approaches to healing.

In comparison with the modern way of eating, the standard macrobiotic way of eating has the following general nutritional characteristics:

• More complex carbohydrates, fewer simple sugars

• More vegetable-quality protein, less animal-quality protein

• Less overall fat consumption, more polyunsaturated fat, and less saturated fat

• A balance of various naturally occurring vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients and less supplementation

• Use of more organically grown, natural food and more traditional food processing techniques and less chemically grown, artificially produced, or chemically processed foods

• Consumption of food primarily in whole form as much as possible and less refined, partial, or processed food

• Greater consumption of food that is high in natural fiber and less food that has been devitalized by overprocessing

Dietary Guidelines

The following guidelines represent a standard average for persons in usual good health. Those with one of the conditions described in this book may need to limit some types of foods, especially fish and seafood, fruit, juices, seeds and nuts, snacks, and desserts, as well as the amount of salt, oil, or other seasoning used in cooking, until their health improves. Please refer to the specific conditions and disorders in Part II for dietary advice and Part III for one of three comprehensive healing diets that can be indivi- dually tailored to your condition and needs. Part III also includes a comprehensive list of the major foods used in the modern macrobiotic diet in a temperate climate as well as a list of foods that are generally avoided or minimized.

DAILY FOOD FOR THOSE IN GOOD HEALTH

WHOLE GRAINS

The principal food is cooked whole cereal grains, comprising from 40 to 60 percent of the daily food intake (average 50 percent by weight). Whole grains include brown rice, whole wheat berries, barley, millet, and rye, as well as corn, buckwheat, and other cereal grasses cooked in a variety of styles. Short-grain or medium-grain brown rice is the staple today in most macrobiotic homes around the world, generally pressure-cooked or occasionally boiled, and is eaten at least once a day. It may be cooked plain or together with about 10 to 20 percent millet, barley, whole wheat berries, fresh corn kernels, or other grain. It may also be cooked together with a small volume of adzuki beans, lentils, chickpeas, or other beans. The majority of whole grains are to be eaten in whole form, and ideally constitute the center of every meal. Occasionally, several times a week, whole-grain products, such as cracked wheat, rolled oats, noodles, pasta, unyeasted sourdough wheat or rye bread, and other unrefined whole-flour products may be taken as part of this category. White flour and other highly refined and polished grains are avoided or minimized. From time to time, organic white rice may be taken for relaxation, enjoyment, or medicinal benefits. Whole grains should be freshly prepared at least once a day and may be used for leftovers the same day or the next day.

SOUP

One to 2 servings of fresh soup are consumed each day, either a cup or bowl, making up about 5 to 10 percent of daily food intake. The soup is frequently seasoned with miso (naturally fermented soybean paste) or shoyu (naturally fermented soy sauce), to which wakame (a sea vegetable) and carrots, onions, or seasonal land vegetables are added during cooking. The taste of miso or shoyu should be mild, not too salty or too bland. Barley miso, rice miso, or hatcho (all-soybean) miso, aged for two to three years naturally, are recommended for regular use. A wide selection of sweet vegetable soups, bean soups, and grain soups may also be prepared. Soup is to be prepared with fresh ingredients each day and not be canned, packaged, or precooked.

VEGETABLES

About 20 to 30 percent of daily food includes fresh vegetables prepared in a variety of ways, including steaming, boiling, and nishime-style (long simmering). Vegetables are also occasionally sautéed, stir-fried, baked, deep-fried, or prepared tempura style. Further, salads are boiled, pressed, or occasionally eaten fresh. The vegetables include a wide variety of leafy green and white vegetables such as kale, collard greens, broccoli, and watercress; round and ground vegetables such as cabbage, onions, and fall- and winter-season squashes and pumpkins; and root vegetables such as carrots, daikon, and burdock. Shiitake and other mushrooms are also used occasionally. The major portion of vegetables is cooked and a minor portion is pickled or eaten raw. When preparing root vegetables, the root and leaf portions may be cooked together to achieve a balance of energy and nutrients. Tropical and semitropical vegetables are best avoided, including eggplants, potatoes, tomatoes, asparagus, spinach, sweet potatoes, yams, avocados, peppers, and others, unless you live in a hot and humid climate. Mayonnaise and commercial salad dressings should also be reduced or minimized. Vegetables are to be prepared as freshly as possible and not canned, frozen, or bottled, which reduces their energy and nutrients. As much as possible, vegetables are to be eaten the same day they are prepared.

BEANS

A small portion, about 5 to 10 percent of daily food, consists of cooked beans or bean products. Beans for regular use include adzukis, lentils, chickpeas, and black soybeans, while all other beans may be used on occasion. Bean products such as tofu, tempeh, and natto may also be used daily. Beans will keep for about 24 hours and may be reheated or added to soups, stews, and other dishes.

SEA VEGETABLES

A small volume of sea vegetables, about 2 percent, is taken daily, including nori sheets, wakame, and kombu. Nori, the thin sheets used to wrap sushi, is eaten as a condiment, while wakame is used daily in miso soup, and kombu is frequently cooked with grains, beans, and vegetables as a seasoning to supply minerals. Hijiki or arame may be taken as a small side dish about twice a week, while all other sea vegetables such as dulse, sea palm, and Irish moss are optional. Sea vegetables are very strong and after cooking will usually keep for a day or two.

SEASONING

Naturally processed white sea salt is used as a regular seasoning, along with miso (soybean paste) and shoyu (naturally fermented soy sauce). Daily meals, however, should not have an overly salty flavor, and seasonings are generally added during cooking and not at the table. Other seasonings may be used occasionally such as umeboshi plums, umeboshi vinegar, rice vinegar, lemon, ginger, horseradish, mirin, garlic, mustard, black or red pepper, and orange. Naturally processed, unrefined vegetable oil is used in cooking, especially light or dark sesame oil. Kuzu is the principal thickener used for gravies and sauces. Commercial seasonings, herbs, spices, and other sugary, hot, pungent, aromatic, or stimulant seasonings are avoided or minimized.

CONDIMENTS

Condiments are placed on the table for use, if desired, to balance the meal. Condiments for daily use include gomashio (toasted sesame seed salt), made usually from 16 to 18 parts roasted sesame seeds to 1 part roasted sea salt, half ground together in a small earthenware bowl called a suribachi; roasted wakame or kombu powder, made from baking these sea vegetables in the oven until black and crushing them in a suribachi and sometimes adding toasted sesame seeds and storing in a small container or jar; umeboshi plums, small salted plums that have been dried and pickled for many months with sea salt and flavored with shiso (beefsteak) leaves; tekka, a root vegetable combination of carrot, burdock, and lotus root chopped finely and sautéed in sesame oil and miso for many hours; and green nori flakes. Other condiments may be used from time to time.

PICKLES

A small volume of homemade pickles is eaten each day to aid in digestion of grains and vegetables. A variety of vegetables may be used to make pickles, including daikon, red radish, turnip, carrot, cabbage, cauliflower, and turnip. These are made with bran, brine, miso, shoyu, or umeboshi and are aged from several hours to weeks, months, and even years. Lighter pickles (pickled for a shorter time) are recommended in spring or summer or for persons who need to reduce their salt intake. Saltier pickles (pickled for a longer time) can be eaten during colder weather or by those who need to strengthen their condition. Sauerkraut is a traditional pickle and may be eaten regularly. Commercial pickles made with spices, sugar, and vinegar are avoided or minimized.

GARNISHES

To balance various dishes and make the meal more beautiful, garnishes may be used frequently. These include grated fresh ginger root, chopped scallions, grated daikon, grated rad- ish, grated horseradish, green mustard, lemon slices, orange slices, red pepper, black pepper, and others.

BEVERAGES

Natural water is used for drinking, cooking, and preparing teas. Spring water, well water, or filtered water are most suitable. Bancha twig tea is the principal beverage, while roasted barley tea, brown rice tea, and other grain-based teas or any traditional, nonstimulant, nonaromatic beverage may be used occasionally.

