It is impossible to say for sure who was the first to practice the macrobiotic diet. What is known is that its roots are deepened in ancient Japan, and its basic principles are built on the main ideas of such philosophical movements as Zen Buddhism, the works of Hippocrates and Western European culture vegetarian food. The American became the distributor of this technique in the West. Japanese origin John Ozawa, who studied macrobiotics for 48 years before coming up with his own theory on how to use them in nutrition.

The word “macrobiotics” itself, translated from ancient Greek, means “long life” or “amazing life”. Just from the name itself, it immediately becomes clear that the nutrition system was developed not so much for weight loss, but to achieve complete harmony with oneself and the world around us. This is not just another weight loss method, but a whole philosophy that hides more than a banal intake of healthy food.

For those who have decided to achieve final enlightenment, we will immediately say that this diet is not a one-time diet. It cannot be “jumped off” because it is designed to last a lifetime. This is such a twist, but how did you want it? Enlightenment does not come so easily. After Ozawa published his book Zen Macrobiotics, thousands of people began to follow specific nutritional principles.

The essence of this system is to balance your diet. You don’t have to count calories or measure portions; you just need to eat the same amount of foods that have Yin and Yang energy. In the modern interpretation, these will be two groups of products, one of them forms an acidic environment (contains potassium and phosphorus), and the second - alkaline (contains calcium and sodium). Yin energy, or the feminine principle, is an acidic environment, and Yang energy, or the masculine principle, is an alkaline environment.

Your task in the first stages will be to eat equal amounts of food with Yang energy and Yin energy. This will help achieve balance, both physical and spiritual, which will be needed to move to the higher levels of the macrobiotic diet.

• ginseng;
• chicory;
• sage;
• parsley;
• horseradish;
• carrot;
• pumpkin;
• eggs;
• meat;
• fish roe.

Ozawa recommends consuming all these products whenever possible. in kind, but if processing is still required, then you can boil, bake or stew the food. The drinking regime is also not quite usual in this system, clean water Without gas, you need to drink in small sips and only if you are thirsty.

Stages of the path to health and longevity

Ozawa states that the main goal of the macrobiotic diet is a smooth and gradual transition to a diet that consists exclusively of grains and water. According to the author, this food contains extremely useful components that are absorbed by the body in an environmentally friendly way. But due to the processing of proteins and fats, waste, toxins and other harmful substances accumulate in our body, which lead to the appearance of various diseases.

• 1st stage

At this time, you will need to maintain a certain proportion of intake different products. At this time you will need to exclude from the menu:

• alcohol;
• sugar;
• sweets;
• fruits;
• fatty meat;
• all products that contain chemicals.

The food ratio will be as follows: cereals and cereals - 40%, fresh or minimally processed vegetables - 30%, lean meat (except chicken) or fish - 20%, any soups, except those that contain mushrooms - 10%. A person determines the duration of each stage individually, based on his well-being, sensations and readiness to move on to the following changes in the diet.

• 2nd stage

At this time, you will create a menu for the week based on the following proportion of allowed products: cereals - 50%, vegetables - 30%, fish and meat dishes - 10%, soups, also without mushrooms - 10%.

• 3rd stage

At this stage to achieve your highest goal, you will have to completely abandon animal products, fish and seafood, they are completely excluded from the diet. At the same time, the amount of grains increases, they should be 60%, vegetables invariably make up 30% of the total menu, and soups - 10%.

• 4th stage

At this time, you will need to “give” 10% of vegetables to grains. It turns out that cereals will take up 70% of the diet, fresh vegetables - 20%, and soups will remain in the same quantity as they were - 10%.

• 5th stage

At this time, you will have to further reduce the variety of the menu by excluding soups from it. All 10% that fell on these dishes go to cereals, now they will be 80% in the diet, the remaining 20% ​​will be vegetables.

• 6th stage

We reduce the amount of vegetables consumed to 10%, try to eat them raw, grains make up 90% of the diet, they can be prepared in any way acceptable to you.

• 7th stage

This period is the final one, we have achieved complete enlightenment and can freely eat only rice or buckwheat porridge and make do with a minimum amount of water, but at the same time feel cheerful and full of energy.

The macrobiotic diet is used to treat many diseases, including cancer. Ozawa himself promises that after switching to the “correct” food, we will completely stop getting sick and will feel a special lightness in the body, the desire and need to take any medications and even vitamin supplements will disappear.

Adapted diet 7 to cleanse the body

Eastern teachings may seem quite complicated for a European person; it will not be very convenient to perceive them also for the reason that in our country there are practically no products that will initially be included in the diet, for example, fresh fish, algae. Diet 7 was developed especially for those who want to improve their health, which involves eating exclusively cereal porridges for 10 days, medicinal plants and grains.

In addition, whole grains help normalize the intestinal microflora, since they contain a large amount of fiber. Coarse fibers cause a long-lasting feeling of fullness, and they also act on the body like a natural “brush”, as they absorb waste and toxins and then remove them naturally. The experience of losing weight using this method gives excellent results - you can lose from 5 to 14 kg of excess weight!

Despite the fact that followers of macrobiotics can expect excellent results and longevity, this diet must be taken very seriously. Compliance with the diet should be supported not only by the desire to lose weight, but also to completely change your lifestyle and worldview. You can try a 10-day grain-based trial to see if you can feel comfortable with such severe deprivation.

