Achieving Balance Through Our Diet

[InnerPeace]

I don't think many of us read the posts in here but never mind! A few years ago I did a course in macrobiotic cooking, it works along the Japanese principles of yin and yang, yin being feminine and light, yang being masculine and dark.

The idea being that food falls into either the yin or yang categories to varying degrees and the ideal is to achieve a balance between the 2 and to eat food that is locally grown, in season and preferably organic....basically looking at what is the least stressful for our bodies

Brown rice is the most balancing and mood stabilising food, preferably organic and short grain because that is most appropriate for our climate. Other wholegrains and local, seasonal fruit and veg are great too.

Foods such as potatoes, tomatoes, sugar, processed and refined foods, alcohol, caffeine, dairy products, yeast, are all yin and make us ungrounded.

Food like eggs, red meat, beans are yang. Eggs and red meat in macrobiotic thought would be too heavy and grounding.

I've often just fancied eating rice when I feel ill...seems my body knew what to do all along! Also explains why white flour, alcohol and coffee make me freaky!

[Barebones]

good one again inner your coming out with alot of helpfull stuff lately. thanks very much hun. your a insperation to us .

[Betsy]

i love brown rice but wonder why the long grain is not good?

[InnerPeace]

Thanks BB, you're more than welcome, helps as a reminder to me too...I was worried that I was beginning to be too much! I've just had a sudden run on ideas recently...I may have exhausted them all now and be back in the dark topics before long!

I managed to go the whole hog with macrobiotics for a week a few years ago, it was hard going as so different but I did feel so good, full of energy and needed less sleep...really lightened the load by avoiding food that stresses the body.

Julia McKeith in You Are What You Eat, comes from a macrobiotic basis too.

Hi Betsy...it's not that long grain isn't good...it's just isn't grown in the a local type climate for the UK, but short grain is grown in a temperate climate like ours...it's about eating food that would be grown in your climate and eating according to your environment.