Supplemental Foods for People in Usual Good Health

ANIMAL FOOD

A small volume of fish or seafood may be eaten a few times per week. White-meat fish is less fatty and oily than red-meat and blue-skin varieties. This includes cod, haddock, flounder, trout, and many others. It should be taken with grated daikon, lemon, or horseradish as a garnish and plenty of fresh vegetables at the meal. Infrequently, other types of fish, seafood, or shellfish may be taken. All other animal food is customarily avoided in the modern macrobiotic community, including meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy foods of all kinds.

FRUIT AND JUICE

Fruit may be taken several times a week, preferably temperate-climate fruit such as apples, pears, apricots, berries, or melons. It may be taken stewed or cooked, naturally dried, or fresh in season with a pinch of sea salt. Tropical fruits such as bananas, pineapples, mangoes, papayas, figs, dates, and kiwis are avoided or minimized. Citrus fruits such as orange, tangerine, and grapefruit may be taken in small volume, especially in season or in warmer weather. Juice is very concentrated and has more expansive effects than fruit. A small volume of cider or temperate-climate juice may be taken, preferably in season and at room temperature or warmer.

NUTS AND SEEDS

A small volume of nuts and seeds may be taken, about 1 cup a week. Almonds, walnuts, pecans, and other smaller nuts are preferred over large or tropical varieties of nuts, such as cashew, macadamia, and Brazil nuts. Sesame, sunflower, pumpkin, and other seeds may be eaten lightly blanched or roasted as an occasional snack. Nut and seed butters are highly concentrated and may be taken in small volume.

SNACKS AND DESSERTS

Delicious snacks and desserts may be taken in moderate volume two or three times a week and may include a wide array of sweet dishes prepared with natural ingredients. Often desserts can be prepared with sweet vegetables such as squash, pumpkin, and parsnip; fruits such as apples, berries, or melon; chestnuts; adzuki beans; and other naturally sweet foods without a concentrated sweetener. However, for dishes that need a strong taste, a grain-based sweetener is recommended, including amasake (a fermented sweet rice beverage), barley malt, or brown rice syrup. Soft snacks such as mochi, sushi, noodles, puddings, kanten, and chest- nuts are preferred over hard baked snacks and desserts. Cookies, cakes, pies, pastries, rice cakes, popcorn, and puffed grains, however, may be taken in small volume. For custards, whipped toppings, and frosting, agar-agar, tofu, tahini (roasted sesame butter), or kuzu (a white root that is used to thicken dishes) may be used instead of eggs, cream, milk, and other animal products. In macrobiotic households today, sugar, chocolate, brown sugar, honey, molasses, fructose, saccharin, and other highly refined or artificial sweeteners are strictly avoided. Maple syrup is used sparingly for special occasions.

BEVERAGES

Recommended daily beverages include bancha twig tea, roasted brown rice tea, roasted barley tea, and other traditional nonstimulant, nonaromatic teas. Spring water, well water, or filtered water is used for daily drinking, cooking, or preparing teas. Occasional-use beverages include kombu tea, umeboshi tea, mu tea, and grain coffee (made without figs, dates, or tropical sweeteners). Carrot or other vegetable juice may be taken several times a week. Infrequent-use beverages include green tea, soy milk, beer, sake, and other light to moderate alcoholic beverages. Stimulants such as coffee, decaf, black tea, and aromatic herbal teas such as peppermint, rose hips, and chamomile are avoided or minimized. Chlorinated, fluoridated, and other chemically treated water is avoided, as are distilled water, carbonated and bubbling waters, soft drinks, very cold beverages, and hard liquor.

Way of Eating

The standard way of eating provides a complete balance of energy and nutrients. There is no need to count calories or calculate individual nutrients. You may eat regularly 2 to 3 times a day, as much as is comfortable, provided the proportion of each category of food is generally observed. Thorough chewing is essential to digestion, and it is recommended that each mouthful of food be chewed 50 times or more until it becomes liquid in the mouth. As Gandhi wryly observed, drink your food, and chew your liquids. Eat when you are hungry, but it is better not to overeat. Leaving the table satisfied but not full is recommended. Similarly, drink only when thirsty, but do not unnecessarily restrict liquid. Avoid eating for three hours before sleeping, as this can cause stagnation in the intestines and throughout the body, overburden the pancreas and contribute to hypoglycemia, and disturb the kidneys and bladder.

Before and after the meal, express your appreciation to God, the universe, or nature for the food you have received, and reflect on the health and happiness it is dedicated to creat- ing. Appreciation may take the form of grace, prayer, chanting, or a moment of silence. Express your gratitude to parents, grandparents, and past generations who nourished us and whose dream we carry on, to the plants and animals that gave their lives so we may live, and to the farmers, manufacturers, distributors, retailers, and cooks who contributed their energies to making the food available. Every day it is also helpful to reflect on your physical, mental, and spiritual condition. Take just a few minutes to review the events of the day, including thoughts, feelings, and behavior. Try to connect them with your way of eating, especially foods consumed in the last 24 hours. Soon a clear pattern will emerge, and you will know intuitively what kind of effects different foods and beverages have on your daily health and happiness.

From the Hardcover edition.

Excerpted from The Macrobiotic Path to Total Health by Michio Kushi and Alex Jack Copyright © 2003 by Michio Kushi and Alex Jack. Excerpted by permission of Ballantine Books, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

About the Author

Michio Kushi is a leader in the international macrobiotic community. The author of many books, Kushi received the Award of Excellence from the United Nations Writers Society. In recognition of his role in launching the modern health and diet revolution, the Smithsonian Institution opened a permanent Kushi Family Collection on Macrobiotics and Alternative Health Care in 1999. Kushi lives in Brookline, Massachusetts.
More by Michio Kushi

Alex Jack is an author, teacher, and dietary counselor. He is the author or editor of several books, including The Cancer Prevention Diet, Imagine a World Without Monarch Butterflies, and The Mozart Effect. President of Amberwaves, a network devoted to preserving whole grains from the threat of genetic engineering, he lives in western Massachusetts with his wife and family.
More by Alex Jack

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Sweet vegetable drink

Wednesday, April 15th, 2009

Vegetable drink with strong sweet taste - macrobiotic recipe

How to prepare sweet vegetable drinks, when to drink sweet drinks, what vegetables are needed for this sweet macrobiotic drink?

If you like sweet (and who doesn’t), it’s best if you cover your sweet cravings with natural sources. There’s nothing more natural than fruits and vegetables if we talk about the sweet taste. But fruits are so sweet that they are not recommended for regular eating. Instead of them, use vegetables any time you want. And maybe you would be shocked how strong sweet taste can you achieve with simple cooked veggies (at least I was myself). I always craved for chocolate, honey, sweet biscuits, just anything with sugar. But after starting macrobiotic cooking, it has changed completely. Not that my sweet craving taste would be gone. But I can cover 80% of my sweet taste needs with very natural, hence completely healthy foods, without any side effects.
Sugar is completely wrong product for your body. It’s devastating all your organs, whole system is shocked by the strong massive energy that comes together with sugar. It’s totally chemically refined foodstuff. You couldn’t find it in the wild nature, if the science wouldn’t bring it to your homes. It lacks all minerals, trace elements, vitamins. It’s just simple energy to be burned. But it comes with consequences. Because it lacks minerals, these minerals are needed for the processing of sugar by your body. It takes calcium from your reserves like bones. Yes, that’s why your teeth are getting bad. That’s why you have fragile bones. It takes many other minerals too.
It’s giving so much pure energy, that body can’t handle, if you are not marathon runner or very much active sportsman. This energy is getting into the blood stream and if not used, it’s going to be stored somewhere in the form of fat.
If you start eating macrobiotic, your body is starting to clean all your stored wastes. The sugar comes out as first. Usually in the form of zits on your face and other skin problems (eczema, skin itching).
The best natural substitute for the simple sugar is vegetable sweet drink. For the transition phase is recommended honey also, but try to switch to complete polysacharids (whole grains, vegetables, fruits) as fast as you can (but don’t be stressed by it).
Sweet vegetable drink is made of sweet vegetables. There are many of them, but these are basic: onion, carrot, cabbage, turnip, pumpkin, sweet potato, celery, parsley. How do you prepare sweet vegetable drink? It’s really very simple. Choose any of these vegetables, switch them often, use any of them together with any other, it’s up to you, there are no rules, all vegetables can be used together. Important is to chop them on very small pieces, so they release a lot of their sweet taste. If you have them chopped all, put them into the pot and pour water over them. I usually use ratio of 1:1 (vegetable:water). But it’s really up to you. Try to experiment and use 1:2 for example. Just don’t measure it exactly, do it by intuition. Ok, you are nearly done, because all you need to do is to turn the heat to the full flame and when it boils, lower the heat and let it simmer for 30 minutes. And you are done. Really simple, isn’t it?
Now, because after 30 minutes of boiling, the vegetable is completely out of any taste, you can try it. Strain the drink and throw off all the vegetables (preferably to your compost). I prepare this drink in a bigger amount, so I can store it into the fridge and drink 1-2 cups every day, for the length of 3 days. So I am making new sweet vegetable drink every 4 days.
Use this drink when you are a little hungry, or you have low sugar in your blood (hypoglycemi). It will make you wake up nicely and give you fresh energy. Of course, you this drink any time you know you will like it and if you have real taste for something sweet.