Eastern wisdom says that all living beings are carriers of two opposing energies, Yin and Yang, which constantly compete with each other and influence organisms in a certain way. The dual worldview formed the basis of Zen teaching, which states that only those who achieve energy balance can know true happiness. What is happiness if not health and longevity?

The macrobiotic diet is a nutritional system whose name alone promises long life to his followers. This technique has direct relation to the philosophy of Zen Buddhism, but not only those who strive to achieve inner harmony become its fans.

The basics of macrobiotics are now known throughout the world and are actively used as aid to combat many diseases and improve the overall health of the body. Excess weight is also a consequence of energy imbalance, which can be effectively managed with the help of a macrobiotic diet.

Macrobiotics: Nutrition and Philosophy

It would seem that the eternal search for the golden mean has nothing to do with food, however oriental man I am convinced that all phenomena in the world are interconnected. Proper nutrition is not final goal, but just a means to promote spiritual development. Life force enters the body mainly with food, so in the East they pay attention to food that is incomprehensible to a European.

Macrobiotics can hardly be called a diet, since previously the transition to a special diet was only an intermediate stage on the path to enlightenment. Macrobiotics received its name only in the mid-twentieth century, when Japanese nutritionist George Osawa examined nutrition modern man through the prism of Eastern wisdom.

Food, like everything else, carries the energy of Yin and Yang to one degree or another. The distribution of products according to this system has scientific basis: “frost” food is rich, cools and oxidizes the body, “yang” food contains, warms and alkalizes. The secret of health and longevity is maintaining an optimal acid-base balance.

According to the principles of macrobiotics, there are no pure “Yin” and “Yang” foods, but all known to man nutritional components can be represented as a spectrum, where the extreme points are absolute Yin and Yang. The position in this distribution depends on which energy is dominant and which is suppressed.

Yin-Yang balance is also influenced by the method of heat treatment and consumption of prepared food. Yin dishes are prepared quickly, but are more often eaten raw, generously seasoned with oil, vinegar or other sauces. Served on the table in large portions with a minimum. Yang food must reach the mark of complete readiness. You can add as much salt as you like, but the use of oil and serving size must be limited.

Therapeutic macrobiotic diet

According to macrobiotic teaching, the cause of all diseases lies in poor blood composition. The creator of the macrobiotic diet believed that Qi energy enters the blood with food, and is then distributed throughout the body and reaches internal organs.

When a person receives an excessive amount of one energy or is deficient in another, the energy balance shifts towards Yin or Yang. The gurus of Eastern medicine believe that any disease is not a disease at all, but a consequence of a violation of internal harmony.

All illnesses are divided into two categories according to the macrobiotic system, depending on the external signs of the disease, its course and many associated factors.

Using this table, you can determine which energy deficiency caused the disease. The right food helps to regain balance: Yang diseases are treated with “frost” food and vice versa. Follow a strict macrobiotic diet medicinal purposes it takes 10 days - that’s exactly how long it takes for the blood composition to be completely renewed.

Osawa himself claims that by consuming whole grains, which saturate the body with the required type of energy, you can be cured of any ailment. To a European person It is not at all necessary to become an adherent of macrobiotics; it is enough to create a macrobiotic diet with an emphasis on necessary products, which will help correct the Yin-Yang balance.

Principles of macrobiotic nutrition

The rules of the macrobiotic diet do not depend on the goal pursued by the macrobiotic beginner, and boil down to the following requirements:

• completely eliminate generally accepted junk foods;
• consume foods in their natural state;
• give preference to seasonal cereals, vegetables and fruits typical of the area of ​​residence, and do not get carried away with exotic things;
• eat in small portions and chew thoroughly;
• prepare dishes immediately before eating from fresh ingredients, do not store in the refrigerator for more than one day;
• Cooking and eating food should be accompanied by positive emotions.

Food can be baked, steamed and boiled, a little vegetable oil is allowed. As seasonings, you can use only natural sauces (lemon or lime juice, apple cider vinegar), herbs and unrefined sea salt.

Macrobiotic diet: modes and components

Sharp restrictions and radical changes contradict the measured flow of life in the East, so Osawa roughly divided the human path to the pinnacle of macrobiotics into 10 stages. The nutritionist did not indicate how long a particular regimen should be followed and advised listening to your inner voice. You can move forward only when the body has adapted to the previous diet, so the transition can last from a week to several months.

Each phase is characterized by a different percentage of basic components:

The first three modes are the most loyal, and therefore do not guarantee a pronounced result. The following four are common diets that can be used both for weight loss and for preventive purposes. Modes 8-10 are strict monastic diets that cannot be used without medical indications. Even if there is certain diseases, restrictions of the last three phases can cause irreparable harm to human health.

Regardless of your current regimen, the macrobiotic diet strictly prohibits:

• preservatives, dyes, sugar substitutes and other additives;
• industrially processed products (sweets, bakery products, semi-finished products, etc.);
• “overseas” vegetables and fruits or grown with the help of chemical fertilizers;
• food of animal origin, also chemically processed: dairy products, cheeses, butter, red meat;
• stimulating, sweet, carbonated drinks;
• sugar, table salt, hot seasonings and spices.

You should also reduce your consumption of vegetables with pronounced Yin energy (eggplant, potatoes, mushrooms) and do not include more than two “yin” components in one meal. Of animal products, you can only eat poultry and seafood, and you should avoid eggs altogether.

Macrobiotic diet for weight loss

Macrobiotics were not initially presented as a means of combating overweight and began to be used for weight loss relatively recently. A variety of diets are based on macrobiotic diets 4-7.

