Would you do it?

[Holly Lindin]

Ooh, I just remembered! Another great documentary is Jenna Norwood's "Super Charge Me". That's ultimately what inspired me to go down the raw food path over a year ago, so yeah, I recommend that one as well. <3

[cloud9]

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=IzxRDsBtXrM

[RunningDeer]

Posted by WhiteCrowBlackDeer (here)
@cloud9 - I eat mostly macrobiotic. I say mostly, because I want the freedom to dine with friends and family. At home, it's almost 100% macrobiotics. Moderation works for me.

BTW: In macrobiotics, there are diverse cooking methods to brings out the different yin/yang energies within the foods. I think in the end there are pluses and minuses to each method. A rule of thumb for myself is to just be open to what my body is asking for. One last point, macrobiotics is a lifestyle, not just the foods one ingests.

I've posted an informative article per request called, "Macrobiotics Lifestyle and the Energetics of Food"

I’ve lived this lifestyle since 1980’s, and had an opportunity to go to the “Kushi Institute,” Kiental, Switzerland, for “Macrobiotic Lifestyle, Cooking, and Shiatsu training” certification, in 1992. I'd also add, that there are tons of books and even material online now.

One sided eating such as an “all raw diet” eventually effects one’s physiology, psychology, emotions and spirit bodies. Whereas a balanced cooking regime enhances the energetics of the foods, thus keeping one in a stable equilibrium (homeostasis). A generalization here is that a man will find the effects of an all raw diet beneficial to begin with because male tends to be more yang energy. So this yin approach to raw food diet will help them balance out. (in the beginning, below will explain what happens next)

Macrobiotics is not only a food and cooking style, it a lifestyle as well. Some one on a spiritual path tends to eat more vegetable protein, such as rice, barely, cous-cous, soy, nuts, and seeds. Live in ways that bring them peace and joy, open their minds through higher knowledge from diverse sources. That is not to say it can’t be done any other way. “If it ain’t broke why fix it?” But if there is room for flexibility of thought, and body then one may want to incorporate foods that are more middle ground rather than the extremes.

Below are 16 cooking methods that range in extremes from most yin to the most yang:

Most yin cooking methods:

frozen
juice
raw
marinated (with salt)
pressed (with salt)
blanched (no lid/cover on pan)

Most centering cooking methods:
water sautee
short stir fry
steaming (cover on)
Nishime (lid/cover, with very little water)
stewed (in water)

Yang to most yang cooking methods:
pan fry
deep fry
pressure cook
baking (oven)
burn (most yang)

Bullet points:
Cooking methods range from extreme yin to extreme yang. Ideally, most central is used most days. So the cooking methods, foods choices, and how you perceive the world, all contribute to how to keep your body in balance. That’s why is important not to eat the same foods over and over. Variety keeps your body balanced in mind, body, and spirit
Water is yin, so cooking with water all the way up to boiling water, therefore food is yin energy
Oil is yang, so cooling with oil, or cooking with a cover, and /or heat and pressure creates yang energy

EXAMPLE of two cooking/eating extremes:
food = brown rice
cooking methods = steam vs. pressure cooker

Someone that is weepy, depressed, eats lots of sugar and milk products is a yin personality types; therefore, cook brown rice using pressure cooker method.

Whereas, someone that is quick to anger, impatient, physical, eats foods such as meat and eggs or someone that is under a lot of pressure, these personality types would benefit using cook brown rice using steam method.

DID YOU KNOW FACT: Eggs = these are the absolute most yang food because it is produced from animal. Meats (animal products) falls just below eggs in yang energy. Whereas, opposite of yang is yin foods like vegetables & grains because they are from Mother Earth.

So in my opinion, an all raw diet will eventually cause one’s body to become extremely yin, and expansive. Which means, unclear thinking, poor attention, indecision, overly emotional in a weepy sense, ungrounded. Yin also is expansive therefore body chills, cold extremities, ie. hand and feet, and binging on yang foods and drinks. (which it is the body’s way of come back to balance)

Then the body flips into next level to compensate which goes into extreme yang and contractive. So behaviors such as, physical rage, binging on yang foods and drink. (which it is the body’s way of come back into balance), poor attention span, extreme thinking and acting out in inappropriate physical ways, rigidity and inflexible in mind, body, and spirit.

In conclusion, someone that engages in extreme eating and lifestyle, nature tries to protect itself by flipping into the other extreme. Eventually, if continues then the body collapses into general malaise such as body aches, sleeplessness, skin disorders then to sickness and dis-ease. Whereas, foods, cooking methods, and lifestyle in moderation, the body is whole, youthful, and flexible in mind, body and spirit. My advice is to make small changes over time. Macrobiotics is a lifestyle not a diet. The design happens to dovetail into a successful partnership.

PS Full disclosure - Ben & Jerry and myself are still great friends. And sometimes, we even have pajama parties.