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Macrobiotic food and sugar crave

Wednesday, April 15th, 2009

Macrobiotic food and sugar crave

How to deal with strong sugar cravings, how to steer away from the wrong types of sugar foods, how to naturally satisfy your need for sweet taste?

Everybody needs delicious sweet taste during the day. The sweet is giving your body relaxing energy, uplifting feeling. Sweet is connected with love on the emotional level. But you need to take only good quality sweet sources, that will not harm your body and psychic. Simple refined sugar is very bad for your health/body. It’s not called refined by chance. The reason is, it’s totally exhausted product, where only the simple monosacharids stay in. But monosacharids are not good for your digestion at all. They are very quickly going into the blood and if you are not marathon runner, or very active person, you can’t burn them so fast as they are provided. The end effect is, they put a big load on the digestion organs and if they are not burned, they are transformed to fats and stored in various body parts. Refined sugar wasn’t option in the human history until the recent century. Look more into the human history if you want to live and be healthy. People were eating much more natural sweet products. They were eating simple fruits. Only the seasoned fruits that were around them. They dried them for winter storage and consumption. They couldn’t transport subtropical fruits (bananas, oranges, mangos) to the moderate climate zones. The nature has great logic, just watch and learn from it. The best macrobiotic sweeteners are rice malt, barley malt, rice syrup and sometimes maple syrup. Also all kinds of available fruits, dried or fresh. Because sweet is considered yin in energy, try to make your cakes with the little of yang energy too. It’s good to use kuzu to your desert preparation. Or to cook your fruits with a pinch of quality sea salt.
If you are Earth element in the Nine star ki, the sweet is your dominant taste. You will crave for sweet taste very often. You need to learn few principles to overcome this sweet need everyday. The best method is to prepare sweet vegetable drinks. You can prepare them once in 3 days. Because they can be stored in the fridge for 3 days easily. They are very simple to make, but you’ll be very surprised how sweety they are. They are perfect to drink when you crave for sweet taste. They are made from sweet vegetables like onion, cabbage, carrot, pumpkin, sweet potato, turnip, parsley and many others (try to experiment). Just chop all vegetable to very small pieces and put into the pot with water. The water/vegetable ratio does vary and it’s up to you, but try to start with 1:1 ratio. Don’t add anything else and let it simmer for 30 minutes. Drink your 1-2 cups warm and store the rest into the fridge, after it gets cold. It will last easily for 3 days there.
Another important thing how to prevent you from sweet cravings is daily fresh salads eating. It’s something like fast pickles. It’s just like pickling the vegetables for 30 minutes. Pickling does mean, that you mix chopped vegetables (not only the sweet types for this, you can use anything and even fruits) with salt and press it (the best is with your hands) until the juice comes from the vegetables. Then let it rest for 30 minutes and you can eat this delicious uplifting salad. You can store this salad in the fridge for 3 days too and take a little bit each day. You now see, it’s very easy to cook macrobiotic. You wouldn’t believe it’s very simple to cook macrobiotic pudding like the one on the picture.

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Macrobiotic menu foods

Wednesday, April 15th, 2009

Macrobiotic menu foods

What are the main macrobiotic food ingredients, main food categories, what kind of foods to eat daily in your menu plan?

When you are starting macrobiotic, concentrate on the simple menu plans before you get experienced and your macrobiotic recipe repertoire goes up and also your cooking style ability. Try to visit as many classes as possible at the beginning to widen your macrobiotic cooking, so you can supplement your menus with new food types. Basic macrobiotic menu does consist of few main macrobiotic food categories:

Whole Grain is the main food on your every plate, it does form 30-50% of the whole food plate. They can be cooked together with the beans, you can use them together with soups or mix with the vegetable and make a grain-vegetable salad. Sometimes you need to eat more vegetables and reduce the grain amount, your macrobiotic counsellor will tell you more details.

There are many condiments made from the whole grains. You sprinkle them on top of your dishes lightly before eating them. These condiments are gomasio (made from roasted sesame and salt, melted together in the suribachi), powder from the shiso, goma-wakame and many other condiments that are very high in the minerals. You can buy these condiments at shops, but for gomasio it’s always best if you prepare it fresh at home.

You will use many types of organic vegetables to compliment your whole grains. They are the second most important food (in the quantity meaning) after the whole grains. It’s recommended by Aveline Kushi to use at least 7 different types of organic vegetables every day. But don’t stress it too much. This is just the ideal, that’s good to think about, but don’t get obsessed. You can eat fresh uncooked vegetable salads many times through your week. Always consult exact amounts of each ingredient in your macrobiotic menu with macrobiotic expert counsellor. Sometimes raw vegetables are not suggested at all. The counsellor will tell you if you can use pickled veggies and how strong (with salt and pressing time) should they be.

Miso soup made from vegetables and miso is served every day. The amount used is 1-2 cups per person. It’s usually made from onion, carrot, shitake mushrooms. All these ingredients are boiled together for 15 minutes and miso is added for the last 30 seconds of simmering. Try to make miso soup always different, by changing the vegetable types, cutting styles, cooking time, adding all kinds of seeds (pumpkin, sunflower, flax), using different types of cold pressed oils (sesame, sunflower).

Sea vegetables (seaweeds) are used daily in your macrobiotic menu, but in a very small amount in comparison to grains and vegetables. Recommended amount is 1 tablespoon of cooked seaweeds everyday. They are very rich in minerals and proteins. The types that are used: wakame, kombu, nori, aramame, hiziki.

Condiments as said above are used to give your food better taste. But don’t overuse them because they are quite salty. It’s good to use no more than 1/2 teaspoon per meal.

Pickles are used everyday to help your digestion and they have also alkaline effect on your body. Use them with 1-2 meals in your usual day. But be careful with the amount, because they are often quite salty. Use 1-2 slices of pickled vegetables. The most famous macrobiotic pickle is called takuan or pickle made from daikon (daikon radish pickle). Also organic sauerkraut is usually used for daily macrobiotic menu.

If you are thirsty, the number one macrobiotic drink is kukicha tea. You can drink it every day, after your meals or between them. Buy good quality kukicha teas made from roasted twigs. Drink the tea warm, not hot, not cold.

The other macrobiotic menu foods are: all kind of beans (adzuki, lentils, chickpeas), tofu, tempeh, seitan, natto - these are very rich in proteins and can form 10-15% of your plate. You can also use noodles, seeds (pumpkin, sunflower, flax), oats, natural sweeteners (rice syrup, rice malt, barley malt, maple syrup, fruits). Other foods can be incorporated into the menu if you know what you are doing or macrobiotic counsellor guides you. The informations provided in this article are only informative and are very basic and you should investigate more detailed descriptions of macrobiotic menu plans in the books of Kushi and many others.

macrobiotic menu

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Macrobiotic food

Wednesday, April 15th, 2009

Macrobiotic food

What is considered macrobiotic food, how to know if the food is macrobiotic?