Subject to general recommendations and the rules of macrobiotic nutrition, you can get rid of 5-7 extra pounds in a week. To prevent a sudden start from becoming stressful for the body, you need to prepare for weight loss in advance using the first three modes.

The most popular are four versions of the macrobiotic diet for weight loss, which differ in some components, but the basis of the diet remains whole grains.

In the presence of cancer, the percentage of dietary components changes slightly. The macrobiotic diet menu for cancer consists of 60% whole grain cereals, 30% vegetables, 10% seaweed and 10% beans. One must refrain from oxidizing and fatty foods, which has a pronounced Yin, and focus on the use.

Eastern doctors believe that such a diet can significantly reduce the risk of developing malignant tumors. However, no nutritional method can replace traditional treatment, but only serves as an auxiliary tool for healing. George Osawa prescribed a brown rice diet for cancer patients. Europeans should not get carried away, since this product comes from distant eastern countries, and replace it with the good old one.

Macrobiotic diet: menu

Create your own macrobiotic menu - not an easy task for a beginner. It is necessary to take into account not only individual characteristics body, state of health and desired result, but also time of year, place of residence and other related factors (gender, age, occupation).

The classic diet for weight loss consists of 70% Yin food and 30% Yang food. It looks something like this optimal menu macrobiotic diet for a week with three meals a day:

During a macrobiotic diet, you should not overeat; the portion should be reasonable and meet the needs of the body. If possible, do not wash down food so that it does not swell in the stomach and stretch it. If you feel hungry, you can drink tea, herbal decoction and snack on a vegetable or fruit from your native latitudes.

Those who are going to lose weight on a macrobiotic diet need to limit themselves in drinking and eat liquid food mainly at lunch. You should only drink purified water or herbal tea small sips throughout the day. As a tonic drink, macrobiots use an infusion of chicory or roasted cereals, which are not inferior to traditional coffee.

Losing weight will bring maximum benefits if you not only eat cereals made from whole grains, but also prepare them in a certain way.

1. To prepare macrobiotic porridge, take whole grains or cereals, wash them thoroughly and fry them in a frying pan without oil.
2. The dried grains are crushed to a powder state.
3. The resulting mixture is poured warm water shortly before consumption.

Fans of a raw food diet can eat sprouted grains whole or pureed without frying them.

An important component of the diet of the European macrobiota is buckwheat. Since brown rice is not suitable for Westerners, buckwheat can successfully replace it even in Eastern recipes.

This is how a popular Japanese snack called onigiri is transformed into buckwheat balls that everyone can understand. To prepare them, you need to boil a glass of buckwheat and thoroughly mash the porridge. Add the most chopped vegetables to taste (carrots, etc.) to the resulting mass, mix and form into balls.

This healthy snack useful for those who spend a lot of time at work and do not have the opportunity to prepare fresh food. This ball should be chewed slowly and washed down with water only after some time.

Pros and cons of the macrobiotic diet

Watching celebrities who follow a macrobiotic diet and inspire others with their example, it would seem impossible to doubt the effectiveness of this technique. However, scientific circles have not yet come to a clear conclusion regarding the benefits and harms of macrobiotics.

George Osawa presented his nutritional method as a “cure for all diseases” and recommended trying it for anyone interested in the Eastern understanding of happiness. The guru himself claimed that macrobiotics helped him recover from tuberculosis, and used it to treat even serious illnesses.

However, scientists have not found a direct relationship between the healing of cancer patients and macrobiotic teachings. Macrobiotics can reduce the risk of malignant tumors, however, is not a panacea for treating existing ones. The attractiveness of macrobiotic theory and Eastern philosophy is not a reason to refuse drug treatment.

As a weight loss technique, the macrobiotic diet has a number of undeniable advantages:

• loss of up to 7 kilograms of excess weight in seven days;
• cleansing the body with foods rich in fiber;
• eliminating harmful products and reducing carcinogenic risk;
• reduction and prevention of cardiovascular diseases;
• general improvement of the body, improvement of metabolism and strengthening of the immune system.

The macrobiotic diet has virtually no contraindications except during pregnancy, lactation, young age and individual intolerance components. It is not recommended to follow it for those who play sports and lead active life. Strict restrictions can lead to shortages useful elements, so reception vitamin complexes will not be superfluous.

Why does the technique, which has been used in the East for centuries, acquire so many nuances in the West? Perhaps it is a matter of moderation and prudence - the basic principles of Eastern philosophy. For a European prone to fanaticism, it is dangerous to mix nutrition with religion and ethical considerations. Therefore, whether to make macrobiotics a lifestyle or not is a purely personal matter. For safe weight loss on a macrobiotic diet healthy person A period of up to 10 days is sufficient.

The macrobiotic diet is a diet based on Eastern and Buddhist traditions. Its goal is not weight loss at all. It is more aimed at acquiring spiritual peace and normalizing a person’s psychological state so that he can establish contact with the outside world.

However, today this diet is used by many precisely because they want to gain their weight back, without delving into the “nature” of this diet at all.

The essence of the macrobiotic diet

This diet contains two energies – Yin and Yang. By creating a balance of these energies, you can achieve spiritual balance and improve health.

All consumed products are conditionally divided into these two energies. Among them are allowed for use:

• only natural products, which include fish and fish products, meat, vegetables and fruits, legumes, nuts and algae (by the way, these should be consumed the most, as they are the healthiest);
• whole grains, including rice, barley, rye, buckwheat and millet;
• any sugar-free drinks, excluding alcohol, cocoa, coffee;
• greens: parsley, lettuce, green onions.

At the same time, fatty foods that were fried with the addition of oil during the cooking process, sugar, various spices, spicy foods, and tropical fruits are completely excluded.

Even some types of vegetables are prohibited, namely zucchini, tomatoes and potatoes. Also, milk with a high percentage of fat content and any canned food should not be consumed.

Diet rules

The macrobiotic diet has its own rules, following which you can quickly and easily lose extra pounds. This:

• ban on overeating;
• need to eat only whole foods and natural products;
• The daily diet should consist of 50% whole grains, 20% vegetables, and the remaining 30% divided between meat, fish and nuts.

At the same time, it is very important to comply drinking regime. You need to drink at least 2 liters of purified water per day. After all, water is life. It makes every cell of our body work, removing everything harmful from it and improving the functioning of all internal organs and systems. In addition, water, which leads to an acceleration of the weight loss process.

Such nutrition generally has a beneficial effect on the condition of the body. After just a few days, the level of bad cholesterol in the blood begins to decrease, which leads to a reduction in the risk of developing various diseases cardiovascular systems s and the endocrine system.

The macrobiotic diet also has disadvantages. Among them - acute shortage. The thing is that while maintaining it, a lot of food is consumed, which contributes. But the problem is that when cleansing occurs for more than 2-3 days, along with harmful substances useful ones begin to appear. But deficiency can be easily avoided if you take pharmacy vitamins throughout the diet.

The macrobiotic diet menu is meager and strict. For 7 days you need to eat according to this scheme:

• breakfast: porridge cooked with water from 3 tbsp. oatmeal and dried fruits, you can also eat a small toast from rye bread and drink a mug of green tea;
• dinner: a serving of vegetable soup, boiled rice with fish or meat, be sure to have a handful of nuts;
• afternoon snack: any fruit except tropical;
• dinner: buckwheat porridge and vegetable salad.

Don't forget to drink water between meals. It will improve the digestion process and at the same time relieve hunger.

The macrobiotic diet is ideal for people who lead... This diet option is not suitable. Since she has dietary restrictions, this can affect the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. And if you have problems with it, then we recommend that you first visit a doctor and get his approval before going on a diet.

Macrobiotic diet video

Macrobiotics is a system of rules in lifestyle and nutrition, with the help of which our Doctors and philosophers from different corners planets used this term to define life in complete harmony with surrounding nature. In this article we will find out what macrobiotic nutrition is, what it is, the history of its origin, and also give a list of dishes corresponding to this system.

Story

This food system has been used since ancient times in Japan in monasteries. There it is called shojin reri - “judgment-improving kitchen.” The concept of “macrobiotics” is even in the works of Hippocrates. Although officially this term appeared in the book of Christoph Hufeland (German doctor) in 1796. The modern concept of the system was developed by Sagen Ichizuka (Japanese military doctor). In 1897 he published his enormous work “ Chemical theory longevity and nutrition."

A year later, he published his own textbook on nutrition, which subsequently went through 23 editions. Ichizuka used macrobiotic and other diseases, prescribing to patients seaweed, vegetables. A group of his followers created the Food Cure Society in 1908.

At some point, Ichizuki's book came into the hands of Yukikaza Sakurazawa, a young student who later became known in the West as George Osawa, a Japanese physician and philosopher. Having been cured of tuberculosis with the help of macrobiotics, he began to spread this teaching himself. Wrote about 100 books on this system, oriental medicine and philosophy; visited different countries with seminars and lectures; opened a “School for the Ignorant,” in which he taught Eastern philosophy and a unified order.

In the West, macrobiotic nutrition (what it is, we will find out in the article below) began to spread in the sixties of the last century, after it was adapted to the European way of thinking. About 1000 macrobiotic centers operate today in Canada, the USA, Italy, Holland, Germany, Great Britain, Spain, France, Australia, South America, Switzerland, Japan, Slovakia, Poland, Denmark, Austria, Belgium, Africa and Alaska.

The essence of the teaching

It should be noted that modern macrobiotics is based on a system of Eastern philosophy based on the basic principles of balance between Yang and Yin (famous for about 5,000 years), as well as some aspects of Western medicine. Health is the harmony of “yin” and “yang”, as well as the balance between our external and internal environment, physical and mental activity, animal and plant foods, raw and thermally processed food.

According to the doctrine of Yin-Yang balance, many diseases arise from the predominance of Yin or Yang energy in the human body. It depends on the climate, place of residence, physiological characteristics and intensity of activity of a particular person.

According to macrobiotics, this imbalance can be corrected with the help of:

• selection necessary products nutrition;
• method of their preparation;
• compliance with eating rules.

Food selection

Macrobiotics conventionally divides all diseases into “Yin” and “Yang”. Yang diseases should be treated with Yin food, and vice versa. All foods in this diet are:

• Yang products - alkaline reaction;
• Yin foods are acidic.

By consuming Yang or Yin foods, the body can maintain a dynamic balance of these energies, which is what macrobiotic nutrition consists of.

The menu only includes healthy products. It is recommended to avoid:

• genetically, hormonally and chemically altered products (all canned food, any drinks and food with chemical dyes;
• strong Yin and Yang foods (fruits, sugar, fish, berries, cheeses, meat). The imbalance they introduce into the human body can cause a feeling of hunger.

An overabundance of unnatural foods and sugar creates a lack of energy, therefore, the body requires a lot of Yang energy, a thirst for red meat and a need for proteins arise.