Macrobiotic is pretty detailed system of what to eat and what to stay away from. In every book you can find recommended food lists. There are also some foods, that are not considered macrobiotic, but can be used for the transition phase. Until your body eliminates all your old body rubbish and you start to be satisfied with the simple but very delicious macrobiotic food taste, you can use honey for sweating. But try to avoid it if you can and consider using maple syrup, rice malt, barley malt, fruits for sweating. Because honey still contains more simple sugar (disacharid) than these listed macrobiotic sweeteners, they are complex polysacharids. The macrobiotic food is viewed as pricey by many people. But I can assure you, that it only seems so from the first encounter. The most expensive foods like seaweeds, miso, tahini, amasake, mirin, shoyu, quality cold-pressed oils are used only a few each day and they will last for long time. Then the other foods on the macrobiotic list are very cheap. These are all whole grains (rice, millet, barley, oat, wheat, corn, buckwheat), legumes (lentil, all sorts of beans - adzuki, chickpeas, soya beans).

Then there are vegetables. These you can buy chemically treated in the usual shop or organically produced in the special health shops. Please, invest in your health, there’s nothing much more important to invest your money anyway. And try to buy the quality organic vegetables and fruits for your macrobiotic cooking. The money is usually double or even triple cost of the chemical vegetables and fruits, but you don’t think in money terms about your healthy macrobiotic food. Vegetable is very important to deliver you the best, fresh, energetic cosmic energy (chi, ki, prana) into your body. The organic vegetable contains very clean and strong energy and if you chew it well, you will be overwhelmed by it. For protein intake, you will consider foods like - tofu, tempeh, seitan, natto. They can be made at home, but not many people have enough time to do them regularly. Although it’s a lot of fun to try it at least once. Or to make it your weekend relaxing habit. Making seitan is very easy. Tofu and tempeh are different, they take much more time and it’s better to buy them prepared at shops. But ask your macrobiotic friends, what tofu, tempeh, natto manufacturer is the best. Because there are many nowadays and still appearing new and not all of them do produce perfect quality macrobiotic foods.

Seaweeds are very important for daily cover of quality minerals (especially calcium). They are also rich in protein. Common seaweeds are - wakame, kombu, hiziki, arame, nori. You use wakame in miso soup, it can be cooked for short time, 2-20 minutes is enough. Kombu is used in pressure cooker and for longer cooking in general. You put them in the pot with legumes or grains. Cook kombu for at least 30 mins. Arame, hiziki are also used with grains in pressure cooker. Nori can be used very quickly, by roasting. It’s crispy and very delicious.

Use only hard pressed quality oils for cooking. Oils that are used daily are sesame and sunflower. Olive oil use only if you live in the hot climate zones. Recommended amount of oil to use each day, is like 1-2 tbspn. The more you are active (sporting, active job), the more you can use. But don’t think that you are doing good when you try to avoid using oil completely. Many people think, they can be better macrobiotics by restricting the already given food regime and making their new, strict macrobiotic version. Oils are very important and try to fry, deep fry, saute part of your foods everyday. It gives you the very much needed uplifting, fire energy.

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Is macrobiotic diet expensive

Wednesday, April 15th, 2009

Is macrobiotic diet expensive

How much does it cost to eat macrobiotic diet, do you pay more for your macrobiotic foods than for the regular, is macrobiotic only for rich people?

At first, please excuse my poor English, that’s not my native language, but I am still trying even with such hard themes like macrobiotic. But I think I have something to say here.. actually any comments and tips about my bad spelling and grammar are very welcomed, so I can learn.

The macrobiotic diet is viewed by many people as expensive form of eating. They see all the pricey products in the organic shops and think that it’s only for the lucky ones, with high salaries. Maybe also the celebrities, like Madonna, Gwyneth Paltrow, Sting that are known for eating macrobioticaly, add to this image that you need a lot of money to be on the macrobiotic diet. It’s well known fact, that you pay more for the real organic quality products, like vegetables, fruits, etc. As sad as it is, we have to accept that fact and not be tempted to exchange our real health for the money, by the means of paying less for the worse quality products. This is my first point to this thing.
But the most important thing I want to share here is, that the whole concept of macrobiotic diet being very expensive, is totally wrong. It’s far from truth and is shared only by the people that don’t eat macrobiotic at all, or that have very little experiences. This is spread by the people that only think about eating macrobiotic, but never started. They find negative aspects of this diet and if they can’t find any, they come with the “high cost” theory. I always suggest them, to try this wonderful diet for at least one month and then they will see if it’s really true. I am also willing to pay them for whatever they spend over their monthly limit. I am ok with offering something like this, because I am eating 4 years macrobioticaly and since my start I save 10-50% of my monthly food expanses, when I compare them to my previous bills (when eating non-macrobiotic food) and when I compare them with friends that are on the typical US diet.
There’s simple reason for this. The most costly macrobiotic foods are the ones, that are used very sparingly or that are used daily, but with a very small amounts. The most expensive macrobiotic foods are: seaweeds (wakame, kombu, hiziki, arama), miso (barley, rice, hatcho), malts and syrups (barley, rice, corn, maple), protein rich products (tofu, tempeh, natto, seitan), tahini (sesame paste), high quality cold pressed oils (sesame, sunflower, olive), organic vegetables and fruits.
I am talking about food costs here only. I don’t mention the initial investment into the cooking ware like pressure cooker, good knife, possibly good quality cooking pots (preferably ceramic ones), suribachi. You can omit many of the cooking ware and be content with the simple pressure cooker (you can also omit this one for the first month and test the macrobiotic diet with a simple pots).

For the expensive foods I mentioned above, I will add few comments to each. As I said, they are used very sparingly or in a tiny amounts.

Miso - you don’t need to buy than more type of miso for the start. The optimal daily amount of miso per person is 1 teaspoon. So you can imagine how long does 1 miso jar will last. For me it’s about 1-2 months.

Seaweeds - again, you don’t need many of them for the start. You can start simply with wakame for example. And they will cover your minerals, trace elements nicely when cooked in the miso soup. 1 Wakame packet will last me for 3-6 months. You can buy Kombu as the second, that is used for grain cooking and especially for the cooking of beans.

Malts - suggested ideal amount of malts per person per day is 1-2 teaspoons. Again, you can gues how long 1 jar of malt will last you. I am ok with 1 jar of barley malt every 7-14 days.

Soya products - if you want to be cheap, you can cover your protein body needs with a simply pressure cooked beans, which are also very delicious and are even more recommended than the processed foods like tofu, tempeh, natto, seitan. You can also prepare seitan at home, it’s quite easy. And because in macrobiotic diet, proteins are covered by 10-20% of the whole food plate, you will eat a small piece of these products in the end.

Tahini - not used very often, I am using 1-2 teaspoons 3 times a week.

Cold pressed oils - recommended amount is 1-2 tablespoons per day. I recommend sesame or sunflower for the start.

Organic vegetables and fruits - if you want to really save some money, don’t buy always organic veggies. But I consider this part as the investment to my better health and better life future. I don’t look behind for money, when we talk about health achieved by the natural way of prevention. It’s up to you. But I also started with the non-organic vegetables and my health was getting better everyday. So, don’t stress it and buy organic if you feel ok with spending money for it.

My 10-50% saving factor is achieved by a simple thing. The macrobiotic diet base on the whole grains. And the grains are very nutritious for the price they cost. You will be perfectly satisfied with 500g of grains per day and I am not sure about the US prices but 1 pack of rice is very cheap in my country.

That’s it. For me, the macrobiotic diet is very cheap, money saving and I can’t agree with the “expensive theory” at all.

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Macrobiotic diet

Wednesday, April 15th, 2009

Diet 1 - Macrobiotic

The word - macrobiotic - does come from Ancient Greek: macros - means big, bios - stand for world (universe, cosmos). This philosophy comes out from the assumption that man is part of the nature and universe and his health is conditioned by the way, how he accepts the world and his relationships with his neighbourhood. Everybody should be at least as healthy to be fully happy from the life.

Macrobiotic, macrobiotic diet

Macrobiotic and menu according to macrobiotic principles may be appropriate supplement or even the base of the diet for food allergy. In accordance to diets, as a necessary precaution to food allergies and intolerances, I assume, that acceptation of some principles of macrobiotic and subsequent menu adjustment could be appropriate method, how to relief oversensitive immunity systém and whole organism of allergic people and in the same time enlarge already poor menu.

Further are then introduced very brief macrobiotic principles, with this, that continuously will appear new recipes from this area.

It’s a way of eating and lifestyle, that is known for several thousand years. In the modern times come up more often to bigger distraction of man from nature, which consequences are more and more not only known diseases, but also diseases and sick conditions, with that new modern medicine can’t help.

The principle of macrobiotic diet is food rich on cereal, legumes, fresh vegetables and fruits and necessary big restriction of meat, cheese, eggs, poultry and refined foods with small contents of fibre, furthermore salt, sugar and fat.

Requirements for correct alimentation and nutrition coming out of geographical location, climate, place, profession demandingness and individual differencies as e.g. state of health.
Makeup of macrobiotic foods

Modern cooking consist of big amount of refined and synthetic foods. It’s assembled particularly satiated animal lipids, cholesterol, refined vegetal lipids, excessive degree of salt, sugar and chemical additives.

Structure of macrobiotic foods

50- 60% cereals (whole grains), 20-30% vegetables, 5-10% legumes and seaweeds and 5-10% soups and 5 percent of relish and remaining foods.

Principles of macrobiotic diet for inhabitants of temperate zone

Consumption of shellfish, mollusc and fishes (compensation of pork, beef and poultry meats).
Soya products (milk products compensation).
Consumption of foods in the most natural shapes - unhusked grains of cereals and their flours, that replace white flour.
Elimination of refined sugars from the diet and their substitution for compound sugars (polysacharides) - they burn slower.
Considerably bigger and more often use of legumes in our menu.

Basic foods in macrobiotic

Whole grains

Cereal grains have to stay whole and also be consumed as whole. They are prepared by cooking in pressure cooker or baking in ceramic pot. The main consumed grains are wheat, barley, brown rice, buckwheat, corn, millet, oat, rye.

Vegetables

In macrobiotic they make together with whole grains the base of the diet. The best is fresh, from home market. We should use seasoned vegetables, thus it’s not suitable to use vegetables, that is not commonly growing in our zone. In the winter is therefore good to consume marrow, cabbage and root vegetables. Vegetable is also recommended to consume with fish, because it help digesting of fish meat. Amongst unsuitable vegetables we classify spinach, rhubarb, asparagus, mangold and tomatoes. They include big amounts of oxalates that are often cause of allergens.

Seaweeds

Seaweeds belong to important part of macrobiotic diet. They are valuable source of vast amount of trace elements and minerals, that are necessary for optimalization of metabolic processes in our body. Seaweeds used in macrobiotic: Agar-agar, arame, Dulse, Hijiki, Irish moss, Kelp, Kombu, Nori, Wakame.

Pulses

Belong as well to basic stone of macrobiotic eating. In the present time are legumes very neglected, and that is big mistake. Legumes contain high quality proteins of vegetable source, hence they are more healthier than meat. On top of that they contain wide range of vitamins and minerals.

Soya and soy products

Also count to very important parts of macrobiotic. To their biggest advantages go easily digestible proteins. To the most used soya products belongs tofu, tempeh, miso and soy sauce Tamari and Shoyu.

Supplemental foods in macrobiotic

Salt - in macrobiotic is used solely see salt, that is obtained by volatilization of ocean water. To other supplemental products and condiments belong for example ginger, rice vinegar, onion, soy sauce, umeboshi plumps, nori condiment, gomasio (sesame seeds + see salt + sometimes powder from seaweeds) and others.
Sweetener - only naturals are used - barley malt, amasake, apple syrup.
Oil - we use only non refined oils, created by simple extraction if cold. To the regular using are the most appropriate particularly light and dark sesame oil and corn oil cold.

Beginning of macrobiotic diet

After your decision to change your whole diet and menu, there should follow gradual restriction of satiated lipids, refined starch and sugar. On the contrary you should include to your menu more cereals, pulses, vegetables, seaweeds. Every day try to eat several kinds of whole grains and vegetables, that should be dominant in cooked condition, legumes and seaweeds.

The basic kitchen tool is pressure cooker , wooden equipment, pots from stainless steel or alloy, knifes from carbon or stainless steel, big stainless steel strainer, ceramic pots for baking in the oven.

We wash foods just before cooking and use them with husk, in husk is contained the most valuable matters. We soak legumes for 8 hours before cooking (through the night at best). The water from soaked pulses strain off, the water from the whole grains you can use for cooking. Vegetable prepare by cooking but more suitable is preparation under steam. Cooked vegetable flavour with little amount of soy sauce and salt with pinch of sea salt.

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Daikon, kombu, seaweed dish

Wednesday, April 15th, 2009

Dish from the daikon and kombu seaweed

Soak 10 cm long piece of kombu seaweed for 10 minutes. Cut it to long stripes 1/2 cm wide and place it on the bottom of the heavy pot with heavy lid. Clean the daikon root and cut on big chunks. Layer the daikon on top of kombu. Pour over the water from the kombu soaking, so it will cover all the vegetable. Cover the pot, get it boiling, and lower the flame and let it simmer for 30-40 minutes, until the kombu is soft. Check from time to time if the liquid is still there. At the end, add small portion of soya suace and let it warm for 2-3 minutes, until the surplus liquid evaporates. You can serve.

This food can be consumed daily. It helps with the reduction of fat, that was stored into the body by the long years of butter, cheese and other animal products eating - also by the excess consummation of vegetable oils. If you can’t find/buy fresh daikon, you can use dried one.

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Cooking

Wednesday, April 15th, 2009

COOKING
Cooking, the highest art, is found in all cultures and cuisines. It is essential to digestion and helps the body assimilate and metabolize food more smoothly.

• Light Cooking Reduces Harmful Acids in Raw Vegetables - In a study on the effect of lightly cooking green leafy vegetables, researchers in Tanzania reported that blanching significantly reduced the level of phytic and tannic acid in collard, cabbage, turnip, sweet potato, and peanut greens. “In general, blanching is recommended as an effective method for reducing the antinutritional factors in green vegetables,” the scientists concluded.
Source: T. C. Mosha, “Effect of Blanching on the Content of Antinutritional Factors in Selected Vegetables,” Plant Foods and Human Nutrition 47(4):361-67, 1995.

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Collard greens

Wednesday, April 15th, 2009

COLLARD GREENS
Collard greens, a traditional Native American, African-American, and Southern delicacy, are popular in the natural foods community and modern health-conscious society. Tender, sweet, and mild, the freshest varieties melt in the mouth. High in antioxidants as well as calcium and other minerals, collards are especially strengthening for the liver, gallbladder, heart, and small intestine. Like other green leafy vegetables, they help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer, osteoporosis, and other disorders.

• Home Remedies - In his book on home remedies, Michio Kushi explains how to use collards to make Leafy Greens Juice to treat liver disorders and dissolve heavy, stagnated protein, animal fat, or cholesterol. Their large greens leaves are also used in a Cholorophyll Plaster to reduce fever, sooth inflammation, or relieve burns.
Source: Michio Kushi, Basic Home Remedies (Becket, MA: One Peaceful World Press, 1994).

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Cauliflower

Wednesday, April 15th, 2009

CAULIFLOWER
Cauliflower has a crispy texture, sweet taste, and mild, calming energy. Its healing properties are widely recognized in medical and scientific reports.
In Far Eastern medicine, it is particularly good for the lungs and large intestine. See Broccoli, Vegetables.