When there is a lack of protein, the body “eats” its own tissue, and this leads to weight loss over time. Those who are too thin are susceptible to tuberculosis, infections, pneumonia, and other diseases. What follows are all kinds of atrophy:

• sclerosis;
• muscle atrophy;
• arthritis, etc.

Excess sugar, as well as a large amount of proteins, make the body too full, and this entails a “bouquet” of other diseases, as macrobiotic nutrition suggests.

The menu for the week includes dishes made from vegetables and non-processed vegetables. In addition, sea plants, fish, various plant seasonings, seeds and nuts, legumes, and fruits are consumed.

Osawa developed ten therapeutic diets. Thus, the diet for seriously ill patients consists only of cereals, which must be consumed within 10 days (diet 7 - therapeutic or monastic). The diet changes as you recover, the percentage of grains decreases, being replaced by fruits, vegetables, soups, etc.

In macrobiotics, depending on the presence of the above food products, 10 modes are distinguished. You can choose from them for an “average”, ordinary life, or for vegetarianism.

Cooking

Macrobiotic nutrition according to Lebedev, it involves proper cooking. This includes drying methods, storage methods, substituting sweet or sour foods, and adding various seasonings.

The main rule in this case is to prepare food for one meal, at most for a day.

Cereals (whole unrefined grains) are used unprocessed, in infused form, boiled, baked and ground.

Rules for eating

Macrobiotic nutrition according to Lebedev involves chewing food thoroughly, at least 60 times. What will it give:

• food that is necessary for the body and good will give pleasure, while harmful food can only cause disgust;
• the volume of food absorbed will decrease, and its subsequent absorption will also improve;
• chewing will become meditation, and you will be able to quickly assimilate Eastern philosophy.

Use as much as possible less water in its purest form. It should be noted that macrobiotic food contains quite a lot of liquid. Large quantity water only overloads the kidneys, therefore, in macrobiotics one should give preference to various cereals instead of the soups that are beloved by many.

We must not forget about systematicity and prudence. Limiting fluid intake applies to people for whom macrobiotic nutrition has already become the norm. At the same time, at the transition stage, while our body is undergoing restructuring, there is no need to sharply limit yourself in drinking.

Initially limit your intake of sweets and meat products. It is better to replace meat products with legume dishes and fish. Replace sweets with dried and fresh sweet fruits (apricots, prunes, dates).

Then replace side dishes with boiled vegetables and cereals. But do this gradually, otherwise the balance in the body will be disrupted. minerals, and vitamins.

Effect of macrobiotic nutrition

Macrobiotic nutrition is the embodiment of the Law of Nature in human drinking and nutrition. If a person is in agreement with this Law, he is able to achieve mental, moral and physical health, which means:

• excellent appetite;
• lack of fatigue;
• good and deep sleep;
• good mood;
• good memory;
• living in accordance with the order of Nature;
• clarity of deeds and thoughts.

The principles of macrobiotics, which stem from the laws of nature, make it possible to choose, eat and prepare exactly the food that suits a particular person. As a result, it makes it possible to achieve high energy potential and good health at low time and financial costs.

Macrobiotic nutrition: Zdorovyak porridge

The basis of such nutrition is cereal grains and cereal crops, which before eating:

• washed;
• dried (fried) without oil in a frying pan;
• crushed in a mortar;
• added to the treated product medicinal herb in powder form;
• diluted with water until it becomes sour cream, after which it is consumed as food.

Macrobiotic nutrition is based on these principles of food consumption. “Samara big man” is porridge that can be safely eaten. When preparing them, whole grains of rice, wheat, millet, rye, corn, buckwheat are used as the main raw material, processed in this way:

• the grain is deeply cleaned with further washing;
• then it is subjected to short-term thermal treatment;
• further crushed;
• after this, kelp, spirulina, flax, Jerusalem artichoke, rose hips, etc. are added to the grain in the form of powder (meals).

It should be noted that macrobiotic nutrition “Samara Healthy” in Voronezh and many other cities of Russia can be easily purchased at the pharmacy. The product prepared in this way must be diluted before use with a liquid whose temperature does not exceed 60 °C. It can be broth, water, vegetable or fruit juices, fermented milk or dairy products. You can’t cook grains, because high temperatures can destroy everything beneficial properties additives that this macrobiotic food contains. “Zdorovyak” porridge in Almaty is also sold in many pharmacies and herbal pharmacies.

The method of using such food for treatment is extremely simple: to get a healing effect, you need to use only it for 10 days or more.

Below we will consider the most available recipes such nutrition.

Salad with gooseberries, rutabaga or carrots

Grate 400 g of rutabaga or carrots on a coarse grater; mix with one glass of rhubarb or gooseberry compote, season. You can also add herbs.

Rhubarb and beet salad

Cut 2 rhubarb stalks crosswise, mix it with a couple of tablespoons of honey and refrigerate for half an hour. Grate 2 raw beets, finely chop the parsley and dill and mix everything together with the rhubarb.

Turnip salad

Take 2-3 peeled turnips, cut into strips or grate. Mash half a glass of cranberries or currants. Season the mixture with honey. You can also sprinkle with chopped cumin or dill.

Cabbage with apples

Half a kilogram of red cabbage needs to be chopped, put into a saucepan, add a couple of chopped onions, a little water and simmer a little. Next, place 4 apples cut into slices on top of the cabbage. Bring the pan to readiness over the fire, covering with a lid.

Radish with raisins

Grate the peeled and washed radish, add the chopped onion, scalded and washed raisins, then season with honey or vegetable oil. Garnish the salad with slices of carrots or sprigs of herbs.

Soaked grain

We continue to learn about how beneficial macrobiotic nutrition is. His recipes are very interesting, including this one. Wet three tablespoons of oats (you can take wheat or rye grains instead of oats) in the evening and put away overnight. Drain the water in the morning and add dried apricots, peeled nuts and raisins or prunes.

Buckwheat with mushrooms

Cook broth with spices from 50 g of mushrooms. Strain it and chop the mushrooms very finely. Pour two glasses of kernels into three glasses of this broth, add mushrooms, chopped small onions, mix everything and put on fire. After the porridge boils, remove it from the heat and put it in the oven for an hour and a half.

Millet with pumpkin

Finely chop the pumpkin pulp (200 g), put it in boiling water and boil. Then add 1.5 cups of millet (you need to soak it for several hours first) and cook. 5 minutes before readiness, you can add washed dried apricots or raisins to the porridge.

Millet with cumin and onions

Studying further macrobiotic nutrition, the recipes of which are given in this article, one cannot help but mention this interesting dish. One and a half cups of millet must be washed and soaked for 6 hours in cold water, then boiled. Add finely chopped herbs, crushed garlic, chopped onions (green or onion), and cumin to the porridge. After this, place the pan in a warm place.

Homemade muesli

A tablespoon of rolled oats should be soaked for several hours in three tablespoons of water (preferably overnight). After the rolled oats swell, you need to grate 150 g of apples into it, stirring the mass all the time, and also add 1 spoon of honey and grated nuts. You can use any dried fruits and berries.

Rice pilaf with dried fruits and vegetables

You need to wash 1.5 kg of rice, cut several apples and 0.5 kg of pumpkin into small pieces, rinse some dried apricots and raisins. Pour 2 tablespoons of olive oil into the pan, then add the pumpkin so that its pieces cover the bottom. Place a layer of rice on top, then put a layer of apples, then again rice, a layer of dried fruits, again rice. Pour all this with a little salted water so that it completely covers the last layer of rice. Place the prepared dish on the fire.

with feta cheese

Pour a glass of millet into hot water and simmer over low heat for an hour, then add the chopped cheese and stir until smooth. Sprinkle with dill and parsley.

Cucumber soup

Chop the cucumbers, onions and parsley root, chop the salad and simmer it all with water until fully cooked. Then pour in boiling water, add some crushed crackers and cook until boiling. You can add parsley and lemon juice.

Pumpkin soup

Finely chop onions and fry it. Then add chopped pumpkin (0.5 kg), add a little water, salt to taste and simmer. Season with flour (4 tablespoons) fried in oil, dilute with water and cook until thickened. You can also make soup with carrots, cauliflower, and burdock root.

Chapati

Macrobiotic nutrition is very popular in the East. An irreplaceable food in this case is chapati, which can be prepared from buckwheat or wheat flour or millet, a mixture of various ground grains.

So, we will need:

• 150 ml water;
• 250 g flour;
• 3 tbsp. l. oils;
• 1/2 tsp. salt.

Mix salt and flour in a large bowl. Add water and knead until it forms a soft dough. Sprinkle it with water. Next, cover and set aside for an hour. Heat a cast iron skillet. Divide the dough into fifteen parts, make balls out of them, kneading them all the time. Roll out the balls into fifteen flat cakes. After that, place them one by one in the frying pan. After small bubbles appear on the surface of the donut white, and the edges begin to bend upward, the cakes need to be turned over reverse side. Now carefully take the chapati by the edges with tongs so that the resulting cake does not tear. Bring it to the fire, where you keep it until brown spots appear. Grease one side with oil.

Restoring energy balance

We figured out what macrobiotic nutrition is and its main products. None of the edible components of the grain are discarded. Everything should go into action - germ, bran, endosperm (this is the tissue of plant seeds where nutrients, which are necessary for the development of each embryo). Such a complex can meet the needs human body In addition, it helps restore balance.

It should be noted that whole grains contain a set of substances that are very necessary for a person: proteins, complex carbohydrates, minerals and vitamins, fats, in proportions that help us get the amount of energy we need.

In general, dishes made from rice (brown), buckwheat, millet, oats, corn, wheat, etc. should be welcome on your table. Eat them daily. You can eat porridge throughout the day. In this case, there is no specific set of dishes. You can alternate them at will, only based on maintaining the above balance.

Criticism

It should be noted that all the needs of the body, especially in children, persons with a number of chronic diseases or intense physical activity, cannot cover macrobiotic nutrition. The recipes, reviews of which are listed in the article below, can, of course, be used, but there are opponents of such regular nutrition.

Studies have shown that followers of this teaching have cases of rickets, scurvy, and iron deficiency anemia. Such a diet in children can lead to a lack of vitamins D and B12, protein, riboflavin and calcium, and this leads to low content muscle and fat tissue, growth retardation, as well as slow psychomotor development.

And the US Cancer Society has not found evidence that such a diet can be a quality treatment for cancer, as previously stated.

At the same time, the treatment of diseases of the digestive and cardiovascular systems can be effective if combined medical supplies and macrobiotic nutrition. Porridge "Zdorovyak", reviews of which attract the attention of a huge number of people to the product, in this case will significantly save your time, improving the condition of the body.

This type of cuisine differs from the usual way of eating. high content fiber, and this can cause an imbalance of minerals in the body. But a gradual transition to such a diet will help avoid most of these problems.