• Cauliflower and Broccoli Sprouts Strong Anticancer Foods - Cauliflower and broccoli sprouts contain substantial quantities of phytochemicals that protect against carcinogenesis, mutagenesis, and other forms of toxicity and free radicals. In a study of the effects of brassica vegetables, researchers at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine reported that 3-day old sprouts of cauliflower and broccoli contain 10 to 100 times higher levels of glucoraphanin than mature plants. This naturally occurring chemical in the foods helps induce enzymes that protect against tumors. “Small quantities of crucifer sprouts may protect against the risk of cancer as effectively as much larger quantities of mature vegetables of the same variety,” the researchers concluded.
Source: J. W. Fahey et al., “Broccoli Sprouts: An Exceptionally Rich Source of Inducers of Enzymes That Protect Against Chemical Carcinogens,” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences U.S. A. 94(19)10367-72, 1997.

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Cataracts

Wednesday, April 15th, 2009

CATARACTS
Blindness due to cataracts afflicts 50 million persons worldwide. In the U.S. over 541,000 cataract operations are performed annually at a cost of almost $4 billion.

• Vegetables and Fruits Protect Against Cataracts - Older people who eat a lot of vegetables, fruits, and other nutritious foods have a lower risk of developing cataracts, the leading cause of blindness, according to doctors at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. Studies of 1380 people forty to seventy-nine years old showed that those who received nutritional supplements of vitamins A, B, C, and E found in garden vegetables were 37 percent less likely to have cataracts.
Source: M. C. Leske et al., “The Lens Opacities Case-Control Study: Risk Factors for Cataract,” Archives of Optha109(2):244-51, 1991.

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Carrots

Wednesday, April 15th, 2009

CARROTS
Like other orange and yellow vegetables high in beta-carotene, carrots have been associated with lower rates of heart disease, cancer, and other disorders. In Oriental medicine, they are especially good for the lungs and large intestine and their sweet taste nourishes the pancreas. See Carotenoids, Vegetables.

• Carrots Associated with Lower Cervical Cancer - An Italian case-control study found that 191 women with invasive cervical cancer consumed less carrots and green vegetables than healthy women. Both foods were highly protective, with almost a fivefold increased risk associated with eating carrots less often than once a week or green vegetables less often than once a day.
Source: C. La Vecchia et al., “Dietary Vitamin A and the Risk of Invasive Cervical Cancer,” International Journal of Cancer 34:319-22, 1984.

• Carrots Reduce Risk of Breast Cancer - Carrots may help protect against breast cancer. Scientists at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences reported that eating carrots more than twice weekly, compared with no intake, was associated with 44 percent less breast cancer in a case-control study of 13,000 women conducted in Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Wisconsin.
Meanwhile, in a study of the effect of 26 types or groups of vegetables and fruit on cancer development, Italian researchers reported that most vegetables protected against cancer of the colon and rectum, but only carrots lowered breast cancer risk.
Sources:: M. P. Longnecker, “Intake of Carrots, Spinach, and Supplements Containing Vitamin A in Relation to Risk of Breast Cancer,” Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 6(11):887-92, 1997; S. Franceschi et al., “Role of Different Types of Vegetables and Fruit in the Prevention of Cancer of the Colon, Rectum, and Breast,” Epidemiology 9(3):338-41, 1998.

• Carrots Protect Against Vulvar Cancer - Italian researchers reported that in a study of 125 women with invasive vulvar cancer and 541 controls in the Milan area, women who ate high amounts of carrots had about half the risk of contacting the disease.
Source: F. Parazzini et al., “Selected Food Intake and Risk of Vulvar Cancer,” Cancer 76(11):2291-96, 1995.

• Carrots Protect Against Lung Cancer - In a case-control study involving over 300 women in Spain, scientists found that intake of yellow/orange vegetables, principally carrots, reduced the risk of lung cancer by almost two-thirds.
Source: A. Agudo et al., “Vegetable and Fruit Intake and the Risk of Lung Cancer in Women in Barcelona, Spain,” European Journal of Cancer 33(8):1256-61, 1997.

• Carrots Improve Liver Function - In laboratory studies, scientists in India reported that carrot extracts reduced acute liver damage in mice.
Source: A. Bishayee et al., “Hepatoprotective Activity of Carrot Against Carbon Tetrachloride Intoxification in Mouse Liver,” Journal of Ethnopharmacology 47(2):69-74, 1995.

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Carotenoids

Wednesday, April 15th, 2009

CAROTENOIDS
Carotenoids are a family of nutrients in plants that are associated with increased health and less disease. Altogether there are nearly 600 types of carotenoids, of which beta-carotene, which makes up about 25 percent of edible varieties, is the most well known. It is efficiently converted by the body into vitamin A and as an antioxidant blocks free radicals which can damage cell membranes and protects against cancer.
In the 1980s, dozens of studies reported that increased intake of beta carotene was associated with a decreased risk of many cancers of the respiratory and digestive tracts, including lung, oral cavity, throat, stomach, colon, and rectum. Taking beta-carotene in the form of supplements, however, has been linked with increased incidence of lung cancer. Scientists strongly recommend that the carotenoids be taken in whole foods. See Immune Function, Lung Cancer, Macular Degeneration, Olestra, Polyps, Smoking, Vegetables.

• Carotenoid Rich Vegetables Protect Against Heart Disease - In a study of middle aged men at risk of heart disease, those who had the highest carotenoid levels in their blood were one third less likely to suffer a heart attack. Nonsmokers consistently show the strongest benefits. In another study of nurses, Boston researchers reported that those who ate five or more servings of carrots a week had 68 percent less strokes than those who ate one or less a month.
Source: Jane E. Brody, “Health Factor in Vegetables Still Elusive,” New York Times, Feb. 21, 1995.

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Cancer

Wednesday, April 15th, 2009

CANCER
The word “cancer” comes from the Greek term karkinos, which means crab. Hippocrates, who first applied it to medicine, evidently likened tumors to the crablike properties or spread of the disease. He taught a dietary approach to cancer, and through the ages there have been many reported recoveries using natural means.
In the modern era, health reformers have linked cancer with diet since the early 1800s. Modern medicine, however, generally ignored this relationship until the 1970s. One of the 20th century pioneers in nutritional research was Dr. Albert Tannebaum, director of the department of cancer research at Michael Reese Hospital in Chicago. In an address before the American Association for the Advancement of Science on August 4, 1944, he stated: “At the present time there is widespread interest in the relationship of nutrition to tumors . . . It is likely that a natural diet contains a more adequate quality, quantity, and balance of essential components than our present day synthetic diets. Nutritionists are beginning to believe that synthetic diets may give effects quite different from natural diets. Fundamentally, it is the natural diet that is of interest in human nutrition and disease.”
See Brain Tumors, Breast Cancer, Colon Cancer, Leukemia, Lung Cancer, Lymphoma, Pancreatic Cancer, Prostate Cancer, Stomach Cancer.
See American Cancer Society, Carotenoids, Carrots, Chewing, Ginger, Green Tea, Hiziki, Immune Function, Japanese Diet, Lentils, Macrobiotics, Microwave, Millet, Miso, Natto, Phytochemicals, Phytoestrogens, Rice, Sea Vegetables, Shiitake, Soy Foods, Sugar, Tempeh, Vegetables, Vegetarians, War-Restricted Diet, Water, Whole Grains, World Health Organization.

• Protective Mechanisms of Plant-Quality Foods - In a review of the epidemiological data, including both cohort and case-control studies, researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle reported that plant-quality foods have preventive potential at all cancer sites and that consumption of the following groups and types of vegetables and fruits is lower in those who subsequently develop cancer: raw and fresh vegetables, leafy green vegetables, Cruciferous vegetables, carrots, broccoli, cabbage, lettuce, and raw and fresh fruit, including citrus fruit and tomatoes.
Foods high in phytoestrogens, particularly soybean foods (high in isoflavones) or grains and fibrous vegetables high in precursor compounds that can be metabolized by bacteria in the intestines into active agents are associated with a lower risk of sex-hormone-related cancers.
Biologically, plant foods may slow or prevent the appearance of cancer because of anticarcinogenic substances including: carotenoids, vitamin C, vitamin E, selenium, dietary fiber (and its components), dithiolthiones, isothiocyanates, indoles, phenols, protease inhibitors, allium compounds, plant sterols, and limonene.
“At almost every one of the stages of the cancer process, identified phytochemicals are known to be able to alter the likelihood of carcinogenesis,” the researchers concluded. “For example, glucosinolates and indoles, thiocyanates and isothiocyanates, phenols, and coumarins can induce a multiplicity of phase II (solubilizing and usually inactivating) enzymes; ascorbate and phenols block the formation of carcinogens such as nitrosamines; flavonoids and carotenoids act as antioxidants, essentially disabling the carcin-ogenic potential of specific compounds; lipid-soluble compounds such as carotenoids and sterols may alter membrane structure or integrity; some sulphur-containing compounds suppress DNA and protein synthesis; carotenoids can suppress DNA synthesis and enhance differentiation; and phytoestrogens compete with estradiol for estrogen receptors in a way that is generally antiproliferative.”
“Consumption of diets low in plant foods results in a reduced intake of a wide variety of those substances that can plausibly lower cancer risk,” the researchers concluded. “In the presence of a diet and lifestyle high in potential carcinogens (whether derived from fungal contamination, cooking, or tobacco) or high in promoters (such as salt and alcohol), overall risk of cancer at many epithelial sites is elevated. Plant foods appear to exert a general risk-lowering effect; the patterns of exposure to cancer initiators and promoters and of genetic susceptibility may determine the variations in the site-specific risks of cancer seen across populations.”
Source: J. D. Potter et al., “Vegetables, Fruit, and Phytoestrogens as Preventive Agents,” IARC Science Publications 139:61-90, 1996.

• The Cancer Prevention Diet - In The Cancer-Prevention Diet, Michio Kushi introduces the macrobiotic approach to cancer, including complete dietary and way of life guidelines for 25 major types of malignancies. The book includes summaries of hundreds of nutritionally oriented medical studies, including many dietary observations from the Renaissance through the 19th and early 20th centuries, as well as contemporary recovery stories.
“From the macrobiotic view, cancer is the final stage in a sequence of events in an illness through which individuals in the modern world tend to pass because they fail to appreciate the beneficial nature of disease symptoms. A healthy organism can deal with a limited amount of excess nutrients or toxic materials taken in the form of daily food. This imbalance can be naturally eliminated through daily activity, sweating, urination, bowel movement, or other means. However, if the person continues to overconsume, the body begins to fall back upon abnormal measures for elimination including colds, fever, coughing, skin disease, and other symptoms. From the macrobiotic perspective, such sickness is a natural adjustment, the result of the wisdom of the body trying to keep us in natural balance.
“However, in modern society these symptoms are generally suppressed or controlled with drugs, surgery, and other methods which separate people from the natural workings of their own bodies. If minor ailments are treated in this symptomatic way with no adjustment in what we eat, the excess held in the body eventually begins to accumulate in the form of fatty-acid deposits and chronically troublesome mucus, and manifests in vaginal discharges, breast or ovarian cysts, kidney stones, or other worrisome conditions. In this state, the body is still able to localize the excess and toxins consumed. By gathering the unwanted material in local areas, the rest of the body is maintained in a relatively clean and smooth functioning condition. From the macrobiotic view, the process of localization is part of our natural healing power, saving us from complete break-down. In contrast, the modern view looks on those localizations as invasive enemies that have to be destroyed and removed.
“As long as excess continues to accumulate and exceeds the body’s normal or abnormal discharge ability, it must be stored somewhere. These storage depots gradually grow and become tumors, and when they are filled they spread and overflow into new areas, or what are called metastases.
“As long as we continue to take in excessive nutrients, chemicals, and other factors that serve no purpose in the body, they must continue to accumulate somewhere in order to continue our normal living functions. If we don’t allow them to accumulate in limited areas and form tumors, they will spread throughout the body, resulting in a total collapse of our vital functions and death by toxemia. Cancer is only the terminal stage of a long process. Cancer is the body’s healthy attempt to isolate toxins ingested and accumulated through years of eating the modern unnatural diet and living in an artificial environment. Cancer is the body’s last drastic effort to prolong life, even a few more months or years.”
Source: Michio Kushi with Alex Jack, The Cancer-Prevention Diet, (New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1993).

• Diet Linked to 30% of Cancers - In a report on diet, lifestyle, and cancer, a Harvard School of Public Health study attributed 30 percent of cancer deaths to diet and obesity, 30 percent to smoking, and 5 percent to lack of exercise. Carcinogens in the workplace, family history of cancer, and viruses were responsible for 5 percent of cancer deaths, while alcohol, socioeconomic status, and reproductive factors each were associated with 3 percent. The report recommended eating more vegetables and fruits to reduce the risk of cancer of the lungs, esophagus, and larynx; eating more beans and grains to reduce cancer of the stomach and pancreas; eating less red meat to prevent colorectal cancers; eating less animal fat which is associated with prostate cancer; exercising daily and avoiding ultraviolet light from the sun.
Source: “Harvard Report on Cancer Prevention, “ Cancer Causes & Control 7 Supplement 1:S7-9, 1996.

• Diet vs. Conventional Treatment - The National Cancer Institute reported that radiation therapy and chemotherapy were ineffective and in some cases produced toxic side-effects as follow-ups to surgery in the treatment of cancer. “Except possibly in selected patients with cancer of the stomach, there has been no demonstrated improvement in the survival of patients with the ten most common cancers when radiation therapy, chemotherapy, or both have been added to surgical resection.” In an autopsy study, researchers reported that 44 percent of 250 cancers examined had been undiagnosed or misdiagnosed, and 57 percent of the people with the missed diagnoses died as a result of the malignancy or its complications.
Source: Steven A. Rosenberg, “Combined-Modality Therapy of Cancer,” New England Journal of Medicine 312:1512-14; Elizabeth C. Burton, M.D., et al, “Autopsy Diagnoses of Malignant Neoplasms,” Journal of the American Medical Association 280:1245-48, 1998.

• Fruit and Vegetable Consumption Reduces Cancer Risk - In a review of 200 studies that examined the relationship between fruit and vegetable intake and cancer at selected sites, researchers found that consumption of these foods offered a significantly protective effect in 128 of 156 dietary studies in which results were expressed in terms of relative risk. For lung cancer, these foods were protective in 24 of 25 studies after control for smoking in most instances. Fruit was protective for tumors of the esophagus, oral cavity, and larynx in 28 of 29 studies. Vegetables and fruit were protective in 26 of 30 studies for the pancreas and stomach, as well as in colorectal and bladder cancers (23 of 38 studies). For malignancies of the cervix, ovary, and endometrium, a significant protective effect was shown in 11 of 13 studies. In breast cancer, a protective effect was found to be strong and consistent in meta analysis. Overall, the relative risk of cancer was about twice as high for those eating few fruits and vegetables compared to those who ate plenty of these foods. “In 1854, John Snow stopped a cholera epidemic simply by taking the handle off the pump. The research presented above suggests that consumption of fruits and vegetables may be a handle that, if manipulated by public policy, clinical advice, and public education, could have a substantial impact on a wide range of cancers,” the researchers concluded.
Source: Gladys Block et al., “Fruits, Vegetables, and Cancer Prevention: A Review of the Epidemiological Evidence,” Nutrition and Cancer 18:1-29, 1992.

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Cabbage

Wednesday, April 15th, 2009

CABBAGE
Cabbage, a traditional staple in Europe and Asia, is valued for its mild, crisp texture and natural sweet taste. Its balanced energy are particularly good for the pancreas, spleen, and stomach. As an external remedy, cabbage leaves will reduce fever, neutralize inflammation, or relieve burns and bruises.

• Chlorophyll Plaster - In his book on home remedies, educator Michio Kushi explains the traditional use of cabbage and other green leafy vegetables to prepare a Chlorophyll Plaster to help relieve inflammations, fever, and burns.
Source: Michio Kushi, Basic Home Remedies (Becket, MA: One Peaceful World Press, 1994).