Macrobiotic nutrition: reviews

Because today everything more people If you think about the need for a healthy lifestyle, you can find a huge number of reviews about macrobiotic nutrition. Many people talk about improving their well-being, rejoicing at how many dishes are offered in this kitchen. Others note, on the contrary, a deterioration in well-being, although for the most part this is due to a sharp transition to such a diet.

Found in the notes of the Japanese physician Sagen Ishikuzuki, who lived in the 19th century. At the beginning of the 20th century, the emergence and gradual development the theory of macrobiotics, the Japanese philosopher George Osawa was a follower of the system. In the 50s in the United States, this philosophy was studied by the Japanese teacher Yukinaz Sakurazawa, who concluded that by following the macrobiotic nutrition system, he was cured of a serious illness. Later, his follower Michio Kushi introduced order into this system, and this is the standard diet known today.

The diet is based on whole grains and boiled vegetables. Animal products (with rare exceptions) are taboo.

According to the macrobiotic diet of Michio Kushi, foods are divided into two groups, depending on their energy orientation: yin and yang, they must be combined with each other and be in balance. It is impossible for the diet to be dominated by products of only one group or another.

Yin (feminine) - sour foods, yang - foods with a masculine principle - are characterized by an alkaline reaction and have a bitter and salty taste.

Let's imagine that we are conducting an experiment, and Elena is our imaginary subject. If yin and yang foods are balanced in Elena’s diet, she will not reach for “inharmonious” foods, which are flour, sweet and fatty foods, and will not gain weight.

Permitted products in shares for daily use:

• grains (buckwheat, oats, millet, corn, barley) - 50%;
• fresh and steamed vegetables - 20%;
• vegetable soups (you can add a little fish) - 8%;
• seaweed and legume products - 7%;
• fruits, nuts and dried fruits - 10%;
• high-quality fish and seafood, turkey, soy products - 5%.

Principles

1. The compatibility of people and products that were born and grew up in the same conditions is better. You must eat what grows on the land on which you were born. You are part of nature, connected to a certain place on this earth. This is important on a cosmic scale. Lena was born in Russia, which means that buckwheat, millet, millet, and oats are suitable for her diet.
2. Naturalness. The products you consume should not contain preservatives, chemical dyes, or additives. Only natural products.
3. Eat and chew thoroughly.
4. Only when you want to eat. Eat when you are truly hungry. If your hand reaches for the refrigerator, pour yourself a glass of water - perhaps you were just thirsty?
5. How to cook. Food must be consumed either raw, or boiled, stewed or baked over gas or an open fire. Sometimes it's okay to fry. Do not use a microwave oven.

Can

1. Allowed seasonings: sea ​​salt and gomashio (sea salt and fried sesame seeds, ground), soy sauce, mustard and horseradish (natural), parsley and onion. You can also use unrefined oils.
2. Sweeteners: fresh and dried fruits.
3. Snack: nuts, pumpkin and sunflower seeds, the permissible norm is one handful per week.
4. You can drink still water, as well as chicory and black tea without flavoring and aromatic additives.

It is forbidden

1. High-acid yin vegetables (potatoes, eggplants, sorrel, tomatoes and beet tops).
2. Honey, sugar, chocolate.
3. Animal meat.

Made in Japan

“I heard something about a very effective Japanese diet,” says Lena. We'll also tell you about this very quick way to reset overweight. The diet provides amazingly fast results and speeds up the metabolism in the body. Please note that this diet should not be followed more than once a year. It is tough, daily calorie content should not exceed 800 kcal.

1. Strict adherence to days and set of products.
2. The Japanese diet involves drinking plenty of water and green tea throughout the day, this is necessary to remove waste and toxins. In total, you should drink about two liters per day, and your first glass should be consumed on an empty stomach. Half an hour before meals, drink a glass of water.

Products that are allowed:

• meat and fish low-fat varieties;
• natural yogurt, low-fat cottage cheese, kefir;
• quail and chicken eggs;
• lemons and others;
• tomato juice;
• vegetables other than kohlrabi;
• virgin oil, unrefined;
• still water, coffee (black, without sugar) and green tea.

Prohibited products:

• fatty meat and fish;
• canned food and semi-finished products;
• fatty dairy products, yoghurts with sugar and fillers;
• sweet and flour;
• seasonings and spices;
• fast food;
• carbonated drinks, alcohol;
• sauces.

"Japanese" menu for the week

Monday:

1. Breakfast: 1 cup of black coffee (no sugar).
2. Lunch: 2 boiled chicken eggs+ cabbage salad with vegetable oil + a glass of tomato juice.
3. Dinner: 250 g fish fillet. You can fry it.

1. Breakfast: wholemeal bread crumbs + black coffee.
2. Lunch: cabbage salad + 200 g fish fillet.
3. Dinner: 200 g of boiled beef and a glass of kefir.

1. Breakfast: a cup of coffee without sugar and milk.
2. Lunch: 200 g fried zucchini.
3. Dinner: 2 boiled chicken eggs, 200 g of beef, cooked without salt + 100 g of cabbage salad with vegetable oil.

1. Breakfast: coffee without sugar + crackers (repeat Tuesday).
2. Lunch: drink a raw chicken egg, 10 g of hard low-fat cheese + 100 g of boiled carrot salad with vegetable oil.
3. Dinner: 2 medium apples, preferably green, sour varieties.