• Cabbage and Other Brassica Vegetables Protect Against Cancer - Brassica vegetables, including cabbage, kale, broccoli, brussels sprouts, and cauliflower, are protective against cancer, according to a review of seven cohort and 87 case-control studies. Researchers in the Netherlands reported that cabbage had the strongest anticancer effect of all the brassica vegetables. Protective effects were strongest for lung, stomach, colon, and rectal cancer.
Source: D. T. Verhoeven et al., “Epidemiological Studies on Brassica Vegetables and Cancer Risk,” Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers, and Prevention 5(9):733-48, 1996.

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Broccoli

Wednesday, April 15th, 2009

BROCCOLI
As a cruciferous vegetable, the protective effects against heart disease and cancer have been well documented. In traditional Oriental medicine, broccoli is especially good for the lungs and large intestine. See Vegetables.

• Broccoli Reduces Cancer Risk - In a review of seven cohort studies and 87 case-control studies around the world, researchers in the Netherlands reported that 67 percent of the studies found that the consumption of broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower lowered the risk of lung cancer, stomach cancer, colon cancer, and rectal cancer.
Source: D. T. Verhoeven et al., “Epidemiological Studies on Brassica Vegetables and Cancer Risk,” Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers Prevention 5(9): 733-48, 1996.

• Anticancer Nutrient Identified - Scientists at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine reported that they had identified the ingredient in broccoli that worked as a powerful anticancer compound in laboratory experiments. The chemical, sulforaphane, boosts the production of an important enzyme known to neutralize carcinogens before they trigger tumor growth. In addition to broccoli, sulforaphane is found in bok choy, ginger, scallions, and other vegetables. In subsequent experiments, the Johns Hopkins scientists reported that broccoli inhibited induced breast cancer in animal tests. They particularly recommended saga broccoli, grown organically in Maine for the experiments.
Source: Y Zhang et al., “A Major Inducer of Anticarciongenic Protective Enzymes from Broccoli,” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 89(6):2399-403, 1992.

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Breast cancer

Wednesday, April 15th, 2009

BREAST CANCER
Breast cancer has reached epidemic proportions in modern society, affecting 1 in 8 women. Breast cancer rates are substantially lower in countries where plant-centered diets are eaten. The protective effects of miso, tofu, and other soy products high in phytoestrogens and isoflavones are being intensively studied around the world. See Carrots, Dairy, Estrogen, Isoflavones, Menopause, Menstrual Disorders, Miso, Phytoestrogens, Sea Vegetables, Soy Foods, Tofu, Tempeh, Vegetables, Vegetarian Diet, Vitamin D, War-Restricted Diet, Women’s Health.

• Macrobiotic Diet Lessens Breast Cancer Risk - Macrobiotic and vegetarian women are less likely to develop breast cancer, researchers at New England Medical Center in Boston reported. The scientists found that macrobiotic and vegetarian women process estrogen differently from other women and eliminate it more quickly from their body. The study involved 45 pre- and postmenopausal women, about half of whom were macrobiotic and vegetarian and half nonvegetarian.
The women consumed about the same number of total calories. Although the vegetarian women took in only one third as much animal protein and animal fat, they excreted two to three times as much estrogen. High levels of estrogen have been associated with the development of breast cancer. “The difference in estrogen metabolism may explain the lower incidence of breast cancer in vegetarian women,” the study concluded.
Source: B. R. Goldin et al., “Effect of Diet on Excretion of Estrogens in Pre- and Postmenopausal Incidence of Breast Cancer in Vegetarian Women,” Cancer Research 41:3771-73, 1981.

• Miso Retards Tumors - In laboratory experiments, Japanese researchers reported that chemically-induced breast tumors in rats could be significantly decreased by feeding the animals a diet consisting of 10 percent miso.
Source: T. Gotoh et al., “Chemoprevention of N-nitroso-N-methylurea-Induced Rat Mammary Carcinogenesis by Soy Foods or Biochanin A,” Japanese Journal of Cancer Research 89(2)137-42, 1998.

• Kombu Decreases Risk of Breast Cancer - In an experiment at the Harvard School of Public Health, laboratory animals fed a control diet with 5 percent Laminaria (kombu), a brown sea vegetable, developed induced mammary cancer later than animals not fed seaweed.
“Seaweed has shown consistent antitumor activity in several in vivo animal tests,” the researchers concluded. “In extrapolating these results to the Japanese population, seaweed may be an important factor in explaining the low rates of certain cancers in Japan. Breast cancer shows a three-fold-lower rate among premenopausal Japanese women and a nine-fold-lower rate among postmenopausal women in Japan than reported for women in the United States. Since low levels of exposure to some toxic substances have been shown to be carcinogenic, then it may be that low levels of daily intake of food with antitumor properties may reduce cancer incidence.”
Source: J. Teas, M. L. Harbison, and R. S. Gelman, “Dietary Seaweed [Laminaria] and Mammary Carcinogenesis in Rats,” Cancer Research 44:2758-61, 1984.

• Tofu and Miso Protect Against Breast Cancer - In a study of the effects of soy products on female hormones, Japanese scientists reported that consumption of miso and tofu reduced production of estradiol in 50 healthy premenopausal women. “Our results suggest that the consumption of soy products lowers the risk of developing breast cancer risk modifying estrogen metabolism,” the researchers concluded.
Source: C. Nagata, “Decreased Serum Estradiol Concentration Associated with High Dietary Intake of Soy Products in Premenopausal Japanese Women,” Nutrition and Cancer 29(3):228-33, 1997.

• Asian Diet Helps Heal - A diet high in soy foods, vegetables, and fish oil may reduce the risk of breast cancer, according to a study conducted by the Jonsson Cancer Center at the University of California at Los Angeles. Dr. John Glaspy put 25 American women in remission from breast cancer on an Asian-style diet and reported that in three months on the diet the ratio of omega-3 in the women’s blood rose fivefold. The omega-3 to omega-6 ratio in breast fat is considered a major indicator of risk for this disease. Source: D. Bagga et al., “Dietary Modulation of Omega-3/Omega-6 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Ratios in Patients with Breast Cancer,” Journal of the National Cancer Institute 89(15):1123-31, 1997.

• Diet Lowers Risk for Hispanics - Hispanic women in the U.S. have the lowest mortality rate from breast cancer of all ethnic groups. University of Texas researchers reported that a study of 22 Hispanic women in the Houston area showed their mean intake of dietary fiber from grains, breads, beans, and vegetables was higher than other groups. “This may help explain the lower incidence of breast cancer among some Hispanic populations,” the study concluded.
Source: “Dietary Fiber, Hispanics, and Breast Cancer Risk?” Annals of the New York Academy of Science 837:524-36, 1997.

• Risks of Tamoxifen - Tamoxifen, a synthetic hormone that blocks estrogen, has been promoted for reducing the risk of breast cancer. However, it increases the risk of uterine cancer and blood clots. In a federal study, women who took tamoxifen had 45 percent fewer cases of breast cancer than controls, but over twice as much uterine cancer, nearly three times as many blood clots in the lungs, and 50 percent more blood clots in major veins.
For women age 50 or older, for every one thousand women treated with tamoxifen for five years, the drug might prevent 17 cases of invasive breast cancer, while causing 12 cases of endometrial cancer and 10 serious blood clots.
Source: Lawrence K. Altman, “Researchers Find the First Drug Known to Prevent Breast Cancer,” New York Times, April 7, 1998 and “Breast Cancer Breakthrough,” New York Times, April 8, 1998.

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Antioxidants

Tuesday, April 14th, 2009

ANTIOXIDANTS
Antioxidants are natural substances in plant-quality foods that possess health-giving benefits. Whole grains, vegetables, and fruits contain a variety of active phytochemicals known as antioxidants that help control the oxidation of free radicals, normal but highly reactive substances which in excess can injure cell membranes. Natural antioxidants include phenolic compounds, terpenoids, pigments, and some forms of vitamins A, carotenoids, vitamin C, vitamin E, and selenium. Foods with the highest antioxidant activity include soybeans, cabbage, ginger, garlic, licorice, umbelliferous vegetables, and citrus fruits. Antioxidants reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes, and several forms of cancer. See Carotenoids, Lignans, Selenium, Smoking, Vegetables, Vitamins A, C, E.

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