1. Breakfast: carrot salad, seasoned lemon juice.
2. Lunch: boiled fish + tomato juice.
3. Dinner: repeat Thursday.

1. Breakfast: black coffee - 1 cup, without milk and sugar.
2. Lunch: 300 g boiled chicken + salad fresh vegetables(100 g) s olive oil.
3. Dinner: 2 chicken eggs (hard-boiled) + 100 g of cabbage salad, dressed with oil.

Sunday:

1. Breakfast: 1 cup of green tea without sugar and without milk.
2. Lunch: 1 seasonal fruit + 200 g of boiled beef.
3. Dinner: repeat any day except Wednesday.

What benefits do followers of macrobiotics receive?

Let's return to macrobiotic nutrition. What advantages can be identified compared to the usual mode?

1. Flexibility in product selection. Our ward Elena has the opportunity to choose those that best suit her, taking into account her health and tastes.
2. Healthy thanks to an emphasis on whole grains and vegetables.
3. Finally, Lena will never go hungry, because the range of products is very diverse.

Many today reject starchy foods, explaining that they provoke the development of obesity. Imagine that whole grain wheat and unprocessed rice, containing complex natural starches, are the best food for humans, an ideal source of energy.

“What about fats and proteins?” - Lena will rightly ask. Energy from these products is absorbed worse than from complex carbohydrates. In addition, fats and proteins, after breakdown, leave more harmful substances in the body, so they are practically not participants in the macrobiotic diet.

Modern world presents us with a lot of carbohydrate-containing products (white sugar, baked goods, sweets), which, apart from harming our health, will bring nothing.

The mechanism of action of slow and fast carbohydrates

What do “fast” and “slow” carbohydrates mean?

Brown rice releases about two calories per minute for us, burns slowly, which means there is a constant flow of glucose into the blood.

If our Lena eats “Bear in the North,” then the “candy” carbohydrates will burn out very quickly, releasing 25-35 calories every minute.

Honey, refined white and fruit sugar are absorbed quickly (the pancreas does not work when breaking them down). They fly by without bringing us any benefit. As a result, our body does not receive energy nutrition. Hence the name “empty carbohydrates”.

A macrobiotic diet will give you a lot of energy. Whole grains, vegetables and beans, when digested, feed us for several hours, and we do not want to eat. The complex carbohydrates they contain are decomposed by the body into glucose (which is further processed into energy), carbon dioxide, which we exhale, and water, without leaving behind combustion products and toxins. Unlike, for example, fats, after processing of which waste remains, removed by the liver and kidneys.

Macrobiotic diet: menu for the week

Monday:

• breakfast: millet porridge with vegetables or miso soup, green tea;
• lunch: rice with vegetables, dried fruits;
• afternoon snack: fruit;
• dinner: buckwheat and steamed fish, tea.

• breakfast: oatmeal with water + some dried fruits, whole grain toast, a cup of green tea;
• lunch: vegetable soup, boiled rice with fish or turkey, a few nuts;
• afternoon snack: any fruit (except tropical);
• dinner: rice porridge and vegetable salad.

• breakfast: multigrain porridge with water + 2 dates, black tea;
• lunch: miso soup with fish, fruit;
• afternoon snack: a few nuts;
• dinner: steamed vegetables, corn porridge.

• breakfast: millet porridge with whole grain bread;
• dinner: vegetable stew from broccoli, green beans, carrots with soy sauce;
• afternoon snack: fresh seasonal fruit;
• dinner: steamed fish with grated daikon salad plus a little corn oil.

• breakfast: fresh cucumber + low-fat cottage cheese (100 g);
• lunch: whole grain bread, onion;
• afternoon snack: 2-3 almonds;
• dinner: spinach salad + turkey liver. You can create your own macrobiotic diet recipes based on the products you have.

• breakfast: small bread, corn porridge with pumpkin;
• lunch: sorrel soup with carrots and green onions + whole grain bread;
• afternoon snack: fresh seasonal apple;
• dinner: avocado salad + leafy greens + tofu slice.

Sunday:

• grated carrots + buckwheat porridge;
• lunch: bread + cabbage soup;
• afternoon snack: a handful of dried fruits;
• dinner: salad seaweed+ grilled fish.

Macrobiotic Himalayan diet - what is it?

It is based on a special macrobiotic porridge, which just needs to be filled with water or milk before use. You don't need to cook it, that's it useful substances and nutrients are preserved. Includes:

• buckwheat;
• Himalayan pink salt;
• flax seeds;
• fiber.

In 2 weeks, about 10 kg are usually lost. Just fill it with water or milk, add fruits, dried fruits, nuts, vegetable salads. You need to eat five times a day.

Three times a week you are allowed 100 g of boiled meat, poultry or fish; at night, drink kefir or eat a little low-fat cottage cheese.

Allowed plain water, fruit drinks from berries, compotes without sugar, teas, chicory.

As a result of eating this porridge:

• are normalized digestive processes, toxins are eliminated, the functioning of internal organs improves;
• The magnesium contained in the porridge stabilizes blood pressure and improves heart function;
• thanks to vitamin PP, immunity increases;
• Vitamin B improves the functioning of the heart, central nervous system and stomach.

Macro diet effect

Pros. Regular consumption of natural foods, vegetables, fruits, whole grains helps the overall health of the body as a whole: weight decreases, cholesterol and sugar levels are normalized, as well as blood pressure.

Cons. Due to a lack of protein in food, vitamin deficiency can form, various diseases. Before you decide to change your diet, read reviews about the macrobiotic diet and be sure to consult your doctor.